Nicole was by the bed, bent over in the act of removing the little girl’s dressing-gown, blocking him off from her daughter—their daughter. The urge to stake a claim here and now was far too strong for Quin to deny.
“Your mother is mistaken, Zoe,” he said.
Nicole straightened up and whipped around, shooting him a killer look for intruding on what she considered her territory.
Not just hers any more, he silently resolved, strolling forward, his gaze fastened on the child who was so clearly flesh of his flesh, blood of his blood. She was not frightened of him, not his daughter. She stood her ground, looking gravely at him, waiting to hear what the mistake was, and Quin was flooded by a tumultuous mix of emotions—wonder, pride, tenderness, a fierce need to protect, the desire to hold her close, hug her tight.
But he was a stranger to her and restraint was called for until she accepted him for who he was. He squatted down to speak to her at eye level. “I’m not just someone passing by,” he explained. “I’ve been away for a long time. All your life so far. But I aim to stay around for the rest of it.”
“Quin!” The grated protest from Nicole drew Zoe’s attention to her.
“That’s my name,” he quickly said, offering a smile that promised he was harmless. It persuaded their daughter into looking directly at him again. “My full name is Joaquin Luis Sola, but most people, like your mother, call me Quin for short. I’m very, very glad to meet you, Zoe.”
He offered his hand.
She glanced up at her mother for instruction but none was forthcoming. Quin could feel Nicole staring at him—huge tension emanating from her—but he kept his concentration focused on Zoe, willing her to respond to him.
Her gaze dropped to his hand. After a long, breathless moment, she tentatively offered hers. Quin couldn’t help grinning in happy triumph as he took it. Her sweetly curved mouth—Nicole’s mouth—returned a shy smile.
“Hello,” he said encouragingly, loving the soft warmth of her little hand in his.
“Hello,” she returned, her eyes locked onto his, wanting to know more of him.
And the words simply spilled out of Quin.
“I’m your daddy.”
CHAPTER TEN
NICOLE’S mind was jammed with so many conflicting thoughts it was impossible to produce any sensible response to Quin’s declaration. She listened dumbly as Zoe started her own childish interrogation, trying to understand where Quin was coming from, why he was here now.
“My daddy?” she queried wonderingly.
“Yes,” Quin confirmed, admitting no doubt whatsoever. “Look for yourself,” he invited. “We have the same eyes, the same hair, the same nose. I’m your father.”
Silence while she studied the face in front of her. Then she looked up at Nicole for assurance. “Is it true, Mummy?”
Nicole’s head ached from the terrible mental traffic racing through it. Her heart was squeezed by so many painful emotions, it struggled to keep beating. Her mouth was hopelessly dry. “Yes,” she croaked out, realising it would be futile to deny it.
Zoe returned her gaze to the father who had been missing all her life and with artless innocence asked, “Where have you been, Daddy? Why have you come now in the middle of the night?”
Quin didn’t even pause to think. He came straight out with, “I’ve been lost in another world to yours, Zoe. And I’ve only just found my way here. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you. I hope you don’t mind.”
Magnetic charm was pouring out of him.
And Nicole hated him for it.
Winning over their daughter when he hadn’t paid a moment’s pain for her wasn’t fair. Nowhere near fair.
“Will you be here tomorrow?” Zoe asked.
“That depends on whether your mother will let me stay,” he answered.
“Mummy?” A look of appeal from Zoe.
“We mustn’t count on it,” she warned her daughter before shooting a fuming look at Quin. “Your father might have to go back to his other world.”
“Do you have to, Daddy?” Zoe asked directly.
“Not if I can help it, but your mother and I need to talk about how we can be together. If I’m not here tomorrow, I promise I’ll be back very soon. Okay?”
He smiled at her.
She smiled back, believing him. “Okay.”
“Back to sleep now,” Nicole commanded, unable to bear any more togetherness between Quin and her daughter. She lifted Zoe into bed and tucked her up tightly, wanting to shield her precious child from the man who could make a terrible mess of their lives.
“Good night, darling,” she murmured, pressing a fervent kiss on her forehead—a kiss of love that spanned years, not a few minutes.
“’Night, Mummy. Is my Daddy going to kiss me goodnight, too?”
“Yes, he is,” Quin asserted before Nicole could reply, and she had to stand back and let him do it, fighting a mountain of fierce resentment at his assumption of a role he hadn’t earned.
She closed her ears to the all too intimate murmurs between them and walked to the door, impatient to usher Quin out, get him away from her daughter.
He came promptly enough not to stir her anger any higher, glancing at the butterfly tree before he passed out of the room. She switched off the light, closed the door, and led off to the kitchen which was far enough away from Zoe for a private conversation to be held without any risk of disturbing her.
The smell of newly made hot chocolate—a comfort drink—indicated that her mother was still up, anxiously waiting to be cued about what to do next. She burst into fearful speech the moment Nicole entered the kitchen.
“I didn’t tell him, Nicole. He guessed.”
“It’s not your fault, Mum. It’s mine for not agreeing to a postponement. He came to claim his night.” Acutely aware of the man just behind her, she turned to shoot him a derisive look. “Right, Quin?”
“Right!” he agreed ironically.
“But it is my fault!” her mother cried, looking hopelessly wretched about the situation. “If I hadn’t got so deeply in debt, you would never have gone to him, never…”
“Wrong, Mrs. Ellis,” Quin cut in strongly, moving up to stand beside Nicole. “The moment I saw Nicole again, I was determined to get her back in my life one way or another. Your debt was simply a means to the end I wanted.”
The ruthless purpose in his voice sent a convulsive shiver down Nicole’s spine. Would he now use Zoe to keep her sexually tied to him?