Sophia’s Point of View
It was a little over a week since the attack on me.
In that time, Mr Prescott’s stitches had been taken out although the doctor had strictly placed him on a no strenuous task for the next three weeks.
Nana clamped down on this, refusing to let Mr Prescott go back to work despite the fact that he could move around without help and I’d even caught a glimpse of him at our home’s mini gym before I had hidden away.
Yes, in this past week, I’d gotten extremely good at that. Avoiding any personal interaction with Mr Prescott.
After almost losing him, I had been certain that I wouldn’t let anything come between us but the tattoo changed things.
With the help of a very contrite Tina who had apologized profusely blaming herself for the attack on me, I managed to hire a private investigator. The leftover cash I had from the payment of Mom’s hospital bills by Mr Prescott also helped.
Even though I knew he couldn’t be the father of my children, I couldn’t look at him without thinking of the possibility. Of him being the father of my children. Of him being my husband in truth and the thought was so freaking scary that I avoided him except with Nana present.
Until today.
“Miss Evergreen.” Mr Prescott said, taking his seat next to me at the dining table.
I glanced up in alarm.
Mr Prescott and Nana had been in the study when I came down, I’d assumed they would come to breakfast together. I’d been wrong.
“Mr Prescott,” I said looking around like Nana would materialize from thin air any moment now. “Is Nana not joining us for breakfast?”
Mr Prescott twisted in his chair so that he was facing me as he responded.
“She’ll be a bit late.”
Damn.
“Oh. Of course.” I said avoiding Mr Prescott’s gaze as I picked up my cutlery.
“Miss Evergreen, are you avoiding me?” Mr Prescott’s voice was rife with confusion and suspicion.
“Avoiding you?” I said to my plate, still avoiding Mr Prescott’s gaze as I pretended to eat. “Where would you get that idea?”
Mr Prescott plucked my spoon and knife from my grasp, placing it on his side of the table. I reached out to take them back only for Mr Prescott to pull me into his lap.
I gasped, shock racing through me at this unexpected move, my hands falling on each of Mr Prescott’s shoulders to balance myself. My heart raced so hard and fast that I was certain it was trying to escape my chest, my lips parting as for the first time in a week, I met Mr Prescott’s gaze.
It was as intoxicating as ever, his gray eyes that seemed to see into me, focused on mine, his soft kissable lips pulled into a stern frown. I wanted to lose myself in him.
No. Focus, Sophia.
“You shouldn’t be straining yourself, Mr Prescott.” I said finally, feeling grateful when my voice didn’t crack.
It wasn’t a lie. He might have been well on the outside but on the inside, he still needed to completely heal.
I tried to stand up from his lap but Mr Prescott’s arm went around my waist stopping me, his gaze searching mine as he spoke.
“I’ll decide when I’m straining myself, now tell me why you have been acting weird for the past week.”
Because I have an irrational fear that these children are yours.
Having children together with Mr Prescott was scary for more than one reason. From my conversations with Nana, I knew Mr Prescott had never wanted children. That was why Nana had been so emotional and protective after discovering my pregnancy.
But I couldn’t tell Mr Prescott all that.
“I haven’t been acting weird.” I said instead.
Mr Prescott didn’t even verbally respond to that. He merely lifted an eyebrow as though to say ‘Really?’.
“I’m not lying.” I said defensively.
Mr Prescott’s eyebrow climbed even higher on his forehead in an arch.
A laugh escaped me before I was even aware it was coming.
“How can you even do that?” I rasped, wiping a stray tear from the laughter that had appeared in my eyes.
Mr Prescott frowned slightly, his eyebrows evening out.
“Do what?” He asked.
I didn’t think.
I just reached out touching his right eyebrow to show him what I had been talking about but touching Mr Prescott was a mistake.
My fingers on his skin did something to me. Something that had me staring at Mr Prescott’s lips unashamedly.
Something shifted in Mr Prescott’s gaze and his lips parted as though he was about to say something.
“I see both of you have started breakfast without me.” Nana said walking into the dining room and I scrambled out of Mr Prescott’s lap, my face flush with embarrassment.
Wonderful.
Just bury me now.
“Nana, welcome.” Mr Prescott greeted her cordially with no hint of embarrassment as though I had not been in his lap a few moments ago.
“Good morning, Grandma.” I said as well and Nana decorated me with a warm tight hug and kisses before we settled in for breakfast.
We were barely halfway through our meal when Mr Prescott spoke up.
“Nana, I can’t continue working from home,” He said. “The doctor has cleared me as long as I keep my workload minimal and take consistent rest intervals.”
Mr Prescott was a workaholic so I had kind of expected this but it seemed Nana hadn’t because her jaw dropped and she rounded on Mr Prescott immediately.
“Reid!” She exclaimed. “Only a week ago, you were on the verge of death, now you want to return to work?”
Saying Mr Prescott had been on the verge of death when none of his organs had been damaged in the course of the stabbing was laying it on thick but Nana had always been a bit dramatic.
“Nana-” Mr Prescott tried to speak but she wouldn’t let him.
“Is it so terrible to stay home with your Nana and your pregnant wife?” Nana questioned.
Well, when she put it like that…
Mr Prescott sighed, wiping one of his hands across his face as he spoke.
“Nana, trust me. I would want nothing more than to stay here with you and Sophia but it’s time to conclude the Singapore deal.”
The Singapore deal? What was going on in Singapore?
Nana paused, her eyes widening in evident surprise.
“Really? They agreed to our terms?” She asked.
I looked between both of them feeling slightly lost as I didn’t understand the significance of this Singapore deal.
“With some minor compromises.” Mr Prescott said, shrugging but the flash of something in his eyes told me that the minor compromises weren’t as minor as he had stated them to be.
Nana smiled broadly as though she had been waiting till forever. For the deal to go through.
“That’s wonderful,” Nana said, then her smile disappeared slightly. “But don’t you need to travel in order to finalize the agreement?”
Mr Prescott nodded once.
“Yes.”
Wait. Mr Prescott was going on a business trip? I ignored the slight pang of pain I felt about him leaving.
This was good. Very good in fact.
If Mr Prescott went for this trip then that would give me enough time to get feedback from the private investigator and find out who the father of my children was. When he returned, there would be no need for all this distance and-
“Why don’t you take Sophia along?” Nana said from out of the blue and I blinked at her, unable to process what she just said.
“What?” I asked but Nana was still talking to Mr Prescott, her growing excitement evident on her face.
“It’ll be like a honeymoon, you know, the one both of you still haven’t had.” She said
Mr Prescott let out a long suffering sigh.
“Nana, are we still on this?”
“Yes, I am,” Nana folded her arms, refusing to give an inch. “When the babies come, between work and the kids, you’ll have your hands too full to have ample time with each other.”
Nana was actually serious about this. She wanted us to go on a honeymoon. A swear to God real honeymoon.
This was a terrible idea that couldn’t be. Just sharing a room with Mr Prescott had caused us to make out and would have possibly led to more if Nana hadn’t shown up in time that day.
What would happen now without that safety net?
Nana leaned in, her voice soft and maternal.
“Look, just do it for me. You will need someone to look after you over there and make sure you don’t work excessively against the doctor’s directives.”
Mr Prescott’s frown eased slightly and I felt a surge of panic within myself. Was Nana already beginning to convince Mr Prescott?
I cleared my throat before speaking.
“Grandma, I’m sure Reid can handle himself in Singapore and-”
“Let’s do it.” Mr Prescott said interrupting me midspeech.
“What?” I echoed turning to face him, shock and disbelief racing through me.
Mr Prescott’s gray eyes met mine as he smiled.
“Let’s go on our honeymoon, my dear wife.”
Oh dear, was this really happening?
I was so done for.