His Paris Affair (The Albury Affairs) by Christina Ow Page A

daddy today, and I’m sure it’s him.” She stroked

her long eye lashes wishing Esme had her eyes open so that she could look into

them again. “You have his beautiful eyes, little Miss Albury. And I just know,

he’s going to fall madly in love with you when he meets you and he’ll keep

loving you forever.”
    “Are you going to tell him the truth?” Jackie asked coming

up behind her.
    Melody nodded, rubbing her nose against Esme’s tiny one.

“Yes, I just don’t know how or when.”
    Jackie stroked her head. “Don’t worry child. When the time

is right, you’ll know and the words will come freely.”
    Melody rubbed her lips against Esme’s forehead. Her skin was

so soft and her scent was so good, it chased the chill of her confrontation

with Ruiz away. “I hope you’re right nanny.”

 
    * * * *

 
    Melody watched as the room filled up with the hotel

employees. She kept her head down, sinking a little lower in her seat right at

the far back corner of the staff hall. She couldn’t bring herself to meet the

eyes of her employees or see what she had turned them into. She’d let them down

and the once polished and well mannered staff she and Ruiz had put in place

over a year ago were now…God she wasn’t even sure they’d invented a word for

it. Most of the good ones had left, seeking employment elsewhere, including the

general manager at Antonio’s urging. Those who were left were rude, lazy and

insubordinate and all that was also thanks to Antonio. She winced at the memory

of one of the bellboys who’d winked at her a few months ago making suggestive

and stomach turning gestures. When she’d gone to reprimand him he told Melody

her husband had declared her fair game until she lost the baby weight. And

apparently he’d had his eye on her since the days she and Ruiz were a couple.

Red faced and ashamed, she ran to the manager’s house and remained cowered in

there ever since. She never ventured out unless it was absolutely necessary,

which had been when Antonio threw a hissy fit about being fired and thrown out

of the Family suite by Ruiz. Another shameful moment for her. That suite was

only for her family and she’d let that enemy desecrate it.
    She blinked back tears and swallowed back the chocking

emotions. She’d avoided calls from her family and somehow it all hadn’t

registered until Reno called leaving a message. Though delivered in such a

brotherly tone, he’d made it clear he was going to come get her and take her

home kicking and screaming if necessary if she didn’t call the ladies and

Allan. She was seven months pregnant then and couldn’t afford for him

discovering her secret. So she called and Skyped appeasing him, but she knew it

wasn’t enough so she dropped off again.
    So it made her wonder if the failing hotel was the only

reason they sent Ruiz over. They knew where she was and she’d asked them not to

tell him, so was this some kind of plot to get them back together because the

failure that Red Roses had become would have warranted a visit from the

managing director, Reno and of course Matthew. Reno wasn’t the rip off the

bandage type like Allan he was more like peel the onion one layer at a time. He

would be the ideal one to confess her troubles to, but he’d gone through enough

already. Maybe Ruiz could…
    Her heart stuttered at the sound of his booming voice,

echoing off the walls of the hall.
    “I’m going to cut to the chase and save us from the false

pleasantries because there is nothing pleasant about this meeting today. I’m

beyond shocked by what I’ve seen in the three hours I’ve been here.”
    Ruiz… her heart

sighed. The man was gorgeous. And somehow, with his stern glare and rigid

imposing stance as he stared down at a room full of employees who’d probably be

wishing him dead by the end of the meeting, he looked even hotter. He looked

like a bad boy in his blue jeans and black boots that matched his