Single Dad's Spring Break: A Billionaire's Second Chance Romance

“I want Avery,” she whined.

“Daddy will find Avery,” I said. “I'm sure she's around here somewhere.”

I mean, she had to be, right?

Where else could she have gone? I quickly realized finding that answer wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I went to the kitchen, searched the downstairs and even checked all the bathrooms. No sign of Avery. The house was empty. I walked out to the back patio, hoping maybe she'd be taking a late-night walk in the gardens. I called her name, only to get silence in return.

I went back inside, back upstairs, and searched every room. At that point, Emilia had shown up and had started helping me.

There was no sign of Avery. She was nowhere to be seen. Gone. Like a puff of smoke on the breeze.

I grabbed my phone and called the police, not knowing what else to do. I couldn't focus enough to speak in French, and eventually, someone who spoke English came on the line.

“I want to report a missing person, please.”

He asked me the general questions, and I told him everything I knew.

“Sir, she hasn't even been gone twenty-four hours yet, are you sure she's not with a friend?”

“She doesn't know anyone locally yet –”

Then I stopped myself as the thought rocketed through my mind. The only other person she knew in all of France was Charles.

“We can't file it as a missing persons report unless there is reason to believe she's in immediate danger,” the cop explained to me. “Or after twenty-four to forty-eight hours. I'm sorry, sir, but it sounds like your nanny just stepped out for the night.”

The line went dead shortly after that. I almost called back, told him who I was and demanded that they help me. But, I knew it was no use. Mainly because they were right. I had no proof of foul play. Nothing that would look suspicious. Just a bad feeling, and bad feelings didn't lead to police investigations.

Besides, Avery was a grown woman and there could be any number of reasons for her absence. It wasn't like her though. She'd never just gone off without letting me know before.

“Emilia, would you mind watching the kids for me, please?”

There was only one thing I could do – go over to Charles' place and see for myself.

CHAPTER EIGHT

AVERY

Slowly, as if emerging from a deep, thick bank of fog, I started coming back to myself. I opened my eyes and found myself in darkness. My head was fuzzy, feeling it had been stuffed with cotton. I almost didn't feel in control of my body. I tried to move my hands and couldn't. I tried to move my legs with the same result.

What in the hell was going on?

I shook my head and tried to clear the cobwebs from it, straining my mind as I tried to figure out where I was and how I'd gotten there. I could tell I wasn't at home in my own bed. The room I was in just smelled different. Felt different. As did the bed beneath me.

“Hello?” I called out, grimacing at the thick, sleepy sound of my voice.

I tried to move my hands again and when I didn't get them to cooperate a second time, the realization of why hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks. I couldn't move my hands because they were tied up. They'd been bound together, and tied to the headboard of the bed I was laying on. A white-hot current of panic started to flow through me, searing my veins with fear. Why was I tied up? Who's house was I in? Where was I? What in the hell was going on?

I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax. Then, letting the breath out slowly, I forced myself to think. Where had I been last night? Who had I been with? I needed to answer those two questions and all of the other pieces of the puzzle would fall into place and I could figure out what was going on.

I took another long breath and let it out slowly, feeling the thick, dense cobwebs in my head start to drift away on the breeze. I slowly started to feel more in control of my faculties. Charles.

The name flashed in my head like a bright red, neon light. Son of a bitch. As I came back to myself more and more, the memories, previously fragmented and disjointed, came flooding back to me. All of the pieces of the puzzle started coming together, forming one coherent picture in my mind.

I'd met Charles for a glass of wine last night. I knew he was interested in me, but because I'd slept with Spencer, and because my feelings for him were as strong as they were, I knew I couldn't see Charles. I'd gone to have a drink with him because I'd wanted to tell him in person. I felt bad giving him news like that over the phone.

I remember that everything seemed to be going well enough. He'd been disappointed, but he said that he understood and respected my decision. He said that he respected me for wanting to tell him face-to-face. I remember that he said he wanted to maintain a good relationship with me, since he and Spencer would be continuing to do business together – something I heartily agreed with.

I'd gone to the bathroom feeling pretty good about how things had been going. When I got back, we'd shared an appetizer and a little more wine. He'd told me a bit more about his life and I'd shared some of mine with him as well. I remember the conversation had been light and easy. It had been fun and filled with laughter.