Free In Rapture (Destined) by Elissa Daye

right to look at him like that. He was her father.
Grant should have made more of an effort to be there for her, but having failed
to protect her mother he felt completely inept when it came to caring for his
child. He had done the only thing he knew how to do, protect what was his own
by preventing the Lair from spreading his evil across the land.
    When
Grant made his way down to the dining room he found Malinda sitting next to a quiet
little girl. The breath he had just inhaled stuck in his chest when the blue
eyes of his child looked up at his. She was the spitting image of Maria, from
the top of her mousy brown hair down to the pink pouting lips. When he saw the
fear in her eyes he almost hesitated in his approach. He cleared his throat and
moved forward. “Good morning, Sophia.” He went to tousle the little girl’s
hair, but stopped when her wary eyes turned to fear.
    Grant
nodded at Malinda and sat at the end of the table. He watched as the two ate
quietly and decided that perhaps now was not the best time to push a
relationship on either one of them. He let his eyes move across the room as he
took in all the changes that had happened since he had last eaten in the dining
room. When his eyes made it to the top of the fireplace and noticed the missing
painting, his heart skipped a beat for just a moment. “Where is the painting?”
    Malinda
looked up at Grant and did her best to not sound intimidated by the gruff sound
of his voice. She let the question linger in the air. She gathered her courage
around her because Grant looked like a blustery bear. “That painting was
scaring Sophia. I had it taken down and put into storage. I’m sorry if this
upsets you, but I will not have it hanging anywhere that terrorizes my child.”
    Malinda
could barely make out a smirk on his face when she finished her attempt at
being brave before him. She looked over to Sophia and saw her lips starting to
tremble. “There, there little one. Your father was just asking a question. He
did not mean to startle you. Perhaps if you smiled at her, Grant, she might
actually stop trembling.” She knew she may have crossed a line, but she was so
furious with this man. She hated the fear in Sophia’s eyes.
    Grant
cleared his throat. “So what are your plans for the day?” He did his best to
smile at both of them, but his thoughts had turned dark again. Her rebuke
reminded him again of his failures. He would have to try harder to do right by
his child, but it would take time to make the changes he knew she required.
    Malinda
put a hand on Sophia’s. “We are going to enjoy some time outdoors, I think.
Would you like to join us?” She felt the frightened grip on her hand. She
turned to Sophia and sent all the soothing energy she had into the child’s
hand. When mystified eyes looked up at her, she smiled down at Sophia.
    “I
have things that I have to check on today. Make sure to stay within Wickford’s
walls. There are some miscreants in the countryside and our walls are well
protected.” Grant had not missed the terror on Sophia’s face. He would have to
follow Malinda’s lead with his own child, and while it irritated him that he
did not have the faintest clue where to begin with Sophia, at least it would
allow him to get a chance to know the woman he had married. He had thought that
marriage would be difficult to tolerate, that he would be married to some sow’s
ear and have to go through the motions of marriage. The fact that she
beautiful, coupled with the fact that she was a fierce champion for his child,
made him eager to pursue something much deeper with her. It might not be the
same relationship he’d had with Maria, but his eyes were opening to the
possibility and the bulge in his pants reminded him that there were many things
to pursue with her.
    Malinda
could sense the hesitation in the air. It was clear that Grant felt guilty for
how Sophia had been raised, but he also looked uncomfortable in his own skin.
She would