Lydia's Secret (The Secret Series Book 1) by Ditter Kellen Page B

sagged in relief. “Thank you.”
    He sent her an understanding smile that made him appear older than his years. “No problem.”
    A door abruptly opened to admit a gorgeous redhead with legs that seemed to go on forever. Her eyes were even more beautiful than her hair, if that was possible. The color was a mixture of smoky amber and whiskey, enhanced even more by her chestnut mane.
    The jeans she wore rested below her exposed navel. Her black boots matched a tank top that hugged her breasts and accented her toned arms. The woman was completely breathtaking.
    “Perfect timing, Max. I just refilled your doggy bowl.”
    She grinned at his answering growl before shifting her stunning gaze to Lydia. “Hi, I’m Madison. You must be Miss Hughes.”
    The owner of the red Corvette. Naturally . There was no way she could compete with someone like Madison, Lydia thought with a pang of jealousy. She wanted to turn and run so bad her foot twitched; she extended her hand instead. “Please, just Lydia.”
    “This must be Jacie.” Madison inclined her lovely red head toward the bundle in Max’s arms.
    “Are you going to ask twenty questions or let us in?” Max demanded from his dominating height. The kid had to be well over six foot tall.
    “Chill out, puppy. I was waiting for Margo to send Ivy back to lock up.” She glanced behind her before waving them inside.
    Max shook his head. “Roman isn’t going to be happy about her being out.”
    “Well, she needed to feed. And besides, she can’t be more than sixteen years old…” Her voice trailed off, and a shadow passed through her eyes.
    Taking hold of Lydia’s hand, Max stepped over the threshold. “I don’t know how old she is, but she did tell me that Svetlana snatched her off the streets.”
    “She was a prostitute?” Madison asked, closing the door behind them.
    “From what I could gather.” He lifted Jacie higher against his chest. “Do you have their rooms ready?”
    “Yes, of course.” She stepped around them and took the lead. “This way.”
    They followed the gorgeous redhead down a wide hallway with dozens of doors lining the walls. It reminded Lydia of a Grand Hotel she’d once stayed in as a child.
    Madison came to a stop in front of a door that had the number twelve artfully carved above it. She threw the door open and strode inside.
    Lydia couldn’t believe her eyes. The room boasted of an antique-looking, king- sized bed adorned with numerous pillows and a down comforter. Matching lamps sat on the nightstands and a huge oil painting hung directly above it. “Is that—”
    “A Vincent van Gogh painting? Perhaps.” Madison winked and strode toward a small kitchen tucked against the back wall.
    “The fridge is fully stocked. If you should need anything that we haven’t thought of, please don’t hesitate to call. See the gold button on the wall there?” She pointed to an intercom next to the bed. “Just give it a push, and it will reach housekeeping. They are really good about responding quickly.”
    After showing her the bathroom, Madison opened an adjoining door and presented Lydia with a magnificent lavender-colored room. “Your daughter will sleep here.”
    Lydia held back a gasp. The purple canopy bed was breathtaking with its velvet comforter and pillow shams. A large white bear sat in a chair in the corner of the room, but didn’t hold a candle to the dozens that hung from the ceiling in different shades of purples and pinks.
    “As nice as this all is, she’ll be sleeping with me.” Lydia couldn’t imagine Jacie waking in a strange place alone.
    “As you wish, but it will be here if you should change your mind.” Madison smiled, moving back toward the kitchen area.
    Max trailed over to the king-sized bed and gently laid Jacie’s small form among the overstuffed pillows. Lydia noticed his hand trembled as he pulled the sheet over her and softly touched her bald head. “I’ll just go get your bags.” He left without a