Miss Parker was the object of Jarod's desire. She was his biggest weakness. He had never been the type to lose self control, but two years was such a long time for her to have kept his child away from him.

Parker hesitated for several seconds before she pushed the button to his doorbell. She heard tiny footsteps, then heard her baby's squeaky voice from the other side of the door.

"Daddyyyyyy"! Kayla pounded on the door, tiptoed and tried unsuccessfully to reach for the knob. "Open," she demanded.

Jarod smiled and thought in many ways how much his daughter reminded him of her mother. "Okay, sweetheart, okay. Now who could it be this early in the morning?" He bent down and scooped her up into his arms and opened the door.

Miss Parker smiled, but Jarod showed no emotions. "Miss Parker." Jarod was civil to her. "You're back."

"Yes, I'm back. Kayla, baby, mommy's here. I've missed you." She held out her hands to the tiny tot, but, Kayla clung on to Jarod, unsure of who this stranger was.

She felt the coldness in his heart and painfully smiled at her daughter. "Sweetie, it's mommy." Parker carefully attempted to take hold of her, when Kayla wrapped her legs around her daddy, her one hand hooked around his neck and her other pushed her mommy away. The ice queen fell apart inside.

"Nooooo," their baby cried in her high-pitched voice, turned away and buried her face under Jarod's chin.

"Parker, don't. She's unaware of who you are."

"I can see that. I can see how you two have bonded. You've done a fabulous job of turning her against me," she hissed sarcastically as she stroked Kayla's soft dark hair.

"I did no such thing. She's her own person. Like you, Parker."

"Are you going to let me in and collect my daughter?"

"Next time, don't come knocking at my door without an invitation."

Miss Parker felt her temperature almost reached to a boiling point, but, held back. Instead, she took a deep breath before she spoke. "I didn't knock, I rang your doorbell."

"Get in," he said reluctantly. She entered his home and he slammed the door.

"Our daughter's not some sort of art collection where you think you can just store for a few months at my place and come to pick her up when you've decided you're ready for her. Where the hell were you!" He raised his voice.

"Lower your voice, Jar. You're scaring her."

Jarod released Kayla onto the floor. "Sweetheart, go look for "dolly" and bring it out for mommy, okay?"

"Mama?"

Miss Parker knelt down to her level. "Yes, sweetie, mama. I'm your mama." Kayla playfully tugged at her mother's hair.

"You want to give me a kiss right here?" Parker pointed to her cheek.

Kayla looked to her daddy as if for approval. He nodded and she kissed Parker on the face. The little girl pointed to her own cheek. Parker smiled. "You want mommy to kiss you?"

Again, she turned to her daddy. Jarod nodded and Kayla moved her cheek to Parker. "Mama. My mama. See? Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetheart, mommy's back" he looked to Kayla, then turned to Parker. "How long before you decide to take off again? And if you do, my daughter's not..."

Miss Parker interrupted him. "I'm not going anywhere. Jarod, I never meant to hurt you. I know what I did was wrong, but..."

"But, what, Parker? You think I could ever forgive you? For keeping her away from me? I can't. And I won't. I've always given you the benefit of the doubt, but not anymore. You're someone I could never trust again, not that I ever did. Everything you've ever done was for "daddy" and The Centre. Have you ever taken into consideration about the way I felt about you? You followed me to that beach front and we...look forget it!"

"We made love, Jarod."

"No, I made love, you just wanted sex. Why you came to me, is beyond me. Heaven knows you've had what? A hundred guys, you didn't need me!"

Her tantalizing blue eyes held back tears. "A hundred guys?"

"Oh, excuse me, Melissa! Two hundred?" He yelled.

"Fuck you, Jarod!"

"No, no, princess, we've done that already. And I can promise you one thing, never again! Nothing will ever let me get close to you again! So, are you done with that so called assignment you needed to tend to? I have a question for you. What exactly was your motive for telling me about my daughter? Why did you wait so long? Or was this assignment connected to my child? Tell me!"

"Damn you, Jar! Why can't you accept me for what I am?"

"Accept you for what you are? I just hope Kayla will never be like you! Thank you for my daughter, but, I wished you weren't her mother. The only relationship we'll ever have together is just being Kayla's parents. Nothing more, you got that?"

"Mama sad?" Parker cried as she picked her up. With her tiny hands, Kayla cupped her mommy's face and kissed her gently on her lips. "Bet...ter, mama?"

"Better," Parker whispered and wiped her tears away.

Jarod had been so angry at Miss Parker. But now, he just stood and watched the tender scenario between mother and daughter. He had wanted to have comforted her, embraced her tightly in his arms, tell her everything was going to be alright, but, it wasn't and he promised himself he'd never admit how much he still loved her.

Jarod was a man who kept his promise. Sometimes, though, promises were meant to be broken.

TBC - Chapter 6