by K. L. Ramsey
“Aiden,” she shouted.
“Come for me, baby,” he whispered, leaning over her body and pumping into her a few more times before finding his own release right along with Zara. She was gorgeous to watch and he wasn’t sure what the hell he was going to do about his perfect, secret submissive who was stealing his heart every time she entered the same room as him. Aiden was sure of one thing—rule number three was going to be not to lose his fucking heart to his daughters’ nanny.
Zara
Zara was late picking up the girls and when she ran into their preschool claiming to have been stuck in traffic, their teacher gave her a knowing look. Sure, she probably looked as if she just had a handful of orgasms and her just fucked hair and swollen lips didn’t help her case, but spending an hour wrapped up in Aiden was well worth the dirty looks.
“Can we still go to the park?” Lucy asked as she buckled them in the car.
“I’m sorry but not today. You both have dance class and then we have to go home to make dinner. Would you two like to be my little chefs and help me cook tonight?” she asked. They both perked up at the mention of helping her in the kitchen despite not being able to play at the park today.
“Will you stay at dance class?” Lucy asked. “Mommy used to watch us dance,” she almost whispered.
Zara was taken aback at Lucy’s mention of her mother. The two little girls didn’t talk about their mom much. In fact, she didn’t realize just how little Allison was brought up until Lucy said her name. “Of course I’ll stay to watch my two favorite girls dance,” Zara said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Laney smiled and clapped and Lucy nodded, as if she was satisfied. Lucy was the smartest kid she had ever met and she was sure half of what the little girl did was to test Zara. She worried she had failed most of Lucy’s inquiries but she was trying her best. She wanted to be there for the girls, especially since their own mother didn’t seem interested in them or anything they were doing.
Aiden had mentioned his ex only came around for holidays and special occasions, but she was missing out on two pretty fantastic kids. Sure the day to day routine could become a little boring, but what mother would want to skip out on any part of her kids’ lives? Zara tried to remember it wasn’t her place to judge Aiden’s ex-wife but the more time she spent with him and the girls, the more she seemed to question Allison Bentley’s motives.
They pulled up to dance class two minutes after it started and the instructor shot Zara the same dirty look the girls’ teacher had as the three of them raced through the door. What was wrong with people today? It was as if the excuse of being caught in traffic wasn’t still a viable one.
Zara sat in the corner of the room, watching the girls spin and twirl, waving to them each time they passed by her. Her phone chimed and she was once again on the receiving end of some very dirty looks, this time from the mothers in the class. Zara mouthed the word, “Sorry,” and dug her phone from her purse to silence it. She opened the text from Ava and read her best friend’s overly dramatic SOS message. It was the code they used when they had a problem that required immediate attention. Ava was prone to use the SOS message due to a shoe emergency and Zara thought about waiting to call her back, but her phone vibrated with another message and she was sure Ava wasn’t going to be ignored. She opened the new message to find Ava’s face pop up on her phone screen, her expression dire and Zara stifled her giggle.
She decided to call Ava back, knowing that her friend hated being ignored, it would be her best bet if she wanted any kind of peace. Ava was still angry at her for moving into Aiden’s, especially after she told Ava who she was working for. She dialed Ava and held the phone to her ear, hoping whatever crisis her friend was having would be a quick fix.
“You can’t make calls in the room during class, Miss,” the instructor snapped. Lucy looked completely mortified. Zara didn’t know the rules and she apologized and stood to go into the hallway. The way Lucy watched her told her she was going to have to do a whole lot of groveling later if she wanted any peace with the little girl.
“Zara,” Ava answered.
“Ava, this better be good and no, a shoe emergency is not a real thing,” Zara said.
“This has nothing to do with shoes,” Ava said. “I just sent you a link. Put me on speaker and go look at it.” Zara decided to humor her friend. She was already in deep water with Lucy and would have to probably bribe her with ice cream on the way home. She opened the link and gasped at the pictures that appeared on her phone screen.
“What the fuck?” she whispered.
“Exactly what I was thinking,” Ava agreed. “Tell me the article isn’t true, Zara. Tell me you aren’t a home wrecker,” Ava asked.
“No,” she breathed. “How can you even ask me that?” Zara quickly scanned the article that followed the scandalous headline, “New Nanny Breaks up Candidate Bentley’s Marriage”. The article was full of lies about their relationship and said she had everything to do with Allison Bentley leaving both Aiden and her girls. It spewed some bullshit that Aiden was following Zara’s request and keeping the girls from their mother.
“I had to ask, babe. I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you all of this,” Ava said.
“What do I do now?” Zara asked. She wasn’t really asking Ava; more like trying to figure out her next move. “It all makes sense now,” she muttered.
“What does?” Ava asked.
“Why the girls’ teachers looked at me as if I was the devil incarnate for being just a few minutes late and why all of the dance moms are spying on me through the windows, as if they are trying to read my lips or something.” She turned her back on her audience and worried about any of the hateful lies from the article getting back to either of the girls.
“What if the girls find out?” she whispered.
“Where are you now?” Ava asked.
“The girls’ dance class,” she said. “They are almost finished.”
“When they are done, take them straight home. Do you want me to come over?” Ava asked. She wanted to tell her yes, but Zara worried Aiden would find her best friend at his house to be a breach of confidence. Zara needed a friend right now and there was no way she’d want to turn to anyone else.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll text you the address and you can meet us there. But not a word in front of the girls.”
“Of course not,” Ava agreed. “I’ll meet you there in thirty minutes.” Zara ended the call and turned to go back into the classroom, running straight into a solid wall of muscles. She almost had to strain her neck to see who she had bumped into and the smiling, handsome face looking down at her wasn’t quite what she expected.
“You,” she said, squinting her eyes at Corbin. “Why are you at the girls’ dance class? Wait—don’t tell me—you’ve come here to hit on all the hot, single moms who might be desperate enough to fall for your whole caveman routine.” Corbin threw back his head and laughed but Zara found nothing about the situation funny.
“Nope, sorry princess, but I’m here to run a little interference for Aiden and to make sure you and his adorable brats get home safely,” he said.
“They aren’t brats,” she corrected.
“Honey, I’ve known both of them since birth and let me tell you they are two of the best kids I know, but anything that small and whiney is what I consider a brat.” Corbin looked her up and down, as if waiting for her to challenge him but she didn’t. Honestly, she just wanted to get home and figure out her next move. The whole news article had her head spinning and a glass of wine with her best friend sounded like the start of a great plan.
“I take it you’ve seen the article then?” she asked.
“Yep,” Corbin confirmed.
“And Aiden,” she questioned.
“Has seen and read every lie that was printed about the two of you,” he said.
“Well, shit,” she whispered.
Corbin chuckled again. “Not the same choice words Aiden used but close,” he
teased. “That’s why I’m here. His team thinks if you’re seen out and about town with yours truly, it will take some of the validation out of the lies they printed.”
“Or, everyone in town will start talking about how I’m a two- timing whore,” she offered. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to do. “Aiden sent you?” she questioned.
“Yep,” he said. “He told me to tell you it’s going to be alright. He said you’d worry and probably give me a little fight but I reminded him I like my women a little feisty,” he teased.
“I’m not your woman,” she demanded. Corbin shrugged and smiled down at her as if he didn’t hear a word she was saying. Of course he had but he just didn’t care. Zara trusted Aiden and if he sent the giant caveman to take her and the girls home, she would go with him.
“Here come the girls,” he whispered. “We’ll take my car and Aiden will send someone for your SUV,” he ordered.
“Uncle Corbin,” Laney cheered. The toddler ran to him and held up her arms to be picked up. Lucy on the other hand came out of the classroom with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing a scowl that was directed at Zara.
“Hey, sour puss,” Corbin teased; only making Lucy angrier, if that was even possible.
“You said you were going to watch our class,” she chided Zara.
“I’m sorry Lucy but I had an important call I had to take,” Zara said. The little girls anger didn’t seem to deflate any with Zara’s explanation.
“Cut it out, squirt,” Corbin said. “Zara had something important come up and sometimes us adults have to do adulty things.” Lucy stared Corbin down and Zara almost wanted to laugh. Most grown women would have a hard time eyeballing a man the size of Corbin Eklund, but the five year old had no trouble giving him the stink eye.
“She broke her promise,” Lucy grumbled.
“Well, I guess you’re really mad,” Corbin said. “It looks like even ice cream won’t make your sister feel any better,” Corbin said to Laney. The toddler seemed to play along until she heard the words ice cream and started squirming in Corbin’s arms.
“I like ice cream,” Laney chanted.
“I know you do short stuff but your sister is just too upset to eat ice cream right now. Looks like I wasted a trip over here to take you girls for ice cream for nothing,” he teased.
Lucy dropped her arms to her side, her scowl still in place. “Fine, I’ll have some ice cream but I’m still mad at you, Zara. You said you would stay and you lied.” Lucy turned around, letting her dance bag hit Corbin’s leg and started for the door.
“Lucy,” Corbin said, stopping her in her tracks. “You come back here and apologize or we forget about the whole ice cream deal.”
“No, it’s fine, Corbin. She’s right—I let her down and didn’t keep my promise.” Zara faced Lucy and crouched to be eye level with the stubborn little girl. “I’m so sorry, Lucy. Can you please give me another chance?” Lucy seemed to mull over her decision and Zara found the whole thing adorable, although she wouldn’t tell Lucy that. She knew the little girl was still trying for upset but Zara could tell she was letting some of her anger go.
“Will you play a game with me tonight and read me two bedtime stories?” Lucy asked, ever the shrewd negotiator.
Zara smiled, “Of course. But doesn’t your dad usually read to you when he’s home?”
Lucy nodded, “Yes, but I like the way you do the princess voice.” Zara giggled. “How about if you can be the princess and Daddy can be the prince?” Lucy hopefully asked. Corbin barked out his laugh and Zara shot him a warning glance. He held up his big hands, almost as if in defense.
“Well, that sounds perfect,” Zara said. “It’s a deal.” She held out her hand to shake on it and Lucy did the same.
“I’m sorry I was mean to you, Zara,” Lucy offered. She turned to Corbin and smiled. “We’re good,” she said. “Can we go for ice cream now?” Zara didn’t hide her giggle. Lucy was always on top of her game and that worried her. She seemed to even have the big guy a little tongue tied.
“Fine,” he agreed, scooping Laney back up. “Let’s hit the road, girls. Your dad will be home soon and I know he’s going to want to talk to Zara. How about I take you girls out for ice cream, just the three of us, while they have their chat?” The girls both cheered and agreed to a special date with Corbin. Zara shuddered at the thought of having to have a private conversation with Aiden about the news article. She was sure he was going to tell her whatever was developing between the two of them was now over before it even had a chance to get started.
Aiden
Aiden sat in four boring as hell meetings with his advisors and all he could think about was getting home to Zara. She must have been beside herself when she found out about the news article. Sending Corbin to take care of her and the girls might not have been his finest decision but it was all he had. As soon as the story broke, his campaign manager called him to tell him the news. He was furious someone could print so many ruthless lies about him but it was his own fault really. Aiden was the one who agreed to lie about he and Allison still being together and now, he was going to have to come clean publicly about his whole messy divorce. He hated this now involved the new woman in his life—Zara. He was developing feelings for her and he wasn’t sure how she was going to respond to the breaking story. Hell, he wouldn’t blame her for taking off much like his ex-wife had but he hoped she’d agree to stick around.
His campaign manager begged him not to go public with his divorce but he didn’t see any other way. Pictures of him and Zara had leaked and the worst bit was they were taken right in front of his home. Someone had taken picture of him with Zara and the girls leaving earlier that morning. His manager wanted him to, “clear up the confusion,” by telling everyone Zara was nothing more than his daughters’ nanny. But, when he explained that was just not the case, he was told to lie about his new relationship or forfeit his candidacy. Aiden was sure there had to be some in between place where they could all meet and find common ground. He just didn’t want to believe he’d have to give up one or the other. Zara was quickly becoming an important fixture in his life. The campaign was something he had worked so hard for, giving it up now seemed like failing and that was something Aiden didn’t like to do. There had to be a way to have it all, he just needed to figure everything out.
He pulled up to his house and spotted the strange car in his driveway. If another reporter had gotten to Zara or his girls, there’d be hell to pay. He stormed into the house to find Corbin playing Candyland with the girls and no sign of Zara.
“Where is she?” he questioned.
“She’s in her room with her friend, Ava,” Corbin said, bobbing his eyebrows at Aiden. “You didn’t tell me your new nanny had a hot best friend,” Corbin said.
“That’s because I didn’t know about this friend,” Aiden complained. “Why the hell is she in my house?” he asked.
Corbin shrugged, “Beats me. She was here when we pulled up and the two of them disappeared up to Zara’s room and I’ve been watching the rugrats.” Lucy and Laney were giggling about something or other and Aiden was happy they were distracted. The last thing he wanted was for either of them to be dragged into his drama.
“Can you stick around for a bit?” Aiden asked. “I need to speak with Zara and straighten this whole mess out—if that’s even possible,” he said.
“Sure, man,” Corbin said. “But don’t be hard on Zara. She needed someone to talk to and her friend seems to be on the up and up.”
Aiden nodded, “I’m assuming this friend is hot and that’s also part of why you’re defending her?” Aiden questioned.
Corbin shrugged, “Well, yeah. But your girl has been through a hell of a lot in the past couple days. Just go easy on her.”
Aiden kissed the girls on his way upstairs telling them to behave for Uncle Corbin, but Lucy looked to be in rare form tonight, so he was betting that might be challenging for her. “We’ll probably go out for ice cream,” Corbin cal
led after him but he wasn’t paying much attention. His only thought was to get to Zara and make sure she was alright.
“Sounds good,” Aiden called back over his shoulder. “Don’t be too late—it’s a school night.”
Aiden found Zara’s door shut and he wondered if he should knock. Sure, it was his home but Zara was a grown woman entitled to her own privacy. She had also agreed to be his sub which gave him the authority to enter her room when he pleased and right now, he needed to be with her.
Aiden lightly tapped on the door. “Zara, let me in,” he demanded. “We need to talk,” he said. He winced at his own words, knowing he sounded like a complete dick. He heard her fumbling around her room and then her door slowly opened to reveal one very pissed off woman whom he assumed to be Zara’s best friend.
“Hello,” he said. “I’m Aiden—” he wasn’t able to get out the rest because Zara’s sassy friend held up her hand.
“I know exactly who you are, Mr. Bentley. My best friend is in here crying her eyes out because she feels as though she’s done something wrong. But, she hasn’t. You, on the other hand, have fucked up royally. How could you let the public believe my girl is a home wrecker? You should have had your people on this already dispelling those vicious rumors and restoring her good name,” the woman insisted. Aiden decided immediately he liked her and he was happy Zara had someone so fierce in her corner, fighting for her. He wanted to be that for Zara but at this point, he wasn’t sure she’d allow that.
Zara stood from where she was sitting on her bed and crossed the room to face Aiden. He could tell she had been crying and it nearly tore his heart in two. “Baby,” he whispered reaching for her. Zara took a step towards him and then hesitated.
“Ava’s right, Aiden. Why are you letting this happen?” she questioned.