by Shay Violet
“That’s all they can do for now until they arrive, and we can figure out the next steps,” I tell her.
My heart is still heavy in my chest. As her dad, how could I fuck up so exponentially? I am miserable and there’s no way to pull myself from this abyss. It’s crushing me and pulling me down into the depths of despair. You know the saying. Misery always loves a good companion, right?
I step out on the front porch again and gaze out at the street in front of my house. There’s still nothing out of the ordinary to report.
A car goes by. I narrow my eyes and glance inside. It’s a woman driving and talking on her cell phone. She’s wearing a visor and enormous sunglasses that make her features appear buggy.
“Do you see them yet? The cops?” Sheba startles me as she approaches me from behind, speaking over my shoulder.
“No.” I don’t look at her but keep peering down the street.
My daughter is out there somewhere. I wish I could pull out a crystal ball and pinpoint her exact location. If only she wasn’t too young for a cell phone, I could track her that way. Life is full of what-if and if-only scenarios.
“I can’t accept this,” I say robotically and jog down the steps of my front porch.
“Wait, where are you going?” Sheba’s voice inflects worry, diced with a little panic on the side.
“I’m getting in my car. I’m going to look for Nadia,” I pronounce, looking at her one last time over my shoulder.
“But what about the police officer? He will be here any minute,” Sheba shouts back.
“You can talk to him,” I advise her.
Just as I turn the corner to open my four-car garage something catches my eye. Moving up the driveway, I see my daughter. My lovely daughter Nadia, walking hand in hand with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
I stop in my tracks, gawking at them as they approach. For a moment, I’m too stunned to move. It’s like the woman’s radiant beauty is too much for my eyes to take in at once. I draw in a deep breath and walk to meet them in the driveway.
4
Jai
I just need to mention again that I have never seen such a gorgeous woman in my entire life. Nadia clings to her hand and smiles. She doesn’t have any noticeable bumps, scrapes or bruises on her, but she’s still cloaked in the red coat despite the warm weather.
“Nadia?” I cry out. “Thank goodness!”
The woman smiles, showing off a row of straight, pearly white teeth. Her swaying ponytail's dark curly hair looks dipped in cherry. It bounces with every step.
She’s casual, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers, but I glimpse her gorgeous figure on a slender frame.
More important is the way Nadia is smiling. She beams as bright as the sun. I take a moment to scrutinize my daughter’s behavior around this woman. It’s almost as if she’s an old friend, someone that Nadia has known for years and has just been reunited with at long last.
The smile on Nadia’s face is immeasurable. I want to bask in the glow of it forever. Her lips are curled into a grin that stretches all the way across her round cheeks. She’s practically skipping along, laughing and giggling with the mystery hottie with the most attractive silky dark skin.
There’s a milestone token I observe almost immediately. I haven’t seen my daughter smile like this with anyone in the past six months. Not since her mother died.
Now that I think about it, I can’t remember back to a time even predating my wife’s death where Nadia ever smiled that triumphantly. Could this woman holding my daughter’s hand be a hidden gem, a prize brought to us by fate?
I shove my car keys back in my pocket. I won’t need them now that Nadia is home. I won’t need the patrol officer either. I glance over my shoulder. Sheba is walking toward us.
“Call the police department and tell them we found Nadia and we don’t need the squad car.”
Sheba nods and immediately dials the number on her phone and disappears inside the house so I can have a moment to reunite with my daughter.
I focus my attention back to my daughter, feeling glorious relief that she’s home safe and sound now without a single scratch on her. Not even a hair is out of place on her head that I can tell.
“Hi, Daddy!” Nadia runs into my arms.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I say and match her infectious smile.
I scoop her up in my arms and spin her around in a circle. “You had me worried sick. Don’t wander off like that again, okay?”
Nadia pulls away and gives me an assessing glance that makes her appear wise beyond her years. “I’m fine, Daddy. I’m not hurt.”
I kiss her tiny, sweaty forehead. “I’m so grateful that nothing bad happened to you.” It is a big, cruel world out there for a six-year-old child.
I glance over Nadia’s head and the mystery woman is standing with her hands clamped together. She looks pleased and proud. She casts me a wave with a twinkle flaring in her chocolate eyes.
“This is my new friend,” Nadia mentions and points over her shoulder to the woman. “Her name is Aurora. Isn’t that a pretty name?”
I grin at Aurora.
“Aurora is a pretty name.” I extend my hand and shake with her. “I’m Jai.”
“It’s nice to meet you Jai.” Aurora’s eyes sparkle with interest and she gives me a smooth grin.
Aurora is a fitting name for someone as gorgeous as her. Something about her reminds me of the sun. She has that enhanced glow about her, a radiance that makes me feel warm all over. She casts me a flirtatious gaze. Am I reading her accurately? I better tread carefully. I don’t want to presume she’s interested, but noticing her lips curl mischievously, I’m on the right track.
“Well, I better get going. It seems as if she’s found the right house…”
Aurora nudges her chin over her shoulder toward the end of the driveway. There’s a purple and white mountain bike. I assumed she found my daughter on a trail.
I can’t let Aurora leave so suddenly. Impulsive desire catapults through me.
“Wait,” I abruptly stop her.
Both Nadia and Aurora give me baffled glances at my sharp interjection.
“I mean…” I chuckle and attempt to lay on some charisma with Aurora. She’s so beautiful, it hurts. “I’m sorry, but please come inside for a moment.”
“Come inside?” Aurora’s forehead wrinkles and she shifts her weight uncomfortably. “I can’t come inside—”
“But you must,” I insist, almost desperately.
“Why?” She looks at me skeptically.
“I want to reward you for finding my daughter. Now I don’t have to go through the whole scene of filing a missing person report and having the police comb the area. You’ve taken my nightmare away. You deserve a reward for that.”
Aurora dips her face down. She lifts the kickstand of her bike with her toe and grips the handle as if she’s getting ready to mount it. I wish she would mount me instead, but since I’ve only known her five minutes, I should keep my fantasies to myself for now.
“I don’t need a reward.” She shakes her head and gives me a polite smile, but I see the tantric flare in her eyes that floors me.
I’ve never felt this chemistry with anyone before. It is instant and slams into my gut with a direct force.
This is when my daughter saves the day. She reaches for Aurora’s arm and tugs on it gently. “Please, won’t you please come inside? Just for a minute? I want to show you my room.”
Aurora chuckles and it’s like a choir of angels to my ears. “Well…” She glances at me and then down at the watch on her wrist.
“Is that a yes?” I let Nadia ask because I don’t want to seem too desperate, even though I’m eager to get to know more about Aurora.
Aurora gives her a heartfelt smile and warmly strokes the side of her cheek. She seems to have a way with my daughter that no one else has, including myself. No one has made Nadia this giddy in months.
It’s like I have
a different child whose personality has done a full circle.
“I guess I could come inside for a few minutes,” Aurora finally caves with a tender smile at Nadia, who is beaming in response. “As long as I’m not imposing.”
“Not at all.” I grin.
Aurora chuckles ironically and rolls her eyes. She tosses her cherry red tipped curls off her neck once more. “It’s not like I have a job to get to anymore.”
“What do you mean?” I ask with a frown.
Aurora sighs and lifts her gaze to the sky. Her eyes are suddenly melancholy. She’s still enchantingly beautiful, like a goddess.
“Well, I’m late for work, and they told me if I was late one more time, they would fire me. So, I guess that’s already happened.” She gives me a look of despondency and shrugs as if she’s already accepted defeat.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I give her an uplifting smile.
I dare to plant my hand on the small of her back, and I give her a gentle coaxing. “Follow me and I can take you inside. Would you like something to drink? It’s hot out here…”
“A drink sounds wonderful.” She tosses me a small smile. Much to my surprise, she doesn’t squirm away when I lightly touch her back.
“Then it’s settled. You are coming in for a drink.”
Thanks so much.” Her smile is pure it could be made of solid gold.
She follows me into the house, and I watch her eyes roam the two-story living room and foyer area.
“Wow. This place is incredible. You actually live here?” She has a look of awe set into her fantastic features.
I laugh. “Yes, this is our humble abode.”
“There’s hardly anything humble about it,” she says with an adorable snort.
“It’s a big house just for the two of us…” I trail off.
Aurora’s eyes brighten. “Oh? Just the two of you?” She looks hopeful and her reaction amuses me.
“My wife died about six months ago,” I say.
“I’m so sorry to hear that.” Her eyes flash with sincere somberness and gently grazes my arm with the tips of her slender fingers. The subtle brush of her skin against mine is enough to make me hard.
I take a deep breath, attempting to cool myself down from the sudden burst of arousal.
“Why don’t you go upstairs and play, honey?” I lean down to Nadia who until this point has been diligently staring back and forth between me and Aurora acutely listening in on the adult conversation.
Nadia nods obediently. She gives Aurora another enthusiastic grin. “I’ll go get my favorite doll to show you.”
Aurora gives her a humored chuckle. “That sounds perfect. You do that. I can’t wait to see it.”
Nadia’s grin stretches from ear to ear and she happily prances upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.
“She seems taken with you,” I mention.
Aurora’s dreamy gaze follows Nadia as she turns down the hallway at the upstairs landing. I note a sense of longing in her dark eyes.
“She’s a beautiful little girl.” Aurora looks back at me and my heart skips a beat. “You are a very lucky man.”
“I am, and I still have you to thank,” I say with a smile.
Aurora looks at her shoes and suddenly seems coy. “I don’t need any money or any reward…”
“How about that drink? I can have the butler whip up some crisp lemonade for us.” I’m stalling now, doing anything I can to keep Aurora here with me for as long as possible.
“You have a butler?” Aurora gawks.
“It’s not a big deal.” I chuckle, still trying to keep myself grounded in front of her so she won’t assume I’m some entitled jerk.
“You are living the dream,” she admits.
“Well, it comes with its perks but it’s not always sunshine and roses,” I say.
“As incredible as the offer for lemonade sounds, I should get going…” she trails off and takes one step toward the door.
“Don’t you want to say goodbye to Nadia first?” I ask, thinking her promising to stay and see Nadia’s prized doll might save me.
Aurora’s eyes light up with recognition. “Right…” she trails off with a resigned chuckle. “I suppose I do have to keep my promise to an adorable little girl.”
“Besides,” I add with a mischievous smile. “You said you won’t have a job to go to now, because you were late?”
Aurora releases an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes, shifting her weight. Her slender arms drape around her chest snugly. “Unfortunately.”
“Well, I have an idea on how to help you with that.” I grin.
My heart pounds as I gaze directly into the sensuality of her gorgeous eyes.
“Really?” She arches her shaped eyebrows in surprise. Intrigue twitches on her upper lip.
Now that I have her attention, I floor the conversation into overdrive.
“You could… work here. For me.” I pause. My heart is suspended in my throat.
She looks adorable as she wrinkles her forehead. She unclasps her arms and gives me a pondering glance.
“Work… here?” She lets out a nervous laugh. “Doing… what, exactly?”
“You could be my new nanny.” I propose, doing my best to sell the idea.
“You… already have a nanny.” Her eyes wander directly behind me to Sheba.
“Oh.” I give her a calm smile. “Right.” Glancing over my shoulder, I address Sheba. “Sheba? You may go.”
Sheba hangs her head but doesn’t protest. Her chin trembled slightly, but she scoops up her purse and awkwardly brushes by us on her way to the door.
“I’m sorry, I’m not a total asshole, but you lost my daughter,” I call out to her so that she’ll be able to see the reason behind the sudden firing.
Sheba stops and reluctantly turns around. “I understand. I am so sorry.”
“Thank you for taking this so professionally,” I say and offer a meager smile. “Good luck.”
Sheba nods and exits through the front door with humiliation wilting her posture.
“I feel bad for you guys.” Aurora frowns. “It’s just a bad situation all around. I mean, I understand why you would have to let her go and everything…”
“Yes, it had to be done.” I step closer, but not close enough to become presumptuous.
I am used to getting what I want, and won’t take no for an answer. I can’t just let Aurora slip away, departing from my world without a trace or a connection to cling to. I have to get her to stay.
I am close enough to her now to inhale a whiff of her perfume. It instantly arouses me. My pulse pounds in my ears and blood rushes to my cock.
“Please know that when I tell you I have never seen Nadia happier in my life than she was with you a few minutes ago, it’s the honest to God truth. I know that you would fit in perfectly with our little family.”
“Well…” Aurora shifts a humble gaze and then coyly glances at the wall.
I want so badly to touch her, but I restrain myself. I wonder if she feels the same sizzling chemistry with me. The sexual tension practically burns a hole through me. I hold my breath and wait for her to either wreck my soul or take a leap of faith and appease me with agreeing to be my daughter’s new nanny.
5
Aurora
“I promise, I’m not kidding.” Jai’s eyes glint with passionate urgency that makes me feel both excited and sorry for him. “Just give it a trial run. When I observed your encounter with my daughter, she was so vibrant. I miss that.”
I do my best to empathize with a single father struggling to do the best he can. To top it off, he’s also a widower, so I could imagine his guilt trip works overtime. He’s wearing me down one pitiful morsel at a time.
I understand where he’s coming from. I do. A single parent raised me. It wasn’t easy, and I observed it from a child’s perspective. I can’t imagine the strife he has to go through daily, especially if his daughter likes to wander the streets unattended.
“I don’t know anything about kids…” I trail off apprehensively and give him an apologetic smile.
“It’s fine.” He smiles as if he’s making headway. “To be honest, I’ve been hiring people lately with tons of experience.” He casts a sideways smirk to the door. “Sheba was one of them.” He rolls his eyes and shoots me a humored, ironic smile. “You can see how well that worked out for me.”
I open my mouth, but I’m still stalling. I can’t explain the reason for my hesitation. I clamp my mouth shut again. I don’t have an answer because I’m torn on what to do.
When Jai realizes I’m not going to say anything, he continues his pitch and I have to give him credit for trying.
“I’ve never seen my daughter come out of her shell with anyone the way she was with you,” he states. “She’s not even that friendly with me.” He chuckles with chagrin.
He’s handsome. He has bronze skin. Maybe he’s an Arabian prince or something. He lives in a house fit for a king. It’s more like a castle than a house.
“I’m just afraid that you will be less than impressed and even less thrilled when you hear how much child-rearing experience I have. It’s zero percent,” I say with a cringe.
“Nadia… she’s had a tough time these six months after losing her mom…”
Oh great. He’s playing the pity card again, but he’s so devilishly cute that I have no choice but to entertain the conversation.
“I’m sorry about what you guys have been through,” I whisper gently.
He goes quiet for a fleeting second, staring at the floor pensively. “You don’t need to feel sorry for me.”
He raises his gaze and locks eyes with me. I’m immediately slammed with an internal desire I never expected to feel. The passionate way he stares at me nearly knocks the breath from my lungs.
“My wife was a good woman,” he states almost robotically as if he’s trying to figure out whether he believes it. “She was a good partner.” More stiffness from him as he releases eye contact from me. “But my daughter has lost something precious. Her mother. She cannot be replaced but—maybe if she can be distracted by something, or, someone who can make her happy again…”