Nanny Wanted (A Bad Boy Romance)

by Mia Carson

  James waved them off. “Probably nothing,” he said, but as Reider said his goodbyes, hoping he’d see the man again, James hit the play button.

  “Professor Ashford, this is Fredrick Chadwick. I need you to get a message to Reider for Johanna,” the gruff voice on the phone said. Reider’s chest tightened, and he whipped back around, holding his breath. “Tell him she’s safe and away from our parents. She’s staying with… with someone who will look after her. He needs to go to the following address so they can get away. Please, pass this on and call me if you have any questions.”

  Fredrick rattled off an address. The next message played, and then the next. All of them were from Fredrick, repeating the exact same words in hopes of reaching Reider.

  “James,” Reider whispered, heart pounding with a sudden rush of adrenaline. “How long ago was that first message?”

  James bent down and replayed the first one, checking the date scrolling across the screen. “Last Tuesday,” he whispered. “Reider, I’m sorry. I wasn’t allowed in my office until today; otherwise, I would’ve tracked you down.”

  His hand to his mouth, Reider smiled for the first time in days. “I need to borrow your car.”

  Johanna huddled on the couch in the living room, aimlessly watching TV. Rosaleen had asked if she wanted to go shopping with her and little Travis, but the depression hovering over her like a dark cloud refused to break. Every day, her brother called to say he left another message for the professor, and every day, she waited anxiously to hear from Reider.

  But he never called. He never texted. Nothing happened.

  She settled on some cheesy movie, hoping it would get her to laugh, but she tuned it out and closed her eyes. Sleep didn’t come to her at night anymore, leaving her groggy all day long. Rosaleen told Fredrick she was worried about Johanna. She’d overheard her on the phone last night. Johanna wanted to act like she was fine and full of hope, but after putting on an act for most of her life, she was tired of hiding her true feelings.

  Her eyes slid closed and sleep settled in when the doorbell sounded. Frowning, she set the pillow in her lap aside and got to her feet. Rosaleen had left only five minutes before, and Johanna had seen the keys in her hand. She considered not answering, but the bell rang again and she groaned. She couldn’t sleep if this person wouldn’t go away. Knowing she looked horrible in her sweat capris and hoodie, Johanna opened the door wide, ready to send whomever it was away, but she sucked in a breath and staggered backwards.

  “Jo,” Reider whispered in relief.

  She fumbled for words, wondering for a horrible moment if she were dreaming, but his hand stretched out and cupped her cheek. Sighing, she melted into his touch, and her amber gaze held his fierce green one. “What took you so damn long?” she breathed.

  He laughed and dragged her into his arms. His lips captured hers, and she clung to him tightly, never wanting to let go again. Fire coursed through her body, chasing away the darkness weighing her down since the night she had been torn away from the man she loved. Reider moved her back inside the house, pressing her against the wall as his kisses trailed from her lips to her neck, nuzzling her shoulder as he shoved her hair out of the way.

  “Anyone else home?” he asked roughly.

  Johanna closed the front door with her foot. “No, no one.”

  “Good,” he said, his hands gliding up under her hoodie. They closed around her heavy breasts, and she gasped from the touch of his skin against hers, the roughness of his palms as they rubbed her nipples into hardened peaks. “I want to hear you scream my name.”

  She broke from his hold to snag his wrist and rush up the stairs. Reider hurried to keep up. They reached the top step, but she was desperate for his kiss again and turned, shoving him into the closest wall, and captured his mouth with hers. His tongue danced along her lips before they parted on a sigh. He groaned, exploring the warm depths while his hands gripped her ass hard and pressed her against the bulge in his jeans. She ground her hips against his, and he muttered incoherently against her mouth, picking her up and asking which way to her room.

  Johanna pointed to the end of the hall, and he walked to the bedroom with her in his arms. Once inside, he turned, kicked the door shut, and carried her to the edge of the bed, setting her down on it without letting his lips leave hers.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” she confessed. “I was so scared.”

  His hands held her face gently. “Me too. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. Didn’t get the messages until today.”

  “Reider?” she asked quietly, her hands covering his.

  There were so many things she wanted to tell him. How much she loved him, how she missed the fierceness of those green eye of his, or how gently he could hold her. The fire he stoked within her body at each touch was only because of him, and now, it threatened to take over her body from the inside out. She wanted him to know that seeing his face in the morning was like the sun coming up, and kissing him was more important to her than breathing. Too many words came to mind, but none of them escaped her lips. She frowned, worried she’d never be able to find the right way to tell him.

  But as she stared at him, his face softened and his eyes darkened. His fingers caressed her face, down to her neck and shoulders. Johanna shivered with want at his touch, and when he kissed her again, full of passion and hunger, she knew she would never have to say those things aloud. He knew. With every kiss they shared, he knew.

  He tugged up her hoodie, laughing with her as it caught on her curls, then tossed it aside. All she had on underneath was a thin tank, and he groaned at the sight. Her nipples were visible and hardened. When he leaned down to kiss her, she pulled him onto the bed with her and turned him so she could straddle his lap. In that moment, it was as if they’d been apart for years instead of days. The trauma of being ripped apart so angrily fueled their urges, and the kisses that started out slow and gentle turned heated.

  Reider’s hands massaged up her back, pressing her against him as their tongues danced around one another, entwining like vines in a garden that had missed the sun too long. He yanked her tank top off and cupped one breast in his hand as he lowered his mouth to it before she could brace.

  A gasp escaped from her mouth, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders as his tongue ravished the sensitive peak. Her head rolled back as sharp pains of pleasure and desire coursed down to her center. She ground her hips against his, and he sucked harder, massaging her rear with his other hand so she couldn’t escape his hold. He nipped and kissed the soft mound of flesh, switching to her other breast, but he barely licked the pink, hardened tip, teasing her until she tugged at his hair and begged.

  Reider groaned, and a second later, her body trembled in his arms as he unleashed his lust on her. With only his tongue and the heat of his hands, feeling his desire press against her swollen lips, Johanna couldn’t bear it any longer and let go. Pleasure exploded in small bursts with each stroke of his tongue until she whispered his name in disbelief and sagged in his arms. But they were far from done.

  She pulled his t-shirt off, trailing her fingers down his chest, through the soft hairs, and lower. This was far from a simple fire now. The love between them grew into a raging inferno, and Johanna worked at the button on his jeans, the flames of passion licking at her exposed skin.

  “I dreamt about this every night,” he whispered as he untied her sweats. “I dreamt about all the ways I would take you again, all the ways I would drive you over that edge into insanity with me.”

  Johanna’s breath caught at the intensity of his words. Reider pulled her hands from his jeans and lifted her up to the side, laying her down on her back. Agonizingly slow, he moved to the edge of the bed, and inch by inch, removed her sweats and her thong, leaving her completely naked and open for his gaze. His green eyes devoured every exposed piece of flesh, and he grunted, a deep growl within his chest, standing at the foot of the bed with his jeans unbuttoned, ready to claim her. Johanna wanted him
and no longer restrained her desires.

  With his eyes fixed on her, Johanna lifted her knees and let her legs fall open, all for him. She was wet, warmth pooling between her legs, and his hands twitched at his sides when her fingers snaked down her stomach towards her clit. Reider’s jaw clenched. She wondered how long he would last as she rolled the bundle of nerves and chewed her lip.

  “Damn it, Jo,” he cursed. He kicked out of his jeans, but before he could reach her, she sat up, grabbed his hips hard, and lowered her mouth to his throbbing erection. She sucked hard on his tip, relishing in the pre-cum there, before taking more of him in. “This… You can’t just… Jesus,” he muttered, and his hands dug into her hair.

  She pulled back and smirked. “You’re not the only one who had dreams.”

  He raised a brow at her and opened his mouth to say something, but she sucked on him again, harder, as her nails dug into his hips. He swelled within the depths of her mouth, and she groaned, knowing he would fill her and take her. One of her hands slipped to her warmth and moved gently against the swollen flesh. Reider watched the movement, and as she was building up momentum, he pulled free and moved to the bed. In a few quick maneuvers, he had her on her side, his fingers thrusting into her wetness until she cried out from the sudden contact. His other hand turned her face gently so his lips could find hers. His tongue delved into her mouth in time with his hand while his thumb pressed hard on that succulent bundle of nerves.

  Overcome by the intensity of his moves, Johanna’s hand clenched at the sheet while the other wrapped around, burying itself in his hair. The heat from his chest radiated through her back, scorching her very soul. The hardness of his erection digging into her back spurred her hunger on even more, and she lifted her leg over his, giving him all of her.

  Johanna nipped his lip and turned her head. Before he could move, she took one of his fingers into her mouth, nibbling on it before sucking it as she had his throbbing length moments ago. His body trembling, Reider growled in her ear. His hand worked harder between her legs, stretching and twisting as he thrust. The edge loomed ahead suddenly, and Johanna moaned with the building pressure until the sharp shocks of pleasure exploded and she cried out his name. She quivered in his grasp, her hips bucking as they tried to get closer and away at the same time, but Reider continued until she was utterly spent, and sagged to the bed.

  Reider kissed her sweetly as his hand moved down her inner thigh, kneading as it went. He moved over her, spreading her legs with his knee, and when he pressed his tip against her, Johanna sighed as a shiver rushed down her spine.

  “I want you more than anything in this world,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

  His hips rocked forward slowly, entering her enough to tease. Reeling from the last orgasm, Johanna’s back arched and her hips lifted to meet his. “I’ll never let you go again,” she swore, looking deep into his eyes.

  “And no one will ever take you away from me again,” he promised.

  “Swear it,” she whispered and sucked in a breath when he teased her again. “Swear to me, Reider, we’ll always be together. I can’t lose you.”

  Reider pulled back again, and when he moved forward, he thrust home, filling her completely, making them both groan and tremble in each other’s arms. “I swear to you, Johanna, I’ll never let anyone come between us, not again,” he said and thrust again. “I want you to marry me. Today.”

  Johanna’s head rolled back as he moved hard and desperately within her. “Today? You want to get married?”

  “Yes, I want you as my wife,” he growled and held himself barely within her. “Will you?”

  “God, yes,” she declared. “Reider.”

  She moaned as they made love, all fear of the future lifted from their shoulders. There were no more worries, no more cares of what might happen. This was the here and now, and they were going to get married and stay together for the rest of their lives.

  The inferno raged within them and when his body stiffened over hers, filling her with his warmth, Johanna wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, pulling him even closer as they fell together into the flames. Every muscle tensed then released in her body, the insane pleasure beyond anything they’d shared before.

  Reider kissed her passionately and gently slid free. He did not move away but held her even closer, safe in his arms. Johanna never wanted to be anywhere else again.

  17

  Johanna struggled to catch her breath after another bout of rolling around in the bed, laughing as they came together fiercely, ignited by their new path in life. He kissed her again, and his hand slithered down her back until she shook her head and pushed herself up.

  “What? Don’t tell me I wore you out already,” he teased with a smug smirk.

  “No, but if you want us to get married today, we have to get to the courthouse soon,” she said and stretched her arms over her head. Her lips twitched as Reider watched her body closely, admiring every curve, but she turned away, and he groaned, falling back to the bed.

  “You are absolutely right, but you need something before we go,” he said and hopped off the bed, laughing with excitement as he scooped up his jeans.

  Johanna pulled fresh clothes from the duffel, and when she turned around, Reider was on one knee before her, holding out a beautiful white-gold band with a single emerald on it. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, tears of joy pricking her eyes.

  “Johanna Chadwick, I know I asked you earlier, but I would like to make this official—or more official,” he added quietly, glancing at his naked body and hers. “You fill me with a fire I never thought I’d feel, a fire for life and for love, and you gave me hope in this dreary world that I could find peace and happiness. Will you marry me?” The last words came out rough, and his eye twitched with concern that she would second-guess their decision.

  “Yes,” she replied quietly then laughed loudly as he slipped the ring onto her finger. He stood and kissed her, spinning her around the room.

  “Johanna? You here?” a voice called from downstairs, and Reider shot a look towards the door.

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” she yelled back to her brother. She saw the anger in Reider’s face, but it quickly disappeared. “He helped us, you know.”

  “I do. He tried to give me a message before, but my dad was there,” he said and scratched his chin. “What about what he was hiding? Is this his house?”

  She nodded but held his hand tightly. “He was hiding his fiancée and his one-year-old son. This is their home. He was never involved in the accident, but he thinks… he thinks Frank might’ve been. Said he was going to talk to Sheriff Princeton about it.”

  Reider nodded and understanding crossed his face. “That’s what they were being so secretive about. That’s why he agreed to help us, then? He hid a love of his own?”

  “Yes, and I think it would be nice if Fredrick and his small family could join us for our wedding.”

  She waited for him to say no way in hell, but instead, he kissed her sweetly. “If that’s what you want, then it’s what I want. Besides, I need to thank him for helping us get away.”

  “He even got the cash from my bag, but… before we run, I want to get my sister out,” she said. “At least bring her here to live with Fredrick and his fiancée. Then we can go to Montana and start our lives.”

  He frowned worriedly. “You want to go back? To see them? Do they even know where you are?”

  She cringed, remembering she was supposed to be at Melody’s and wondering if that story was holding up. “No, not technically.”

  “I’m going to tell you I think this is a bad idea, but if you want to do it, I’ll stand by your side as your husband,” he told her sternly. “We’ll face them together.”

  She stood on her toes and kissed him. “Thank you, Reider.”

  They dressed quickly, she in jeans and a sweater to wear to her wedding, and tried not to worry about how the night would go afterwards. Leaving Izzy behind with her parents and
Frank, who for all they knew was involved in murder, was not something she could live with. Right before she and Reider left the room, she glanced at the ring on her finger and grinned. This was the happiest she’d ever been, and it was only going to keep getting better.

  The second she and Reider reached the main floor, Fredrick appeared from the kitchen with Travis in his arms and sighed with relief.

  “Thank God. I thought I was going to have to drive to your damn house to tell you,” he muttered. “Reider, I’m sorry for everything that happened.”

  “No need,” Reider replied with a smile. “You had your own secrets to deal with, and you’re helping us now. I can’t thank you enough for taking care of her and letting me know.”

  Johanna relaxed as the tension faded. She went to her brother and held out her hands for Travis. “And this is my nephew, Travis. Is Rosaleen here?” she asked, laughing when Travis giggled as he played with her curly hair.

  “Yeah, she’s getting a bottle of champagne. She came home first, thought she heard some, uh… some noises,” Fredrick muttered, his face turning three shades of red. “Said we should celebrate.”

  “Well, you might want to wait on opening that,” Johanna said. “We’re going to the courthouse, and we would like you to come with us—to witness our wedding.”

  Fredrick glanced from her to Reider and smiled.

  “Did someone say wedding?” Rosaleen called and rushed out of the kitchen. “You’re getting married! Oh, that’s great! Of course we’ll come.” She rushed forward to hug Johanna and then Reider. “I’m Rosaleen, by the way, the secret fiancée, and you must be Reider.”

  He nodded and hugged the enthusiastic woman back. “Pleasure to meet you, too.”

  “Welcome to the family,” Rosaleen announced. “Well, are going or what?”

  Reider held out his hand for Johanna’s. “If the bride-to-be is ready?”

  Johanna gave Travis back to her brother and took Reider’s hand. “I’ve never been more ready for an adventure in my life.”