by Luke Steel
I shook that thought away.
Dangerous territory.
“Oh no, not me. You are the princess, aren’t you?” Dalia whispered back in a conspiratorial way. Tobi giggled, her nose scrunching up in the way I always thought was charming.
“Daddy calls me that sometimes,” Tobi confessed, giving me a sidewise look. I did my best to look sternly back, still not ready to give up on the fact that she’d sealed me out of my office. But then her dimpled cheeks deepened and I sighed in defeat.
I was a sucker for my daughter. And even though she was only three, she knew it too.
“I’m sure he does.” Dalia turned to me and extended her hand. “I’m your new hired help.”
I know I looked surprised. I felt it, my mouth opened and my eyes widened. And hell if a flash of heat didn’t race down my spine. Wait a minute. Hired help…
This woman was going to be my new nanny?
Perhaps I wasn’t that mad at Ted after all.
Coming around the desk I took Dalia’s hand. My own dwarfed hers and I felt a tell-tale shiver run through her as I gripped her fingers tightly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for …” I trailed off, motioning towards Tobi and the door. “Earlier.” She nodded before removing her hand from mine. My fingertips grazed across hers slowly and I saw something flash in her eyes before she looked away.
I felt the answering heat inside my own. Not to mention the tension in my crotch as my cock pulsed with need. Shit. I was not going to be able to control this much longer. And yet, I didn’t want to leave the room, didn’t want to tear my eyes from Dalia’s sexy curves.
This day was getting more interesting by the minute.
“Ah, Cedric, so you’ve met your new nanny,” Ted boomed, coming through the door. Tobi made a small noise and ran towards Dalia and me, the both of us still standing close together.
“I did, just now,” I replied, resting my hand on Tobi’s shoulder. I looked down and caught Tobi staring at Ted with narrowed eyes, though she didn’t look scared. More annoyed at this point.
“My daughter will be a great addition to your household,” Ted continued, coming close to rest his hand on Dalia’s shoulder.
Wait.
What.
My stomach clenched, churning almost painfully. Ted’s daughter?
That put a screeching halt on my current thoughts, all of which involved Dalia wearing nothing but me.
“Your daughter?” I coughed out, making sure I heard right.
Ted nodded.
“Youngest.” Dalia smiled at me and turned to her father. I didn’t hear what they were saying. I was swimming in disappointment. Because a few seconds ago, I was about to ask Dalia out on a date. Dalia, Ted’s daughter.
His baby.
And just like that, I’m right back to being mad at Ted again. Hell if he hadn’t just ruined my whole day.
2
Cedric
“Tobi, come on baby, I’ve got to go,” I called out from my bedroom. I’d been looking for my other shoe for the last half hour, and I was pretty sure Tobi had hidden it from me. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d secreted away my clothes or my briefcase to keep me from going to work in the last few months.
Ever since we’d lost Mrs. Williams to retirement.
I knew it was her childlike worry that if Mrs. Williams had left, that I might leave too. No amount of reassuring her had swayed her. Every morning it was the same routine, albeit a different item and a new hiding spot.
I heard a knock at the door and Tobi squealed, a high-pitched sound of excitement that told me Dalia was here. My heart picked up pace in my chest and a vision of Dalia flashed before my eyes. In my mind she wasn’t wearing the work clothes anymore, but something much slimmer, slinkier. A tight-fitting dress, legs bare and long and lean beneath it, her calves tight. I could just imagine those legs wrapped around my waist, her hips grinding against mine as I lifted her up, gripping her pert ass in my hands and pinning her against a wall…
Fuck. I need to stop thinking about her.
I was only half dressed, shirtless with my slacks unbuttoned as I walked down the stairs to yell to Tobi not to open the door. We were working on guest etiquette and the last thing I needed was for Tobi to open the door to a complete stranger. Which, at this moment, was Dalia.
I was too late. Tobi opened the door as I hit the last step down to the foyer.
Dalia stood there, a soft smile freezing on her face. I couldn’t help myself. I slowly looked her up and down, my gaze lingering on her lips, breasts, and hips. She was wearing a summery dress, and my mouth watered, knowing that underneath the thin, florally print, she was practically naked.
When my eyes snapped back up to her face, I caught a flash of hunger in her gaze, and her eyes glued to my crotch. Where, I was one-hundred-percent positive, a massive hard-on was peeking through.
It throbbed between my legs, urging me to rush forward, slam Dalia up against the wall and take, and take, and take.
I cleared my throat.
This was my business partner’s daughter. The last thing I needed was to seduce his baby and push an already tense relationship to its breaking point. What Ted and I had built together worked. It worked damn well.
“Good morning,” Dalia murmured, her eyes moving from my crotch to my face. She didn’t look embarrassed to have been caught ogling my hard-on. Had to give her points for that, I thought. I moved towards her slowly and heat warmed in my chest when I saw a blush covering her cheeks. Was she feeling what I felt? Was she as hot for me as I was for her?
She didn’t strike me as a blushing, innocent youth, though. She was too much woman to be naïve in this world. But knowing that, and valuing the working relationship I had with her father, I had to resist. Resist every fucking base instinct screaming for me to pillage and plunder.
Maybe having Dalia as a nanny wasn’t such a great idea.
When I stopped next to her, I caught a whiff of her scent and my eyes almost crossed. Jasmine and sandalwood. A heady combination.
“Good morning, Dalia,” I said softly. Tobi was bouncing on her tiptoes in front of Dalia, jabbering away in snippets of English and what I assumed was an alien language because I sure as hell had no idea what she was saying.
Tobi did this when she was really excited or happy.
It’d been awhile since she’d reacted this way and I was glad for it.
“You have a nice place,” Dalia commented, sliding past me. We almost touched and I was disappointed when I didn’t feel her soft skin rub up against my naked chest. Tobi grabbed Dalia’s hand and pulled her into the living room, gesturing wildly with her little arms.
I grinned. They made a pretty picture with Dalia’s glowing gold hair and Tobi’s shining chestnut. I looked around the house and I was relieved my housekeeper was keeping up on things. Though it was sparsely decorated, it was clean. It was a traditional two-story brownstone. Downstairs was the living room, dining room and kitchen flooded with plenty of natural light from the big bay windows. Upstairs were our bedrooms and my office.
My eyes warmed when they landed on Tobi’s play corner, complete with a colorful rug, princess doll castle and kid-sized kitchenette. There were plenty of evenings I would sit on the couch as Tobi pretended to be a chef, having me taste special recipes and ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over her cake decorating skills. She was so creative, my Tobi.
When I first saw this brownstone for sale, I knew it was more house than Tobi and I needed, but the location was perfect, just blocks from Central Park. The resale value alone was just one reason I’d purchased it. But it was the easy access to the park and the small yard in the back that had sold it for me. The limited time I had outside of work was spent with Tobi, walking in the park, playing on the tire swing in the yard.
We’d made this place a home, Tobi and me.
“Do you need anything before I leave?” I asked, spying my missing shoe under the kitchen table. The kitchen was large,
with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and white washed cupboards. Another big window graced one wall, complete with a bench seating area. Tobi liked to lie there and watch me make breakfast on the weekends with her chin resting on her hands and her little feet kicking behind her.
It was our tradition every Saturday and Sunday, regardless of my workload.
“I think we’re good,” Dalia responded. “If we need anything, I’ll call you.”
I grunted as I bent down and grabbed my shoe, slipping it on quickly. Nodding, I went back up to my room to put on my shirt and tie. I needed to leave, and quickly. My thoughts were bogged down in the danger zone, drifting off to mental images of Dalia splayed naked on my bed as I knelt between her knees and kissed my way up her thighs, until my tongue could finally reach her pussy, to taste if she’s as delicious as she smells…
Fuck. I’d have to figure something out later because being hot for my new nanny was a cliché I wasn’t willing to live up to. Not with my business partner’s daughter.
A few moments passed and I was dressed and heading out the door, Tobi’s face wreathed in smiles instead of tears.
It was a great sight to see as I headed to work.
For what felt like the hundredth time that day, thoughts of Tobi invaded my mind. I hadn’t realized I’d grown so accustomed to her company. Still, I’d been so productive that even Ted had commented on it.
“See, having a new nanny has already done wonders,” Ted had said passing by me midmorning, steaming cup of coffee in one hand, thumbs-up with the other. The only other person I’d seen today was my assistant, and even that had been hurried. I was on a roll, clearing off my cluttered desk in record time.
I’d closed a few deals, opened the door to a few more, and made final notations on two extended contracts. It felt good to be back, leading conference calls with contacts in the UK and Japan, discussing changes in upcoming trends. Our marketing firm wasn’t considered top of the line for nothing.
It took a lot of grunt work, phone calls and investigating to make sure Ted and I pitched and presented to the best of the best. And it was these moments that made it happen.
Yet still, in between a hurried lunch and clearing out my email inbox, the monotonous work I could have done in my sleep, it left me pretty much alone and to my thoughts. What was Tobi doing now? Was she having fun with Dalia? Was she safe?
Was Dalia dating anyone?
I groaned, closing my eyes. Glancing at the clock on my desk, I was surprised to see it was almost six o’clock. I booted down my computer and stood, stretching my arms. Reaching over, I grabbed my briefcase and my jacket off the back of the chair and headed for home.
Traffic was heavy, and almost an hour passed before I found myself pulling up to my block. It’d been one of the longest hours of my life.
All I could think about was Tobi…and Dalia. My mind always went right back to her. I couldn’t shake the feelings she aroused within me. And I hadn’t come up with a plan on how to deal with it. I didn’t want to replace her. She already got on well with Tobi and that was a feat I wasn’t sure anyone could ever manage again. Tobi had been utterly devastated when Mrs. Williams had retired.
I hadn’t fully realized until she was gone how much I relied on her and her companionship. When she’d first announced she was moving to Florida, I’d been in a panic. I knew, deep down I just knew, I couldn’t do it without her. No amount of persuasion, raises, additional vacation perks, nothing had swayed her.
And in the end, I’d had to accept the fact that Tobi and I were losing one of the best things that had ever happened in our lives. And I was left alone to pick up the pieces.
Now here I was, lusting after my new nanny, knowing that desiring Dalia, and acting on it, would lead to no good. I had a business to run and a daughter to raise. I didn’t have time for office or personal drama.
“Daddy!” Tobi squealed as I came through the front door. She hopped up off the floor where she and Dalia were sitting, shoulder to shoulder. Something burned in my chest at the sight, but I ignored it. I dropped my briefcase and opened my arms wide, catching her mid-jump. She giggled, snuggling close to my chest.
“Hey sweetheart, have a good day?” I asked. She looked happy, more than happy really. Ecstatic. She was practically vibrating in my arms.
“Fun, fun, fun,” Tobi said, over and over again, bouncing in my arms. I laughed, setting her back on the ground to greet Dalia.
“Have a good day?” she asked, putting her hands out to take my coat. Without thinking too much about it, or how domestic it felt, I removed my jacket and handed it to her.
“I won’t lie, it was hard not to think about Tobi all day. She did okay?” I asked, looking intently into Dalia’s blue eyes. Her eyes crinkled at the edges as she smiled.
“We had a great day. We read books, played games, and made dinner.”
I blinked.
“You cooked for us?” I asked, surprised. “You didn’t have to do that.” Dalia waved her hand.
“It was fun.”
“I helped,” Tobi piped up from the living room. I looked over and I could feel my eyes widen. Dolls were scattered about, some half dressed. It looked like Dalia had drug out Tobi’s toy chest, and the contents inside of it were now taking over my living room.
“We’re playing dress up,” Dalia supplied. I grinned.
“You’re playing dress up?” I asked, unable to hide the humor from my voice. And then my treacherous brain did other things and started thinking about undressing Dalia.
Fuck, I needed to move away from her. Her scent was washing over me, and seeing the easy way she had with Tobi, playing dolls and making dinner, was far too appealing in my current state of mind.
It felt good. Too good. Cozy and domestic and all the things I shouldn’t be feeling or thinking about my business partner’s daughter.
“Can Dalia eat too?” Tobi asked, scrunching her shoulders up in question. Half of me wanted to say no. Any more time I spent with Dalia was making it more difficult to tamp down the urge to get closer to her. But the smells drifting my way from the kitchen had my mouth watering, and manners I couldn’t quite disregard reared their head.
“Yes, you should stay,” I said. Dalia bit her lip and my stomach clenched.
“I should probably go, I was only hired to watch Tobi,” she said. I could tell she wanted to stay, though. She hadn’t moved an inch towards the door since I’d gotten home.
And boy did I find that interesting.
“Come on, stay for dinner. It’s the least we can do after what you’ve done for us today,” I murmured softly, leaning down towards Dalia. My traitorous body wanted to be closer to her. I knew this was probably a bad idea. I shouldn’t have her. There were so many reasons I should be opening the door instead, hailing her a cab and wishing her a good night. But then she looked up at me and her mouth opened as if she was going to say something.
Instead, she licked her lips. My cock stiffened in my pants at the sight.
“Stay,” I demanded. Please stay.
She nodded yes.
“She’s out like a light,” Dalia said, coming into the kitchen. I looked over at her and smiled. Her hair was disheveled as if she’d been lying down next to Tobi. I knew that feeling well. I often laid next to Tobi to read to her, and more often than not, I’d fall asleep myself.
I don’t know why the thought of Dalia lying next to Tobi to help her sleep made me soften more towards her, but it did.
“Here, I poured us a glass of wine,” I said, handing one to her. I wasn’t quite ready to see Dalia go. I’d been a long time since I’d been struck by lust. And with lust, came curiosity. I wanted to know the woman standing in front of me.
I wanted to know her badly.
Dalia took the glass and a quick sip, her eyes closing briefly. “Looks like you had a busy day,” I murmured, before taking a sip from my own glass. The rich taste hit my tongue, spreading warmth down my throat and into my chest.
>
It was strange having Dalia so close and not being able to touch her. I don’t know where the urge came from but I wanted to. Very much. Her skin looked soft and warm.
I couldn’t shake the need to know what she tasted like. Just once. What would she do if I grabbed her right now and kissed her? Would she run from my house screaming or beg me for more? I cleared my throat, pulling at the collar of my shirt.
I was suddenly ten degrees warmer. And a hell of a lot more turned on.
“Tobi is wonderful,” she said, perching her hip against the counter opposite me. I did the same, settling back and looking at her over the rim of my wine glass. She really was beautiful. High cheekbones, strong nose, and full lips. Her eyes were wide and a special sort of blue that reminded me of spring mornings. But it was her voice that slayed me. From the very beginning.
A rich, husky tone. It sounded like sex and dark promises. Just imagine all the dirty little nothings she’d whisper in my ear as I fucked her…
It made me want to stay there forever just to listen to her talk. Knowing I couldn’t have her didn’t prevent me from wanting to enjoy being in the moment with her. I was beyond attracted to her, drawn like a moth to a flame.
“What made you decide to be a nanny?” I asked, abruptly curious. I couldn’t fathom why she’d want to. Just having to care for Tobi myself had opened my eyes to the rigors of childcare. But aside from that, her father was wealthy. Why wasn’t she in school, getting her degree, traveling the world with friends? She had to be twenty-one, twenty-two, max. She was young, with her whole life ahead of her. Why was she here?
“I love children,” she replied with a soft smile.
“Do you now?” I asked, my voice low. I heard her breath hitch and she shifted against the counter before taking another sip of her wine. “You’re not in college?”
“I just graduated.” My brow rose and she continued. “Bachelors in early childhood education. I want to be a teacher.”