by Maria Piork
Snowed In
By Maria Piork
eBook Edition
Copyright © 2012 Maria Piork
V.1 Released 7/2012
V.2 Released 4/2013
Dedication:
I dedicate this short story to my husband, my daughter and my son for their love, support and patience during the production of this eBook.
About the eBook:
Nina Bates is a twenty-one year old young woman single and pregnant. Shunned by her mother and the deadbeat father of her new baby, Nina has no choice but to accept her grandmother’s invitation to relocate from her hometown of Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska.
In Anchorage, Nina meets Dexter McIver, a father of one who is not only single and devastatingly handsome but also a successful businessman. After her grandmother pulls strings and Nina is hired to work in the McIver household, she moves in to serve as a live-in nanny to Dexter’s son Ian.
As time passes, Dexter and Nina develop a close bond and begin to realize theirs is more than just an average boss-employee relationship.
Sexual tension swells, and the smoldering attraction that has existed for months threatens to boil over.
With so much at stake are Nina and Dex willing to risk it all for a brief liaison?
Chapter One
Nina is sprawled across Dex’s massive four-poster bed, his mouth savoring her in areas no other man had before. She whimpers then looks at Dex, Dex looks at her. She squirms. Warm discharge pools at her center and her body tenses. Oh, what sweet delirious tension! She sobs, arches, and…
“Nina, wake up,” a voice spoke quietly. “Nina, it’s me Dex, wake up.”
Nina sat up instantly and opened her eyes to complete darkness. She was disoriented. Dex? Was he really in her room? Were they…? Her stomach lurched her chest heaved. The baby! A muffled, strange cry came out of her, “Callie!” she shrieked reaching for the bassinet.
“Shhh,” Dex soothed, touching her arm, “Callie’s fine.”
In the dim lighting, Nina saw his profile and that of her daughter in his arms. She was relieved to see Callie well cared for. The only drawback at that moment for Nina was being snatched away from a phenomenal dream. Her body still tingled and her panties were moist. Heat rose to her cheeks.
“I’m sorry I walked in.”
Sorry he walked in? What time was it?
“It’s just that Callie had been crying for several minutes.” He gave her pajama top a once over and continued, “I think it may be her feeding time.”
When his eyes roamed her breasts, Nina looked down to realize that her clothing was drenched soaked the garment clinging to her damp skin and exposing a set of rigid crests. Nina groped the sheets and brought them to her chest. “Darn it…I...” she stumbled over her words, “I must have slept through her midnight feeding.”
She was having a time adjusting to her newborn. Lucky Nina felt that her ward, Ian, Dex’s five-year-old son, was well-mannered or else pulling double duty as a new mom and nanny might have proven too challenging. As it was already her oversleeping was the second occurrence that week and now with Dex as witness to the breastfeeding malfunction, Nina’s insecurities were mounting.
In the dark she stared at him and he stared back, a semblance of a smile crossed his lips the gesture sending Nina’s heart aflutter.
In the seven months she’d worked for Dex Nina came to realize that his attention and very presence invoked raw emotions in her. Dex was older, charming. Dex was also a successful business man and far more confident than any other guy she’d ever met before. He was also disturbingly good looking, tall and broad shouldered. His eyes were dark and expressive his lips full, his jaw strong. His was hair short and brown and it curled slightly at the base of his neck. His body didn’t lag either Dex was in exceptional shape. On several occasions when he headed to the gym fully clad in workout gear Nina would eavesdrop as he left the house peering through her bedroom window. Oh yes, Nina knew first hand that Dexter McIver, the thirty-one year old handsome divorced father of one was solid, lean, and muscled from all angles.
“Nina?”
“Uh?”
Dex’s patted the child’s back and suggested, “Listen, how about Callie and I step outside while you change?”
A tasteful move Nina wouldn’t expect any less from him. “Yeah, that’d be fine Dex. Thanks.”
Callie whimpered and Dex shushed her. As Dex got to his feet, Nina watched with keen interest as her daughter snuggled against his chest. Lucky girl, her daughter was.
“I’ll be right outside. Just come out when you’re ready.” The door closed behind him with a soft click.
For a long minute after Dex exited, Nina sat there in near darkness staring at nothing in particular. It was five weeks since she gave birth to Callie and still she had such a long way to go to adjust. Yet, as hectic as life was in the McIver household, working as a live-in nanny was a Godsend. Very few jobs would allow Nina the opportunity to earn a living while caring for her own child. She was indeed grateful for her grandmother’s networking pool and equally grateful for Dex’s flexibility. So, regardless of how fatigued she was Nina needed to pull through and keep it together somehow. She couldn’t afford to give Dex any reason to believe that she was incompetent or perhaps even unfit to care for Ian.
Nina pulled the comforter back and swung her legs off the bed. She stepped into her fuzzy slippers and walked into the adjoining bathroom. She tossed the soiled clothing into the hamper and washed up. Several minutes later she was in front of the dresser fetching a set of clean clothes. She dressed in camisole and panties then slipped the robe fastening the sash around her waist. She reached for a hair brush and her eyes focused on the picture frame, the frame that Ian had made for her out of wooden sticks and yarn; it was a classic preschooler type of craft. Nina smiled at Callie’s ten-minute old picture that now adorned Ian’s art work. Grammie Lynne had snapped the photograph seconds after the nurses had placed Callie in her arms.
The window glass rattled the noise jolting Nina out of her reverie. “A severe ice storm is expected to sweep through the Anchorage area. Blustery conditions are expected.” The meteorologist announced during the late night newscast. The prediction was that the major metropolitan area would be the hardest hit and citizens were urged to remain on high alert.
Despite the fifty to sixty mile per hour winds advisory, Nina dismissed the weather report as overly sensational. Now, however, Nina realized the matter was much more serious than she originally anticipated.
She gave her reddish curls a good comb then straightened her clothes. She crossed the short distance to the entrance and swung the bedroom door open. When the image of Dex holding Callie in his arms came into focus Nina’s stopped short and fell silent.
Chapter Two
Dex was perched against the hallway table with her daughter peacefully resting on his forearms. Her one month old child gurgled, and Dex cooed. They were conversing Nina giggled silently. It was charming, but what struck Nina the most was how delicate Dex was with her holding Callie as if she was the most precious thing. He stroked her cheek and Callie opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
They were sharing a moment, a bond of sorts, Nina realized, and was genuinely surprised. It wasn’t so odd she supposed. Dex was the only other adult person with whom the child interacted on a daily basis. Sure the baby had Grammie Lynne too, every weekend at that, but it was quite obvious that her daughter was much more smitten with Dex than with her own great-grandma. She couldn’t blame her daughter for being partial Dexter McIver was one to be smitten with. He was kind, caring, and a loving father to Ian.
She thought about the boy for a moment and marveled at just how well adjusted he was to his mother’s absence.
When
Nina was told of Tanya McIver’s problem with substance abuse it troubled her. The job of raising a child was taxing in the best of circumstances, but raising a child while having to tend to an alcoholic spouse might have been a terrible ordeal and Nina truly felt for Dex, but even more for Ian. Part of his innocence had been robbed from him and at times it was clear that the boy struggled with his own identity…
“Well, if you’re living here with us, then why aren’t you and my daddy sleeping in the same room?” Ian had asked Nina when the two of them had worked on a puzzle.
Ian’s comment had taken her completely by surprise that day, yet Nina managed to maintain her composure. “Ian, just because I’m living here doesn’t mean your father and I would sleep in the same room.”
“Well, my dad’s friend, Mitch, and his girlfriend, Greta, live together, and they sleep in the same room.”
Nina felt Ian knew way too much for his age.
“Well, Mitch and Greta are boyfriend and girlfriend, Ian. Your father and I are not. There’s a big difference.”
The topic was an awkward one to discuss with a five year old, yet as uncomfortable as Nina was with the chat, she needed to ensure that the boy wasn’t misunderstanding the living arrangements.
“But why can’t you be boyfriend and girlfriend? You’re pretty and daddy likes you.” He had looked her way then added, “And you like him too, don’t you?”
If Nina didn’t know better she would think the boy had been playing matchmaker.
“Well, of course, I like your father, Ian, but not like Mitch and Greta like each other.”
That, of course, was a…lie. Nina really liked Dex, so much in fact that she was having a time keeping her mind on business. “Your father and I have a business relationship, Ian. That’s all.”
And really, that was all. Despite the fact that Nina liked Dex, he was only her boss and she was only his employee; nothing more, nothing less.
Seconds later Ian had surprised her yet again by walking over to Callie and kissing the infant on the head and saying, “I want Callie to have a daddy and if you and my daddy were together then Callie would have one, no?
A cooing sound emerged from the infant and Nina was jarred out of her thoughts. She pulled the doorknob and that time, the door creaked. Dex turned to look her way.
“Well, look who’s here.” Dex spoke to Callie in a tone of voice that was adorably babyish.
“Hey…” Nina addressed Callie as Dex closed in to place the child in her arms. He took extra care in accommodating Callie and as he did Nina picked up on the scent of his cologne. The woodsy aroma was faint but arousing, her tummy stirred. “There you are,” she said, ignoring the essence of him that instantly made her insides turn to jelly.
Callie fussed as soon as Dex handed her over. “It’s okay.” Nina soothed. Callie was certainly biased to being in Dex’s arms, wasn’t she? The child whined and Dex did his best to set the baby in the crook of her arm. Then just as Callie’s protests were winding down, Dex’s fingers skimmed the side of her breast.
The brief contact touched Nina like a heated caress and her pulse raced. Goosebumps beaded her flesh. Desire, hot an insistent made Nina’s libido jump to overdrive.
Callie whimpered yet again and Nina was extremely glad for the child’s timely interruption.
Dex pulled away and cleared his throat. He fell back a couple of steps and said, “The storm’s got Callie a little spooked.” His voice was hoarse and uneven. Had Dex felt the same electrical jolt she felt when they touched?
Nina kissed Callie’s cheek. “Shhh, it’s just the wind, honey.” Nina shot Dex a glance, “Actually, the storm’s got me a little spooked, too.” She admitted wryly.
“The winds are really picking up.” He replied as a dimple appeared on his left cheek.
Oh my! Not the adorable dimple…Nina licked her bottom lip in a nervous gesture and said, “Thank you by the way,” She rocked Callie and added, “You know…for looking in on her.”
His eyes searched her features then his gaze dropped to her mouth. Nina’s heart skipped a beat. “Guess I’m a sucker for a lady is distress.” He joked.
Nina thought about that for a moment. Dex had been there for her when she needed rescuing, so perhaps his statement was entirely true.
Dex jammed his hands in his front pockets then leaned against the door frame. He studied her for a moment then he reached over and patted Callie’s back, “It’s hard to believe that Ian was this little once.” His mouth curved into a half smile. Seconds later he glared at her and she glared back. His eyes were dark, hooded. Nina wondered what was going through his mind at that moment. Silence stretched between them, and Nina struggled to come up with something to say.
The wind chose that moment to announce its brutal fury as tree branches jabbed against the hallway window.
“That’s a wicked storm!” she croaked.
Callie whined and Dex quickly stroked the child’s cheek comforting her. A moment later his attention was back on Nina. “I closed down the office for tomorrow.” He said.
“Closed?” Nina repeated. “You rarely even take a day off.” She patted Callie back and said, “Is the storm that severe?”
“Well, the governor himself declared a state of emergency a couple of hours back.”
“Oh my goodness…”
Callie whimpered again.
That time Dex pushed himself off the door frame and gave her a once over, “Listen,” He said his eyes on the child again, “Don’t worry about anything. Just tend to Callie’s feeding, and we’ll chat in the morning.”
The next thing Nina knew, Dex stepped forward and angled towards her. He was so close that Nina could feel the heat radiating from his body she could see the muscles in his neck twitch as he advanced. Dex’s hands reached out and his head dropped lower, the warmth of his breath fanned her cheek. Nina held her breath and quivered with anticipation. Then Dex stroked Callie’s feathery curls and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Good night, sweetie.”
Chapter Three
Nina retreated to her bedroom promptly. With her back firmly pressed against the door she stood there for several minutes with eyes closed. Her heart was pounding and she was flushed throughout. Good God her sexual urges would soon reach fever pitch!
“Your hormone levels will take a while to return to normal.” The OB/Gyn Dr. Ting had told Nina the last time she’d gone for a check-up. “…on the average it can be four to six weeks.”
Nina couldn’t fathom the thought of having to cope with such an overactive drive for weeks on end. Living with a ruggedly attractive man when one was suffering from a severe case of horniness wasn’t easy.
“You know?” The doctor had explained, “Self-stimulation is okay.”
That’s when Dr. Ting lost her. In Nina’s overly-sexed mind there was only way out, only one sure way to cure her ailment and that was a good old fashion screw.
Nina made her way to the nursing chair and cradled Callie while working the nursing bra open. Callie made whimpering noises and her tiny arms flapped in the air. A moment later Callie’s small fingers landed on Nina’s exposed breast her mouth in frantic search for her meal. Callie snuggled against Nina’s bosom and finally able to nurse the child fell silent. Nina kissed her reddish curls and rocked in her chair. The gentle swaying motion helped to soothe not only Callie, but also her.
Nina glanced outside and observed as the tree by her window flapped violently from side to side and her thoughts drifted to what Dex said earlier. “The governor himself declared a state of emergency.” It was obvious that the storm had caught a lot of residents off guard, yet as vicious as the storm appeared Nina trusted that she had nothing to worry about. Dex had everything under control.
Minutes after Callie dozed off, Nina settled the child in for the night in her little bassinet. Exhausted as she was Nina crawled into her own bed and within minutes she’d drifted off to a deep slumber.
Nina is beneath Dex’
s body. He’s moving inside her with expert ease. “You’re tight…” He says against her mouth. She whimpers and spreads for him. He drives in burying himself full length.
“Oh!” She tightens her grip on his shoulders. Her insides coil, she rocks her hips against his. Nina tenses, trembles, sobs, claws nails at his back…
Crash!
What on earth! Nina was in an upright position in an instant. For a second time that evening the Godforsaken storm had interrupted her dreams. And what a fantastic dream this one was… Nina sighed. “Self-stimulation is okay.” Dr. Ting’s words came back to her.
“Nina, get a grip,” she said out loud. What would Dex think if he ever found out that in recent weeks all she’d done was fantasize about being with him? What would he think? He would think she was a pervert, that’s what! She rubbed her eyes briskly and gave her head a good shake.
Nina let out a cleansing breath and plopped back down on the bed. She draped an arm over her forehead and lay there staring at the ceiling.
She thought about Dex and what transpired in recent weeks. Callie had been born, Ian had fallen in love with the child right away and so had Dex. Then Nina began to have feelings, feelings for Dex. Sure, having a ‘thing’ for your boss was dangerous territory. Yet, Nina could hardly help her emotions, they were what they were.
She tossed and turned willing herself to fall back asleep, but couldn’t she was much too restless. Nina turned in the direction of the radio clock and saw its fluorescent lighting was off she turned the switch. Nothing. She got up from the bed slipped on her robe and walked to the window. That’s when she noticed the street lamps were off. It was a blackout!
Nina went very still but her pulse raced. The last time she’d in a blackout was when she was seven years old and in Mrs. Wilkinson’s care. Her hands became clammy and she hugged herself.
The memories and images of that long ago ordeal flashed before Nina and her body trembled. “Stay calm.” She whispered and wiped her hands dry. She remained standing right where she was for several minutes thinking and weighing out options.