Daddy's Contract : A Single Dad and Nanny Romance

by Melissa Chetley

  As much as I would love to put him in his place, I have to keep my cool. The last thing I want to do is give this scumbag any content for his articles even if he does deserve a long, hard dose of reality.

  Unsurprisingly, everyone shifts their attention onto me as I step in between Cassie and the journalist. Although there are many things that I want to say to him, I simply look straight into the startled man's eyes and tell him the only words I need to convey to him: "If you have something to say to me, then do it. But don't ever bother my family. Especially not my little girl."

  "I-is that a threat, Mr. Bishop?" the reporter questions with a slight gleam in his eyes. The camera in his hand is pushed closer to my face in hopes for a dramatic reaction. He seems adamant on pinning anything on me in spite of the trepidation hidden within his voice.

  I know he's just waiting for me to get upset, so I shake my head and smile at him. "No, it's just a friendly conversation," I calmly reply.

  My ironic response leaves the man with no words as he tries to rack his brain to find another way to rile me up. Yet his brief moment of weakness allows me enough time to flag down one of the plainclothes security guards who have been hired to loosely patrol the zoo. These guards are meant to blend in with the crowd, but it's easy to pinpoint them with the amount of experience I have in dealing with them. So I make eye contact with the security guard in his casual clothing who gives me a nod while he swiftly walks over to my side.

  "Would you please escort this man out of the park? He seems to be in the wrong place," I explain without taking my eyes off of the seedy man who looks a bit more nervous than before.

  The expressionless guard nods his head and takes the reporter by the arm. "Come on. Let's go, buddy," he says as he starts to lead the dirty journalist who walks with a bitter step away from us.

  A low yet heavy exhale escapes from my lips while I watch the despicable man get taken away by the hired guard. I know that I should be thankful for how easily and promptly that problem was resolved, but I don't feel completely satisfied with the result. That bastard still managed to terrorize Cassie and Taylor with his deception and lies, planting seeds of doubt within their minds that have no reason to be there in the first place. All I can do is hope that this incident doesn't stick around in Taylor's mind as a painful reminder or memory for her.

  My gaze drops down toward the silent little girl who has her sights set on the reporter's distant silhouette. I bend down to her at eye level and hold out the present that I've been carrying around since I arrived right in front of her. The unexpected presentation of the neatly-packaged gift distracts her from the awful man's exit.

  "Happy birthday, princess," I grin and shake the box in a showy manner which instantly captures her interest. "I got you something. I hope you like it."

  "Can I open it now?" Taylor excitedly asks.

  "Yeah, go ahead."

  The young girl grabs the mysterious present out of my hands and begins shaking the gift like it's Christmas morning. A smile spreads across my lips at the little pout she makes from her fruitless endeavor to figure out what's inside the box. Eventually, she gives into the temptation and starts pulling both the ribbon and the wrapping paper apart. Her large brown eyes brim with anticipation until she finally reveals the item hidden within the box. She breaks out into a gasping grin as she clutches the beginner's magic trick kit against her chest.

  Taylor sprints over and gives me a tackling hug. "Thank you, daddy!"

  The gentle warmth and strength of the little girl's embrace fills me up with a positive energy. I was a bit worried that she wouldn't like it because it's not the lavish type of gift she normally receives from me, but it seems like my gut feeling was right. Chase's clever little magic trick appears to have created some sort of a minor interest in the hobby. Though, calling her interest a minor one might be a huge understatement because she looks a lot happier than she's ever been compared to any of my previous birthday gifts.

  I try to forget and remove Taylor's obvious infatuation with Chase out of my mind while I stand back up with a disapproving shake of my head. However, the sound of Cassie's stifled giggle and laughter draws my attention where she gives me an extremely amused look. I naturally scoff at her smug expression. There's no need to ask her why she's laughing because I know she's aware of the reason behind why I got Taylor that specific birthday gift. She knows it's because of Chase.

  But I'm less bothered by Cassie's joyful reaction and more intrigued by the outfit and appearance that she has chosen to show up in today. It's a simple dark blue denim dress which cuts off right above her knee, the short length of the hem exposing the smooth surface of her legs. A soft feminine aura exudes from her girlish presence which entices me. I can't help staring at her when she's wearing something that's vastly different from her typical t-shirt and jeans look. The way her dress hugs the curves of her body only serves as a reminder of what's hidden underneath her outfit.

  "You look really nice today," I say with my eyes still fixed on the young woman's bright and smiling face.

  The compliment takes Cassie by surprise as her amused laughter suddenly turns into an embarrassed grin. She tries to hide her blushing face from me, but I can already see a faint shade of red spread across her fair cheeks.

  "Well, it's a birthday celebration, right? I figured I should at least look a little more formal and festive for the occasion. Especially since Taylor looks so adorable today," Cassie states. She turns and looks over at the little girl who is currently mesmerized by the rhino exhibit. Her dark brown eyes shine with affection as she watches over the young and curious Taylor.

  I wish I could feel the same tender sentiment as Cassie at this very moment, however, another thought happens to weigh down heavily on my conscience which I can't simply get rid of. That wary and panicked look on her face from when the journalist tried to intimidate and bully her is one that I can't entirely erase from my mind. I feel the need to take responsibility and blame for what happened.

  "I'm sorry that you had to deal with that sketchy reporter guy. I should have warned you that this sort of thing happens from time to time," I explain with an apologetic and shameful shake of my head. "I hope he didn't scare you too much."

  Cassie immediately shakes her head back and forth in response to my concern for her mental state. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Don't you worry about me. I've shut down a few persistent creeps in my life already before. He's not so different from them," she proudly states with a smug grin on her face.

  I blankly stare at her without words. However, her earnest answer eventually forces me to turn my head away where I hide my smirk and laughter from her. The fearlessness in her tone of voice and unyielding stare is absolutely reckless yet admirable at the same time. She's almost like an unstoppable force who keeps getting back up in spite of all the hurdles and obstacles that are thrown at her. The struggles that she had to go through because of Jenna's childish vendetta and even my own mistreatment of her -- I'm honestly no match for someone like her. But I'm sure Elizabeth would have loved being in Cassie's bold company and presence.

  "Most nannies learn to call security when a dangerous situation like that happens, so please keep that in mind next time. I don't want to see you or Taylor get hurt on my behalf," I plainly advise.

  The nanny lowers her head in remorse. "Yeah, I completely understand. I'm sorry for putting Taylor at risk like that. It was pretty foolish of me," she nervously laughs.

  But this time, it's my turn to shake my head at her statement.

  "No, don't apologize, Cassie. I know you meant well. And I have to admit, I was rather humbled and happy to hear your kind words. Though, you give me way too much credit that I don't feel like I honestly deserve," I lightly chuckle as my eyes rest on her timid yet lovely face. Her feminine appeal is something that I can't seem to get my mind off of today. She's even more dazzling than she normally is.

  "I might not be as good of a man as you think I am," I softly add.

  A small
grin lingers on my lips while I stare at Cassie who lifts her head and looks up at me with a puzzled and wide-eyed look in her eyes. She doesn't seem to know how to react to my questionable words, her mind unable to discern the intention and meaning behind my statement. But every single bit of what I said to her is no lie or misconception. It's all entirely true.

  I can still feel the warm and gently stirring emotion in my heart from when I first heard her resist the lies being spewed by the seedy reporter, lies which were plausible enough for her to believe in given my immodest reputation. She's seen the kind of relationships I've been involved in, and she knows that those brief affairs were all just a matter of sexual pleasure and release for me. It's a truth that she should understand and know from her own firsthand experience. There's absolutely no question or doubt about the way I view or treat my relationships with women. I have nothing to be proud about.

  Yet Cassie foolishly refutes the evidence of my despicable deeds and loathsome nature with some truths and facts of her own. Even when she's been a victim herself of my abhorrent actions, she still manages to see the good in me somehow regardless of the pain that I've brought to her. I just can't fathom it. She must be blinded by her inexperienced affection for me to not be able to see the real man I am behind the smokescreen of confidence and sophistication.

  The sad and honest truth is that I'm a lot weaker of a person than she actually realizes.

  I've just had more time to refine my hardened façade than others do.

  Nonetheless, I shove my hands into my pockets and quietly follow behind Taylor's keen trail of the zoo animals that are publically on exhibit. The little girl sticks her nose up against the display cases and excitedly points at the different beasts with the same amount of enthusiasm each time. However, an awkward tension floats above both Cassie and my own head as we continue to slowly move through the park in what I consider to be a comfortable silence. The nanny can't spend more than a few seconds without furtively glancing over at me in clear uncertainty of what to say or do.

  My lips naturally shift into a smile at Cassie's self-conscious habit. It seems like the most that I can do for her right now is pretend that I don't notice her nervous gawking and staring. But a part of me is morbidly curious to see the flustered reaction on her face when I catch her looking at me. It's one of the few times I can ever catch her off guard from her usual tenacious exterior, one of the rare moments that I can see that beautiful yet vulnerable expression in her eyes.

  Both Cassie and I continue to bathe in the tension and silence until a young photographer working for the zoo walks up to us and stops us in the middle of our quiet stroll. "Would you guys like a family photo in front of our cool polar bears?" the male employee asks with a huge forced smile on his face. He motions his hand toward the photo-op display located directly behind me with a bit of pain and desperation in his weary gaze.

  I reluctantly turn around and find myself staring at three large cartoonish sculptures which are undoubtedly meant for children. All of the polar bears are standing on their two legs while their arms are wrapped around each other's shoulders. They all appear to have the same uncanny grin on their faces which genuinely fill me with a bit of unease the longer I look at them. I physically cringe at the cheesy and seemingly pathetic display and move on to decline the young man's offer when Taylor cheerfully pipes up from out of nowhere: "Yeah, let's do it. I want a picture!"

  The little girl sprints over to the photo-op area before I can say anything else, the pure excitement in her voice difficult to refuse. She impatiently waves at me to come over as she stands alone in front of the polar bears by herself. I let out a small, defeated sigh at her pushiness. It seems that there's no changing Taylor's mind on the matter, but I don't really hate the idea of it -- even if the polar bears are a tacky addition to the backdrop.

  A photograph would be a perfect way to remember this birthday.

  "You guys can go ahead. I'll wait right over there," Cassie points to the side and beams. She turns around to move out of the photographer's way, but I instinctively reach out to grab her hand before she can walk away from me. A startled look spreads across her face as she turns back around to look into my eyes.

  "What are you talking about? You're a part of the family too," I quickly add with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

  Cassie returns a blank and stiff stare to me while I secretly indulge in her honest and vulnerable expression. Her fierce and proud brown eyes shift toward a more docile appearance. She's completely taken aback by my sudden assertion, her stunned gaze almost hoping that I was joking with her. However, I maintain my stance about her importance in the family with a firm grasp of her hand which I have no intention of letting go of.

  And as if my words weren't enough for Cassie, Taylor also goes ahead to support my claim with a selfish request of her own: "Yeah, you have to take a picture with us, Cassie!" the birthday girl exclaims.

  With the majority ruling in favor of Cassie's appearance in the family photo, I pull on the hesitant nanny's hand and lead her over to where Taylor and the fake polar bears are waiting. She obediently follows my guiding hand without question even as we stand in front of the sculptures to pose for the picture. I only let go of her hand so that I can slip my arm around her waist, a simple gesture which evidently surprises her even more than my previous statement from the way she looks over at me. But Cassie doesn't squirm or shift away from the presence of my hand on her hips. She responds by placing her arm around my waist as well.

  My heart almost instantly tenses up from the return gesture of Cassie's hand on the side of my hip. It's been a while since her electrifying touch last laid hands on my body, but the impact of her grasp is as strong as ever. Pleasant goosebumps and tingles spread across my chest in waves from her delicate grip which draws a satisfied smile out of me. Her unexpected and unassuming action has made more of a ripple and an effect on me than I could have imagined.

  It's hard not to want to touch her a little more than I'm already doing.

  "Ready, everyone?" the young photographer shouts in a low-energy voice. "One…two…three."

  The camera's flash immediately goes off and temporarily blinds me with its white light. My eyes gradually adjust to the brightness of the blinding glow, but I can feel Cassie swiftly withdraw her hand from my body as soon as the image is finished being taken. She nonchalantly scoots herself away from me, and the warm and fleeting moment between us fades just like that in an instant. Even though I know it's ridiculous to get hung up over a simple touch and gesture, I can't resist feeling a bit empty from her tactical retreat.

  She really knows how to make a man feel rejected and unwanted -- but I can't really blame her for that without sounding like a huge hypocrite, can I?

  I go ahead and thank the employee for his services while Taylor hastily pulls Cassie away toward another animal display that has caught her curious eye and attention. The two girls hurry off and leave me behind with the photographer who describes how to pick up my photo before I leave the park. But I can barely pay attention to his explanation, my interest stolen away by the young woman in the pretty denim dress. My gentle stare silently idles on her curves and silhouette when she suddenly turns back around to meet my longing gaze.

  It's at that exact moment when our eyes met that I knew what it was that I had to do.

  The subtle gleam from Cassie's brown eyes brings a brief pause to my breath and to my heartbeat. However, she makes sure to keep the exchange between us short, the tenderness of her stare disappearing quickly as she turns her head forward. I can't see the expression on her face while she has her back turned to me, but she still seems to shine brightly before me like the centerpiece of a painting. My eyes are unable to see or focus on anything else, my head filled with thoughts of her lovely face, her bold voice, and her gentle laughter.

  This overwhelming feeling of love is way stronger today than it usually is, and it's too late to act like these passionate emotions aren't there. I can clearly see
the lingering affection in her eyes, so I'm certain that she can see the same in mine as well. There's only so much lying and pretending that I can continue to do before it eventually wears me down and breaks me. Especially since I'm already feeling beaten down from suppressing those urges I have to reach out and touch her. Those late-night goodbyes are the hardest to ignore and swallow when all I want to do is tell her to stay the night.

  But this overflowing emotion has already gone past a point of no return from the moment I took Cassie's hand into mine. The pleasant and satisfying sensations I feel within my body from her slightest presence and touch are crazy addictive to me like a drug. One taste of it and I instantly need more. Just holding her hand and grabbing her waist isn't enough for me anymore. I want to feel her gentle warmth between my arms and against my chest again.

  Though the only thing I can do now is face my feelings head on regardless of the unknown and frightening outcome waiting for me at the end of the road. I've never been the type to act first and then think about the consequences later, but Cassie has had me breaking my own rules ever since I first met her. It's practically an inevitable occurrence when I'm by her side, one which I welcome with open arms.

  I'll break the rules for her if it means being able to kiss her lips once more.

  I'll break them all just to hold her in my arms one more time.

  ***

  The rhythmic and soothing sound of the rain splashing against the windows lulls me to sleep as the vehicle slowly moves in the heavy traffic. An exhausted yawn surges forth out of my mouth from the quiet drive, the physical fatigue settling into my body. I don't remember the last time I had to walk around so much out of my own choice and now my legs are paying the price for it. There's hardly any energy left in me, and the sleep-inducing rainfall isn't helping the mood either.

  "Hey, look at that over there, Taylor-" Cassie turns over to show Taylor something out the window but stops speaking when she realizes that the little girl is slumped over my chest. She immediately stifles her laughter. A small puddle of drool appears to have spilled from Taylor's mouth onto my clean dress shirt.