And speaking of better, Benjamin has been acting a lot better ever since that incident with Anna. He was out of control a few days before, smashing things and yelling at me. I can definitely understand why, but there’s something about Anna’s presence that’s definitely soothing to him. It’s uncanny. It would be easy to just chalk it up to having a woman around, but it’s definitely not that. His grandma couldn’t control him during his visit, and the nanny she hired lasted less than an afternoon with him.
When we finished lunch, Benjamin tagged Anna and then took off down the beach. She playfully took off after him. They were like peas in a pod. I watched them for a good twenty minutes while a few old friends came up to say hello as I stood in the sand.
It’s great to see him getting along with other people, and it’s also perfect that Anna seems to enjoy playing with him.
Last night when I put him to bed he asked me if Anna was my girlfriend. Am I making it that obvious? Is it written all over my face?
“I’ve never tried surfing before,” she says.
“Never?”
“Not once, can you believe it?”
“Being that you’re from California, I can’t actually. What’s stopped you before?”
“Promise you won’t laugh?”
“I’ll try not to.”
“The water is too cold. You’re laughing!”
“I’m smiling, but I’m not smiling at you, I’m smiling with you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true. I had the same problem when I started. Then I bought a wetsuit and everything changed.”
“That would definitely help, but what about those times when you’re just sitting on the board waiting? If I’m moving around I think I would be fine, but it’s the potential for those long periods where you’re sitting around that worry me.”
“I just paddle around if that happens. It usually keeps me warm. If it’s the summer months and sunny you won’t be cold even if you’re sitting. You might even see dolphins.”
“I would love that. What about falling down? It looks dangerous.”
“It’s safe when you’re in shallow water and the waves are small. Plus the water’s getting warmer.”
“Not that warm.”
“I’ll show you,” I scoop her up and carry her to the shoreline. I’m facing down the beach so I can still keep an eye on Benjamin, who’s having the time of his life with Max, his newfound furry friend.
“No! No!” she playfully screams as we reach the water’s edge.
I lower her back down to the sand, but I don’t want to let go. She fits in my arms. She belongs there. We’re having fun, and I want to continue having fun, but I can’t get too carried away, at least not yet. I don’t even know if she told her dad she’s out with me.
“Want to take your shoes off and try?” I ask.
“Okay, but just my toes.”
“Deal,” I say.
She quickly slides out of her shoes and stands there staring at the water, reconsidering her decision.
“It’s not that bad,” I say. “I promise. Here,” I say, quickly removing my shoes and offering her my free hand.
She doesn’t even think twice, placing her hand in mine. I like how it happened so naturally.
“On three, ready?”
“Not so fast!”
“One…two…three,” I say and I step forward but she stays put.
We both laugh, and I actually bend over I’m laughing so hard. She got me good, but then she takes a big step forward before letting out an, “Aaaaaah. It’s cold!”
She backs up and takes off running for higher ground. I take off after her. I’m going to catch her and I’m going to get her hand in mine again, and the next time I’m not going to let her go.
She fakes me out to the left and then to the right before I quickly wrap her up. I watch as Benjamin looks at us, smiling. He waves and I lift one hand from the light hug I have her in and wave back to Benjamin.
Splash!
A wave hits us about waist high and throws her off balance. I grab her quickly. Benjamin’s still well above the water line, but now we’re soaked.
Her makeup is messed up, but it doesn’t matter. She still looks incredible. As crazy as it sounds I want to see her like this. Free, uninhibited, and natural. She’s gorgeous when she’s happy, and that’s how I want her to be all the time.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says. I look down at her and I can’t resist. I lean forward and kiss her. I feel an electricity shoot through me. I’ve never felt anything like this before in my entire life. And it’s that moment we have our first kiss that I’m absolutely sure. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make her mine.
CHAPTER 10
Anna
“This is your house?” I say.
“Yep. Let me show you the shower.”
I follow him to the master bedroom. The view is incredible, and not just of him from behind. He doesn’t have a house. He has a palace. How did he ever keep this so private from everyone? I mean, it’s nice that he’s successful, but it’s even nicer that he’s been so modest about it.
We walk into the master bathroom. He’s got a shower, a separate tub, and what looks like the door to a steam room.
“I’ll set some dry clothes on the sink.”
“Thanks,” I say.
He doesn’t move. He’s just standing there looking down at me with that intense gaze of his. I haven’t seen it enough because he’s focused on keeping his eyes on Benjamin so much, but not now. I have his full attention, and I can see that he’s sporting a flagpole in his pants and it’s flying at full mast.
I can hear a video game downstairs, and know Benjamin’s fully engrossed on slaying the dragon and saving the princess.
“I should go get those clothes,” he says, still not moving.
I say nothing. We both know this is so wrong, but everything about it feels so right.
That kiss we shared on the beach was just enough to wet my appetite. It was too short, and now I only want to feel his lips on mine again.
His hand reaches out to me and his first few fingers gently slide down my forearm.
“Your skin’s so soft.”
The way he touches me has my head spinning, and I want to tell him just the effect he’s having on me. The only problem is the way I feel when he touches me is so intense I literally can’t move my lips to speak.
And I don’t need to.
“I can’t take this anymore,” he says, as I feel his hand slide around behind me pulling me into him as his lips come to mine. We’re kissing again, but it’s not like the first kiss we shared on the beach, it’s deeper and I want him right now. I want him here.
I reach for his arms, but my hands land on his abs. He’s so wide. So powerful. So thick. I run my hands along his stomach, feeling the ripples in his shirt as his other hand finds the back of my head. I feel his fingertips run along my scalp as he gently massages the back of my head. His hand continues its way down to my neck, while his erection continues its way forward pressing into my stomach.
“I want you,” I say.
“I want you,” he says, grasping for my dress. I lift my arms and he pulls it up over my head.
He grabs the bottom of his shirt. We never got to go for that swim, since we got wet before, so now I’m finally going to see his incredible body.
He pulls the shirt, and as it hits the half way point—
“Cole!”
He slides backward, dropping his shirt and looking through the door.
“Yes, buddy.”
I grab for my dress and scramble to put it back on, tiptoeing into the shower trying to hide.
“Can I have some ice cream?”
“After dinner, Benjamin.”
“Just a little?”
Cole’s hand is still on my side of the wall, hidden from Benjamin’s view. He leans forward into the doorjamb, grabbing the sides with both hands.
“Okay, just a little,” I hear him say.
His body is leaning forward through the door and suddenly he lets go, as he quickly flashes a thumbs up that only I can see.
My eyes close and I breathe a sigh of relief as I hear them walking away.
“Where’s Anna?” Benjamin says, and my eyes shoot open again.
“She’s still here.”
“Do you like her?” Benjamin asks.
My ears perk up, as I hear them bounding down the steps together. I hear big footsteps mixed in with the little ones, but through the commotion I hear Cole loud and clear.
“I like her very, very much.”
CHAPTER 11
Cole
“Hey guys,” Anna says coming down the stairs. She’s managed to find one of my white T-shirts and my gray Sunday sweatpants. I just want to grab her and spend the rest of the evening with her on the couch, but I can’t.
“You found some clothes.”
“I hope it’s okay?”
“More than okay. I like what you picked out.” I try to keep my compliment simple since Benjamin’s right there, but it’s not easy. I want to tell her how incredible she looks. It doesn’t matter if she’s dressed up like she was for that interview or in a simple spring dress like she was today for the beach. She looked like a million bucks even after that wave hit her and she looks like a billion bucks right now in the simplest clothes I have in my house. She’s a stunner no matter what she’s got on, and that body of hers is absolutely gorgeous when she takes her clothes off.
I can’t stop thinking how she looked in her bra and panties. How I was so close to ripping those off and seeing what was underneath. How I was so hard for her, the girl who lives next door to the house I grew up in. How crazy is that? But I’m the one who’s crazy…crazy for her.
But everything’s different now. I’ve got a son. It will be official soon and it’s a whole different kind of responsibility. A kind of life that I welcome with open arms, but it changes everything.
“One second,” I say when my phone rings.
“Hey. Uh huh. Right. I understand. No problem. Thanks for letting me know.” I hang up the phone.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes and no.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
I’m not sure I want to ask her. She’s got other things to do, but I saw the way she bonded with Cole earlier today. I can see he likes her and I know she enjoyed her time alone with him.
“My babysitter for tonight just cancelled.”
“Oh. Do you need me to help out?”
“Maybe not you, specifically, but maybe you know someone.”
“I can do it. It’s no problem. I would enjoy it actually.”
“Are you sure?”
“Totally sure. We’ll have a blast. We can watch movies and have some of that ice cream, right Benjamin?”
“Right,” he says. He smiles and I know they’ll make a great team while I’m away.
“If you don’t mind then I’d definitely be happy to have your help.”
“Just tell me what I need to do.”
CHAPTER 12
Cole
I wrap up my dinner meeting with a few potential investors who are interested in getting involved in trading foreign currencies. They want to just hand over the cash, but I’m not interested. I met with them out of courtesy. They’re friends of a good friend.
It’s funny. A few years ago I would have been all over this arrangement, but tonight it’s not even a blip on my radar. Partly because I’ve become financially independent these last few years, but the real reason is all I can think about is getting back home to Anna and Benjamin.
Everyone leaves and I go to the restroom, knowing I’m on the road and out of here in under a minute. I come out of the restroom and see one of the people I just had dinner with not so casually hanging around the entrance.
“There you are,” she says.
“Hey. It was good to see you again,” I say nodding and continuing past her, but she slides in to block me.
“You know, Cole. There are some other things I was hoping we might be able to discuss this evening.”
“I’m sorry, but I really have to get going,” I tell her and move to go around her but she slides back in front of me again. I’m thirty-seven years old and she’s a few years younger than me, but suddenly we’re playing a kids game in an upscale restaurant. I don’t like the position I’m in, and I’m ready to fix it fast without causing a scene.
“I was just leaving too, and I was thinking that since I did have a glass of wine I probably shouldn’t drive home. Would you mind…escorting me?”
“I can’t,” I say. “I can call you a cab though.”
She leans towards me, “If you want to come back to my house I’ll make it very worth your while.”
She reaches to put her arm around me, but I pivot off the ball of my foot and spin right out of her attempted grasp. She takes a step forward and practically hugs an oversized flowerpot. I’m out the door before she knows it and handing the valet a twenty.
I can’t get home quick enough. My fingers tap on the top of the steering wheel and my heel taps the floorboard in rhythm.
I realize how much I’ve changed with Anna. Growing up I had a crush on that girl, but nothing ever happened. She practically threw herself at me tonight, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there, and back to the girl I really wanted. I don’t know a single guy in the city who would turn down that woman from the restaurant. Except for one. Me. She’s been on billboards up and down Sunset Strip advertising luxury products. You can’t miss her face across the city these last two years. She’s the hottest ticket in town, but not for me.
There’s only one girl I want and I’m counting down the minutes until I’m back with her. I’m going crazy at the stoplight waiting for the green. Seconds suddenly seem like hours. Minutes seem like days.
I always enjoyed the single life, nothing holding me back. No one or nothing to tie me down, but with Anna it’s not like that. I don’t want to go on another date in my life, except for all the ones I’m planning with her. The only tying down I want is her tied to my bed. And better yet I don’t want to tie her down, I can see myself locking her down. Taking her off the market as quickly as I can. She’s the one. Call me crazy, but I know. She’s the one for me. There was never any woman that made me feel this way. I’ve got it bad, and I’ve never felt so good.
“Yee-haw!” I yell out my window. The driver in the lane next to me looks at me like I’m crazy and changes lanes. I don’t care. This feels great, and it’s going to be perfect the moment I walk in that door and see her face again.
CHAPTER 13
Anna
“Do you see it?” Benjamin asks me.
I scan the Connect Four grid.
“You got me,” I say, realizing he’s just won.
“Connect four!”
As much as I love kids, I always thought that boys around five were just really rambunctious and a lot of work. Benjamin seems to be the opposite.
I get up from the couch and stretch.
“More pop—“
I look at him and he’s already dozing off. I guess a popcorn refill will have to wait for another time.
The beach must have tired the little guy out. He’s not that big yet so I slide in trying to pick him up, quickly realizing I’m not quite that strong.
“Benjamin,” I whisper in his ear.
“Huh?”
“Bed time.”
“I’m…not…tired,” he says, getting a big smile from me.
“Okay. Let’s just go upstairs then and see what other games are in your closet.”
“Okay.”
I take him by the arm and help him upstairs. By the time we reach his bedroom door it doesn’t take much to get him diverted to the bathroom where he brushes his teeth before I guide him back to his bedroom. By that point all I have to do is keep him moving, which I do, leading him right into
a face-plant onto his little twin bed. Luckily he’s already in his pajamas so I just move the covers a little and he’s all set for the night.
Billionaire's Babysitter: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 20) Page 4