by D. R. Grady
Once nearer the door, he heard the hose click on. Ah, she’d forgotten to water the flowers. He walked to the doorway and watched as she ran water into each pot scattered around the deck. Her outfit tonight was an old pair of shorts and t-shirt. Both had seen better days, but neither were tight.
Or see through.
An unfortunate circumstance for him. But he’d live. It was probably better this way. Then his Macy fetish was lessened by some degree. Not that he couldn’t live with a nanny who was sexy and beautiful beyond belief. He could.
He just wasn’t sure how to go about the process.
But he did have to be given credit for not messing things up to date. So far he’d resisted kissing her. He had not made one advance, despite every single instinct demanding he do so. It was good he resisted, because he was pretty sure she’d leave in an hour if he did, and probably sue him.
The sound of the hose being shut off alerted him to the fact that he was about to face his greatest temptation in about two seconds. Macy padded into sight, must have caught sight of him, and not expected to, because she jumped and her hand flew to her heart.
“Where’d you come from?” Her voice sounded a little strained.
“I was working in my office. But I couldn’t figure out what you’d be doing this late at night on the deck.”
“Oh, right. Forgot to water the flowers.”
“I figured that out.” He tipped back on his heels, but for the life of him couldn’t think of anything to say. For goodness sakes, he lived with the woman.
He ate three meals a day with her.
“Good. Why are you up so late?”
“I’m working on a project for a big client. Finally got the breakthrough I needed to complete it.”
“Breakthrough?”
“They wanted something very specific and I haven’t been able to finagle how to give them everything they wanted. When I crawled into bed tonight, it was there.”
“So you had to hightail it down here to put your idea on paper?”
“Well, in the computer, yeah.”
“That works. My job kept me from going to sleep, too.” She used her head to indicate the deck.
“Would one night of not being watered hurt them?”
“No, but I realized I hadn’t watered them last night either. Two nights with no water is probably bad.”
“I see. I’ll let you to it, then.” He couldn’t for the life of him figure out what to do next. Instead he just stood stupidly in the door and stared at her.
She raised a brow.
He still couldn’t figure out what to do.
“Um, I can’t come back inside with you standing in the doorway,” she said. Both of her brows had ascended by now.
“Right.” He hastily stepped back and nearly tripped over the threshold. Man, he was racking up the points tonight. Talk about stupid....
Exactly why this woman would want to kiss an idiot like him, he didn’t know, so he moved out of her way and let her pass. He couldn’t even form enough of a clue to move out of her way so she could return to bed.
Where he should probably go, but then he’d just think about her, so there was no sense in wasting the time. He could accomplish more by working on the drawing for this client. At least he’d be paid for that.
“Is something wrong?”
He nearly groaned. Her voice had gone all husky and throaty. Man was he in trouble now. No woman should sound so good. At least not this late at night and in his vicinity.
Swallowing didn’t help the situation and Nick groped to figure out what to do. His brain seemed to have shut down on him. What should he do?
She asked him a question.
Right.
What had she asked?
If he was okay.
“I’ll live,” he finally managed to utter in a strangled sounding voice. Okay, not ideal, but at least he managed a response.
“Can I help?” Her eyes were wide and concerned and they nearly undid him.
“No. Not without filing charges.”
Her eyes widened another degree and she stared at him like she’d never seen him before. “Come again?”
“No,” he said, but already he took a step toward her. But then he noticed she was closer than she’d been, even before he took the step. Her eyes turned limpid and sultry and her lips followed suit.
“And here I thought you didn’t care,” she murmured, right before she curled a possessive hand around his neck and tilted his head down to hers.
She pressed their lips together and tucked her body against his, and Nick had just enough time to groan before he wrapped both arms around her and slammed her closer.
Oh yes. This was exactly right.
She started this kiss.
Hallelujah.
Macy wasn’t sure what had prompted her to risk being fired by jumping Nick. But then once her lips made contact with his, she didn’t care, either. The man was delicious and willing.
She liked those qualities in a man.
At least in this one.
He could kiss, too. And didn’t seem inclined to end the embrace. Instead, his arms tightened so firmly around her she could barely breathe. Not that breathing was necessary at the moment, but she thought she might need to rectify that later.
After she enjoyed the meeting of lips like this. Mmm.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered once they both came up for a quick gulp of air.
“Tell you what?” she whispered back and had to blink away spots. That had been close. The lightheaded feeling receded some, but she couldn’t tell if it was because she was still wrapped around the most gorgeous male alive, or due to lack of air.
“That you wanted to kiss me?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Sexual harassment charges.”
“Yeah, that was my concern.”
“I won’t file them if you won’t,” he bargained with a grin.
Macy forgot what they were talking about. Instead, she closed her eyes, and reached up to kiss those tempting lips again.
He groaned and took over the kiss, for which she was grateful. The lightheaded sensation was back and she didn’t want to miss any of this.
What a lucky woman she was.
“Daddy?”
“No,” he whispered in denial against Macy’s lips. No, that was not his youngest child asking for him.
But Macy had already retrieved her lips and stood blinking up at him. He was grateful she didn’t appear any more coherent than him. Together, they managed to separate themselves and turn to the doorway where Starla stopped, blinking in the light.
He noticed there were tear marks on her face. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“The monsters nearly got me,” she said and her bottom lip quivered.
Macy hunkered down and opened her arms and Starla launched into them. Her quiet sobs reverberated through her body and when Nick wrapped his arms around Macy again, he could feel the shudders.
He rubbed a hand up and down Starla’s back. His hand kept colliding with Macy’s but neither of them seemed to mind and Starla eventually relaxed.
His eyes met Macy’s and he knew she was as disappointed as him they’d been interrupted. That was a good thing. That meant he could kiss her again. Lots of times, even.
“I’m scared,” Starla whispered with a sniff. She used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears.
“I know, baby. Why don't you sleep with me tonight?” Macy answered and rubbed a curl from Starla’s damp cheek.
His daughter gave a hiccup sob and nodded. “Okay,” she agreed and cuddled into Macy.
Macy’s eyes met his again in a I’m sorry sort of way. He nodded. These were his kids, he more than anyone realized they came first.
“You can sleep with me, too, but you can’t steal my tools,” he teased her.
Starla gave a tiny giggle and resisted his attempts to tickle her. “I want a screwdriver and a cordless drill,” she stated.
“Why don’t we go off to bed now so you can dream about screwdrivers, hammers, and drills?” Macy suggested.
“Daddy’s going to buy me my own.” He heard Starla tell Macy all about his imaginary plans to buy her tools. Some with power.
He watched the two precious blondes leave the kitchen and thought about life. He’d helped make the smaller blonde. And he wanted to make more blondes with the larger. At the very least he wanted to kiss her again. She had started the kiss.
Macy wanted him.
Why hadn’t he figured this out before?
Maybe he was as thickheaded as his sister Tia claimed. Not wanting to contemplate life according to Tia, Nick turned and went back to his office. At least he could accomplish something constructive tonight. Because if he went to bed, all he’d think about were those wonderful kisses Macy had started that he hadn’t wanted to end.
***
Macy tumbled Starla onto her bed and crawled in after the little girl. Starla curled up against her, and Macy held her close, trying not to think of another woman doing this in the fall. That hurt too much so her thoughts scattered and she reflected on her most recent kitchen activity.
What had she done tonight?
Closing her eyes, Macy could still feel Nick’s lips against hers. She could still taste him. Feel the taut length of his body against hers. She kissed him tonight. He hadn’t been the one to make the first move, she had.
Goodness what was she thinking?
Of course, that was the problem. All pertinent thoughts and common sense had flown off into the night the minute she’d seen him standing in the doorway. For some reason, his five o’clock shadow, tussled hair, and the sleepy eyes all combined to make the entire Nick Morrison package irresistible.
You’d think after thirty years and three brothers she would have herself in better check. Starla yawned and soon snored softly. Her faint breath rustled Macy’s t-shirt. Macy glanced at her in disbelief. Well, it was at least good to know there was one thing wrong with their little starlet.
Snoring was definitely a problem.
She wondered if Nick snored. Savannah said he did. Macy knew how he kissed, thanks to her lack of will power. Blowing out a frustrated breath, Macy tried to think of someone or something other than Nick Morrison. Unfortunately, her mind didn’t quite agree and kept reviewing snippets of those wonderful kisses.
The blankets felt hot and stifling, so she kicked them off. The hot flash continued though and Macy thought about upping the revolutions on the ceiling fan. Instead, before she could complete the thought, her mind skipped back to the warmth and long, muscled length of Nick’s body pressed against her own.
They fit together like her new food storage containers with lids. Like they’d been made to do so. How stupid was that?
Surely fate wouldn’t give her very wish and desire in finally getting into vet school only to introduce her to the man of her dreams. A man of dreams complete with kids, home, and animals. A readymade life.
All waiting for her to decide.
Vet school vs the dream man and family.
Macy decided she hated tests.
Chapter 16
The problem with kissing Macy, Nick decided later the next day, was that’s all he could think about now. In addition, he wanted to repeat the process. Often.
Not exactly the best way to go about making a living and supporting his family. Of which she was now a part of. Ironic how life worked.
At least he’d be able to eat lunch with her soon. The kids were all at school. He’d be good to go. They could even eat later, and kiss the entire thirty minutes. Now there was a thought.
Why wait for lunch?
As soon as the thought entered his head, Nick threw down his pen and darted for the door. He found Macy bent over in the refrigerator. She clutched several vegetables against her chest. He waited until she dropped them into the sink before he pounced.
“Oh!” she exclaimed when he spun her and backed her against the countertop.
But she didn’t seem to mind. Especially considering that she looped her arms around his neck and stepped up against him. Her lips settled into his perfectly.
Nick sighed as he tugged her closer still. She repeated the gesture. “Mmm, I’ve been thinking about that all day,” she said with a husky voice.
“Me too,” he admitted, and took her lips again.
This was the life. Too bad she was leaving in the fall.
Nick separated their lips when that thought blazed through his head. He shouldn’t be kissing her when she planned to leave. Of course, he’d better get all the kisses in now since she wouldn’t be around forever, the other more rational side of his brain decided.
The two sides bickering made it a little more difficult to enjoy the kiss, but Nick accepted the challenge.
“Do you think Starla saw us kissing last night?” she whispered.
There was another spirit dampener. He groaned and rested his forehead against hers. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t either. I didn’t know how to ask her...”
“Not exactly something you want to bring up with a six-year-old. Did you notice us kissing last night?” He shuddered at the thought.
“Of course, of all of the kids, Starla would be the least worried about seeing us kissing.” Macy bit her lip. He leaned over and salved the bite with his tongue.
She groaned and kissed him back. With gusto. He lost his head for a few moments, before sanity and their previous conversation wiggled back into his brain.
“You think the other three will mind?”
He felt her shrug. Nick decided he liked conducting conversations with Macy pressed tightly against him. It made for a nice, and exciting, change.
“I don’t know. Brandt’s only eight. He might be cool with it, but then again, he might not care, either. Bryce might have some questions we’d rather not answer.” She paused and sighed. “Savannah on the other hand...”
“Savannah might feel betrayed,” he said.
Macy sighed. “It’s a possibility. She also might not mind. I don’t know. She does know I’m leaving.”
“About that,” he said.
“Yes?”
“Is that a definite?”
“Yes.”
He maneuvered the distance between them to stare into her eyes. “Have you officially been accepted?”
She bit her lip again. “No.”
“Okay, are you definitely leaving?”
“No,” she answered. This answer was much more pleasing than the first.
“Then why don’t we go with that theory. We don’t know that you’re leaving.”
“Nick, we can’t put our heads in the sand about this.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’ve got four kids to worry about. Their reactions are going to be very important. I take from comments made that you’ve never felt romantic about the previous nannies?”
“No. Not even close.” He shook his head firmly to further his cause.
“Well, this is going to be a shock to them then.”
He thought he saw relief skip across her face. So Macy felt a little possessive about him. That was good. ‘Cause he certainly felt possessive about her. If another man so much as looked at her, he planned to use his power tools for a purpose for which they were not intended.
“I still vote that we enjoy the summer and not think about your leaving until we absolutely have to.”
“Again, we can’t deny this is going to happen.”
“We don’t have to deny it. We just don’t need to dwell on it.” Like he’d been doing since he took her to Philadelphia and witnessed her excitement on their return trip. He was an adult, he could handle this.
“We’re going to have to make some plans,” she warned.
“Yes, and we can do that as the fall gets closer. The kids will be out of school in a couple of w
eeks. Let’s have fun this summer.”
“Starting with next weekend when we go to the lake?”
“The lake is a lot of fun.”
“For you. You don’t have to cook or clean or...”
He leaned down and kissed her into silence. She protested briefly, but soon went pliant against him. Nick loved how Macy’s arms twined around his neck. The way she couldn’t seem to help plastering herself against him.
If they didn’t think about her subsequent departure, maybe it wouldn’t happen.
***
Macy awoke to leaden skies, fog, and by the time she reached the kitchen, a downpour. Glaring out the window, she doubted the kids could reach the bottom of the driveway without drowning. Even ducks wouldn’t venture out into this weather.
As each of the kids entered the room, she was sort of heartened to see their attitudes matched her own. Starla especially didn’t seem inclined to enjoy the weather.
“Macy, the rain will mess up my hair.”
Macy squinted at her. She was sure she’d heard at least faint traces of a southern accent in that complaint.
“Well think about it this way,” Macy began.
“Yes?”
“Everyone else’s hair will look a mess, too. Rain, it’s a great equalizer.”
“What’s equalizer mean?” Brandt asked as he wolfed down cereal and toast in great quantities.
“It means it’ll make everything and everyone the same.”
“Oh.” He didn’t seem concerned by her answer. His attention focused more on the great helpings of food in front of him.
“Has Brandt always eaten so much?” she whispered to Savannah.
“He’s always had a big appetite. All the nannies have struggled to keep him satisfied. You’re the only one who seems able to.” Savannah’s tone was the only bright spot in the kitchen. She alone didn’t seem overly concerned by the vile weather.
Macy eyed her suspiciously. “Why are you so cheerful this morning?”
Savannah smiled. “I’m wearing a new outfit, I have a phone, we won’t be able to have gym outside today, and school’s almost over.”
“Ah. I guess that would explain things.”
“Those boys leave me alone, so I don’t mind going to school as much now.”