For the moment, she allowed herself to bask in the glow of happiness, post-sex satisfaction, and hope. No matter what happened now, she’d always have the memory of this perfect night. Nothing and no one could take that from her. She just had to believe, like Charles did.
And think of some backup plans for herself, like her nomadic parents had always taught her to do.
Chapter Nineteen
“Happy Thanksgiving!” Tess greeted Charles with open arms, hugging him before leaning down to hug the children. “Oh, all three of you look great. I’m so glad none of you are sick anymore!”
“So am I,” Lisette murmured.
Charles glanced at her and grinned. “I bet you are.” He said to Tess, “She was amazing, taking care of them all week. She deserves a Medal of Honor.”
“I’m sure,” Tess said. “I’m glad you could join us today, Lisette. No one should be alone on a holiday.”
“Thank you all for having me,” she said. “But I’m on duty today so Charles can relax and enjoy.”
He turned to her with a frown. “Nonsense. You’re a guest here.”
She looked back at him, her expression giving nothing away.
“Why don’t I bring the kids inside so you two can talk,” Tess said. Charles met her eyes and gave the faintest nod, grateful for her intuition.
“Is Uncle Pierce here?” Thomas asked her hopefully.
“No, honey,” Tess said, taking Myles by the hand. “He and Abby are with her family today. But Uncle Dane and Aunt Julia are here. And there are already really yummy appetizers out; you’ll like them. Come on.” She ushered the three kids down the long, wide hall of the original Harrison mansion. “We’re all in the back den,” she said over her shoulder.
“We’ll be right there,” Charles said, then turned to Lisette, jaw set. He lowered his voice. “When I invited you to come with us for Thanksgiving, it wasn’t just so you could watch the kids.”
“Initially it was,” she pointed out, equally quiet so no one could hear.
“Well, that was more than a month ago. That was before . . . You’re not on the clock today. You’re here with me.”
“I appreciate that,” she replied. “I really do. But Charles . . . how will it look if I don’t act like I always do?” She stepped closer and whispered, “I have a role to play here. Every holiday, you’ve invited me along graciously, and I’ve watched the children so you were free to mingle. That’s how it’s always been. I can’t go in there and suddenly start acting like anything other than the nanny. Don’t you realize that?”
He held her eyes as her words sank in. She was right, of course. Shit. “Okay, I know you’re right. But I want you to enjoy yourself.”
“I will,” she said. Her dark eyes took on a playful sparkle. “I get to look at you all day, and you look very handsome. We’re here together. I’m more than fine.”
He gazed down at her, this dark, sweet beauty who’d stolen his heart. The sides of her hair were pulled up, but the rest flowed freely down her back. Her outfit, a simple chocolate-brown dress and matching knee-high leather boots, was lovely on her. She was so damn pretty. He looked at her and smiled. Yes, they had roles to play today. But having her there . . . it felt good. And it felt right. “I wish I could kiss you right now,” he whispered.
“Hopefully later,” she whispered back.
“Definitely.”
She smiled as a hint of color bloomed on her cheeks. Dusting something off his shoulder that likely wasn’t there, she straightened his navy blazer and whispered, “Maybe we could do a lot more than kissing?”
“Oh, God.” A rush of heat flushed his face and zipped through his veins, pure scorching lust. “Don’t make me hard now; I won’t be able to walk in there. And there’s got to be fifty people here. Dad doesn’t do anything small.”
She stepped back from him with a smirk. “Then I’ll be very glad to stay on the sidelines with the kids. I don’t like crowds.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“I also . . .” Apparently thinking better of what she was going to say, she shook her head and took a step forward. “Forget it. Let’s go.”
“No. Tell me.” He blocked her way and stared down at her. “Please.”
She huffed out a breath. “I don’t like being around your father. He’s . . . not a nice person.”
“Unfortunately, I know that very well.” Something in Charles simmered . . . anger, disdain, and protectiveness. “Wait. Has he ever done anything to you that—”
“No, no! Not at all. He likes to put the hired help in their place; that’s all. He looks at me like I’m . . . Well, he’s aware of the class differences, even if you aren’t. Let’s leave it at that.” She shrugged. “I just stay out of his way. Everything’s fine. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad you told me how you feel.” Charles sighed, and something gnawed at him. She was right to stay out of his father’s way. His father could be ruthless, and Charles knew it better than anyone.
God only knew what the patriarch would do if he found out Charles and Lisette were together now. The old man had nearly managed to wedge Pierce and Abby apart with one attack, and they’d been on more solid ground at that stage than Charles and Lisette were now. Sudden concern laced with anxiety flooded him, and he gripped her elbow. “Listen to me. If he ever, ever does anything to upset you, you have to tell me. Right away. I’m serious. All right?”
She frowned at him in consternation, but murmured, “All right.”
“I mean it. Promise me.”
“Of course. I promise.”
With a firm nod, Charles placed his hand at the small of her back. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Later that night, Lisette lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. The kids were on the phone, talking to their mother for the first time in a while. Lisette would put them to bed as soon as they were done. It wasn’t as if they had school the next day anyway . . .
There was a soft knock on her half-open door. Lisette opened her eyes to see Charles standing there. Fresh from a shower, his dark hair was still damp, his glasses had replaced his contacts, and he wore simple navy pajamas. He looked adorable, and she smiled as she yawned. “Hi.”
“Were you sleeping?” he asked. “Kids are ready for bedtime. Myles said he came in to get you and you were asleep, so he came to get me to tuck him in.”
With great effort, Lisette sat up. She felt a little woozy. “I’m just exhausted. I’ll go and—”
“Are you all right?” Charles peered harder at her.
“I’ve been really tired for days,” she said as she stood. “I think I’m just rundown from this past week, maybe even got a touch of what the kids all had.”
He nodded. “Makes sense. You had a long, rough week with them. It’s no wonder you’re still tired. I can put the kids to bed just fine, you know.”
“No, I’ll do it.” She swept her hair back over her shoulders.
“We’ll do it together.” He raised his hand to caress her cheek. “This weekend, you can catch up on some sleep. You need to take care of yourself, too.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “But yes, some extra sleep this weekend would be great.” She squeezed his free hand, then brushed past him to move into the hallway.
He followed her until they reached the kids’ rooms. “I’ll take Thomas first.”
“I’ve got Myles,” she said.
“Um, Lisette?” He moved closer to whisper in her ear. “After the kids are all asleep, can I interest you in a glass of wine?”
“Only if you take me to bed right after it,” she whispered back.
His eyes lit with seductive pleasure. “That was the plan.”
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, Charles and Lisette sat in the den enjoying a glass of Cabernet and each other’s company.
“It was a nice Thanksgiving,” Lisette said from her end of the couch.
“It was,”
Charles agreed. “I was glad you were there.”
“That’s sweet.” She took a sip of her wine. “I got to talk a little with Tess and Julia. They’re both lovely. I’m finally getting more comfortable around them.”
“Really?” He cocked his head, studying her. “I never realized you were uncomfortable around them.”
“A little bit. Um, in case you never noticed, sometimes I’m painfully shy,” Lisette said with a wry grin.
“I noticed,” he said, chuckling.
She smiled and took another sip from her glass.
His eyes glided over her, taking her in. Her hair was down and loose, her body clad in a black top and leggings, her legs tucked beneath her. She was adorable and sensual at the same time. Best of all, she seemed at ease, relaxed, and her eyes . . . they were sparkling. She was happy to be there with him. No power play at work here. She wasn’t there because she felt coerced; she liked him.
He held out his hand. “You’re too far away. Come closer.”
She couldn’t hold back the smile that spread as she scooted over to him. He slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. “That’s better,” he murmured. He lowered his lips to hers, sipping from them languidly. “Mmmm . . . I wanted to do this all day,” he whispered between kisses.
“Me too,” she said. “But I should put this glass down before I spill wine everywhere.”
“I have a better idea,” he said. “Why don’t we take this up to my room? I like to be able to lock the door when I have you in my arms. Shut out the whole damn world.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
He kissed her, lingering on her lips. “It will be. I promise.”
* * *
Charles locked the bedroom door behind them, took her wineglass from her hand and set it down, then pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. “I might have lied,” he said, kissing her again as his hands ran down her back. “I might not let you drink that wine right away.”
“Oh, really . . .” Her head fell back as he trailed his open mouth against her skin, hot and demanding. “I might not be too upset about that . . .”
“I knew you were a reasonable woman.” He fisted his hand in her hair and took her mouth with his, crushing her against him.
They quickly undressed each other between kisses as they made their way to the bed in a flurry of mouths and hands and gasps and sighs. There were no words; their kisses became frantic and consuming, their hands greedy as they roamed over each other’s bodies. When she reached down in between them to grasp his cock, it was already rock hard. A rough groan escaped him at her touch.
“I love how you feel,” she whispered as she stroked him.
“Holy hell, that’s so good,” he breathed, his hips rocking with the rhythm her hand set. He kissed her deeply, his tongue plundering as his hands lifted to squeeze her breasts. She gasped into his mouth, but kept stroking him, driving him insane with need as the incredible sensations shimmered through him. They kissed wildly, her pace increased, and he almost lost control right then.
“Stop, wait,” he gasped. “I want to be inside you when I come.”
Without a word, she pushed him onto his back and straddled him. He looked up at her, delightfully surprised by her aggressive move, then watched as she positioned herself and slid down slowly onto his cock. She was already slick and ready for him, her wet heat taking him in deep. A long, low groan rumbled out of him as his fingers dug into her hips; she set her hands on his chest, and she began to ride him.
Watching her move, her eyes closed and lips parted, her cheeks rosy and her hair falling around her face, her breasts softly bouncing as she rocked on top of him . . . she was mesmerizing. He thrust up into her, guiding her as she moved, pushing deeper inside her.
“You are so beautiful,” he rasped. “So damn beautiful.”
She smiled down at him and rolled her hips, grinding into him hard. They both moaned from the intense pleasure of it. Her head fell back as she found her rhythm, grinding into him and moaning as she rocked.
“Christ,” he whispered. “That’s so good. Too good . . . ah hell . . .”
He moved a hand over to find her clit and rub it with his thumb. She cried out and bucked; her passionate response made him almost come right then. He kept moving his thumb in circles, pressing into her, her soft moans now wild cries. They moved faster, grinding, rocking, until she called out his name and the orgasm hit her hard, making her shudder and moan as her hands gripped his torso. He thrust twice more and followed her over the edge with a long groan, burying himself as deep inside her as he could as he took his release. They rode out the waves together before she collapsed on him in a quivering heap.
The only sound was their hard, labored breathing. His hands ran down the long curtain of her hair, smoothing it back from her face as she panted on his chest, spent.
He brought her face to his to cover it in tiny kisses before sealing his mouth to hers. They kissed until their racing hearts slowed, until their breath came easily again.
“I could get used to this,” he said.
She snuggled into his side. “You think so, huh?”
“I know so.” His arms banded around her, holding her close. “How about you? Think you could get used to this?”
“All too easily,” she admitted. “It just . . . still doesn’t seem real.”
“It’s real,” he whispered, and kissed her soundly.
Chapter Twenty
The long holiday weekend was busy with activities and filled with holiday cheer. On Friday, Charles took the kids, Lisette, and Tess to get their Christmas trees. They dropped Tess’s tree at her house, but she came back to Charles’s home with them. Charles called Dane and Julia to come join them, and within an hour, most of the Harrisons had filled Charles’s house and made it a small party.
Lisette watched from the corner as the two brothers put up the huge tree the kids had chosen. They all—the adults and the kids—were happier together that day than she could remember seeing them in some time, and she could not help noting that the Harrison patriarch wasn’t there. The air felt lighter when that man wasn’t around.
Charles’s staff would decorate the rest of the mansion’s interior later, as well as the massive façade and grounds, but the living room was the kids’ domain. As they all decorated the tree and the room, Christmas music played, and Lisette brought out hot cocoa and the chocolate chip cookies she’d baked that morning. When she tried to return to the kitchen, Charles gently grasped her wrist and asked her to stay. She looked into his eyes, wanting so much to say yes, but shook her head.
“I want you here with us,” he whispered fiercely.
“It would give us away in a heartbeat,” she whispered back. “The kids . . .”
He sighed and released her wrist. “Right now, I hate our secret.” He stared down at her, mixed frustration and affection radiating from him.
“Enjoy all of this,” she said. “It’s a wonderful day. Be with your family.”
Obviously conflicted, he just kept staring at her until she finally turned away. She went to the kitchen, wanting to be nearby in case any of them needed anything . . . wanting to be nearby, even though her heart was aching a tiny bit. Her e-reader was at the table in the corner, where she’d left it earlier, and she sat there to read with a cup of cinnamon apple tea.
Ten minutes later, Dane sauntered into the kitchen. “Hey there,” he said jovially. “Reading?”
“Um, yes,” she said, looking up at him. “Do you need something?”
“Yeah,” Dane said. “I need not to see you all alone in here while we’re all having fun in the living room. That just sucks.”
She blinked at him, not knowing how to respond.
“Please come join us,” he said. He leaned his hip against the table, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he flashed one of his renowned charming smiles. “Come onnnn. Come and play with the rest of us kids.”
She set her e-reader dow
n on the table. “Did someone put you up to this?” she asked quietly.
“Nope. No one puts me up to anything. Except maybe my wife on occasion.” He arched a brow, his bright blue eyes fixed on her. His tone was casual, but his stare wasn’t. “Miss Gardner. It’s the holidays. No one should be alone. Come enjoy the afternoon with us. Pretty please?”
He knows, she thought. Dane was more than Charles’s brother; he was his most trusted confidant. If Charles would tell anyone about them, it’d be Dane.
He quirked another blinding grin and gestured with his head toward the doorway. “Come on, lovely Lisette. Let’s go. Off your seat, on your feet.”
“It seems you’re insisting,” she murmured.
“I am. And if you know anything about me, it’s that I’m known to be pretty damn persuasive.” The crooked grin that had broken many hearts was aimed right at her. “I’ll wear you down, darlin’.”
She had to laugh. Dane’s charm was legendary; right then, she could see why. The man’s smile and easy, good humor were infectious. “Fine,” she said with mock resignation, and rose from her chair.
“Atta girl,” he said. He gave her a meaningful look and added, “You won’t be sorry.”
When Lisette entered the living room with Dane, Charles gazed at her with such adoration it made her knees weak. Oh, she loved him. She even adored his family, God help her. They were all such good people, welcoming her into the fold so warmly that within minutes she felt as if she was not just the nanny, but one of them.
* * *
On Saturday, Charles had a stretch limo take them into the city, it was a car-service agency used by his office. His surprise—front-row seats to the Radio City Christmas show—had the kids bouncing and squealing with glee. Lisette had to admit she was pretty thrilled herself; she’d never seen the famous spectacle. At the show, which was indeed spectacular, she and Charles sat apart with the kids between them. But when they all went out to an early dinner afterward, he made sure she sat beside him. He held her hand under the table whenever he could. Then they all walked around the city to see some of the famous holiday window displays . . . At seven the limo took them home, everyone happy and exhausted.
'Tis the Season Page 20