He got up and got ready usually on his own and would meet me downstairs at the breakfast table, or at least that was what had happened the day before. By the time I was done making waffles and eggs, Cooper was patiently waiting at the table. We ate breakfast together, talking about his upcoming day and waiting for his dad. When Blake didn’t show, and it was time for Cooper to get to school, I wrote him a note and headed out to drop Cooper off. I figured he had a late night, but surely, he would be up by the time I got back. However, that wasn’t the case.
I walked into the house and hung the keys up, taking off my shoes at the door. In the kitchen, I checked to see if coffee was being made, but it wasn’t. I sighed, slightly irritated that he wasn’t up yet. He had responsibilities, and the first and foremost was to be a father. It wasn’t right that he sleep all day, so I made a pot of coffee and headed upstairs to wake him. When I reached the top of the stairs, I almost changed my mind, feeling slightly awkward going to his room, especially after what happened the night before. Still, he needed to go to work, so I was going to suck it up and handle it. When I got to his bedroom, his door was slightly cracked. I carefully pulled it open and walked in, stopping dead in my tracks. Blake stood in front of me slightly turned away, in the middle of pulling up his pants.
Heat blew through me, my heart pounding in my chest. Blake had just gotten out of the shower, the steam still rolling off his skin. Droplets of water clung to his tight, strong body and glistened in the dim lighting of his room. His towel puddled around his feet, his muscles tightening and relaxing in front of me. His skin was tan, and the dimples in his cheeks were deep and strong, increased against his muscles. I bit my bottom lip and stared, unable to move or make a sound. He was sexy as hell, and all I wanted to do was walk up behind him and run my hands over his body.
Just then, the sound of the alarm from the coffee maker caught my ear, pulling me from my stare. I shook my head and let out a small squeaking sound as he stood up straight and turned around. I covered my mouth and squeaked again, this time spinning and running from the room. I could feel the heat in my cheeks, but embarrassment wasn’t what was painting them red. Pure lust had taken me over, and I had to get away as fast as I could before I did something I would later regret.
I went straight down the stairs and into the kitchen, popping some toast in the toaster and wandering around, trying to keep my nerves intact. I reached up and grabbed a plate, fumbling with the dish when I heard footsteps approaching from behind. I didn’t even want to look at him much less talk to him, but there I was and there he was, with no child as a buffer between us. I was scared that if I looked at him, all I would see was him naked. In fact, part of me fantasized that he was naked when I turned around.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said from behind me. “I’m not used to someone else being in the house, and I should have locked my door. It’s been a bit of a struggle for me to get used to this.”
“It’s only been a couple of days,” I said, turning around with a smile on my face. “Besides, it was a boob for a butt. I think we’re even now.”
Just like me to make a joke about something so horrifically embarrassing. Sometimes, I wondered what the hell was wrong with me, but at the same time, most things seemed to be easily fixed by a little humor. I waited for his response and slowly let out the air trapped in my lungs when he started to laugh.
“I’m going to be working from my home office today.” Still chuckling, he grabbed a banana. “If you need me, I’ll be in there. I’ll try to keep my pants on.”
“Thanks,” I said, blushing. He tossed the banana up in the air and walked out.
I shook my head and went back to buttering my toast. My mind wasn’t on food at all. Instead, it was on that absolutely perfect ass. It was honestly the hottest body I’d ever seen. Being older than me, I knew what he could do to my body if given the chance. Untold pleasures, orgasms like no other, and just the idea of his mouth searching my body made me wet. It was becoming more and more difficult to get him out of my mind. I was drawn to him.
I sat down at the kitchen table and stared into space while I replayed the view of his body in slow motion. His level of sexiness should have been outlawed, and it was more tempting and distracting than with anyone I’d ever dated. I wanted so badly to overstep that boundary, to walk right up to him and press my lips to his, but I knew I couldn’t. This job was important and whether he fired me for that or not, it would complicate things to a point that would end my time in Boston. I had to behave.
9
Blake
I had done everything I could to avoid Aly since the morning she’d walked in on me. It was mortifying, to say the least, and more so after the whole situation with catching her barely clothed holding a frying pan in the kitchen. The universe was trying to tempt me, a test to see how strong my willpower was, and I was failing a little more every day. I made sure my door stayed locked from the time I went to bed to the time I was fully clothed, even though I was pretty sure she would never walk in unannounced ever again.
At the same time, there was a part of me that hoped she’d done it on purpose, that she had me on the mind as much as I did her. It was distracting, sure, but I wouldn’t mind if she maybe ended up naked in my bed the next time. The things I would do to a sexy little thing like her might ruin her for all other men. It had been a long time since I’d been with anyone, and the pressure and anxiety from it all were building up tighter and tighter in my chest.
As much as I enjoyed those thoughts, though, I had to push them out of my mind. Aly was fifteen years younger than me. That was a really big age difference, and I couldn’t imagine we would have much in common outside of the bedroom. She was Cooper’s nanny, and having something strictly sexual with the nanny, though it sounded extremely hot, would not turn out good for any of us. I didn’t see Aly as the seductive type, the type of girl who would reel me into bed and be satisfied with one night of pleasure. I was pretty sure if we slept together, she wouldn’t be able to look me in the eye after that. It would be the downfall of the whole thing and right after she’d gotten here.
On top of all that, if that wasn’t enough, she was my best friend’s baby sister, and he’d entrusted her care to me. By care, he didn’t mean for me to rip her clothes off and fulfill her sexual fantasies, that was for damn sure. If anything happened between us, he would fucking kill me. There was no question in my mind. If she were hurt emotionally in the process, I could kiss my lifelong friendship with Hollis goodbye. He’d been like a brother to me for years, and I wouldn’t give that back for anything in the world, not even mind-blowing sex with a twenty-three-year-old.
That was exactly what I had to tell myself every single time I started to think screwing her was a good idea. I had to look at her and see Hollis, not the sexy woman standing in front of me. I had to remind myself of everything I could lose by making one bad decision when it came to sleeping with Aly. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. There was something about her that turned me on like no other woman before. Maybe it was the dry spell I was in, or maybe it was the fact that she was non-threatening, caring, and strikingly hot, but either way, not thinking about having my way with her was extremely difficult.
I walked over to the dresser, freshly out of the shower, pulled open the drawer, and grabbed a pair of boxers. What had she been thinking when she walked in on me naked? Because I knew exactly what I was thinking when I saw her in the kitchen. I wanted to grab her up, bend her over the counter, and fuck her until she screamed my name. I wanted to give her something special for protecting the house, and I wanted to slide those little blue panties right off her there on the kitchen floor. Her tits were so firm, so perfect, and I could already imagine what it would be like to have them in my mouth.
I pulled up my boxers and situated my hard cock. I couldn’t keep doing this to myself or I was going to explode. I drew my tux from the closet, something I hadn’t put on in over a year. I used to go to parties like the one I was get
ting ready for all the time with my wife on my arm. This would be the first one I went to all alone, and I wasn’t looking forward to it in the least. I’d never been a social person to begin with, and the other parties I survived only because my wife was a social butterfly. But as I donned my tuxedo, buttoning up the pressed shirt and staring at myself in the mirror, I knew I had to fake my way through it.
After I was dressed, I headed downstairs to say good night to Aly and Cooper. They were both sitting at the dining room table, going over Cooper’s math homework for the night. Math had never been his strong suit, and Aly had picked up on that fast. At least he wasn’t fighting her on it, and when I got downstairs, he even had a smile on his face.
“Hey, Dad,” he said. “Guess what?”
“What’s that, buddy?” I asked.
“I got an A on my last math test,” he said proudly.
“What?” I smiled. “That is so awesome, dude. Good job. I’m really proud of you.”
“Aly taught me everything,” he said, smiling over at her.
“I gave you the secrets. You did the rest all on your own.” She chuckled, looking up at me.
“You look nice,” Cooper said. “Where you going?”
“Oh, I have a party to go to.” I sighed. “Hopefully, I won’t be too late.”
“Have fun.” Aly smiled.
“You guys have a good night.” I grinned, walking toward the door.
I jumped into the Mercedes, wishing I could go back in there and spend the evening with them instead of the people I was about to be surrounded by. The ones at the party were not the people I wanted in my life, but I had to deal with it for the company. When I arrived, I pulled my car around to the front of the mansion and handed the valet my keys. The house was twice as big as mine, and I didn’t have a small place. There were tons of people already there, milling around, drinks in their hands. I walked inside and grabbed a whiskey at the bar, looking around the room. I did not want to be there. I wanted to beat home, tucked into my warm comfy bed with an old movie playing on the television.
“Blake,” Joe Long, an investor for the company, said as he approached. “It’s good to see you here. We’ve missed you at the shindigs. How are you and your son doing?”
“We’re okay.” I smiled. “Just taking it one day at a time. I figured this was the perfect time to start coming back out with the re-up on the NFL sponsorship and everything.”
“Absolutely,” he said, his attention drawn across the room. “Well, it was good seeing you. Let’s grab lunch one day.”
“Will do,” I said with another fake smile.
That seemed to be the name of the game, fake smiles all around. It wasn’t horrible talking to someone like Joe, but I still didn’t want to be there. I finished my whiskey and walked up to the bar, ordering another round. A tall blonde woman walked up next to me and waited for the bartender. I could feel her staring at me, but I didn’t want to turn to her.
“Can I buy you a drink?” she asked.
“Oh.” I chuckled, holding mine in the air. “Got one but maybe next time.”
I grinned and walked away, knowing where she was trying to lead. I walked over to the buffet and perused the different dishes. I was hungry but not really feeling like eating anything. I wanted whatever Aly was making for dinner. It had smelled amazing. I turned the corner and came face-to-face with a redhead I’d known for about a decade. I had never been close to her, and my wife despised the idea since the woman was known to be loose with her morals and her legs.
“Blake.” Her smile was as fake as everyone else’s. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you, Emma,” I said.
“If I’d known you were coming, we could have come together. How are you doing, dear? It must be lonely up there in that house all by your lonesome.”
“I like the quiet,” I said, scanning the room for anyone I could excuse myself for, even if it was the janitor.
“Well, if you ever want some company, you should call me up,” she said with a twinkle of mischief in her eye.
“I’ll do that,” I said. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Of course, you’re an important man,” she said, stepping to the side.
I greeted one of the junior partners of the company, making sure to stand there long enough for Emma to disappear to her next victim. When she was gone, I excused myself again, but this time, I made a beeline for the valet. I figured it was time to leave, even if it was early in the night. I had hit up every person I needed to talk to, and if things went the way they usually did, no one would even notice I’d left. The alcohol would begin to take control very soon, and none of them would give two shits if I was there or not. I didn’t have it in me to put up with the people who wanted to talk to me. None of them cared when I wasn’t around, so why did they pretend to care so much now?
When I got home, it was late enough for Cooper to already be in bed, but light came from the dining area. I shuffled through the space, undoing my bow tie and pulling it off. Aly was sitting in there, staring at me and eating something. I wanted to stop, but I didn’t. I kept walking until I reached the stairs and made it up to my bedroom. She wasn’t the girl for me, no matter how much she made me want to feel again. She was too young, too fragile, and my best friend’s sister. I had to keep my head on straight even through the moments when her sexy blue eyes burned a hole in me.
There was a flicker of something burning inside me all the time at that point, something I hadn’t felt before, or at least not in a very long time. I wanted Aly. There was no question about that. How much longer could I hold out? One more nip slip or walk-in and I might lose my ability to hold back. If she didn’t seem interested, that would be one thing, but her wanting glances had me all tied up in knots.
10
Aly
It was Friday, and Blake was at work and Cooper at school. The house was so quiet, it was almost eerie, and I couldn’t stop pacing the floor back and forth. I had schoolwork to do, but I was anxious, my mind flying all over the past week. It was not what I imagined my first week working for Blake would be like. Finally, after about a hundred rotations in my bedroom, I pulled out my phone and called my sister, Tracy. I needed to talk to family before I drove myself nuts.
“Hey, little sis,” she said.
“Aly,” Macy yelled in the background. “We miss you.”
“You’re both there?” I laughed.
“Yeah, just hanging out, starting our weekend early,” Tracy said. “We both took off early today, went and checked in on Mom and Dad since we don’t have you there anymore, and they’re doing fine.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Because fine doesn’t always mean fine.”
“Believe or not, little sis, they were capable humans before us kids came around.” Macy laughed.
“I know.” I sighed. “I worry about them. They’re always so busy and stressed, and they relied on me to get things done.”
“No, they kept you busy so you wouldn’t feel bad for living there,” Tracy replied. “They know how you are.”
“So,” Macy said excitedly. “How is Boston? How’s this kid you have to watch? Is Blake as good-looking as he used to be?”
“You guys are a mess.” I laughed. “And yes, he’s as good-looking, if not better than before.”
“I knew it,” Macy sighed. “He’s such a stud.”
“You should totally seduce him,” Tracy said. “You should, like, put the kid to bed, make some drinks, put on a sexy negligee …”
“That I don’t have,” I said.
“Some fuzzy kitten heels,” Tracy went on. “And throw some Sinatra on the record player.”
“What year do you think this is?” I laughed. “You watch too many movies.”
“I know, but I have to get my kicks somewhere,” Tracy replied with a sigh.
“As black and white romantic as that seems,” I said. “I am not going to seduce my boss. I want to keep this job. It pays well and affords me the time
to get my schoolwork done. I want to graduate from college sometime this century.”
“Oh, I know,” Tracy said. “But it’s just so hot.”
“Yeah, it’s like one of those porn movies where the older, hot dad seduces the babysitter,” Macy said.
“Since when do you watch porn?” I laughed.
“I don’t, but hell, even that sounds hot to me.” She giggled.
“Okay, ladies, I’m hanging up now. Love you,” I said, shaking my head.
“We love you,” they both shouted into the phone as I hung up.
I put the phone in my lap, laughing and shaking my head. My sisters were wild, but they did have a point. He’d been so damn sexy when he walked through the room, pulling off his bow tie, his tux snug to his tight muscles. God, it was like fucking James Bond sauntered by me, giving me this stare like he wanted to take me right there on the kitchen table. It was insane on so many levels, unlike anything I’d been around before. But no, I could not indulge in those fantasies. It wasn’t healthy and was very abnormal of me. I was not some sex-crazed woman, and I was more than capable of controlling myself.
The best thing for me to do would be to keep busy in any way I could. I turned on my computer, bringing up my college courses. There was some new work posted, and I figured there was no reason to procrastinate on it. I pulled out my textbook and started the assignment, sinking my mind into US history and the Civil War. By the time I was done with that, it was early in the afternoon. Cooper still wouldn’t be home for a while, so I went to the kitchen and baked some cookies for him. I liked Cooper a lot. We’d gotten along from the first evening we met.
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 5