The unsettling and complicated sensation that has been gripping my chest since I came clean to Audrey instantly fades with her long-awaited reply. My heart is quickly filled with equal parts of relief and excitement, the sound of her words echoing in my head like a catchy tune and song. However, the enthusiasm and euphoria that rushes through me is only brief and temporary as I start to notice the missing emotion from Audrey's end. The blank expression on her face shows me that she is still very uncertain about the outcome of her revelation in spite of the fact that we both share the same sentiment toward each other.
I tighten my grip on the nanny's cold hand and bring it close to my lips. Her brown eyes slightly widen as she carefully watches me place both hands around her small grasp. "It's obvious that you're still uneasy about the whole situation, so I'll say the words for you again and again until you realize how committed I am to trying to make things work out between us," I say while my stare and full attention is entirely fixated on her. "There is no one else in the world I would rather be with but you, Audrey. It can't be anyone else."
The brunette grows visibly flustered from my straightforward declaration which leaves her speechless and dumbfounded. Her only reaction can be found in the form of a slow shake of her head until she suddenly begins to heartily laugh out loud without being prompted by anything. I naturally freeze up and raise my brow from the unusual response that she exhibits from out of nowhere, but her mirthful display seems much more harmless than cruel. She doesn't appear to be directly chuckling at me but toward the circumstances instead.
"Sorry, it's just that it was only a few months ago where I was sure that we were born to practically hate each other. You were such an insufferable asshole from the first day that we met, and you still are an insufferable asshole to this very day. But look at us now, shamelessly confessing our hearts out like a pair of idiots," Audrey fondly remarks with a soft giggle.
"Yeah, I never would have expected myself to fall in love with someone as stubborn, naïve, and nosy as you, either. It took me a while to finally accept that I really was losing it and falling for you," I jest.
Audrey rolls her eyes and smirks. "Well, I hope you can accept my sincerest apologies for making you fall in love with me, Mr. Bennett. It definitely wasn't my intention to do so nor was it something I ever expected to happen in a million years after seeing the extremely different lives we lead. But I have to agree, you really must be losing it to fall for someone like me."
"There's nothing you need to apologize for because I don't regret having these feelings for you at all," I assert in a low and serious tone while peering deep within her warm brown eyes. "And you can stop calling me 'Mr. Bennett' now. Just call me Rylan like you did in the past."
The young woman immediately takes pause to my inquiry with a cautious look. Her brown gaze appears to flicker with a touch of interest in my proposal, yet her lips still remain closed with no sign of them opening up to speak. A brief image of contemplation flashes across her face as she lowers her eyes from me. It only takes a few long seconds of pensive silence until she eventually gives in and obliges to my simple request: "Rylan."
My heart gently throbs and trembles from the calling of my name. The tender sound of Audrey's voice pierces right through me and leaves behind a warm and ticklish feeling inside my chest which slowly spreads across my body. Before I can even realize it, my hand is already guided by the warmth and lifted up to her face where I set my palm against her cold cheek. She initially flinches from the small gesture but ultimately welcomes and accepts the presence of my hand with a doting stare.
Those beautiful large brown eyes of hers steadily draw me in until I am completely lost within them.
Everything goes blank as I follow the natural flow of the mood and close my eyes in anticipation of a kiss. A soft and velvety sensation touches my lips as soon as my face slightly moves forward in the darkness. It's the unmistakable presence of her mouth, and it's perfectly pressed right up against my lips as if it were only natural. How nostalgic. The familiar feeling and distinct motion of her kisses send a sharp and pleasant tingle down my spine. I can't seem to get enough of her addictive taste no matter how much I indulge in it, each kiss that we share followed up with an even more passionate one.
The world almost feels like it's gradually fading from the edges when a young, giggling voice suddenly breaks the silence and destroys the peaceful and private illusion with a single noise and sound: "Eww!"
My eyes jump wide open in sheer surprise and shock from the interruption. But I immediately recognize whom the innocent voice belongs to and hastily back away from Audrey while turning my head in the direction of the doorway. There, standing with her head peeking into the room, is the bright-eyed little girl who appears to have a displeased and disgusted expression on her face. However, she lets out a gasp and quickly hides behind the wall once I catch her peeping gaze, a mischievous giggle escaping from her voice as she peeks her head back in at us again.
Heh.
She always did have the perfect timing -- and by that I mean the perfect timing to ruin a good moment.
"Teagan," Audrey softly gasps. Her brown eyes bulge in horror and disbelief while she struggles to find the right words to say to the girl. But nothing manages to come out of her mouth aside from a single heavy sigh.
"I caught you guys kissing," Teagan taunts with a smug smirk. "Gross!"
"What are you doing over there, Teagan? Shouldn't you be drying yourself off?" I sternly ask.
The important questions that I have for the little girl causes her to swiftly wipe the joyful grin off of her face as she instinctively lowers her head in guilt and shame. She pauses by the doorway and restlessly fidgets in place while her nail biting habit makes an appearance. There isn't a single peep from her for a long period of time before she finally decides to step forward and approach us instead of actively trying to avoid the inescapable situation.
"I just wanted to make sure that Audrey was okay," Teagan quietly admits. She takes a glance over at the nanny but keeps her head mainly pointed toward the ground as she carefully asks in a weak voice, "Was it my fault that you got hurt?"
Audrey's jaw slightly drops as she silently stares at the little girl who looks like she's on the verge of tears. She reaches out for the somber child with both arms and pulls her in for a comforting hug. "Oh, it wasn't your fault at all, sweetheart. But thank you so much for worrying about me. Your dad already helped me put a bandage on my cut, so there's nothing for you to feel bad about, okay?" she smiles.
Teagan slowly takes a step back from the young woman's chest and obediently nods her head. The two share an intimate moment with each other that doesn't seem possible to disturb or disrupt by anybody including myself. It's obvious that there's a bond between Teagan and Audrey that just can't be topped or shattered. Though I can't help but feel impressed by the seamless way in which the nanny handles and deals with the young child. She knows exactly what to say to put Teagan at ease -- and it's that precise quality that she has which makes me naturally gravitate toward her.
If there's anything that I've come to fully realize after acknowledging my feelings for Audrey it's that nothing seems to steal and grip my heart more than a woman who knows how to treat my daughter well.
A woman who knows how to put a big smile on my little girl's face.
I quietly cherish and relish the heartwarming scene in front of me when Teagan abruptly turns her attention toward me. She throws a strange, blank look at me as though there were something that she wanted to say to me. But even as I raise my brow at her and wait for the girl to come out with whatever it is that is on her mind, she still doesn't budge. Her blue eyes simply stare at me with what appears to be a curious albeit judgmental gleam in them. It's the same seemingly unassuming look that she gives me every once in a while which often leads to nothing good in my personal experience.
"Okay, you clearly look like you want to say something, Teagan. So out with it
, what is it?" I adamantly question as I cross my arms.
However, the young girl wastes absolutely no time after I directly confront her to ask me the burning question that's been on her mind since she started staring at me: "Is Audrey your new girlfriend?"
A light chuckle spontaneously parts from my lips -- of course it’s only natural that that would be Teagan’s question. I shake my head and smile. After all of these years of watching her slowly grow up and learn, there's really nothing about the child's astute nature and assessments that can even surprise me anymore. But it’s obvious that Audrey hasn’t completely gotten used to Teagan’s keen and attentive eye because I can see the nanny fretting over the situation from the corner of my eye. She appears to be so devastated by the circumstances that this is the first time she doesn’t have a proper follow-up response for the little girl who is desperate and eager for an answer.
Audrey is still trying to figure out how to navigate the delicate conversation when I suddenly lean forward to level with Teagan’s blue stare. I carefully tuck her long hair behind her small ears and plainly state in an earnest tone: "If she was, how would you feel about it?"
"Rylan!" the nanny exclaims in a low whisper while roughly nudging me in the side. She glares at me with a wide-eyed, bitter expression that strongly urges me to stop and consider what I am saying to the young girl.
But before I can even change the subject matter to something less controversial, Teagan opens her mouth and answers, "I would be okay with it. That just means Audrey can play with me every day and we can also have sleepovers, right?"
The natural innocence that radiates from Teagan’s naïve understanding and comprehension of my hypothetical question puts a grin on my lips. Even when it comes down to something as life-changing as openly dating someone, all she can think about is whether or not the person suitably fits her standards and needs rather than mine. But I can’t blame the girl for thinking about herself when the woman I choose to romantically involve myself with will inevitably affect my family life. The woman has to be someone that both Teagan and I approve of or else it will never work out.
Though that condition doesn’t seem to be an issue right now seeing as how Teagan has been infatuated with Audrey from day one of their meeting. She’s so smitten by the nanny that I get the feeling if things don’t work out between Audrey and me, Teagan will be more crushed about it than I will be.
"Yes, it would be something like that, I suppose. Audrey would basically become like family to us," I reply.
Teagan’s blue stare twinkles and sparkles as she audibly gasps. "Then we can go camping all the time! And we can live together, too!" she squeals.
"Whoa there, let's not get too ahead of ourselves, sweetie. Audrey and I are still only friends right now. We haven’t even started talking about dating yet," I note.
"Well, what are you guys waiting for then?” Teagan snaps. She puts both of her hands on her hips and slowly glances back and forth at the both of us. “You two like each other, right? I already saw you guys kiss, and you can’t kiss someone that you don’t like. That’s the rule."
I bury my amused smirk and snicker with a nod of my head while the little girl continues to lecture us. Her strict and icy blue gaze bounces between Audrey and me before it eventually stops and settles on the brunette who seems startled by the abrupt pause.
“Do you…not like my daddy, Audrey?” Teagan shamelessly asks in an extremely somber voice. She lowers her head to the ground and starts fidgeting in place again. “I know he can be busy and mean, sometimes. But he’s not a bad person. He’s a good guy.”
Damn it.
This trouble-making kid really knows how to make a grown man feel emotional -- especially when I know that her words are coming straight from the heart.
I proudly pull Teagan right into my arms and give her a tight squeeze which is instantly met with some resistance from her. The little girl groans and complains about my unnecessary display of affection while trying to escape from my coddling embrace. However, her overwhelming desire to break free from my grasp only compels me to hug her even more closely than before. I can still hear the girl grumbling underneath her breath as she finally stops resisting and gives into my embrace with a hug of her own.
Audrey softly giggles at the affectionate scene as her brown gaze lifts up and begins to stare deep into my eyes. “To answer your question, Teagan. I do like your dad. I like him a lot,” she openly admits without ever taking her eyes off of me for a split second.
The young woman’s few albeit significant words leave behind a strong and heavy impression on me as I continue to hold Teagan in my arms. I can feel my heart tightening and stirring from the emotional rush and impact of Audrey’s forthright statement. Though her message is not only meant to tell Teagan the truth about her feelings toward me, but also to give me a more formal response to my offer and proposal from earlier. She’s giving me opportunity that I’ve been earnestly hoping and waiting for ever since I found out that we feel the same way about each other. She's giving me a chance to show her the full extent of my feelings toward her.
This is my moment to finally make things right for us.
A slow breath of relief escapes me as my eyes linger and idle on the charming brunette who is sitting in front of me. She looks even more worn out and exhausted than she usually does, especially with that bandage on her face. But in spite of the sight of Audrey's messy wet hair and noticeably frazzled appearance, she still glows and radiates with a certain kind of natural beauty that I can't seem to take my eyes off of. Just seeing her lovely brown stare and her wonderful smiling expression is enough to fill my chest with an overflowing amount of joy and desire that simply cannot be contained by any means at all.
There’s no doubt that I am absolutely taken in by this remarkable young woman who has somehow managed to effortlessly capture my heart by just being herself.
And before I can even stop for a moment to think about my temptations that are rapidly growing inside of me, it's already too late. My body has already started to move on its own eager whim and impulse without warning. Within seconds, I quickly cover Teagan’s eyes with one of my hands while simultaneously reaching out to grab Audrey’s face with the other. Everything happens so quickly like a flash that before I know it, my lips are touching her mouth again as if they never left in the first place.
Soft, sweet, and addictive -- the taste of Audrey's lips naturally sends my emotions on a wild rollercoaster ride. I can feel myself slowly spiraling into a never-ending descent of satisfaction and pleasure from her passionate kisses which both soothe and provoke my senses at the same time. And even though I can hear Teagan squirming and whining about not being able to see anything with my hand over her eyes, I can’t resist stealing a few more kisses from Audrey before finally letting go of her lips. The nanny looks at me with flushed cheeks and timid eyes as I lean forward and whisper right into her ear.
“I promise I won’t let you get hurt anymore, Audrey. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”
My body slowly starts to back away from the woman when she suddenly grabs a hold of my tie and pulls me back in. “You better,” she playfully warns. “Or I’ll have to do it myself without your help.”
My eyes curiously widen from Audrey’s spirited remark as I look back over at her and find a cheeky smirk waiting for me. Her sharp gaze is filled with a lively energy and passion that I haven’t been able to witness for a while. Yet the sly and smug look that she has on her face actually makes my heart feel extremely settled and at ease. It seems like she’s not planning on holding back her punches anymore, her fiery personality already making a comeback and showing up in her bold attitude. But all I can do is welcome her long overdue return with a lighthearted scoff and chuckle.
It’s good to see the spark and life come back to her face in full color.
“Hey!” Teagan loudly exclaims as she finally manages to push my hand off of her face. “What
are you guys secretly whispering about? I want to know too!” The little girl eagerly swings her head left and right at us in hopes for an answer. However, she soon gives up and puts on a big pout once she realizes that no one intends on filling her in on the private discussion, the heavy frown displayed on her lips her childish way of getting attention from us.
“I was just telling Audrey about how excited I am for the future,” I nonchalantly state while my eyes remain fixated on the nanny who curiously stares back at me. “And also how lucky I am to have someone like her in my life.”
A gentle rush sweeps across my chest when I think about the positive impact Audrey has left on my family. Not only has she created a strong bond with Teagan that no one else has been capable of doing, but she has also neatly established herself within the household in a way where everybody at least knows and respects her. I can tell that even Crane has an affinity for her, and he’s the type of man who usually just shows indifference to anybody and everybody he meets. But I suppose that Audrey simply has some strange and magical allure to her personality which even I cannot resist being pulled into.
And to think that I’ve met with so many different women during the past few years who have all been equal in terms of beauty and elegance -- this is actually the first time in my life I’ve felt an incredible urge and desire to fight for someone.
It’s the first time that I truly understand what it means to love and want someone.
Though in hindsight, I should have known that Audrey Scott would be a problematic character from the very first night that we met and set eyes on each other. After all, there was absolutely nothing for me to gain in involving myself with her personal affairs, especially since she was a complete stranger to me who got tangled up in a bad date. But for some strange reason, I just couldn’t leave her alone that night. My heart and gut simply wouldn’t allow me to ignore her plight.
Billionaire Daddy's Contract: A Single Dad and Nanny Romance Page 18