by K. D. Jones
“But what if he doesn’t really want me? I just got a divorce. I don’t want to rush into another bad situation.”
“Do you think Hammer would be a ‘bad situation’?” Zen quirked his eyebrow up at her.
“No of course not. He’s a wonderful man. But…”
“But?”
“He hasn’t acted at all like he’s interested in me.”
“Oh…he’s interested.”
“Really?” Hope flickered deep inside of her.
“Yes, really. I thought he was going to rip my head off my shoulders when I showed up at the door to take you out.”
She giggled. Why the thought of Hammer being jealous enough to rip Zen’s head off pleased her, she had no idea. But it did. Honestly, she would feel the same way about it. If another woman had shown up to go out with him, she would want to rip her head off too.
“Well, if he was interested in me, why didn’t he stop me from going out with you?”
Zen smiled. “I'm not the incentive to push him to make a move. But I think I know who is.”
Molly was confused. “What are you saying?”
“We are going to snag you a Sledge Hammer.”
*****
Three hours later Zen walked Molly to the door of Hammer’s suite. “Thank you for an interesting evening.”
Zen halted her by gently grabbing her arm and pulling her to him. “It was my pleasure, Molly.” He kissed her gently on the lips.
Nothing. She felt absolutely nothing from Zen’s kiss. It was nice. He didn’t deepen it, which she was eternally grateful. When she pulled back and looked into his eyes, she saw no spark of desire there either. He was playing a part.
“Thank you, Molly. Have a good night.”
“Good night.” Molly walked into the darkened main room of the suite. She was startled when the lights were suddenly turned on. She had to blink to see Hammer standing there.
“Oh. Hi, Hammer.”
“Did you sleep with him?” Hammer demanded to know. He took a deep whiff of her scent but only detected a small amount of Zen on her. There was no arousal trail to detect.
Molly wasn’t interested in Zen but she didn’t like the tone Hammer was taking with her. “It’s none of your business, Hammer.”
She turned her back on him, which was a mistake. She heard a growl from behind and the next thing she knew she was turned and her back pushed up against a wall. Hammer crowded in on her, his large warm body pressing against her. Every inch of his hard body seemed to mold to hers. She felt his hard arousal pressed against her stomach. It made her catch her breath.
“Hammer?” she whispered right before he took her lips in a possessive and firm kiss.
He pressed until her large breasts were smashed against his chest. He had one hand holding her face to his while his other hand massaged her hip. He angled her head so he could penetrate more deeply. He sucked on her tongue, then his teeth tugged on her bottom lip. Molly resisted only a little longer before groaning with desire and opening up fully to him.
The last rational thought Molly had before she was overcome with desire was, I’m his nanny. Then she only felt, no more thoughts except how fucking good he was at kissing. She wrapped her arms around Hammer’s neck and moved her body against his wantonly. It had been so long since she had been with a man. She needed this, wanted this so much.
Hammer groaned as Molly explored his chest with her dainty hands. She got a few buttons loose and then he felt the heat of her fingers. It was as if he had gotten a zap of electrical current and it traveled straight down to his straining cock. Fuck! He was going to come in his pants like a teenager from his need for her.
Sparks went off within Molly. She was literally firing up from the inside out and she was burning all over in a good way. She returned his kiss with a desperation she didn’t realize she had. She got to some of his skin on his chest but it wasn’t enough, she wanted more. She loved the feel of his chest and his rippling muscles underneath her touch. She shivered with desire and a frantic need to touch and taste him all over. She should push him away, tell him to stop. At least make him stop moving that hand of his up her thigh. Oh God, it felt so good.
Hammer needed to get her naked. No female had him react so strongly and no female ever reacted to his touch as Molly did. She tasted sweet and addicting. He wanted to taste her all over. If her lips were this sweet, what would her wet pussy taste like. He growled with a need to know. He wanted to strip her bare, bend her over the edge of the couch and bury his cock deep within her.
His hand moved her dress slowly up her legs. She didn’t wear stockings so his fingers touched bare skin. She was so damn soft, warm and she had the longest pair of legs he had ever seen. Since met her, he was haunted with images of those long legs wrapped around his waist while he fucked her for hours. He lifted one of her legs up over his hip and she let him. It opened her up to him. He pushed his lower body closer feeling the warmth from her womanhood on his still covered staff.
He was about to move her panties aside to explore her dripping wet pussy when he heard little Kate cry out for him from her crib. Reality crashed in on him. He quickly released her and stepped back.
Molly sagged against the wall. Her heartbeat thundered. Her eyes were dilated. The dress she was wearing had been pushed up to her waist exposing her blue lace panties. She noticed Hammer staring at those panties and she quickly pulled the dress down to cover herself. Fuck! What was she thinking? He was her boss.
“I’ll take care of Kate. You go on to bed,” Hammer’s voice was thick and raspy with his desire. He had to turn and walk away or he would throw her over his shoulder and take her to his bed. Damn it! This was not good!
Chapter Seven
Molly didn't sleep well at all that night. She tossed and turned, her body still on fire for Hammer. She even took a quick cold shower, but it didn’t help at all. Every part of her body was sensitive and ached for Hammer’s touch. She reached between her thighs to try to alleviate her ache. But it wasn’t the same. Nothing happened until she closed her eyes and pictured Hammer touching her. Her body responded immediately.
She imagined the fingers massaging her labia as big and tough fingers. Her other hand moved her nightgown aside so she could tweak her nipples to hard responsive points. She felt a slow warmth building within her. It was nothing like what she felt when Hammer was actually touching her. She knew the feeling would build up to a release.
She needed this badly. She moved her hand faster and harder pushing her fingers deeper inside her womb. She lifted herself up making her fingers go deeper. Her thumb found her clit, pressing it fervently at the same time she pulled her nipple tight. It pushed her over the edge. She didn’t have to muffle her release because it was more of a gentle one. It helped a little by taking the edge off. However, it was a poor substitution for the real thing with a real man. She turned into her pillow and cried softly until she fell asleep.
*****
Hammer paced outside of Molly’s bedroom. He wanted to break the door down and take her. He almost lost it when he scented her arousal and heard her masturbating. Fuck! He ran a hand over his cleanly shaved head. He reached for the doorknob, holding it, ready to turn. All he had to do was turn and go inside.
He could have her. He knew she found him attractive. He leaned against the door and heard her release. He was jealous. He wanted to be the one to bring her that kind of pleasure. He sucked in a breath when he heard her soft cries. He touched the door gently with his large hand wishing it was her that he touched, her soft skin he caressed.
He pushed away from the door and headed to his own room. He couldn’t do this. He had a responsibility to his nieces and nephew. They had to come first ahead of his own wants or desires. Plus, Molly deserved to have someone who would put her first. He felt a pain in his heart at the realization that that person would not be him.
*****
The next morning Hammer didn’t know what to expect. Would Molly be angry with him,
or would she be hurt? Those questions plagued him all night. The one thing he hadn’t expected was his nephew and niece to come to the breakfast table sporting pink hairstyles.
“What the…” Hammer started to ask, but was interrupted by Molly.
“Cereal or bacon and eggs this morning?” Molly held the pan that contained freshly cooked scrambled eggs.
“Eggs,” Both Lauren and Tomas answered. Lauren sat Kate inside her high chair.
“Cereal!” Kate replied.
Molly smiled at Kate. She scraped helpings of the eggs onto everyone else’s plate and then poured a bowl of cereal for Kate. Molly did her best not to look at Hammer, but she couldn’t help herself. She peeked. He quirked an eyebrow up at her in question of the pink hair situation. She shook her head at him and he didn’t mention it at all, but he did have a half smile on his face. Molly went back to getting breakfast ready.
*****
“Pink?” Zen asked when Hammer told him about the kids that morning.
“Bright pink,” Hammer confirmed, lifting a huge weight bar off the floor. He pumped it in the air a few times then let it fall to the floor hard.
Zen burst out laughing. “I am so coming by to take a picture of that. Molly is freaking awesome!”
Hammer wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel. He asked the next question as casually as possible. “So are you going out with her again?”
Zen turned so Hammer wouldn't see his smile. “I don’t know. She’s hot and all. Those long legs of hers are every male’s fantasy. But I don’t think she was that into me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She didn’t sleep with me.”
“Did you try to get her to sleep with you?” Hammer’s nostrils flared with anger.
Hammer was right up in Zen’s face. The other male carefully stepped back out of Hammer’s range. One good hit from Hammer was all it took to kill a male. Hammer had to constantly be aware of the strength he put behind his hits. Zen was no fool.
Zen held up his hands. “Easy, man. We just had dinner and talked a while. I normally don’t approach females for sex and you know that. They come to me and I'm always ready. But Molly didn’t come to me. That’s all I’m saying.”
Relief flooded Hammer. The tension left his body and he could actually breathe again. This female was turning him into some mindless bully. Zen had been his friend for years yet the thought that Zen had fucked Molly made him see red. He had to get this under control.
He nodded at Zen and walked toward the training center. He needed to release his tension and the best way of doing that was sparring with someone. He hoped Rage was available, he was about the only fighter who could match Hammer with strength.
*****
Molly sat across the table from her friend, Maya. She was glad Maya decided only to work part-time as a ring girl so she could spend time with the kids she had adopted. It also gave her more time to spend with her friends.
They were having lunch at one of the restaurants on the ship. She had avoided the discussion about her date up until that point. Now, she was sitting down and there was nowhere for her to hide.
“How was your hot date with Zen? I heard he has some real skills in the bedroom department,” Maya questioned, stuffing a forkful of salad in her mouth.
“I wouldn’t know about his skills.” Molly took a bite out of her baked potato.
Maya quirked an eyebrow up at her. “Was it a date from hell?”
“No! Nothing like that. We are just friends. He says he’s going to help me—” Molly stopped before she spilled the beans.
“Help you do what?” her friend asked, giving up on the salad.
“Nothing.” Molly stuffed more food in her mouth.
“Oh no you don’t, Molly Maynard. You are going to tell me all your secrets.”
“It’s nothing. Just some stupid idea Zen has.”
Maya stared her friend down. Even though Molly was almost a foot taller and weighed twice as much as Maya, the smaller woman was a force to be reckoned with. She caved.
“Fine! Zen seems to think that…Hammer is interested in me. He says he will find the right incentive to get Hammer to act on his supposed feelings.”
“But you don’t believe Hammer is interested?” Maya asked. It was very telling when Molly didn’t answer right away. “Is he?”
“He kissed me last night,” Molly blurted it out.
“Before or after your date with Zen?” Maya tried not to laugh but the situation was too funny. Here was a woman almost as shy as Maya herself, who always kept a low profile when dating. Now she had two men after her.
“After. I came home, Zen gave me a quick kiss then left. Hammer was waiting for me…in the dark.” Molly started to tell the events hoping it would clarify things in her own mind on what happened.
Maya leaned forward to listen better. “What happened next?”
“Hammer demanded to know if I had sex with Zen. I told him it wasn’t any of his business. The next thing I know, he had me against the wall and he was kissing me like there was no tomorrow.”
“Was he any good?” Maya asked with interest.
Molly blushed. She had never been one to blush much but remembering the way he touched her, kissed her, the way he made her feel was beyond anything she had ever experienced before. She felt uncomfortable talking about it. “Yeah, he is amazing.”
“Then what?” Maya asked.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing. Kate had woken up from a bad dream. He let me go so he could go to her. I went to my bedroom. He went to his room. That was it.” Molly was as disappointed as Maya looked.
“What the hell?”
“I know.” Molly agreed.
*****
Molly and Maya finished their lunch and headed off to do some shopping. Zen had told Molly to be prepared for another date, just not with him. He wouldn’t say with whom but Molly had a feeling it was not going to be pleasant. She had only brought two dresses with her and the other one was more of a going to a funeral type dress. She needed something else, something with more oomph if she hoped to get a reaction out of Hammer.
She wanted that. She knew it was stupid, and she shouldn’t be pursuing her boss. But no man had ever made her feel the way he did. It wasn’t just about sex. The first few days they talked to each other, really talked. She had enjoyed his company. Somewhere along the way they stopped talking to each other, and she missed that. She was willing to try anything to see if there was a chance for them.
When they finished shopping, they both headed to pick up the kids. Maya’s adopted kids were attending the same school. When they arrived, Hammer’s nephew and nieces were waiting on her ready to go.
There was a giggle from Maya next to her. Maya leaned closer and whispered, “Pink hair?”
Molly fought back a smile. “Don’t ask. Let’s just say they got their just rewards.” She bent down to pick up Kate who was waiting with her arms stretched up. “Hey, Katie bug, ready to go?”
“Could we stop at the shop on our way home?” Lauren asked, trailing behind her with her brother beside her.
“The shop is three levels down. What do you need from there?” Molly played clueless but she knew.
“Come on! You know we put the pink dye in your shampoo because you did it to us. Enough is enough,” Tomas said angrily.
Molly kept walking down the corridor without commenting. She was waiting them out. They finally broke first as they reached the elevator.
“We’re sorry okay. We were being brats. Please take us to the store so we can get this stuff out of our hair.” The teenager looked absolutely dejected.
“No need.” She threw a bottle to Lauren who caught it.
“What’s this?” Lauren asked. Tomas moved closer to take a look.
“It’s a dye remover. I went by the hair salon and this is what they recommended to safely remove the dye from your hair.
Tomas looked at the bo
ttle suspiciously. “How do we know this won’t make things worse? It might turn our hair green or worse, it might remove our hair altogether.”
Molly shrugged her shoulders. “You don’t know. That’s where trust comes in. You have to trust that I am not going to do anything to hurt you.”
Tomas looked at Lauren. He still had doubts, but Lauren was desperate to get the pink out. Tomas asked her, “Would you allow Kate to use this?”
“If Kate had pink dye in her hair, then yes, I would.” That answer seemed to pacify them. At least they trusted her with Kate’s safety. That was progress.
Chapter Eight
“We have to do something else. Plan A and B didn’t work out,” Tomas told his sisters as he dried his hair and sat on his bench near his bed.
“Maybe we should just accept that she is here to stay. She’s not soooo bad,” Lauren commented.
“What? You want to just…give up?” Tomas looked at his sister as if she had lost her mind.
“I like Molly,” Kate said as she twirled the teddy bear she had confiscated from Molly on day one.
“Come on, guys, I thought we were in agreement. We don’t need a nanny to watch over us. We can take care of ourselves.” Tomas could not believe what he was hearing.
“Look, I don’t want to get into trouble with Uncle Hammer. He’s been so stressed lately and with Molly here taking care of us, he’s not as worried looking.”
“Whatever. You guys give up but I won’t. I will find a way to make Nanny Molly leave yet.” Tomas was even more determined.
Lauren sighed. Her brother was going to get himself in trouble and there wasn’t much she could do about it. It was times like this she really missed her mom. Her mom was always the one to discipline them and she kept a tight ship. Living with uncle Hammer had turned her world upside down in more ways than one. They had to leave their home to come stay with Hammer on the ship. They had to change schools and leave their old friends behind. It was hard making new friends here. She had a few. Her best friend was surprisingly Zara’s daughter, Angel. They were the closest in age. Kate took to all the changes like it was nothing. Tomas was the only one truly struggling. He just couldn't let go of the past. He wanted it to be like it was when they were with their parents. Just wasn’t going to happen. You can’t bring dead people back.