“I can’t explain the footprints, but I did run to my apartment to get some art supplies,” she said. She spoke slowly as if replaying the event in her mind. “I could swear I closed and locked the door—I always do. I’m sorry about that. I’ll be more cautious.”
She was telling the truth, he decided with relief. He’d had plenty of training in determining if people were lying while being questioned. She showed none of the signs, and he had no reason to distrust her. The truth was he wanted to trust her with more than his daughter’s welfare.
8
“Time to say night-night to Daddy,” Lily whispered to Sofia when Colin walked into the living room on Saturday evening. He had another date, a different woman from last week and one Lily knew this time, which didn’t make it any easier to watch him go out the door.
“Okay?” He gestured to his outfit. He wore khakis and an open-collared white Oxford, both perfectly pressed, with a light blue cashmere V-neck sweater.
“Fine,” she said. Perfect, actually. She bit back a sigh. The week had done nothing to take the edge off her interest in him. Not one thing. Fortunately, they hadn’t spent much time together. Except last night when he’d walked in and caught her napping on the floor with Sofia. She’d seen something in his eyes when he looked at her then, but, of course, he hadn’t acted on it and neither had she.
He took Sofia from her and held her close for a minute. “Daddy loves you, sweetheart,” he said into her freshly washed hair. “Be good for Lily and go right to sleep.”
When he handed Sofia back, Lily felt she had to say something about his date. “I think you and Haley will really hit it off. You’ll complement each other. She’s lovely, with a warm personality, and I know she wants kids. She’s told me that before.”
Haley was a friend from high school who Lily had kept in touch with. The curvy blonde was an accountant with a local firm. She was exactly what Colin wanted. Steady, committed to staying, good natured, and with a great income. He could do a lot worse, her rational side argued while her selfish, jealous side hoped they’d despise each other and the experience would be so bad that he’d refuse to ever date again. Because, whether she liked admitting it to herself or not, Lily did not want to witness him in a happy relationship or, worse, married. She’d have to leave once any sign suggested he was headed toward those eventualities. It would be hard to go, hard to leave Sofia in the care of someone else, but harder still to see him with another woman.
“Good,” he said briskly as if he—understandably—was unwilling to discuss his and his date’s compatibility. “Make sure you lock all the doors after I leave. All of them.”
“I will. I promise.” Was he going to needlessly worry about one unlocked door? She considered asking what was behind his concern. An open door and a footprint didn’t seem like reasons for doubling down on home security.
“Dada.” Sofia held out her arms to her father again, taking away any opportunity to ask questions. He gave Sofia one last hug, avoiding any physical contact with Lily, before going out the door.
As soon as he was out, Lily turned the deadbolt to guarantee he heard the click. Still carrying Sofia, she walked through the house to check the back door. Already locked tight. What had been his deal?
“Bed for you.” She gave Sofia a kiss on the temple.
Long, lonely evening for me, she thought.
* * *
Colin smiled at the lovely blonde across the table from him. She was exactly what Lily said she would be, exactly what he claimed he wanted. But he felt no spark for her. Lily was the one who made him come alive. With her it was way past sparks, bordering on fireworks. He’d done everything he could to douse those flames, but it wasn’t working. He wanted Lily in his life, in his arms, in his bed. He could no longer deny that.
But he was being self-interested. He’d committed to giving Sofia a mother, someone who would always be there for her. Lily wasn’t a candidate for that, and Haley was.
“Tell me about your daughter,” Haley said after the waiter brought their drinks.
Her question was another reminder of what he should be focusing on, so he launched into how much Sofia enjoyed playing outside.
“Lily takes her to the park whenever she can,” he said, elaborating on where Lily took her and Sofia’s favorite things to do there.
“She’s a good nanny, then?”
“The best,” he said. “Lily was a find. I’m not sure how I’d have managed my work schedule lately without her. And she’s teaching Sofia so much. A lot about art. Lily’s into that, taking classes and all, but she convinced me that Sofia should be encouraged to express herself.”
He went on talking about the finger painting he’d hung in his office, the foam animals in the living room, and the hundred other things that Lily had brought to his home in the two months she’d been there.
“I’m talking too much about her, aren’t I?” he finally asked when he realized he’d dominated the conversation while they’d eaten their main courses.
“Do you mean Sofia or Lily? I think I’ve heard both names equally.” Haley’s tone wasn’t critical, just matter of fact.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He’d run on and hadn’t made his date the center of his attention. It would have been bad enough to have spoken so much about his child, but he knew he’d mentioned Lily too often.
“You know, you even called me Lily.” Haley’s smile was gentle. “Colin, you seem like a great guy, but you’re on a date with the wrong woman. I think the one you want to be with is already at your house. We should skip dessert so you can go talk to her.”
She was right. He could no longer deny that Lily had become more than his nanny. Colin was lucky that Haley was so gracious. It was probably because she was a friend of Lily’s. Everyone who knew her had to understand she was special, that she brought a kind of magic with her.
“I apologize for this.” He felt a spurt of guilt over having taken up her evening for no reason.
“No apology necessary.” Haley stood, shaking his hand as if they’d had a business meeting. “Thank you for dinner, Colin. It was nice meeting you.”
He watched her walk out of the restaurant. He should be kicking himself. Instead, he felt a great sense of relief as he paid the check and headed home.
On the drive, he thought about how he should handle this. He tried to analyze the situation and arrive at the best approach, but he drew a blank. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t see a future for him and Lily. Her goals in life were so different from his own, but he wanted her. And if he’d read the signs coming off her correctly, she felt the same.
He saw the flicker of the television when he entered the house and headed to the living room. Lily was sitting on the couch, her bare feet resting on the coffee table. She was beautiful, even without the sexy glasses that he liked so much.
“Uh-oh. It’s barely nine o’clock,” she said, sitting up straighter. “Was the date that bad?”
“We cut it short.” He sat next to her, placing his arm across the back of the couch.
“You weren’t attracted to her?” Lily angled her body toward him.
“No.” He kept his answer short as he made up his mind what he wanted out of the evening with her.
“I’m sorry. I thought you’d suit.” Lily seemed genuinely sad it hadn’t worked out. Did that mean she wasn’t interested in him? Or was she being selfless? His money was on the second.
“As it turns out, she isn’t the type of woman I’m looking for.” His eyes stayed on her, trying to gauge her reaction to him.
“Oh, why not?” She shook her head, a sheepish expression crossing her face. “Don’t answer that. It’s none of my business. Forget I said anything.”
“No worries.” He had other things to concern him—like how he’d just blown off a date because he was infatuated with his nanny. A fact he couldn’t bring himself to regret. The question was, where could the evening take them? “What are you watching?”
; “Just an old movie,” she said, hitting the pause button on the remote. “I should go, now that you’re home. Sofia hasn’t made a peep since I put her down.”
“Give me another minute, please. There’s something I want to talk to you about.” He wasn’t ready for her to go, not until he’d let her know how attracted he was to her—because it couldn’t be denied any longer.
“Are you still worried about yesterday?” she asked.
“It’s a safe neighborhood,” he said, “but it had me on edge, especially since you were both napping.”
“Perfectly understandable.” She smiled at him, drawing him in. He leaned closer. “I hope you know that I would never knowingly endanger Sofia.”
“I know that, but”—he was ready to cross the line with her and hoped she was willing, too— “it’s not only about Sofia.” He raised his hand to caress her cheek. Her eyes widened at the contact, but she didn’t move away. “I’m worried about you, too. I think about you so much.”
“Me?” she whispered.
“Yeah, you’re important to me, important enough that I want to keep you close.” Once he stuck his toe over that line, he was ready to leap past it.
“How close?” A flirtatious lilt entered her voice, and she shifted nearer to him. “Is this good?”
“Closer.” He lifted her, placing her on his lap. Her arms went around his neck without hesitation, and he sank his fingers into her thick hair.
“I like being this… close to you,” she said.
“I’m starting to think it was inevitable.” He kissed the side of her neck, slowly making his way up to her jaw.
“Is that bad?” Her voice was breathless.
“Nothing that feels this good can be bad.” He loved the way she fit against him. “I want you, Lily. Come upstairs with me.” He put the invitation out there, hoping she wouldn’t refuse it—but willing to respect it if she did.
“I’d like a kiss first,” she said, shifting on his lap so she straddled him. The contact made him harden instantly.
“Is this an audition? If I’m a bad kisser, is the night over?” he teased. He didn’t wait for her reply but began the kiss, gentle in the beginning but soon succumbing to the fireworks they’d both kept unignited until then. Her lips, soft and sweet, opened to him, immediately responding when his tongue swept into her mouth. She nipped at his tongue, evoking a moan from him and making him delve deeper into her wet heat. The kiss continued until they were both panting, and then he broke free.
“Upstairs,” he said, rising with her arms and legs still wrapped around him. He wasn’t the type of man who made love on his couch. He wanted a big bed where he could explore every inch of her.
Her hands clasped his face as she gave him a seductive smile. “What makes you think you passed the audition?”
He ground his erection against her core, drawing a whimper from her. “That.” He moved toward the stairs with her still in his arms. At the top, he hesitated, throwing a glance toward Sofia’s room. He always checked on her when he went to bed.
“Go look,” Lily said, understanding his hesitation.
He put her gently on her feet. “Don’t move.” He stepped into Sofia’s room. His daughter was sound asleep, peaceful and dreamy. He gave her a swift kiss and pulled up the blanket before going back in the hall.
Lily hadn’t moved, as he commanded, but she’d stripped off her sweater, revealing a lace-edged camisole. Her nipples pressed against the fabric, making his mouth go dry. She was beautiful and sexy, and he was done trying not to notice.
“No bra?” He wouldn’t mind taking one off her, but this was better.
She gave a little shrug. “It’s evening.”
His fingers itched to touch her, to take off the camisole, leggings, and panties—but not standing in the hall. She must have read his thoughts, because she started to back up toward his bedroom. He prowled after her, keeping just inches away until they crossed the threshold and he closed the door behind them. That was the release they both needed. Her hands went under the edge of his sweater, lifting it over his head.
“You looked so nice dressed for your date,” she said as she quickly undid the buttons of his shirt. “I was jealous.”
“You were?” he asked in amazement.
“Definitely.” She ran her hands over his chest and stomach. “Not anymore, though, since I’m the one in your bedroom.” Her touch strayed closer to his belt buckle, then slipped slowly down to cup his erection.
He couldn’t move for a second, overwhelmed by her. His next thought was, why the hell was he just standing there when she was in his bedroom? He took her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing the inside of her wrist before traveling up her arm. At her shoulder, he pushed aside the thin strap of her shirt, his mouth moving across her smooth skin. When she arched back, he took her nipple in his mouth through the thin fabric.
“Oh, God. Take this off.” She caught at the edge of her camisole. Together, they lifted it over her head and tossed it aside. He caught her breasts again, sucking and licking her nipples until he felt her start to buckle. Slowly, he backed her up until she bumped the bed. He dropped to his knees and drew down her leggings, exposing a blue lace thong and the creamy, inviting skin of her thighs.
“I wanted to take it slower, but…” he whispered as he kissed the little triangle of fabric.
“This is just right,” she said, her hands stroking his hair. “Make love to me, Colin.”
He hooked two fingers under the elastic of her thong and pulled it down so she could step free of it. Then he lifted her onto the bed before stripping off the rest of his clothing. She watched, her eyes going to his erection when he shed his boxer shorts. A little smile appeared on her face. He wanted to touch and taste every inch of her. And he would, he promised himself, knowing this was just the beginning of the night.
He reached in the nightstand drawer for a condom, tossing the foil package onto the bed.
“I hope you have more of those.” She stretched her arms over her head and spread her legs a little, and his dick hardened even more. But he smiled, too, knowing that she had some temptress in her.
“What are you suggesting?” He climbed onto the bed, placing his knees on either side of her legs and kneeling over her. With one finger, he drew lazy circles around her breasts, over her stomach, to the apex of her thighs. Her eyes closed when he stroked her wet clit and slipped his finger inside her. Her thighs widened, letting him add a second finger. Pleasure flitted across her face.
“So good,” she murmured, “but I want you inside me.”
When she opened her eyes, he could have been lost in their hazel depths. He saw desire, a little deviltry, and something else he couldn’t identify. She grinned and reached for the condom package, ripping it open. Reaching for him, she stroked her fingers over the length of his dick and rubbed her thumb over the tip.
“Later, I want to suck you,” she whispered, sending a powerful jolt of lust through him. The thought of Lily’s mouth on him nearly made him come.
He had to grit his teeth when she rolled the condom on him. As soon as that was done, he pushed her to the mattress. Wasting no time, he thrust into her, kissing her at the moment their bodies joined. His tongue wrangled with hers as he pushed deep into her velvety heat.
Her legs wound around him, giving him more of her, opening herself completely to him. She kept pace with him as he built the rhythm between them. He broke from her mouth to kiss her neck and breasts, increasing the tension as he neared his climax. She moaned, stroking his back and whispering his name. Knowing she was close, he slipped a hand between them and swiped his finger across her swollen clit, sending her into an orgasm. She clung more tightly to him, her insides throbbing around him, until he came, his ecstasy lasting longer than it ever had before.
Their eyes met. Hers were languid and satisfied, but he read in them what he felt inside. This was more than an attraction, more than casual sex.
“I’m glad you’re suc
h a good kisser,” she said, making him chuckle.
He rolled onto the bed next to her, but he couldn’t stop touching her. His hands roamed over her body, giving comfort instead of feeding need, until he heard her breathing steady into sleep. He got up and disposed of the condom. When he returned to bed, she curled into him. Happily, he wrapped his arms around her and went to sleep.
9
Lily pulled on a knit skirt and ran a brush through her hair. She had five minutes before she needed to get into the main part of the house so Colin could leave for work. His job had kept him away from her throughout the week—which was good, she rationalized, because they both needed some distance from what happened the previous Saturday.
Sleeping with him had been incredible. She’d shocked herself with her own forwardness when she’d taken charge during their second round of lovemaking. The memory of what she had done made her blush. She’d gone down on him, bringing him right to the edge before he’d flipped her on her back and used his incredible body to please her.
He overpowered her, and she was happy to be dominated, knowing that she could exert her will over him with a touch of her hand or flick of her tongue. It was gratifying, but it had ended too quickly when his phone rang at four in the morning. There was some kind of emergency at work. He’d left the bed immediately, showered, and been out the door in ten minutes with only a brush of his lips against her cheek. No soft words or promises about what came next.
Because nothing did. She stuffed items she’d want for her and Sofia’s outing that day into a backpack. She and Colin weren’t suited, a fact they both knew, which was why neither had broached the subject in the six days since then. Of course, she’d hardly seen him. He came home for a few hours here and there to get fresh clothes, see Sofia, and take a quick nap before heading back out. In those brief encounters, they’d exchanged not one personal word, making it clear what happened was just a one-night thing that changed nothing about their relationship.
The SEAL’s Beautiful Nanny: The Admiral’s SEALs Book Two Page 6