I held back and watched the situation unfold.
The little girl glanced up at us and then back down at the phone in her hand.
"Annie, I want you to meet your new nanny, Miss Gray."
Annie, her little face still full of red spots, glanced up at me again, pressed her lips together tightly, flipped onto her stomach, and languidly kicked her legs in the air. Her shoulders drew up closer to her ears as she peered down at her phone’s screen as if it was the only important thing in the room.
This wasn't going to be easy.
But that was okay.
I liked a challenge.
"You don't want to say hi?" Christian asked as he moved closer and sat on the bed beside her.
Annie shook her head.
Her father rubbed her back lightly.
She ducked her head under her father’s arms and secretly cut a hateful glare my way.
Okay, I wasn't expecting that.
She clearly didn’t want me here, but I didn’t have even a moment of uncertainty. If the little madam thought I’d give up just like that, she had another think coming. I would get this child to be my friend if it killed me.
Chapter Three
Hannah
"Alright, I’ve got some paperwork to sort out with Miss Gray. Maybe we could watch a movie together, after that."
Annie perked right up. "Really?”
"Really?”
"Do I get to pick?"
"Maybe.”
“I know what. I’ll pick a selection and you can pick from that.”
“Fine,” he conceded,
"Yes!" she shouted as she hopped off the bed and bounced over to the TV. She picked up the remote and started going through movies.
Christian laughed, a deep smooth sound. “But just give me a little while, okay? Play your game, and I'll be back."
Something about a single dad and a child had always been my weakness. That gorgeous hard edge only softened by love was enough to make me melt. I wanted to see that smile on Christian's lips again. It just came off as so sweet and comforting.
"I'll bring some snacks up for us," he said, standing and pushing his hands into his pockets. "Anything you want in particular?"
"Popcorn and juice," she said distractedly as she found a movie that drew her eye.
"Juice and popcorn, it is."
"Okay, Daddy."
As soon as we left the room, the smile was gone from Christian's face again. That same distant coldness filled the space between us as we walked downstairs together.
I cleared my throat and tried to clear away the awkwardness I felt. "She seems sweet."
"She is," he agreed as we stepped off downstairs. "She has a hard time letting new people in, but she's not a bad kid."
"I'm sure she isn't," I said politely. “Uh… where is the rest of the staff?”
He cut his eyes in my direction. "They are attending a wedding. One of the maids is getting married.”
We walked in silence until we ended up back in his office where he rooted around in a drawer and produced a set of keys.
I took them and clutched them in my palm. He stood so close to me I swear I could feel his body heat if I leaned in just a little.
"You can start tomorrow morning. Arrive at about seven. Be on time. Take the paperwork with you and bring it back tomorrow signed.” He pointed at the file in front of me. “Mrs. Bennet, my housekeeper has included a file on Annie’s diet and schedule in there."
"Sure, great. Uh… Mr. West, I mean Christian. Thank you for giving me the job. I promise you won’t regret it."
Something flashed in his eyes as if he already regretted his decision, but he said nothing.
I took the papers and shook his hand. Our palms stayed connected a little longer than they needed to, but I felt unable to let go right away and for that matter so did he.
Christian pulled away and cleared his throat before gathering up some paperwork. "I'll see you in the morning," I said with a big smile. "Thanks again for the opportunity."
Christian nodded distantly, and I could tell it was the end of the conversation. That was all I would be getting out of him. “Well, I’ll show myself out, then. Goodbye, Christian,” I called as I walked out of his office. I walked into the warm sunlight feeling excited and optimistic.
Things were going to work out great, I could feel it.
Chapter Four
Christian
I watched Hannah’s annoyingly hot body as she walked to her car. The shape of her ass wrapped in that form fitting skirt was a problem. She looked like a feast waiting to be devoured. My eyes wouldn't—if I was being honest, couldn’t—leave her body the entire time. For fuck’s sake, I might just have a permanent goddamn boner with her around.
She was hot in all the right ways. Tall and curvy with long, blonde hair that flowed down to her ample chest. And those eyes. Baby blue. I wanted them trained on me while I ran my hands over her body. I caught the way she stared at me when she thought I didn't notice. She wanted me as much as I wanted her.
What the hell am I thinking?
I groaned as I watched her pull away with a satisfied smile on her face.
I hadn't even meant to hire her! I knew she was trouble the moment I set eyes on her and the play was to pretend to look at her credentials then politely look up and tell her she would be compensated for her time and travel costs, but she was not the right candidate. One minute I was still looking over her credentials, the next I looked into her eyes and before I knew it—the words fell from my lips that she could start tomorrow. Something told me this was a huge mistake. If I couldn't focus now, how much worse would it get when I was around her all of the time?
"She's just a woman and you’re not a fucking animal," I whispered to myself.
I'd been around plenty of hot women and some of them were out of bounds, so I knew better than to go there. Hannah Gray was strictly out of bounds. I would just have to control myself. As simple as that. Anyway, the way Annie reacted to her, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was gone a lot sooner than she was expecting.
Hmmm. Maybe I could pursue her then…
The thought made my cock stir. It had been way too long since I'd had anyone who’d affected me this strongly. I took the stairs two at a time and stopped off to check on Annie. She was still occupied with her game so I made a beeline for my bedroom. I couldn't understand why I couldn't stop thinking about Hannah Gray, but I had to get her out of my head before I lost my mind.
As I walked into the en-suite bathroom, I tugged my clothes off and tossed them to the side. Then I started up the shower. A cold shower should do the trick. Fuck! The freezing water was a shock to my system. My erection died a quick death. I turned the water back to warm. The change was delicious. I leaned my forehead against the tiles and let the water run down my head and back.
Instantly, Hannah Gray slipped into my mind. I saw her sitting in front of me again. Swallowing hard, her pale fingers fidgeting nervously with the strap of her purse. She was perfect. In every way.
The white blouse she'd worn was light and I could make out the faintest hint of a sky-blue bra underneath. She'd adjusted the blouse and tugged up the undershirt cutting off my mesmerizing view, but I could see it even now.
My tongue darted over my lips. The way she pressed her thighs together or toyed with her hair fucking tore me up. Did she even know she did those insufferably sexy things? Those blue eyes looked at me and practically screamed fuck me. I had a feeling if I climbed on top of her, she wouldn't mind at all. That just made every nerve more alive and every inch of me long to touch her.
Grabbing the body wash, I started to lather up my skin.
I closed my eyes as my hands drifted over my cock.
My brain conjured up images of her sitting on my desk with those black heels on and nothing more. I wanted to have her prop her feet up on my desk chair… to feel those hot blue eyes on me as I ran my hands down her thighs, gripped them, and pried them apart. I wanted to dev
our her until she screamed.
But she didn’t allow me to. I saw Hannah bend over my desk, her ass in the air as she hiked that skirt up and over smooth, creamy flesh.
My hand turned into a fist as I gripped my length.
I imagined her legs spreading wider for me while she reached back and held herself open for my perusal. That thought alone shot a shiver down my spine. I felt my tongue lick all the way up that wet, pink slit.
The thought of Hannah moaning, squirming and crying out my name was too damn much. My breath caught in my throat and I grunted as I braced my hand against the shower wall and stroked my cock harder.
I threw my head back as my breath came out in little pants. My shoulders juddered as my stomach clenched and tightened. I thought about my bare cock plunging into her body and that tipped me right over the edge. My hips jerked and twitched until I'd pumped every last drop of cum from my body. By the time I was done, I was panting and shaking my head.
What the fuck?
The woman hadn't even started and already—I had fucked her in my head. Just the thought of that supple young body of hers sent shivers up and down my spine. Even after a climax like that, I was still on fire.
Not liking the implication of her effect on me, I quickly rinsed myself off and yanked down my towel before getting out of the shower. I had to stop thinking about her. That was the only way to curb the strong urges that threatened to rear their ugly heads again.
With great deliberation, I pushed Hannah out of my mind as I dried off. I didn't have time in my life for women at the moment. The only person I had time for was Annie. I had to keep my eyes on that and not fall into that honey trap again. The last thing I needed was another Daphne.
Chapter Five
Hannah
Betsy and I made it home safely. I sailed into my apartment and plopped down on my couch. I felt strangely exhilarated and pumped up on adrenaline as if I’d just got off one of those giant rollercoaster rides.
I kicked off my shoes and leaned my head back against the couch. For the millionth time, I replayed the interview. Christian had been distant, but not cruel. I'd met my fair share of snobby, uptight parents, but that didn't seem to be the problem with him. He just seemed a bit… cold. Not with Annie though, that was warm and natural, and much more important. I'd seen cold parents with their children. Not fun. Those kids were always a little screwed up and who could blame them?
Maybe he just had strict rules about fraternizing with the staff. I one-hundred percent intended to keep him at a safe distance. Mostly because I didn’t want to burn through too many panties.
Even so… Christian’s sexy face popped into my head again.
No… he was not stuck up, but he definitely had an air of sophistication about him. I thought about the elegant way he moved while he showed me around his house. Part of me wondered what it would be like to climb into his lap and nibble on his ear while he talked.
His lips looked so inviting. A bit on the plump side and just begging for my own lips to be pressed against them. The way he'd licked his lips was enough to almost push me over the deep end. I imagined that tongue sliding into my folds and tasting me. The thought made me shiver. I wanted to feel him touch me, even just once.
Do NOT have these kinds of thoughts about your boss.
I knew it was wrong, but it felt so, so right. I was fascinated by him. His looks, his strong personality. Something so tightly restrained about him made me want to draw out his wild side. I just knew deep down that this man was a monster in all the best ways. I wanted to see more and get to understand the man behind the chilly wall he'd put up.
Come on, Hannah!
I forced myself to get off of the couch and wander into the kitchen. I needed food. Nothing could be wrong enough that a bit of chicken and slice of apple pie wouldn’t cure. I peered into my fridge with a slight frown. Other than the apple pie and leftover chicken, the shelves were nearly bare. Thank God, I'd landed the job.
I hadn't had a job in a couple of weeks. After my last nanny position ended, there had been nothing suitable at the agency so all I could do was sit, wait and be glad that I'd had some meager savings put aside, but it had dwindled quickly. A little loan to a good friend to help pay her medical bills, an emergency car repair, rent, food, bills. It all went so quickly. I promised myself I'd be a little more tight-fisted with my finances from now on.
As soon as I put the chicken in the pan to cook, I heard my phone going off in my purse. My heart pounded. What if he was calling to say he changed his mind about giving me the job?
I fished my phone out and saw that it was Natalie. She was one of my best friends since grade school. She was one of those people I could call for anything and the same went with her, but she'd been working so much lately, we hadn't been able to sit down and actually have a long chat. I missed the sound of her voice.
"What are you doing calling me? Aren't you off somewhere learning to save the world?"
Natalie laughed. "I might be in med school, but the only thing I'm off to is my waitressing job, so I can keep paying for med school. How was your interview?"
"Actually, it went great! I was hired on the spot and I start tomorrow."
"Congrats. I'm so proud of you hon. How's the new boss? Sweet or snob?"
I laughed. Natalie knew how it all worked. I usually loved the parents of my kids, but every once in a while I got stuck with someone horrible.
"He's... hot," I said.
"Hot?" I could hear the smile on her lips.
"No, really. He's like six foot five at least, with dark hair and these amazing green eyes. And he's so lean and muscular.”
“Muscular?” she interrupted eagerly. “How would you know that? Did you come across him shirtless?”
“Don’t be such an ass. I could tell underneath his shirt. And that ass," I crooned.
"Gorgeous?"
"Round and just waiting to be squeezed," I breathed.
“Correct me if I’ve got the wrong end of the stick, but this is your future boss we’re talking about, right?”
“Don’t worry, I’m just looking. I have no intention of sleeping with my boss.”
“Wouldn’t it be nice if both of you got off together, fell in love, and lived happily ever after?”
"You've been watching romance movies again, haven't you?" I teased. "I keep telling you that's not how real life works."
"It can and it will," she argued. "Besides, no one knows what's going to happen in the future, so don't be so quick to knock it."
I rolled my eyes. "There's no way in hell, Nat. I know that for a fact. I think he likes to keep a very clear line between him and his staff. I mean it was pretty clear from the way he put up a wall so hard and fast that he wants nothing to do with me in the biblical sense."
"So you thought he was really hot?”
I turned the chicken over. “Oh, my God, yes.”
“Did you show him that you thought he was fuckable?”
“Of course not,” I denied immediately. “I’m a professional.”
“Well, then he could have just been acting professional too. Did you see him check you out?"
I thought about it. More than once, I thought I'd saw him looking me up and down. That hunger that rested behind his eyes for a split second was alluring, but it was gone just as quickly as it flashed in those green orbs.
“He did, didn’t he?” she pounced.
"I mean once or twice, but after that he barely looked at me at all. Like I said, there's no way. Besides, I'm okay with that. He's my boss. The last thing I need to do is get tangled up in some kind of romantic tryst and ruin my job. Just before you called, I was staring at an empty fridge."
"I get it," Nat said as I heard her start up her car. “You do need to put yourself out there again though. Just because your ex was a piece of shit doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again.”
I started peeling the cling-film from the pie. “I’m trying to be sensible and responsible here.”
<
br /> “And I’m trying to make sure you don’t end up as an old woman with fifty cats,” she said pointedly.
“You’re the most frustrating person in the world,” I declared and I could practically hear her smiling.
“That’s what I’m always going for. Look, all I’m saying is just be open to the possibility of things. I need to go, I'm about to drive. Call you when I get home?"
"How about after work tomorrow? I want to make sure I get plenty of rest before I start in the morning."
"Sounds like a plan. Talk to you tomorrow. Don’t hump your boss. Hold out for the ring on your finger first.” She hung up before I could reply.
Chapter Six
Hannah
I shook my head at my phone. What a pain she was, but I wouldn’t change a thing about her. Maybe she was right about the dating thing though. I guess it was time to get over the whole Jack thing and find someone new.
I went back to making my dinner as I pondered that thought. When I was done, I carried my food into the living room and settled down on the couch in front of the TV. It was better to watch some crappy show than to keep thinking about Christian. Especially, when those thoughts eventually skewed off to ones where Christian was naked and on top of me.
I polished off my food, the pie was delicious, then I picked out my outfit for the next day. I wanted to dress more comfortably now, since I'd be running after a small child. I settled on a pair of nice jeans and a maroon davenport cardigan. Underneath I decided on a black, short-sleeved shirt so that I would be comfortable and warm if I needed it.
I felt as if I could break into song like Mary Poppins as I turned in for the night. I was out like a light as soon as my head touched the pillow and it was only my alarm blaring that woke me up. As if on springs, I jumped out of bed and started my routine. In less than half-an-hour, I was standing in front of the mirror holding a mug of coffee and my bag which held any supplies I might need for the day. Snatching my keys from the side table, I jogged out of the door. I was raring to get to work. I was so upbeat, it felt like the start of something great.
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