Page 72 of Marrying the Nanny

“It was fine. Consensual. But not fireworks. I have a better time in the bathtub.”

It was a lame joke, but rather than chuckle, he only stared at her.

Her sense of exposure redoubled. “Your eggs are burning.”

He snapped off the burner and dragged the pan off the heat, then folded his arms and leaned his hip beside the stove. “The best thing you can say about your sex life with your ex-husband is that it was consensual?”

“Please don’t tell me every woman you slept with blew your mind. I can’t live up to that.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What happens in the bathtub?”

“Nothing!” She was blushing like the glowing light on a fire truck, regretting she’d said anything.

Amused knowledge lurked in his gaze. Along with a sexy heat that turned her inside out.

“Don’t tease me. This is a really sensitive topic for me. Do you want to be stuck in a marriage with bad sex? I don’t. Not again. It’s demoralizing.”

“I’m not teasing.” His amusement faded. He tilted his head. “Would you like to try a kiss? To see? Because I feel like we’ll be okay in that department.”

She almost whimpered as insecurity crashed down on her.

“If you don’t, that’s fine. I just thought it might…I don’t know. Answer some questions for you.”

“No, I do, but this is where romance and respect crash into each other and ruin everything,” she complained with a wave of her hand. “Yes, I would like to try out a kiss. I’d also like to be swept away by passion and not have the whole thing feel premeditated. Or have my head in analysis mode, worrying about whether it will work without giving it a chance to.”

“You want me to sneak up on you? That’s called assault.” He was smiling again as he set down his wine.

“Don’t laugh. I know I’m a head case.”

“I’m not laughing,” he insisted, but he was a little. “Come here.” He rolled his wrists, inviting her to move closer. “Let’s get past the awkward first one, see what we’re dealing with.”

“I’m genuinely worried, Reid!”

“Your feelings are valid,” he said sincerely. “Even though I don’t share them.” He leaned out to pluck her wine from her hand and set it next to his. “Come here.”

He shifted so his hips were leaned against the bench and opened his feet to make room for her. His stance positioned them more eye to eye as she nervously moved into the space between his legs. He set his hands on her hips, regarding her somberly.

She tentatively set her hands on his chest. Dear Lord, the man was made of firm stuff. The cotton of his T-shirt was like a second skin, taut and warm over thick pecs. She swallowed.

“This is a rehearsal. It doesn’t count,” she said.

His thumbs made restless movements against the waistband of her jeans and his brown eyes seemed full of bronze and golden sparks of light. It hurt to look into them, like staring at the reflection off the water.

“I’ve been wondering how we’d fit together. How we’d make each other feel since…” His mouth tilted with self-deprecation. “Definitely since the bathtub incident, but before that. Day one, in fact.” He looked to her mouth and her throat and down to her breasts, making her entire front tingle. “That’s where the rule came from, Em. All the other reasons are true, but you’re cute and funny and sweet. I was attracted so it stood to reason my brothers might be, too. I didn’t want one of them making a move when I felt honor bound to leave you alone.”

His gaze came back and the masculine interest there seemed to sweep her legs from under her, making her heart tumble.

“You don’t have to say things like that.” Flustered, she lowered her lashes, wanting to believe him, but it smacked of flattery and buttering up.

“Yeah, I do. I want you to know I like you. That I would want to get to know you even if we’d met some other way.”

“Really? Because I’m a fairly boring person. You’ve hit the back of the menu.”

“You could read the menu at a fast-food joint and that accent would entertain me.”

“No, you have an accent,” she countered.

They were smiling now, gazes tangling as they bantered. Flirted? She didn’t let herself pick it apart. When his touch firmed on her lower back, it felt almost natural to press forward into him, to let her arms go around his neck. All she was thinking was, I like you, too.

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