Page 14 of Billionaire Daddies Next Door

My nanny had been a harsh Russian woman who hated children and only made it in the business because she could scare a child into behaving. She’d been able to cut me down to nothing with one look. Mabelle seemed to leak love and sweetness. She was nothing like Ms. Anna, and her aura called to the kid in me. “You’re always welcome to come over to my house if you need to get away from The Shining twins and their male counterparts.”

Mabelle reached up and ruffled my hair, accepting me into her circle that easily. “I’ll take you up on that, honey. Now, girls, take Joanie to the veranda. I’ve got your tea party set up there.”

Maggie nodded dramatically. “Yes, Ms. Bell.”

I felt a shiver work its way down my spine. There was something creepy about seeing either of the girls behaving, even after only being in their presence a few times. I got the feeling I was being led through the gates of hell, but they were just kids. How bad could they be?

CHAPTER 11

Bear

I dropped my head back and stared up at the ceiling, letting out a long groan after shooting my come against the shower wall. My self-control had vanished since meeting Joanie Cartwright. I woke up multiple times a night with a massive erection and my pillow clenched in my arms like I was still holding Joanie under me. I’d never felt such a carnal reaction to a woman before. I hated that. I hated that Joanie could evoke something in my body my wife hadn’t been able to.

Dropping my head forward, I let it thunk against the warm tiles. Guilt still ate away at me. No amount of therapy had been able to get rid of it. Even after six years, I still felt the guilt. It ate at me like a cancer and left me staring at my ceiling, waiting for sleep. When those nights grew farther apart, there was a new guilt to take its place, a guilt I felt for moving on. It was a cycle I hadn’t been able to beat.

Michelle had deserved better. I deserved to suffer in her absence. Except…when I woke up after dreaming of Joanie’s smart mouth and bad attitude, the guilt took longer to strike. Her big blue eyes narrowed in anger rattled around my brain, instead of Michelle’s green ones. It was crazy-making. I didn’t want to want Joanie the way I did. I had enough crazy on my plate with the girls. Plus, no one would ever argue that Joanie wasn’t an infuriating woman. She should’ve sent my dick running for the hills. Instead, she had me harder than nails even after I’d just come.

Stretching my arms over my head, I let the hot water wash over my face as I stretched. It burned but I welcomed the distraction. I was losing my mind. I could somehow almost hear her voice.

My stomach tightened as I realized I really could hear her voice. It sounded like she was getting closer. In the time it took for me to make sense of what was happening, my bathroom door was shoved open and then Joanie stumbled inside. Her blonde hair instantly grew in the steam and her eyes went as big and round as saucers. They also went straight to my dick.

I was frozen. I should’ve covered myself, but I didn’t. I just stood there with just the glass shower door separating us, my dick rock hard and practically jumping at seeing the woman of his dreams.

Joanie opened and closed her mouth like she was trying to say something but no sound came out. Her eyes moved from my dick to my flat stomach and wide chest before dropping right back to my dick. It seemed she was a fan and that just made it grow thicker.

Every thought fled from my brain except the ones that centered around Joanie. Precum beaded at my tip when she licked her lips and without considering the consequences, I wrapped my hand around the base of my cock and squeezed. I could all but feel the little breath she sucked in.

Her eyes slowly moved up to mine and when our gazes collided, she gripped the counter next to her and swayed in my direction. It was my growl of need that broke her from the spell, though.

I watched in pain as she came to her senses and spun around. Facing the door, she lifted her hands and covered her face before running them through her hair. I fought with every ounce of my strength to stay put.

“I—I’m sorry. The girls told me to use this bathroom. I… Jesus. This is not happening.” She peeked over her shoulder and stole one last glance at my dick before rushing out of the bathroom.

I leaned against the shower wall and glanced up at the same ceiling I’d stared at just a few minutes earlier but things felt different. Joanie was attracted to me. That changed things.

I cleaned my mess off the shower wall and turned the water to cold in an attempt to calm the beast down below. I wanted to find Joanie and see what she was up to and I wouldn’t be able to do that with a giant tent in my pants. Mabelle would murder me if she saw even a hint of any funny business. She’d encouraged me to date after Michelle’s death, but at the first sign of my intentions being carnal, she started lecturing. She expected me to court a woman for a year before kissing her. She wasn’t exactly understanding of the fact I didn’t want to court anyone. I wasn’t sure I ever would again. I had needs, though.

Joanie looked like the woman to take care of those needs. She was fire and might rip my head off after sex, but I’d die happy. She wasn’t going to beg me to settle down with her after sex, either. That was important. I wasn’t ready for more. I didn’t deserve more.

The only challenge was Chase. He’d spent the night with Joanie and came back from her house like he’d been to war and won. He wanted more. I’d seen Smith eye Joanie up and down more than once, too. We’d never gone for the same woman before, but none of us had any claim on Joanie. As far as I was concerned, she was available.

I dressed and went out in search of my daughters, knowing they probably had Joanie held hostage somewhere in the house. I heard their laughter coming from the porch and stopped in my tracks when I spotted them.

The three of them were sitting around a small table on the porch, facing out over the hills behind the house. The sun was starting to set and the orange and pink sky lit the horizon. Macey and Maggie were both staring up at Joanie with giant smiles on their faces. I could only make out the back of Joanie’s head, but I could hear her husky laugh through the windows lining the porch.

“The girls love her already.”

I flinched and turned to face Mabelle. How she’d managed to sneak up on me, I’d never know. For a robust woman, she moved like a trained assassin. “They barely know her. They’ve spent less than an hour with her in total.”

Mabelle linked her elbow through mine and patted my arm. “Sometimes, you just know.”

I stiffened and pulled away. “I have some emails to respond to.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Bear. You can’t be that big of a baby. Go out there and talk to her.”

I shoved my hands into my pockets and shook my head. “I’ll be in my office if the girls need me.”

I stalked away from the woman who’d become like a mother to me. I didn’t want her to see how little I’d managed to heal since Michelle’s death. I knew she’d push for therapy again and we’d just fight about it.

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