Page 35 of One Night With The Nanny

“Nope! We’re playing H-O-R-S-E!” She cackled like a villain as she left them.

Reid offered Max an apologetic cringe. “Sorry. I really want that date with Mia for you, but she’s going to smoke me.”

“Probably,” Max said, shrugging. “But I already feel like I’ve won.” He stole a quick glance at the kitchen before pressing a kiss to Reid’s lips. “Thank you.”

“I… You’re welcome,” Reid mumbled, then gave his head a shake. He was there for Mia, he couldn’t get carried away with Max no matter how adorable he was being. “And don’t do that,” he scolded.

“Sorry.” But Max didn’t look very sorry as he stacked their plates, winking at Reid. “Your plan worked better than you could possibly have imagined,” he said quietly, surprising Reid.

“Really? Even with that business about Ella?” he whispered as he checked the kitchen. Mia was still rinsing her dishes at the sink.

“I think that business with Ella was very overdue. All of this is,” Max said simply and laughed. “I’m rather proud of how well her plan worked as well.”

“What plan?” Reid asked suspiciously, but Max just shrugged as he left with their plates.

“Are you ready to get crushed?” Mia asked Reid, making Max beam as he turned on the faucet.

“Why don’t you two go ahead? I’ll clean up and come watch,” he offered.

Reid gestured for her to lead the way, glaring at Max. “Take your time. This isn’t gonna be pretty.” He knew the two of them would gang up on him, but Reid wasn’t going to accept defeat easily. Not if there was a chance he could outsmart Max and Mia and dazzle her with his jump shot.

Turns out, Reid couldn’t dazzle Mia if he had been dipped in glitter and confetti had shot out of his ass. She nailed every single shot from every spot in the yard, including an impossible one from the stoop. Meanwhile, Reid had stunk like hot garbage, missing every shot.

“We should have played P-I-G,” he grumbled when the game was over. “We didn’t need to drag the humiliation out for five whole letters.”

“You tried,” Max said and beamed at Mia.

“You set me up,” Reid accused them, causing Mia to cackle again.

“If it helps, he was deeply conflicted,” she said, but Reid shook his head at Max.

“I’ll bet he was.”

“Oh! Look at the time!” Mia pointed at her bare wrist. “Sophia should be here soon. I didn’t want to be in the way,” she said and hugged Reid around his middle again. “I’m so glad you came over. Thanks for being such a good sport.”

“I let you win,” Reid said and hugged her back.

“Sure you did.” She rolled her eyes and was laughing as she hopped onto her toes and kissed Max’s cheek as she passed him. “See you later, Daddy,” she said before running up the steps and into the house, leaving a startled Max staring after her.

“Goodnight, princess,” he called and his hand trembled as he touched his cheek. “Did you see that? Another kiss!” Max laughed as he turned back to Reid. “She kissed me!” He pulled Reid into his arms and spun them. “She kissed me!”

And then he kissed Reid.

His hands spread across Reid’s back and slid through his hair as Max’s lips covered his and it felt like they were spinning faster and faster as their tongues tangled and thrust. Reid was dizzy when he finally leaned back in Max’s arms.

“Don’t do that,” he said, but Reid didn’t trust his legs enough to let go yet.

“Sorry,” Max murmured, the liar.

They heard the doorbell ring and Mia shouted “I’ll get it!”

“Sophia!” Max released Reid, leaping up the stoop’s steps and through the back door. “Wait,” he called.

Reid hurried after him, hoping for another sighting of Max’s estranged older daughter and to somehow prolong her visit.

“Just act normal!” Mia urged Max, pointing threateningly as she held onto the doorknob. “I might be able to get her to come over for dinner next week if Reid promises to come and you just act normal,” she hissed and Max nodded quickly.

“I can be normal!”

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