Page 24 of Military Daddies' Nanny

Chapter 9

Nancy

“Remember. You have to bring them back before dinner. Too many crazies running unchecked in this goddamn city.”

I nod quietly as Drew relays his list of commandments for the hundredth time. I know better than to tell him I know what I’m doing and that this isn’t my first rodeo. Plus, whatever his faults, I can’t be mad at a man who is concerned for the safety of his kids.

It was the hardest thing in the world to get Drew to agree to let me spend some time with Bella and Jason. Fortunately, Carlos was around to talk some sense into his best friend.

“Come on, man, cut her some slack,” he said. “It’s not like she plans to auction them off or something. You gotta let her do her job, and she can’t do so without getting to know them first. It’s just the mall, Drew, not Somalia.”

Drew walks us out to the driveway and crosses his arms on his massive chest. “Seven p.m., Nancy. Don’t be late. And drive safe. And don’t forget to have Bella put on some extra sunscreen if she has to stay out in the sun too long.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” I answer. He looks like a statue, rigid with a stern expression. How the hell can someone look so imposing, annoying, and sexy all at once?

Bella and Jason steal glances at me as they have hushed conversations while I drive. I can see them smiling at me through the rearview mirror, and I smile back.

“Come on, you're with me, not your dad,” I say, meeting their eyes in the mirror for a fleeting moment. “You can talk as loud as you want. I don't mind. In fact, I want that…it's quiet in here, don't you agree?”

They chuckled. That's good. We're making progress.

"So," I say, keeping my tone light and friendly as I merge onto the highway. "I was thinking we could start by hitting up the mall for a little shopping trip if that sounds fun?”

The excitement in their eyes is glaring, but they're still holding back their reactions.

“Bella, they've got all kinds of cute stores there where you can look at outfits and accessories. And Jason, the Game Zone usually has a bunch of new games and merch on display."

I see Bella's shoulders tense a bit as she glances up, clearly apprehensive about being put on the spot. But then Jason perks up, his eyes going comically wide behind his thick glasses.

"The newCall of Battlegame just came out last week," he says eagerly, the first real spark of excitement I've seen from him. "I've been wanting to check that out so bad!"

It’s the most I’ve heard the boy say. Ever. Bella seems to relax a little at her brother's enthusiasm, offering him a small smile before turning her attention back to me.

"Shopping could be cool, I guess," she mumbles with a halfhearted shrug, but I don't miss the way her eyes have lit upever so slightly. "Dad never really lets me pick out my own stuff anymore."

A protective fierceness flares in my chest at her words. Of course Drew is just being the typical overbearing father worried about his little girl growing up too fast.

But actively preventing a blossoming young woman like Bella from expressing herself through her clothing and style choices is only going to breed resentment and inhibition.

"Well, your dad may have had to sign off on this little excursion," I say, keeping my voice carefully neutral. "But I fully intend to let you two go a bit wild and get whatever fun new outfits or games you've had your eyes on. Within reason, of course."

Bella's eyes widen almost comically at that. "Wait…really? You're not going to be all judgey and lame about what we pick?"

I have to suppress a laugh at her affectionately rude phrasing. "Heavens no! We're going to have a totally judgment-free shopping experience today. I'm here to facilitate self-expression and youthful exploration, not stifle it."

The bright, surprised grin she shoots me makes it all worth it. In the rearview, I catch Jason watching our interaction with a curious look on his face. The excitement from earlier is gone, and he’s back to his usual taciturn disposition.

As we finally pull into the crowded mall parking lot, I can't help but feel a slight sense of relief at the chance to get out of the house and away from the complicated emotional turbulence of the past few days.

I keep replaying the heated, breathless kiss I shared with Nathan at the bar, paralyzed by a swirling haze of arousal and disbelief that it had even happened.

And of course, there's no ignoring the fact that shortly after that mind-blowing make-out session, I baldly admitted to finding both Nathan and Carlos irresistibly attractive along with Drew. I’m basically throwing all caution to the wind and putting my deviant desires for all three smoking hot men out on the table with zero chill.

God, the memory of it still makes me cringe with humiliating embarrassment. What had possessed me to be so bold and reckless?

I've spent my whole life since puberty striving to hold myself to the highest moral standards, bottling up any untoward sexual urges or improper thoughts as firmly as possible.

Yet one night of wine-fueled overindulgence was all it took for me to basically throw away all sense of propriety in a blazing cloud of lust and desperate desire.

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