Page 40 of Beneficial Misfortune

I hear him walk across the kitchen, but I refuse to turn around, carefully focusing on moving the cookies with much more concentration than necessary.

Which is why I almost jump out of my damn skin when he reaches around me to snag a cookie off the tray. His very bare chest presses against my back, and I suck in a breath, damn near choking on it.

He stays right against my back as he brings the cookie up to his mouth to take a bite, and I feel the rumble in his chest as he lets out a groan.

“Um, this might be the best cookie I’ve ever had,” he says before turning his head to press his lips close to my ear. “Second best-tasting thing in the room,” he breathes low enough that Addison won’t hear him, but loud enough that there’s no way for me to miss it.

“We made them!” Addison announces proudly. Her mouth full of her own cookie that slightly muffles her words.

Desmond lingers for a moment longer before moving away, but not before I feel him reach down to adjust.

Don’t think about his dick, Kat!

Nope, too late.

He moves away, and I turn, watching him move to the counter opposite of Addison, and now I’m looking at his ass.

Fantastic.

He leans forward, resting his elbows on the counter so that they are eye to eye. “You made these?” he asks, sounding shocked, and she eats it up.

“Yes! Me and Ms. Kat played outside and then made mac and cheese and cookies, and they are so good, and she’s the best nanny EVER!”

“Well, she sure sounds fantastic, and these cookies are great, but I think you're forgetting about one important question.” Judging by the look on Addison’s face, I’d say she’s just as confused as I am.

“What?” she asks, leaning closer to him, her little face very serious, and I’ll be damned if they aren’t adorable. I know from the way she talked about him at school that she adores him, but there’s no denying he feels the same.

Desmond glances back at me over his shoulder and catches me once again checking him out.

Fuck it, I can look but not touch. I can’t spend every moment trying to avoid looking at them. It’s just not possible.

Turning back to Addison, he leans closer, waving her toward him. She scrambles to reach him, giving him her ear so he can whisper his secret.

“Can she swim?” he asks much louder than a whisper, and I snort.

Desmond pulls back, turning to face me, and I can see the mischief in his eyes.

What is he up to?

“So you can swim?” he asks, crossing his arms.

“Of course I can…” I say in confusion, not sure what he’s up to but knowing it’s something.

A smile turns his lips, and he claps his hands together. The sound rings out around the room, minorly startling me as Addison hops off her stool and runs around the counter, bouncing on her toes with excitement.

“We can swim?” She asks, looking from Desmond to me and back again, looking like she might combust if we don’t answer her.

“I don’t know, Kitten, what do you say? Can we swim?” Desmond asks, cocking a brow at me, almost as if in challenge.

“Um, I don’t see why not,” I tell them, not sure what the big deal is.

Addison throws her arms around my waist with a happy little squeal even before I’ve finished talking, and I look down at her with a smile, shaking my head, still confused.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is. You guys have a pool,” I say, looking to Desmond for answers.

“Her last nanny didn’t know how to swim, so she only got to swim when one of us was here to swim with her or watch her,” he says with a shrug. While that explains her excitement, it still doesn’t make sense.

“Okay, but you're here, so even if I couldn’t, she could still swim…” I trail off, trying to make it make sense in my mind.

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