Page 16 of Beneficial Misfortune

“Oh, there's no need. I’d just have to catch the subway over there. Here or there, it doesn't really make much difference.”

His head tilts slightly to the side, and his lips pull down as he looks at me for a moment.

“Do you not own a vehicle?” he asks, and suddenly, his idea to drop me back off at the school makes more sense.

Duh, of course, I’m sure many people drive themselves to work.

“Um, I do. But I usually take the subway to and from work. The traffic is terrible, and the parking pass costs a bit, even for teachers. Not to mention, I’ve not had the best of luck when itcomes to learning my way around. New York is a lot harder to navigate than Maine, that’s for sure,” I ramble, feeling the need to explain.

“You take the subway every day?” Nathaniel asks, as if needing me to confirm he’s heard correctly.

I nod, unsure, because somehow he seems almost upset by that.

He schools his features before stepping back up onto the sidewalk right in front of me, forcing me to look up to continue to meet his gaze.

“Thank you for your assistance with Addison today,” he says again, and his eyes are so damn pretty I’m lost in them. “I would appreciate it if you allowed me to have Vincent drive you home.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to deny him. If I felt out of place and underdressed now, it would only be a hundred times worse if he saw where I live. The apartment itself isn’t terrible, but the neighborhood isn’t great.

If it were any other day and we were still at the school, I would decline, but seeing as I have no idea where I am and it’s so humid the air is damn near suffocating, I find myself nodding before I can overthink it anymore.

He’s only trying to be nice. I’m sure he’s seen more than enough of the city; he has to know some places are better than others.

His lips turn up in a hint of a smile before he steps back, turning to hold his arm out for me toward the limo. The second he turns away, it’s as if I’m freed from a spell. His ice-blue eyes no longer hold me captive, and I realize what I just agreed to.

Damn it, Kat.

Is that all it takes? Some nice words and pretty eyes?

Well, I guess that’s not all it is. Nathaniel is much more than that, and I feel like I’d be hard-pressed to find a woman who was indifferent to the effect he has.

I move between Vincent and him to crawl into the back with Addison, who quickly throws herself into my arms when she sees me. A moment later, Nathaniel joins us on the bench seat to my right.

Vincent swings the door closed behind him, and I’m suddenly very aware of how close we are. The limo is huge, yet with Addison jumping into my arms, I hadn’t had the time or space to move farther into the car. Now, with her on my lap, I can’t really go anywhere.

This isn’t like the elevator, where I thought he was close but wasn’t sure. No, this time, I know he’s close. So close that when Addison turns in her seat to lean her head against me and jolts my leg, my thigh ends up pressed against his.

My eyes are stuck on the spot where we touch as my body lights on fire. Even with my skirt and his pants between us, it’s too much and yet somehow not enough.

I swallow hard, giving it a moment so as not to pull away too fast before I tuck my leg behind my other one. Hopefully, it seems as if I’m just adjusting for comfort and modesty and not what it actually is.

Fuck, I hope not.

Vincent pulls out into traffic, calling back for my address, and I rattle it off without thinking, thankful for the distraction.

The drive feels like it takes forever, though I know it doesn't. It's only been about thirty minutes, and I’m not that far from the school. After a few minutes of driving, Addison lays her head in my lap, and I run my fingers through her long brown locks. It gives me something to do to calm my nerves, and after a few minutes, I see her eyes begin to droop.

I can’t help but smile down at her. She’s so full of life, happy, smart, and just amazing. I love all of my students, but she really latched onto me. I’d been nervous when I first started, havingnever worked at such a prestigious school before, but my class is amazing, and now I have no doubts this is what I’m meant to do.

“She’s not usually so accepting of people. I’m unsure what you did, but she’s truly comfortable with you.”

Nathaniel’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I pause in my movements, my fingers tangled in her hair but unmoving.

I hadn’t realized he’d been paying attention to us. Though I guess there isn’t much else to do right now.

“Don’t stop, Mommy,” Addison whines, her voice hardly more than a whisper in her half-asleep state, but oh, do I hear them.

Judging by the way Nathaniel’s eyes widened, I’d say he heard it as well.

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