Page 6 of Falling for the Single Daddy

“Daddy?”

“Yes,” I say. “Go tell her. I’ll cancel the rest of the interviews.”

“Yippee!”

***

“You were aware this is a live-in position?” I say, leading Callie down the jungle-like backyard, past the fountain, to the guesthouse. “Room and board are provided.”

“Yes, I was aware,” she murmurs, brushing her dress down. I don’t think she realizes she’s doing it. Is it a nervous tic? Each time she does it, she’s drawing attention to the shapeliness of her body.

I open the door to the guesthouse, aware that we’re going to be alone together.Reallyalone, with an entire yard separating us from Emery. But while I’m comfortable leaving Emery for a short while—she’s an intelligent, responsible girl, and my property has an advanced alarm system—it’s not as if I’m going to leave her there long enough to… To what? What am I even thinking? What insane thoughts am I going to let into my head, exactly?

“Wow, this is lovely,” Callie says, turning in a small circle inside the small living room of the guesthouse.

It has more of a log-cabin feel than the rest of the house. I toyed with the idea of renting it out before Emery came along. Then, I couldn’t stand the idea of a stranger living so close to my daughter. Callie, at least, is vetted. And I can tell she’d die before she ever hurt a child. It’s a feeling. It’s deep; it justfeelstrue.

“When can you start?” I ask.

“Straightaway. Today. I’ll need to return to the city and grab my things.”

“Do you have anybody who can drive you?” I ask. “It’s not going to be convenient to bring everything on public transport.”

She bites her lip, looking pensive. A few strands of her hair have come close, falling across her forehead. I get the strong and, frankly, insane urge to reach over and brush them back into place. “I’ll figure it out.”

I believe her. It’s the way she says it. It's not like she’s psyched at the prospect, exactly, but as if she’s encountered similar problems before and has always found a way to overcome them.

“I can drive you if you like,” I offer without thinking. “Emery loves a road trip. And it’ll give you more time to get to know each other.”

“Are you sure?” she asks.

“You’re part of the family now.”

I regret saying it straightaway. Panic flashes across her expression. She looks sidelong at me as if wondering if I’m some kind of creep. I don’t want her to think of me like that. Ever.

“If you’re sure, Mr. Aldridge.”

The previous times she called meMr., I could tell it was because her attention had lapsed. She forgot I asked her to call me Gray. But now, it’s a purposeful choice. She wants to make it clear this is a professional relationship. It’s not like I can blame her. I’m twenty years older. I’m her boss. We’ve just met, and she is Emery’s new nanny.

And I’m holding baggage from the crap with Sloane. That’s one of the reasons that when I get a project, I throw myself into it. It’s easier to be a workaholic than to think about the past and consider all the broken things Sloane left behind.

“I’ll go tell Emery,” I say. “We can hit the road right away.”

“Okay, great.”

Emery is classically excited about the road trip, just like she’s excited about everything. Her big smile makes me forget about the awkwardness in the guesthouse. As we all climb into the truck, Emery grins at me in the rear-view mirror. Callie is sitting next to me, her hands in her lap, tugging at the hem of her dress.

I shouldn’t be noticing things like that or thinking about her thick, pale thighs. I squeeze the steering wheel tight,notimagining my hand sliding beneath the hem of her dress,notthinking about listening to her moan, feeling her breath on my neck as she starts kissing, begging, and telling me what she wants.

Fuck.

“Yay, road trip,” Emery says.

“You like driving, Emery?” Callie asks.

“I do with you, C-A-L-L-I-E!”

Warmth replaces the desire. Or maybereplaceis too strong of a description. It’s more like it settles over it, masking the feeling. But it’s hardly any better. When I see the way Emery looks at Callie, my chest tightens. Emery was a baby when Sloane ran out on us, but that doesn’t mean she’s not yearning for a mother figure. Callie could be that mother figure. Callie could fill thatrole. Suddenly, I feel guilty for bringing her into Emery’s life. But it’s not as if Emery can never have a nanny.

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