Page 26 of The Billionaire and the Nanny: Part 2

Reluctantly, I take the chunky monkey into my arms. Whoa. She’s not that heavy. And she feels…nice. Warm, soft, and I don’t know…dependent, but in a good way. I’ll never understand how anyone could hurt a baby. With the way she stares at me like counting on me not to drop her or do anything stupid, how could I? Yet I have. By avoiding her, I’ve been hurtingher.

I want to explain to her why I’ve stayed away, but somehow I don’t think she’dcare.

It’s a good reason, though.

I keep telling myselfthat…

Bailey smiles knowingly and takes way too long looking at the cabinet, and I know she’s drawing this out on purpose. I’ll get her back for this. After the cabinet, she checks out the lamps, side tables, and wooden plaques that say dumb inspirational things like “If your ship hasn’t come in yet, swim out to it,” or “If you can dream it, you can doit.”

“Do women really need signs on the walls to remind them to be strong?” Iask.

I expect Bailey to crack a smile, but instead it’s Olivia who giggles. She baps her wide-open tiny palms against my face. Now, Bailey laughs pretty hard. “She just slapped you for that remark. Good girl, pumpkin. Good girl.” Bailey presses her forehead against Olivia’s.

Pumpkin. I remember my mother used to call my brother “angel heart” and me “zombie-Zay.” Why he got the angelic name and I got the monster name, I’ll never know, but I still remember it fondly. Those were the good days. Before it all went toshit.

I want to press my forehead against Olivia’s but decide againstit.

“We better go before I want to buy all these pillows and blankets, and…I guess you noticed I have a thing for home goods.” She smiles that naughty smile I love and holds out her arms. “Want to give herback?”

“Nah, I’m good,” I say, surprising myself as much as Bailey.

Olivia doesn’t throw her arms out to Bailey, which I guess means I’m allowed to hold her a little while longer. When she excuses herself to use the restroom a minute, though, Olivia looks worried. Very worried. “It’s okay. Shh, baby, it’s okay.” I use the same words Bailey’s used before to calm her down. She doesn’t fret but keeps her gaze expectantly in the direction of the bathrooms.

While she’s gone, I call Nance and have her order half the items from this store to all be delivered home by no later than five o’clock tonight. Can’t wait to see the look on Bailey’s face when they arrive.

* * *

Back home,Olivia goes down for her nap, and in my room, I watch a movie, thinking about how amazingly well that outing went. So normal. What was I afraid of? I still worry. For me, for Bailey. What happens when Noelia gets out of jail and wants the baby back? Should I be allowed to let her? Is Noelia the best parent for Olivia? Who’s to say. Lots of people grow up with less-than-perfect parents and end up okay. Look atme.

On one hand, I want the little human to be happy, but on the other, I wouldn’t want to keep her from her mother if she misses her. I don’t know what to do, but this is the closest I’ve ever come to even considering it. A warning bell inside me tells me I need to start reeling back. I’m getting too comfortable with these people who weren’t a part of my life a monthago.

When the stuff arrives from the home goods store, I know it’s here because Bailey shrieks all the way down the hall. “Oh, my God, you didn’t!”

I can’t help but smile.

Entering the hallway, I find her at the top of the stairs going through assorted boxes with the biggest, girliest smile on her face. She hugs every item—the weird cabinet thing, the dumbass “If you can dream it” sign, four different throw blankets, a lamp she liked, and…three bright yellow pillows.

“For your boring gray room,” I tellher.

“Thankyou!”

Then, the unexpected happens. She drops everything and runs up to me, arms latching themselves around my neck. Hugged. I’m getting hugged by Bailey Rainville. I savor the moment and inhale the scent of her skin and hair. I’m not a complete dick in her eyes right now. I can be a gentleman, a nice guy once she gets to knowme.

Do I want to, though? Make her happy?

I don’t imagine myself in a relationship, but at the same time, I can’t imagine this woman with any other man. It’s literally driving me batshit crazy this second just thinking that she might hug some other man the way she’s hugging me right now. Fuck no. I don’t want that, so I have to decide.

My arms instinctively curl around her waist, and I draw her in. She lets me, and the chemistry between us flares up right away. Instant connection. Instant chemistry.

We could slip away into my room right now, while Olivia plays in the nursery. I could let her thank me in special ways. But…I don’t want her to think I’m buying her love. I don’t expect sex for those things. I bought them because I knew she’d love them. But fuck…she smells and feels so good and tight and small and womanly in my arms, it’s hard to pull away. Maybe she’ll settle for this instead…

A longkiss.

Deep and soft, a dance between us, exploring and drinking in. I hold her face with both hands and let myself fall into her world. Really get to know Bailey’s mouth and lips without taking it to the next level. We’ve been impulsive. We’ve rushed to fulfill desires as quickly as possible, but sometimes you just have to slowdown.

Kiss. Taste. Explore.

I push her against the wall and kiss her some more. I can’t get enough and my cock agrees. With how hard I’ve gotten already, I could take her up against this wall, but like good parents, we think about it but can’t. A child awaits in the next room. I settle for pressing my body against her, so she knows how Ifeel.

Olivia makes a shrieking noise in the nursery, and Bailey pulls away. “I have to go,” she breathes, her chest heaving, as she fights to regain the air from her lungs. “Thank you for the stuff. It will make my room look really lovely.”

“I’ll come see it later,” I tell her, swiping my thumb across her lips, pressing a kiss into them one last time. And I mean at night, after Olivia’s gone to sleep, when it’s just us in the house.

“I’ll look forward to it,” she says, pulling away and letting go of my hand, our gazes still connected. “Don’t belate.”

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