Page 31 of Protecting My Nanny

"Me too," she says, her hand sliding back into my shorts.

We make love again, and afterward, we get up to take a shower. An hour later, we're sitting in the cinema room, watching an action movie with pizza and a bottle of Chardonnay. As we talk and watch the movie, she asks me about my likes and dislikes in movies and food. She asks about Claire and how much Jaime reminds me of her, and I gladly share.

"And how about Giovanni? How's he been?" I ask.

"Uhh... he's good, I guess." The question shifts her mood.

"You don't have to answer, Nicole," I assure her. "I'm only curious to learn as much about you as I can. But you don't have to feel pressured to tell me anything. I only hope one day you'll want to," I say with a smile.

"Shane..." She seems to grow more agitated and uncomfortable with my reassurance. "I..."

"You need to learn how to pick wine better," I joke, picking up the bottle. "You never pair Chardonnay with pizza. For that, you'd want a Chianti or a Barbera. Those wines have a nice acidity that cuts through the richness of the pizza, balancing the flavors." I see her smile and tilt her head up to kiss me.

We finish the movie and two more after that, and that night, for the first time, she sleeps in my bed.

Chapter 14

Nicole

The past few days have felt like a sanctuary in the eye of the storm that is my life. Whatever Shane and I are building together, it's given me a rare sense of joyful retreat from the constant worrying. It's only been a few days since this all started, and we're already becoming skilled at keeping things hidden. Last night, he slipped into my room after Jaime was asleep. This morning, he woke up early to sneak back to his own room just before Jaime got up.

I stand by the coffee maker in the kitchen while Jaime munches on his cereal, eyes glued to his cartoons before school. My coffee is already brewed, steam curling up from the cup in front of me. I know Shane is up and headed downstairs for a quick hello before work. And I know this is where he'll come first.

He comes down just after 7:30, almost on cue. My heart jumps when I hear the door open behind me, but I don't turn around. I pick up the spoon and casually stir my already-stirred coffee, expecting to feel his hands on my hips, his lips pressing a soft kiss on the back of my neck. But that doesn't happen. Instead, Shane grabs my hand and spins me around to face him. He looks me deep in the eyes, then kisses me. I taste the fresh mint of his toothpaste and the rich, deep scent of his cologne. I grab him, holding on tight, and when he pulls back, he looks at me again.

"You're gorgeous. Just what I need to see in the morning," Shane says softly.

"I look like the same sleepy hag I always do in the mornings," I say with a smile.

"Yes, a gorgeous sleepy hag with frizzled hair," he jokes back.

"How'd you sleep?" I ask.

"Next to you, I sleep like a baby," he says.

"Yeah, but you definitely snore like a man," I remark.

"Well, you do, too," he teases, laughing. Then his face grows more serious. "I was thinking. I'll finish a bit early tonight, so how about we have a real date? Just dinner, nothing fancy. Somewhere private, where no media would see us together."

It's not quite the media I'm worried about.

I hesitate for a moment. I'm far from having my life figured out, and danger seems to lurk closer every day. Still, looking at Shane, his smile, and the excitement in his eyes, I can't say no.

"Private sounds nice. I like private," I say. "I'd love to."

"Great. I've already checked with the nanny. I'll call her from work to confirm and send a car for you after she arrives. How does seven sound?"

"Seven sounds alright, but what do I tell Jaime?"

"Tell him you're having dinner with a friend, and so am I. It's not technically a lie. And he'll be in bed by the time we get back."

"Okay." I smile at him. "Jaime's been asking for you, by the way. He might be a little jealous of us going out without him."

"Ah, yeah. He wanted to see the tickets for the show. As if he doesn't believe I have them. Don't think he'll be too jealous when he does," Shane smiles.

"Tickets to wha—" is all I can get out before he leans in and kisses me again, and I forget what I was saying.

"Uncle Shane!" Jaime shouts as he walks into the kitchen. Shane quickly pulls back almost instinctively, just before Jaime catches us.

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