Page 22 of My Orc Nanny

And although I did my best not to let Nikki know I agreed with her that afternoon, Iwashaving trouble keeping my hands off him. I lost count of how many times I’d broken off awkwardly in the middle of an interesting conversation or a casual touch, not wanting to seem like I was hitting on him.

Because as much asIliked being around him—hearing his opinions, listening to his stories of growing up in the wilderness, imagining the way his strength would play out in bed—I liked the way he interacted with my kids even more.

All three of them were blooming under Aswan’s care, and I frequently thanked God for sending him to us just when we needed him.

And if that meant that I frequently woke up moaning from erotic dreams brought on by my stupid, unfulfilled libido, it was worth it. Because Icould not affordto screw up this dynamic.

Aswan was my nanny, and a darned good nanny. If I didn’t want to risk losing him as a nanny, I couldn’t dream of anything more.

Well, I mean, apparently Icoulddream of more.

It was getting a little embarrassing.

One, because I shared a room with my kid, who was thankfully a sound sleeper.

Andtwo, because I then had to look Aswan in the eye when he made me breakfast each morning, remembering what those lips and tusks and hands had done to me in my dreams last night.

But on the other hand: fresh waffles. Sliced melon. Bacon and egg muffins. Chocolate chip protein pancakes. And he’d apparently declared Mondays asFancy Oatmealmornings, and my kids weren’t the only ones amazed that he could make oats taste like chocolate chip cookie dough.

I was eating better than I ever had, and my house was spotless, and my children were little angels.

Surely that was worth a little pent-up sexual frustration?

Okay, alot.

“Uno!” Benny called, triumphantly slapping a card down onto the pile on the coffee table, dragging my attention back to the game.

“Quick, Tova” growled Aswan. “Change the color to red.”

She seemed frantic. “I can’t. I can’t! I have this blue seven, though?”

“Crud,” the orc muttered, putting down a blue reverse card. “Does this help?”

Tova glanced at her smirking brother and sighed as she reached for the draw pile. “You have a blue, don’t you?”

In triumph, Benny tossed down his last card—a blue two. “I win!”

Aswan glared at his cards in mock-irritation. “I need to learn how to cheat at this game,” he announced, and Tova fell into him, giggling.

“Okay, time for bed, missy,” I announced, standing up and holding out my hand to Tova. “You’re already up past your bedtime.”

Instead of whining, the girl glanced at Aswan, who nodded solemnly, and she slipped her hand into mine.

“’Night, Benny. ‘Night, Aswan.”

Her brother grunted, his focus on sorting the cards into a neat pile, but Aswan smiled, his tusks gleaming. “Goodnight,d’pin. Pleasant dreams.”

Tova practically skipped up the stairs, half-dragging me. I brushed my teeth at the same time as her—we now shared a bathroom, after all. It was only later, when I was tucking her in, that I asked what was on my mind.

“Do you and Aswan have a secret code? He called youd’pin.”

Her smile was sleepy. “It meanssweetiein his language. Or—” A yawn interrupted her. “Something like that.”

Forcing a smile, I bent over to kiss her forehead. “Then goodnight,d’pin. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I was in a thoughtful frame of mind as I came back downstairs to see Benny and Aswan standing in the middle of the living room. Well, not so muchstandingas?—

“Benny!” I cried instinctively, hurtling toward the couch.

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