Although what I should do is let her toss the pole in the water and cool myself off by going to get it.
No, I got this.
I am a fucking badass who can handle a fishing lesson. I focus back on the task instead of how good her body feels against mine. When I move our arms over her shoulder, she has no choice but to lean back, resting against my chest. She’s tense, and a part of me is glad she doesn’t seem unaffected. She fits against me perfectly. My voice drops to a soft whisper. “Breathe, Phoebe.”
She lets out a slow breath. “Right. Breathe.”
We inhale in tandem, and my voice is barely above a whisper when I say, “Fishing is calm and slow.” And right now, my heart is anything but those.
“I . . . don’t know what to do next.”
I close my eyes, breathing her in, and the smell of fresh air and her citrus shampoo has my head spinning. My nose dips into the crook of her neck, and she tilts her head a little. “What do you want to do?” I ask.
This is so fucking wrong. I’m supposed to be helping her, not running my nose down the sleek column of her neck, wishing I could see if she tastes as good as she smells.
Her breathing grows faster. “Tell me what I should do.”
Let me kiss your neck.
“Asher?” she asks.
“Yes?”
She shivers in my arms and then turns her head slightly, looking up at me through her lashes. “You . . . your . . . what now?”
I stare down at her and blink when I see the desire swimming in her brown eyes. Desire that shouldn’t be there. Desire that is absolutely mirrored in mine.
I can’t do this. I can’t lust after her. She’s much too young. She’s my daughter’s nanny and my boss’s daughter.
I step back and clear my throat, hating that the loss of her feels as though ice has been dumped over my head. “Then you just swing the pole forward so the line comes with it.”
A tremor runs through Phoebe, and she turns to look at me. “I . . . think I hear Brynn. I should go.” She hands me the pole. “You know . . . check on Liv, too. Thanks for the lesson.”
I watch her walk away, remembering how good it felt to hold her close.
seven
PHOEBE
“When are you heading back to Cloverleigh?” I ask Emmeline as her face fills my phone. I’ve missed her so much.
“Tomorrow. Dad and my aunt Chloe are way too excited. Apparently, there’s a lot for me to help with since the wedding season is approaching.”
Emmeline’s family owns one of the most stunning wedding venues in Michigan. It has a five-star resort, restaurant, vineyard, and the whole family works there. She is going for her MBA so that she can help take over the front office when she graduates.
“Hey, you get to learn from your dad all your weird math stuff you geek out about.”
Emmeline lifts one shoulder. “That’s if I don’t get stuck serving, which I’m happy to do even if it is the worst. We’re sort of a do-whatever-task-you-can family.”
“It’s the same here, only I’m voluntold what I’m going to do.” Like nannying when I never had any plans to. “I’m sure you’re excited to see your sisters.”
She smiles at that. “They’re great and all, but I really can’t wait to see my nieces and nephews. Everyone is getting big so fast.”
“I’m sure your older sisters felt the same about you since there’s such a big age gap,” I say with a laugh. “And I’m super jealous you have this big family that you get to spend time with. It’s just Daddy and me here.”
“You say that, but it’s also not always great having a million eyes watching your every move.” Maybe not because of having a big family, but she has no idea what it was like being raised by a cop and this town. “Anyway, how is work? When are you nannying again?”
“First thing in the morning.” Tomorrow is when I will not remember how it felt to be cocooned by Asher, which is something I’m still struggling with. I swear I can still feel his heart beat and the warmth of his hands as they wrapped around mine. All of it felt so good, and that is so damn bad. “He’s on a three-day shift again, so I’ll be there that whole time. Then I am bringing her to her appointment in Philly on Monday, another appointment on Tuesday, and then he has another three-day starting Wednesday. It’s an entire week of staying at Asher’s house.”