Page 22 of Nanny Crush
I laugh and sit across from her. “I hear that. How are things going? Are the kids behaving for you?”
She nods. “The kids are great. I haven’t had a problem at all out of either of them.”
“That’s good. They are good kids. It was just hard keeping up with them, the house, and work.”
“Oh, the kids and the house is a full time job. I don’t know how you managed to do it all alone for so long. How long did you say you’ve been divorced?”
“Since Maddy was a few months old. So, three years now.”
“Wow. You must be super dad or something.”
I laugh. “Well, I didn’t feel like it. I felt like a failing dad, if anything.”
“You’ve done a great job raising the kids. Don’t doubt that.”
I feel my body begin to warm, and I smile. “Thanks.”
“Well, I guess I’m going to go ahead and go to bed,” she says, standing up and taking her cup to the sink. I look up to see her bare legs as she walks away from me. She’s wearing a pair of cloth shorts that are skintight, showing off the curve of her ass. When she puts her cup in the sink and turns back to face me, I see how tight her tank top is, and that she isn’t wearing a bra beneath it. My warming body turns hot and that tingle begins to form in my stomach.
“Is there anything you need before I head up?”
I shake my head and clear my throat. “No, I’ll be alright.”
“Okay,” She nods. “I’ll see you in the morning then. Good night, Liam.”
“Good night, Sasha,” I reply, willing my body under control.
I hear her bedroom door shut softly, and I know I’m alone. I let out a long breath as I try to clear the image of her out of my head, but that tank top was too tight. It hugged her breasts, her ribs, her waist. Her nipples were hard and poking against the fabric. Her long legs were bare, and the only thing I could think about doing was pulling her against me and kissing her breathless, maybe even picking her up against me where she could wrap those long legs around my waist. A cold chill races up my spine, and I stop the thoughts in their tracks.
It. Can. Never. Happen.
Chapter Eleven
SASHA
Friday rolls around, and I’m surprised by how easy this last week has been. Sure, the first day wasn’t the easiest with the huge mess I had to clean up, but now that I’ve gotten everything under control, every day since has been easier. I can already see a difference in the kids just from working with them all week. Maddy is picking up her toys without being asked and Xander hasn’t been acting up as much. No other notes have come home from school with him, so today is the day they get their reward. We’re going for ice cream.
We come home from school and they put their things away. Liam just happens to be walking down the stairs and the kids tackle him for hugs. They talk him into joining us for ice cream. We all load up in my car, and I drive us over to the ice cream stand. Maddy wants bubble gum ice cream, Xander orders Superman, Liam gets chocolate, and I order a caramel, chocolate, and salted cashew concoction called Just Got Serious. We all sit at one of the outdoor picnic tables to eat.
The kids are excited and telling Liam about their day at school. He listens to them carefully and he laughs and asks questions like he’s actually interested in what they have to say. After we finish our ice cream, we decide to stop and play at the park since it’s such a nice day. We all get out of the car and the kids run off. Liam takes Maddy while Xander insists I push him on the swing. While I push, I can’t help feeling like I’m being watched. I turn and look over my shoulder to see Liam watching me with Xander. He’s smiling and he looks happy, proud even. I flash him a smile and turn back to Xander.
Seeing that look on his face makes my body flash with heat, and I don’t understand it. I mean, sure he’s hot with his dark hair, green eyes, and tall, toned body, but he’s over ten years older than me. He’s the father of the kids I watch. In no way is he available. I shouldn’t be attracted to him, but I am. The last couple nights after spending so much time with him, I’ve fallen asleep dreaming of our magical love story. I think about his hands on my body, and it makes my sweat bead on my skin. I think about kissing him and feeling his body pressing against mine. I think of how it would feel if he slid into me, claimed me as his own. Goosebumps cover my body despite how warm it is outside.
He notices my face growing red and he pulls his brows together. Embarrassed about getting caught thinking about him, I fan my face and mouth the word ‘hot’. He nods once and turns back to Maddy. I let out a long breath, blowing it up at my forehead and hoping it cools the embarrassment staining my face.
We don’t leave the park until the sun is going down and since it’s already so late, we run through a drive-thru and pick up the kids some dinner. They have their kids’ meals eaten before we even get home, so when we arrive, I get them straight into the bath and then into bed.
I walk back down the steps and decide to pour a glass of wine since it’s Friday, and I can sleep in tomorrow. I pour a glass and light a fire in the fireplace in the living room. The lights are off so only the glow of the fire is lighting up the room. Liam exits the office and comes downstairs.
“Wow, I can’t remember the last time that thing was lit,” he says, walking into the kitchen and coming back with a beer. He sits at the opposite end of the couch, and I want to kick myself. I shouldn’t allow myself to be alone with him, not in such a romantic setting. I need an excuse to get up and leave the room but what are my options? It’s only eight o’clock. No way I can claim that I’m going to bed.
“I think the kids really enjoyed the day,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts.
“They really enjoyed you coming along. They look up to you, you know?”
A small smile forms, but he looks down at the beer he’s holding. “I don’t know about all of that. I feel like I’ve been such a mess for so long.” He shakes his head.
“Kids don’t see it that way,” I tell him. “Adults are hard on themselves. We’re often jaded and negative, but kids aren’t. You may think you were a bad parent because you couldn’t keep the house clean, but the kids they just think about how much fun they had messing it up, that you let them put their imagination to good use despite the mess, which isn’t something many adults can handle.”
