Page 55 of Knot Just Their Nanny
Liam shifts closer, resting on one elbow, his gaze fixed on me.
“He loved to play mind games. And the worst part? For a long time, I fell for it. Thought I was going mad.”
He reaches out, his hand brushing mine lightly. It’s a small gesture, but it sends warmth spiralling through me. “You’re not mad, Zara. He was just an asshole.”
I meet his eyes then, seeing the sincerity shining there. It’s as if he’s handing me a piece of his heart, asking me to trust it won’t break in my hands. “Yeah, he is. I was grieving when I met him. My parents died in a car crash about a year ago. Drunk driver. He found me at my worst and maybe assumed I was naturally like that. Sad and weepy and a total basket case. He thought he’d lucked out, but he didn’t get I was mourning, and when that deep pain of losing them healed a bit, I started to get myself back. I’ve never been a pushover. I like to please people, but I know when I’m being taken advantage of. Or I did. Eddie luredme in and made me feel comforted at first, but then the cracks started to show, you know?”
“Yeah.” His expression is soft and open, like he’s peeling back layers of himself to show me he understands. “No one should make you feel less than you are. Especially not some cowardly alpha who’s not worth your time.”
“I guess we’ve both seen our fair share of rubbish relationships, haven’t we?” I muse, feeling the weight of the past ease off my shoulders.
“Looks like it,” he agrees, his smile kind. “But you’re here now, and you’re amazing, Zara. Don’t forget that.”
“Right back at you,” I say with a grin, shaking off the seriousness of our conversation.
I scoot closer to Liam, our sides touching. His arm finds its way around my shoulders, pulling me in for a hug that feels like home. I breathe him in, his scent mingling with the fresh air around us.
I pull back slightly, meeting Liam’s gaze. He waits, patient and attentive.
“It’s odd, isn’t it? How life throws these curveballs at you,” I start, fiddling with the hem of his coat. “Here I am, meant to be focusing on my job, looking after Mia, and then there’s this thing between us.”
He studies me for a second, his eyes searching mine. “It’s natural, Zara. Feelings don’t tend to check your employment contract before showing up, do they?”
I let out a small laugh, despite the seriousness of our conversation. “No, I suppose they don’t. But it’s complicated, isn’t it? I mean, Ben’s been great to me, and Mia is a darling. I love her so much already. I can’t mess this up.”
Liam nods, his hand squeezing mine gently. “It is complicated. But whatever you’re feeling, it’s okay, Zara. We’ll figure it out, won’t we?”
“I hope so because right now, sitting here with you, it feels right.” My cheeks warm at the admission, and I’m grateful for the fading light that might hide my blush.
“Feels right to me, too,” he says, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile that sets my heart racing in a way I can’t ignore. We stay like that, close but not quite touching, as the sky shifts from dark blue to hues of pink and orange. It’s beautiful, yet I can’t stop thinking about the pull I feel towards him, magnetic and undeniable.
“We’ll take things slow. No pressure, no grand gestures. Just whatever feels natural.” His gaze is steady and reassuring as he speaks again.
“Thanks. I appreciate the thoughtfulness.”
We lean in, and the whispering breeze seems to hush, waiting. I’m teetering on the edge of something unknown, thrilling.
“Zara,” he murmurs. His voice has this gravity that pulls at me.
“Yeah?” It comes out breathy, my usual chatter lost somewhere in the wind.
“Whatever happens...” He trails off, but there’s an intensity in his gaze that tells me he’s as tangled up in this moment as I am.
I nod because it’s all I can manage right now. The ‘what-ifs’ swirl around us like the leaves above. What if I’m reading this all wrong? What if this changes everything with Ben and Mia?
“I don’t want to rush you, or...”
“Or?” I prompt.
“Or muck this up.”
“Neither do I,” I murmur back, feeling the weight of my words. They hang there, mingling with the twilight.
We stay like that, hands clasped, the world shrinking to just the two of us and the quiet hum of the evening. But as muchas I feel happy to be here with Liam, and I’m glad we took this step, my heart doesn’t feel full. I cast a glance back at the house, towards Ben, and see him staring at us from Mia’s nursery window. We lock gazes for a moment before he backs away, and I know then that I’m as lost to him as I am to the alpha in my arms.
How on earth am I going to navigate my tangled emotions for both the man beside me and the one who’s entrusted me with his most precious possession?
Chapter 30
