Page 28 of At First Flight
"Yeah," he says, his voice low, almost sheepish. "Look, I know I’m your employer here, and you’re the nanny, and that’s how it has to stay. But I’m also aware of how… well, how I can be. Let’s just agree on some boundaries, so neither of us feels uncomfortable."
I tilt my head, watching him carefully. I can tell he’s serious, but there's that same playful twinkle in his eyes, and I can’t help but feel a little lighter despite the situation. I need him to clarify, though. This doesn’t make sense yet.
He shifts his weight, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. "I’m allowed to flirt," he says, his lips quirking into that damn smile. "That’s the deal. I mean, I can't help it. But if I do, you’re allowed to roll your eyes. Or tell me to cut it out. No hard feelings. But…" He looks me straight in the eyes, his voice taking on a seriousness I’m not expecting. "But nothing goes further unless you want it to. You’re in control here, Lila. You get to decide what’s okay. I’ll follow your lead. No pressure."
I blink, trying to process what he just said. The words hang in the air like a challenge, but there’s a tenderness beneath it. I thought Dean was all about the teasing and the jokes, but now he’s laying it all out by asking me for permission, for space. It catches me off guard.
"You don’t have to flirt at all," I find myself saying, my voice quiet but steady. "But if you do, I’ll roll my eyes and ignore you."
He laughs, the tension easing between us, though his eyes don’t leave mine. "Fair enough," he says with a wink. "But in all seriousness, Lila, I’m not doing this to make you feel uncomfortable. I just want you to feel safe and… well, at ease. You deserve to feel that way here."
Something in his tone softens the knot that’s been sitting in my stomach since this whole conversation started. I hadn’t realized until now how much I needed someone to acknowledge how this situation might feel for me. How much I need to feel in control. And maybe, just maybe, I needed to hear that Dean understood that.
"Okay," I say, a little breathless. "I think I can handle that."
He smiles, his gaze a little too intense for my comfort, but I don’t mind. "Good. We’ll make this work. I’ll respect the boundaries, Lila. I promise."
For a moment, we just stand there, the space between us charged with an energy that’s hard to ignore. The playful banter, the teasing, the flirting—everything suddenly feels a little more real. And though I’m not entirely sure where this is going, something tells me it will change everything.
I nod, trying to steady my racing heart. "Yeah. We’ll make it work."
And just like that, something shifts. There’s an unspoken understanding between us, a quiet acknowledgment that what’s happening here, whatever this is, feels like more than just a job. It feels like a beginning.
“I should probably go grab my things from my friend’s house. I had planned to stay with her for a bit until I got back on my feet.”
I slither past Dean and descend the stairs without gazing back at him.
“I’ll be back before dinner.”
Closing the front door, I take a deep breath, my first since arriving at the house.
What the hell have I done?I have zero desire to take this nanny job. My passion is in science. But I don’t think Einstein himself could have turned down Dean and those two adorable kids.
Now I just have to figure out how to keep my heart in check around him. Because watching him step into fatherhoodwith such quiet strength, unwavering devotion, and a kind of fierce, selfless love? It’s hands down the most dangerously attractive thing I’ve ever witnessed.
My grip on the steering wheel is so tight, I’m surprised it hasn’t cracked under the pressure. My other hand is locked around my phone like it might fly away if I let go. I can feel my pulse in my throat, hammering against my skin as I press Ashvi’s contact. The second it starts ringing, my breath catches, and when she finally picks up, my voice comes out shriller than I want. Too loud. Too desperate. But I can’t help it. I’m hanging on by a thread, and she’s the only one who might be able to remind me how to breathe.
“Ashvi! I’m headed to your house. I need reinforcements.”
There’s a beat of silence on the other end, then a rustle like she’s scrambling for her other earpiece.
“Lila? What the hell happened? Are you okay?”
“No,” I groan, weaving through the roads like it’s personal. “Well—yes. Sort of. I mean, I haven’t spontaneously combusted or driven off a cliff, so that’s something. But I need your help.”
“Breathe, babe. What’s going on?”
I exhale, forcing the tension from my chest, but it barely budges. “I just agreed to move into a single father’s place. As in, full-time. Living there. Nannying. All of it. And I have to pack up the little bits of my life before we head back over there.”
Another pause, then, “Wait. Why are you freaking out right now? What aren’t you telling me? Do we know him?”
“I do. Sort of. He… we met on the plane to Scotland.”
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re moving in with him?”
