Page 21 of Cross My Heart
What she says makes sense, but I can feel the frown on my face, “You’re going to a hotel?” I know I sound bitter, but it is late for her to be traipsing around town, even if this is Waverley-Cay.
“Well, yeah, it's late. It was a long drive here. Corolla will take too long to get to tonight and I’m not ready to head back to Vermont yet,” Lanie defends herself, not understanding my tone.
I’m with you there, sweetheart. I don’t understand a damn thing about today.
I let out a long breath. “Lanie, I want to offer you this position. Let’s go over this stuff. If we can agree to all the terms, you can just stay here tonight. Will you need to get your stuff from Vermont?”
“Are you sure?” She asks, surprised. “And no, I don’t have a ton of stuff. Everything I’ll need is in my car already.”
I don’t know why the thought of all her belongings fitting into her small sedan bothers me so much, but it does.
I school my features and continue, “You’re going to be living in my house if you take this job. You might as well stay tonight and save money on the hotel.”
“Yeah, sure.” She bites her lip, still a little unsure.
I find myself staring a beat too long at her mouth, so I clear my throat and look away.
For the next hour and a half, I go over salary, expectations, hours, and living arrangements while Lanie fills out paperwork for things like insurance and taxes. I give her a rundown of the kid's schedules, knowing honestly that she had them on a better routine in just a couple of hours than I’ve been able to do in the last year. When it seems like we have answered any questions either of us has, I glance at my phone and realize it's after 11:00.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was so late. I didn’t give the girls any medicine,” I say to Lanie. “They will probably be up soon because of their teeth. Why don’t you give me your keys and I’ll run out to get your stuff so we can go to bed?”
Damn if I didn’t like the blush that crossed both her cheeks and ran down her neck.
“Um, yeah, it’s fine though, I can get my stuff. Like I said, there isn’t much.” She jumps out of her chair and gets her keys. “I probably should have checked with you first, but I did give the girls their medicine after their bath. I hope that’s alright?”
I shake my head and smile, I’ve noticed I do that a lot around her. “Of course, you did. Thank you, Lanie, but I insist, give me your keys.”
“You’re welcome, Dex,” she replies sweetly.
I’m beginning to like the sound of my name on those sexy lips way too much. I head out to Lanie’s car and grab what she said she would need. I can’t help but look around; she wasn’t kidding.She doesn’t have much in here, and it bothers me. Then again, most things bother me much more than they should where she is concerned.
She graduated second in her class. If it weren’t for the monster that cut her up and left her for dead, she would probably be on a much different path right now. I shouldn’t feel this protective of her. I barely know her, yet I feel like she could know me better than anyone ever has.
I’ve got to get to London. My head is a mess.
I walk in with Lanie’s measly belongings and set out to find her. She is standing at the back door peering out at the guest house with a worried expression.Is she scared to go out there?Something is telling me to keep her in the house, so I think quickly.
“So, I was thinking…” I start, “I know I said that you’d be living in the guest house.That is still all yours, but I was thinking since I’ll be heading to London soon and you need to spend as much time learning with the kids as possible," I pause, trying to read her. "Well, while I’m still here, maybe you should just stay in the guest room for now. I’d prefer you to stay in the main house when I’m away. I want you to be close to the kids. I can put your stuff in the guest house when I return if you would be more comfortable.”
I have barely finished speaking before she replies, “The guest room would be great. Thank you.”
I nod and turn her towards the stairs. Reaching the top, I start to guide her to the room at the end of the hall. Then I stop short and head the other direction, mumbling a half-assed apology along the way. “Sorry, I must be more tired than I thought. Your room will be down here.”
I walk her to the room next to the master. I’m playing with fire here. I know it, but I can’t help the instinct I have to keep her close.
She can only be the nanny, nothing else. She is here for the kids, and they seem to love her. Do not fuck this up, Cross.
Opening the door to the guest room, I usher her inside. Suddenly, I’m incredibly grateful the guys had helped me unpack a few things, the guest rooms being one of them. There is nothing special to this bedroom, it’s just standard and dull. I wish now that I had thought to add a few personal touches, or at least have someone else do it for her.She deserves better than ordinary.
The walls are a light color; I’m not sure what. There are deep green drapes that cover the ceiling to floor windows. The bedding is all white with accents the color of the curtains. The only luxurious thing in here is the carpet I’m walking across. Fixing her room will have to be a priority. I make a mental note to call Molly tomorrow.
The voice in my head is questioning,why would you do that, Cross? She isn’t staying here permanently. I decide to ignore that voice this time.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, I cross the spacious room and open the door to the attached en suite.
“You have a private bathroom, and I hope you have towels in here?” I check the cabinets. “The guys started helping me unpack a few days ago. While I love them, I wouldn’t say any of them are experts in hospitality. Settle in, look around, and make a list of anything you might need. I will run out to get whatever you need tomorrow after my meeting.”
I turn to walk across her room toward the hallway but stop myself. “If there is anything else you want to change about the room to suit your needs, let me know and I’ll take care of it.”
