Page 22 of Bestie's Bossy Billionaire Brother
Erica scoffs. “Oliver.”
I narrow my eyes on Erica, but I only care about how Catherine feels. I understand her hesitance; she doesn’t want to be defined by her relationship status or lack thereof. She wants to stay true to herself and not rush into anything with someone who doesn’t really mean anything to her. Admittedly, I admire Catherine for saving herself for someone special, but I also feel uneasy about it.
“Anyway,” I reply, hoping my tone is reassuring and not belittling. “Just be careful out there tonight.”
Without another word, the two of them grab their jackets and head out of the room. I follow behind them, catching Catherine’s wrist as she arrives at the top of the stairs.
“Hey,” I breathe, so as not to wake Alice. “If you need a ride home, or if there’s an emergency, let me know.”
Catherine nods in response and quickly looks away, averting her gaze toward the floor as they head down the stairs. With that, she turns and exits swiftly, with Erica following close behind her.
As the front door shuts, I slump into the living room couch. It’s hard enough for me to hear them discussing Catherine possibly having sex with some sleazy guy for the first time, and I can’t help but imagine it. My brows furrow together in frustration as anger wells up inside of me. That shouldn’t be happening—not to her, not on my watch. She’s my daughter’s nanny, my employee. It’s my job to protect her.
Desperate for a distraction from the storm of emotions raging inside me, I quickly grab my phone and order a pizza. Then I grab the remote and scroll through a list of action movies to find something that’ll keep me busy until they come back home.
But try as I might, I can’t stop thinking about Catherine. My mind keeps replaying her and Erica’s conversation. My body seems to have a mind of its own, and I can feel myself getting aroused at the mere thought of being the first man to pleasure her.
I shake my head, trying to clear away the thoughts invading my mind. I know it’s wrong. She’s my sister’s best friend, and I should respect her choices. But I can’t deny that I’m attracted to her, that I want her in ways that I shouldn’t.
My phone buzzes with the notification that my pizza has arrived, and I quickly jump up to answer the door. The aroma of cheese and pepperoni fills the air, tempting me to forget about everything else for a while. But as I settle back onto the couch with a slice in hand, my thoughts drift back to Catherine once again.
As much as I try, I can’t focus on the movie. I keep thinking about how beautiful she looked tonight. What would it be like to take her virginity? The mere thought of it fills me with warmth and a rush of desire.
But it’s not just carnal desire; something has shifted recently. For days now, images of Catherine keep infiltrating my every thought, not just from tonight but accumulated snapshots from the past few weeks. It’s as though I’m seeing her for the first time—her genuine laughter while playing with Alice, the way her eyes light up when she talks about her photography, the subtle shifts in her expression when she’s deep in thought. These seemingly mundane moments have begun to weave an unexpected narrative, revealing layers of Catherine I had chosen to overlook before.
Stop. Not only is Catherine my sister’s best friend, but she’s also Alice’s nanny. I need to push those thoughts away. And yet, the more I’ve noticed her—really noticed her—the more these boundaries seem to blur. Try as I may, the thoughts remain persistent, and the desire continues to build until I can’t take it anymore.
With a gentle sigh, I look up at the clock and see that it’s nearly midnight. They should come back soon, so I turn off the TV and head to bed.
The next morning, I head downstairs to find Catherine already in the kitchen making breakfast. Alice is up too, sitting at the table with her iPad turned onto a show. The aroma of bacon and eggs fills the air, making my stomach grumble.
As soon as Alice sees me, she looks up from her iPad with wide eyes. “Daddy!” She jumps out of her chair and runs over to me.
I catch her in my arms and give her a big hug. “Hey, sweetie.”
Catherine turns around when she hears me enter, and I can’t help but revel in how beautiful she looks in the morning light. She’s wearing a simple pink dress with white lace detailing at the hemline that’s snug against her curves.
We lock eyes for a moment too long before Catherine breaks away, looking down at the tiled floor as she quickly finishes breakfast.
“Good morning,” she says as she slides a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon onto the table.
“Morning,” I respond, helping Alice return to her seat so she can return to watching her show. “How was last night?”
“It was fine,” Catherine replies. “The club was too crowded, so Erica and I ended up at a diner before we came home.”
I can feel my shoulders relax in relief as I realize Catherine didn’t meet anyone. I try to keep it cool and pretend to be disappointed.
“Ah, that’s too bad,” I say casually. “Maybe next time.”
She lets out a huff. “Believe me, I’m more than okay.”
“What can I do to make it up to you?” I ask. “Coffee?”
She looks up at me with a smile, her eyes lighting up at the mere mention of coffee. “That would be nice.”
I turn toward the coffee pot. For a moment, all of my worries and doubts vanish as I focus on getting coffee for the both of us.
As I scoop the freshly ground coffee into the filter and add a few spoonfuls of sugar to Catherine’s cup, she clears her throat.
