Page 27 of A Merry Penthouse Christmas
“Maybe not the whole time, though I hid it remarkably well. Right, Dolores?”
Dolores snorts. “He was a wreck when they first came in.”
“Thank you, Dolores,” Arik growls.
Half of me wants to laugh, but I hate that I caused any kind of panic in this man who is usually so put together. I would have panicked. I’m still panicking!
“It’s fine now,” he says to me again. “How about I treat us both to that surprisingly not terrible coffee downstairs, and then I am getting both you sickies back to bed.”
“Okay. But Arik, I am seriously so—”
“I know.” His smile is strained, even if he doesn’t want me to notice. I doubt he slept much last night, if at all. How can I ever make this up to him?
It’s all cordial and calm small talk while we enjoy our coffees, but I don’t know how I can forgive myself no matter how much Arik tells me it’s okay.
When we get home, I’m admittedly exhausted and need to lie down, but I don’t feel right resting until Bastian is changed and fed and put to bed first. I think Arik only lets me do the work because he can see how desperate I am to help.
When Bastian is finally asleep in his crib, I don’t leave his side right away, and my vision goes a little blurry from tears building.
“Hey.” Arik is there to pull me away, and though I try to keep my head ducked until I can compose myself, he doesn’t let me. He leads me into the hall and makes me look at him. “Do you know why I am not nor could I ever be upset with you over what happened? Because you are just as worried about Bastian as I was. No dilution because he isn’t your son. You treat him like he is. You care for him like he is. That’s sort of the dream scenario for a nanny.”
“Or an overly attached one, according to the movies.”
Arik smiles. “I don’t mind if you’re overly attached. I am too. With you.”
“You… you are?” Or am I still delirious?
“The truth is, I was just as worried about you yesterday, and I would never blame you for Bastian catching your cold.”
“But it’s my—”
“It’s your fault for taking him to your interview? You took him to a school, Beau, not a crack den.”
I huff. “I’m still sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it sooner.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t told you a lot of things. I should have just talked to you weeks ago, but I had to go and launch a Sun Tzu offensive instead.”
“What do you mean?”
Arik cups my cheek, and his cool hand feels incredible against my warm skin. “Beau, I haven’t been with anyone since Kevin.”
“Kevin?”
“The blond in the office.”
“Oh. Wait, really?”
“You didn’t notice?
“I did and Skylar said something, but I wasn’t sure if maybe you were just…”
“Keeping my rendezvous outside the house? There haven’t been any rendezvous. Just an idiot pining in solitude and going about this all wrong.”
“Pining?” I feel myself grinning way too wide.
“I haven’t wanted anyone, Beau. Not anyone else. It’s not every day one meets a fellow history buff who is this attractive.”
I laugh, still not sure if this is happening or if I’m in some fever-induced stupor. “I’m… I’m not attractive. Especially not today. I must look awful.”
