Page 22 of Falling for the Nanny

“Let me go, boss.”

“Stop fighting everything I tell you, house elf.”

We were glaring at each other, inches apart, and then suddenly, his mouth was on mine, crushing down against my parted lips. His grip on me didn’t change, I was still imprisoned against the long, hard length of his body, but I wasn’t struggling to get away anymore.

Emotions were exploding inside of me like fireworks. Lust, anticipation, and disbelief that it was finally happening. That I hadn’t been crazy all this time. He had felt it, too. We’d both been holding back, but the damn had broken tonight. I pushed back against him, parting my lips wider beneath his. I twisted my arms out from where they’d gotten trapped between our bodies and wrapped them around his neck. My thin cotton dress was hardly a barrier between my breasts and his powerful chest. My nipples were already stiff peaks from the cold, and the friction of his body against mine was almost unbearably erotic.

Slowly, he pushed me out of the water blue light of the pool deck and back into the deep well of shadows that ensconced my doorway. I welcomed the feeling of the two of us sinking into darkness, the real world falling away. The only thing that existed in this shadowy cocoon was the feel of his mouth on mine, the stubble of his cheeks against mine, his long-fingered hands spanning the small of my back, and then moving lower. And then, just when I was ready to pull up my short hemline and let him take me right there against the side of the pool house, reason flashed through my brain like lightning.

This is a very bad idea.

I’d known that in theory, but now I felt it. If I didn’t stop this, it would go too far. I didn’t know what kind of man David was. Maybe he was the type who liked the chase and got bored after the conquest. And if I let myself be conquered, this cozy little situation I had was over. No more job, no more car, no more place to live.

Pushing him back was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Not physically–as soon as he felt the pressure of my hands change from pulling him in to pushing him back, it was like I’d broken a spell. He dragged himself back, putting an arms’ length between us. He was silent, his chest rising and falling as we stared at each other in the darkness.

“This is a bad idea,” I whispered, still feeling his lips on mine.

“I know.”

“I like taking care of Lily. I don’t want to mess up a good thing.”

David voice dropped ten degrees. “I hope you don’t think you have to sleep with me to keep your position, Catherine. I don’t typically fuck the help.”

I shook my head. “No. The problem is that I want to. But I know that will make things too complicated.”

His eyes glimmered in the darkness. “It doesn’t have to be complicated. We could keep it to the times you’re off the clock.”

It was so tempting that I almost swayed toward him. Thoughts of the two of us acting like employer and employee five and a half days of the week, holding back, and then letting go on Saturday night. It was intoxicating. And it was impossible. I shook my head regretfully. “I’m not the kind of girl who just wants one night a week. And you’re not the kind of man who has unnecessary complications in his life.”

I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to argue, but he knew I was right. He bit off an oath and turned to face the pool. I could see that he was still hard for me, and my insides went hot and liquid all over again and the thought of David on top of me, inside me, behind me.

“You’re right,” he ground out the words. “But if this is going to work, we need some rules.”

I nodded at his back. “I agree.”

“Rule one, use the fucking front door when you get home at night, or I’ll put motion-activated flood lights all along the gate.”

“Fine.”

“Rule two, I don’t want to see you with some hedge fund jerkoff.”

My lips twitched in spite of myself. “You can’t ban me from dating, David.”

“No, but I can tell you not to bring your personal life here.”

“Fine.” My chin came up. “Then same for you. I don’t want to have to make you and your girlfriend breakfast in bed.”

He turned back to me, and in the light of the pool, I saw dark amusement on his face. “Since when have you made me breakfast in bed, Cat?”

My mouth went dry. “I don’t want to see her at the breakfast table either. If you have an overnight guest, warn me so I can go stay in the pool house.”

David considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Anything else?”

I shook my head.

“I have one more.” His dark eyes swept over me from head to toe. I was suddenly aware that the strap of my dress was hanging off my shoulder and the swell of my breast was exposed.

I waited, breathless. His gaze was so powerful it felt like fingers grazing over my skin, dragging through my hair. “What is it?”

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