Page 71 of Nanny for the Doctor

I look back at the counter, tracking the flour handprints and footprints scattered about. “This place is a disaster. But itwasfun.”

Snagging a roll of paper towels and some kitchen cleaner, I wait for Reed to finish before taking his plate and spraying down the island.

“I definitely haven’t laughed that hard in a while.”

I put his plate in the basin, and then Reed quickly comes up behind me; I’m trapped between him and the ceramic front of the farmhouse sink.

As I spin around, Reed’s eyes hit mine with an intensity I haven’t seen in some time. There’s a war going on inside his head, and I practically see the cogs turning.

“How do you do that, Mae? How do you make everything seem so effortless and carefree? It’s like there’s nothing a bit of effort and cleanup can’t solve. How did you come into my life and make everything feel so different?”

Any hope I had for finding an answer swiftly dies in my throat because the next moment, Reed’s lips crash into mine. His kiss is a passionate fury, a silent plea against my mouth to give him more, endlessly more.

It isn’t like our previous kisses. This one is explosive, a powder keg sparked by an errant flame, threatening to burn down everything around it.

My body heats, molten lava flowing through my veins, and my hands quickly fly to Reed’s face. This is so unexpected and risky, but Reed’s obvious craving for connection quickly infuses me with the same desperation.

His hands go to my waist, pulling me hard against his firm body. Reed’s grip is greedy, and I wonder just how far this moment is going to go.

Henry is just playing in his room. He could be out any second.

But as Reed’s tongue caresses mine, a hungry growl rumbling through his chest, I have trouble caring about anything outside this moment.

“Oh my God!”

Reed and I both jump as Stevie’s voice blares through the kitchen like a freight train.

Turning to see both her and my brother just a few feet away from Reed and me, my stomach flip-flops as Stevie claps her hands over her mouth and giggles.

“Well, how long has this been going on?”

Her tickled attitude is not reflected by Johnny in the slightest. His mouth couldn’t hang farther open, nor could his eyebrows shoot any higher.

“I…”

Stevie just continues to hide a laugh behind her hands, but as soon as I think Johnny might actually be frozen in shock, his brow furrows, rage billowing over him.

“What the hell is this?!”

I’ve never heard my brother so angry, and I freeze, stuttering over nonsensical words.

“Please—” Reed holds a hand out “—keep your voice down. Henry is right upstairs.”

Johnny pushes forward, jabbing a finger at Reed despite Stevie’s attempts to keep him back. “That didn’t stop you from putting your hands all over my baby sister!”

I roll my eyes at him. “I’m not a baby.”

“Honey, hear them out. We don’t know what’s going on between them.” Stevie steps up to Johnny, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Clearly!”

“Johnny, get ahold of yourself. I’m allowed to do what I want.” I try to get his attention, stepping in front of Reed, but my brother’s eyes won’t break from him.

“It’s nothing to be upset over.” Reed walks closer to Johnny, still holding his hands out. “It’s just a case of close proximity and loneliness. Neither of us planned for this to happen. The chemistry is intense, and neither of us has been with anyone in a while. A classic case of ‘office romance.’”

My heartbeat stutters, and now it’s my turn to stare at him in shock.

Just an office romance? Chemistry? Is that really all I am to him?

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