Single Dad’s New Nanny: A Secret Baby Romance (Tall, Dark and Handsome Billionaires Book 3)

by J. P. Comeau

I smiled with tears in my eyes. “Jorge is going to be so pissed off with me for this, but I can’t wait for a second longer.”

  She cupped her hand over her mouth. “Why would he be upset?”

  I chuckled as a tear streaked my cheek. “Because he’s currently decorating the house with Ginger and Margo in order to prepare for this moment right here. But, this moment can’t wait for a second longer. I can’t wait for a second longer, Eva.”

  Her hand fell from her face, and I saw her lower lip quivering. “Go on. Please.”

  I sniffled and took her hand. “Eva, you’ve been wonderfully supportive of me this past year. Dealing with my insecurities and the whirlwind that was Marissa with that custody agreement, and even my selfish whim to open up a filming studio right here where we live. You’ve fought for me, battled with my family for me, and all while I was off chasing my dreams even when I didn’t know what my dreams were. You gave me a healthy daughter, you’ve brought joy into Asia’s life, you’ve brought light back into mine. And had it not been for you, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have my own studio.”

  I stood to my feet and plucked the ring out of the box before I hovered it just beyond her left-hand ring finger. “Eva Johnson?”

  She giggled through her tears. “Yes.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  And when her eyes met mine, she snickered. “I already said ‘yes.’”

  I blinked. “Wait, that ‘yes’ wasn’t a question?”

  She shook her head. “There’s never been a question in my mind about you. And there never will be. Yes, Gavin, of course, I’ll marry you.”

  The second I slid that beautiful pink diamond onto her finger, the entire studio erupted into applause. I scooped her into my arms, trying my best not to completely crush Asana as my lips fell against hers. Our tongues danced a familiar tango they had memorized over the past year. As Asia cheered and whistled for the two of us, flashes of our life together bombarded my memories.

  Holding her hand and cheering her on while she pushed Asana out of her body.

  Holding her at night while she cried because she and Asia had gotten into their first fight.

  Seeing her haphazardly throwing breakfast together in the mornings with her wild hair sticking out in all sorts of directions.

  Making sweet, passionate love to her in the shower every time I felt like slipping in behind her.

  But then, the scenes changed. As I held Eva in my arms and our lips pressed closer together, the cheering and the clapping and the whistling faded into the background. Eva’s soft moans trickling down the back of my throat shook me to my core as she cupped my cheek, allowing me to feel the rose gold band of her ring against my skin.

  And my mind opened itself up to a future I never once dreamt for myself until Eva came into my life.

  I saw Asana walking for the first time. I saw Asia on her first day of high school. I saw Eva complaining about her first set of gray hairs and how she wanted to get them dyed to keep up her youth. I saw Asia playing softball and the two of us cheering from the stands. I saw Asana doing gymnastics and dancing while we all waved flags in the stands at her competitions.

  I saw Eva’s wrinkling hand in my own as new liver spots appeared every single day. I watched her hair completely gray out as her cheeks downturned, and her skin grew pale with age. I saw awards of every single kind spanning across multiple walls of our home. Awards from school for the girls, awards from Eva’s community service for all the good she brought to our little slice of heaven, and awards from all across the globe on my directorship in my filming studio.

  I saw us surrounded by all of us while we laid in bed with one another, staring into each other’s seventy-year-old eyes and still kissing as if we had just met.

  I saw it all in my mind as I kissed her. I tasted all of it as the band of her ring caressed my skin. And when she pulled back to brush her tears of happiness away from her skin, the dull roar of the studio came rushing back.

  “I love you so much,” Eva choked out.

  I kissed her cheek before I bent down and kissed Asana’s. “I love you, too. I love you guys so much.”

  Asia wrapped herself around my leg. “Daddy?”

  I placed my hand on top of her head. “Yes, princess?”

  She leaned her cheek against my side. “Can we go home now?”

  I chuckled. “Yes, we can.”

  “To the Lincolns!” my assistant director exclaimed.

  “To the Lincolns!” everyone else yelled.

  Eva giggled. “You really have a peppy bunch here, don’t you?”

  I picked Asia back up into my arms. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Here,” my assistant director said as she walked up, “at least enjoy a drink with us before you two head out.”

  “What is it?” Eva asked.

  I sniffed it. “Is this the leftover white-grape-and-mango juice from lunch?”

  She nodded. “That, it is. Isn’t this stuff insanely good? I can’t get enough of it.”

  “Can I try?” Asia asked.

  I held it up to her lips for her to sip. “You can have all of it if you’d like. I had four cups of it at lunch.”

  And Asia answered me by taking the cup from my hands and chugging it until it was gone.

  “Wow, this is good. Where did you guys get this?” Eva asked.

  Asia smacked her lips together before licking them. “That’s fresh, isn’t it?”

  I winked at my daughter. “Good job, kiddo. You know your fresh fruits. Yep, it was freshly pressed just for lunch. It’s a great combination, too.”

  Eva looked inside her glass. “I’ll have to make that at the house. What’s the ratio of grapes to mangos?”

  My assistant director held out her hand. “The catering company is still here. I’m sure someone on their staff would be delighted to indulge you in that. Come, come.”

  Eva passed off Asana to me, and I watched the two of them walk off. Mandy, my assistant director, and Eva, my fiancé. I smiled at the idea. I had purchased that ring just before she gave birth to our daughter, and it had been sitting in my pocket every single day since. I didn’t want to chance her cleaning the house or rummaging around for something and coming across it, so I kept it on my person whenever I left the house. And the damned thing had been taunting me and mocking me for a solid three months.

  But, it was all worth it to see Eva peer over her shoulder and smile at me before wiggling her ring around for the lights of my studio to reflect off of it.

  “I knew she’d love it,” I murmured.

  I watched them walk away as I cradled my two daughters. One at my side, and the other in my arms. I stood there like a man on a mission, waiting for one of my most important women to come rounding back around that corner. I would always be protective of my family. I would always be protective of what we had created and what we deemed as ours. And as Eva came walking back over to us, she pecked me on the lips before taking Asana out of my grasp.

  “So, I have just one question for you,” she said.

  I tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “Name it.”

  She peeked up at me. “Now that I have that delectable recipe that’s totally going to be something we serve at our wedding, I need to know something.”

  I chuckled. “And what’s that?”

  She smiled brightly. “Can we do a fall wedding on the beach? I’ve kind of always wanted to do one of those.”

  The idea seemed so simple and so perfect that I could only think to capture her lips once more in a kiss. So, that’s exactly what I did before cupping her cheek.

  “Anything you want, my future wife. You can have anything you want for this wedding.”

  “Will I get to be in the wedding, pleaseeee?” Asia asked.

  And as the two of us laughed with one another, I listened to Eva assure Asia she would be in the wedding. Then she rattled off all sorts of wedding plans while I escorted our little family out to my car so we could
go forth and forage for food.

  The family that I loved.

  The family that I protected.

  The family that I treasured.

  “So, exactly how upset is Jorge going to be?” Eva asked.

  I opened the door for her as I contemplated her question. “On a scale of one to ten? Possibly a six.”

  She started putting Asana in her car seat. “Any way to make that at least an eight? He needs to pay for waking me up this morning.”

  I grinned. “Well, he absolutely hates pranks. And he definitely wouldn’t want anyone messing with his new garden that is finally sprouting this year.”

  She peeked up at me. “Want to go buy fake spider webs and put them all over his tomatoes.”

  I chuckled and kissed her forehead. “You, my dear, are perfection.”

  She patted my chest with her hand. “Let’s swing through somewhere, get something quick, then go shopping for spider webs. I’m sure plenty of the holiday stores still have them in stock.”

  “They always say, ‘those who prank together, stay together.’”

  Eva giggled. “Then, I guess you’re stuck with me.”

  Then, I gripped her chin and gazed into her eyes as I meant every syllable of the words that dripped from the tip of my tongue. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way, Eva.”

  My life was perfect.

  And I needed nothing else except for this.

  Click here to follow Trey and Leslie’s journey to their HEA in Rude Boss’ Secret Baby.