Unexpected

by Jenna Hartley

  “Fine,” I sighed. “Set it up.”

  “Eek!” She clapped her hands together. “You won’t regret this. You’ll see.”

  Somehow, I doubted that.

  A few nights later, Sophia came into my room as I was getting dressed. She flopped down on the bed, propping her chin up with her fists. “Where are you going, Mommy?”

  “Out with a friend,” I said.

  I hadn’t dated much since the divorce. The few times I had, I always said I was going out with a friend. I’d never introduced a man to Sophia as my boyfriend or even someone I was dating. And I didn’t intend to, unless it was serious.

  “With Lauren?” She watched me as I flicked through my clothes, debating my options.

  “No, but he’s friends with Lauren.”

  I considered wearing a floral-patterned dress but realized it was too daytime for a romantic date. Too…tame.

  This wasn’t what I’d wear if I were going on a first date with Preston, so why would I wear it with Mateo? I pushed that thought—and the floral dress—aside and grabbed a red dress with a plunging neckline. If I was going to give this a real shot, I needed to pull out all the stops. I needed to treat it like a real date, even if my heart wasn’t in it.

  I zipped up the dress, then selected a gold necklace that drew the eye down to my cleavage. Finally, a pair of five-inch nude heels completed the look.

  Sophia’s eyes were wide as I crossed the room to my dresser. “Wow. You look…fancy.”

  I laughed and sprayed on some of my favorite Jo Malone perfume. She hopped off the bed, holding out her wrist as she came over to me.

  “Can I have some?”

  “Sure.” I smiled and gave her a small spritz. “Come on.” I grabbed my purse off the bed. “Let’s go talk to Preston.”

  When we reached the bottom of the stairs, he was already waiting. He stared up at me with a need so powerful, I felt it all the way to my core. I’d never had a man look at me with such longing, and it was a heady feeling.

  “Wow.” He swallowed hard, and I was thankful Sophia had already skipped off to the living room. “You look—” His eyes darted from my lips to my breasts to my hips and my heels. But then he seemed to recover himself, straightening as if remembering our roles. “Nice.”

  Nice? That’s all?

  I’d spent two hours getting ready, and the best he could do was “nice”? Then again, why did I care? He wasn’t the man I was trying to impress. Right?

  “Thanks. And thanks again for agreeing to watch Sophia so I could go out tonight.”

  “No problem. I’m always happy to hang with my favorite girl, and I know you sometimes have work functions in the evening.”

  “Actually…” I brushed my hair away from my face, debating whether to tell him the truth. But then I remembered Lauren’s advice. “It’s not a work dinner. It’s a date.”

  A look of pain flashed in his eyes, then it was gone. It happened so fast, I almost believed I’d imagined it. Almost like I’d begun to believe I’d imagined the kiss.

  I’d noticed a shift the past few days. Preston seemed more professional than ever lately, and it honestly kind of pissed me off. Yes, I’d pushed him away, but was he really going to give up that easily?

  I’d always believed that if you wanted something—truly wanted it—you had to be willing to work for it. Whether it was a sale or a relationship, you had to show up and prove how much you cared. And if you didn’t…well, that was a huge reason Cal and I hadn’t worked out.

  “Bye, Soph.” I waved to her from the hallway.

  “Bye, Mommy,” she called, but her attention was focused on the TV.

  “Have a nice evening,” Preston said as he closed the door behind me.

  I stood on the front porch for a few moments, feeling torn. My best friend had set me up on a date with a successful, handsome, and—more importantly—older man. At least on paper, Mateo was perfect for me. Yet…I couldn’t help but feel that if Preston were maybe ten years older and not Sophia’s nanny, I would be going to dinner with him instead.

  I took a deep breath. I might be attracted to Preston, but attraction wasn’t the foundation for a lasting relationship. I’d fallen into that trap once before, and I wouldn’t do so again. I didn’t have that luxury now that I was a mom.

  No. Mateo was the smart choice. The safe choice.

  I might take risks in my professional life, but in my personal life—I preferred to play it safe. So even though my heart told me to cancel the date, to stay home with Preston and Sophia, I knew I couldn’t.

  I took a few steps toward the car, telling myself it was the right thing to do.

  Chapter Ten

  I glanced at the clock again. Only five minutes had passed since I’d last checked the time. Sophia had been a good distraction, at least until she went to bed. Then, I’d spent the last hour and a half alternating between staring at the clock and watching the door like Alexis would walk through it any moment.

  It was after eleven, and she still wasn’t back from her date.

  Date.

  When she’d told me her plans earlier, it felt like a punch to the gut. Even though I knew it was for the best, the thought of her on a date with someone else nearly killed me. I didn’t want her to go out with another man, especially not looking the way she had.

  That red dress and those red lips…drove me wild. I could just imagine the dress on the floor, her lips wrapped around my cock.

  I’d even briefly considered asking her not to go. But then I remembered—I was just the nanny. And she…she was so out of my league, it wasn’t even funny. Still, it hadn’t stopped me from wanting her. From imagining a future with her.

  I heard a noise, and my eyes darted to the front door for the millionth time. A moment later—quiet. I raked my fingers through my hair. This was maddening.

  For all I knew, she might stay out all night. I doubted it, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t kiss. Touch. Have sex. The thought had crossed my mind—numerous times.

  I’d even been tempted to call her with a fabricated emergency, so she’d have to come home. But I wouldn’t do that. Not only would it tank my chances of keeping this job for the rest of the summer, but it would cause more stress for her. And that was the last thing I wanted to do. Her life was stressful enough as it was, between running a successful brokerage firm and being a single mom.

  I rested my elbows on my knees, cradling my head in my hands. This was pathetic. I was fucking pathetic. She didn’t want me; at least, she said she didn’t. And I certainly shouldn’t want her.

  Yet, I did.

  Despite the fact that she was on a date with another man. Despite the fact that she ran hot then cold. Despite the fact that she was my boss and this was a terrible idea, I wanted her, and I knew I’d regret it if I let her go so easily. Life was precious. Time was precious. Sam’s recent bout of treatment was proof enough of that. I didn’t want to always wonder “What if?”

  Besides, there had to be a reason why our paths had crossed. And not just because she’d needed a nanny. I wouldn’t waste my time with someone who wasn’t interested. But I had to know—was Alexis interested?

  The sound of the key turning in the lock echoed in the hall. Followed by the chime of the alarm system. It felt like hours until she walked into the kitchen, but it was probably no more than a few minutes.

  “Hey.” She set her keys on the counter.

  My heart was racing, but I tried to appear outwardly calm. This was the first time we’d been alone together in days. The first time we’d been alone together since the kiss.

  “Hey.” I glanced back over the couch to look at her. Even in the dim light, she looked immaculate as ever, not a hair out of place. No smudged lipstick. No smile either.

  She grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses from the kitchen and carried them over to the coffee table. She kicked off her shoes and folded her leg beneath her when she sat on the couch. The material of her dress rose higher up her thi
gh, revealing more of her sun-kissed skin. I wanted to track the material’s path with my fingers, taste her skin with my tongue.

  “Can we talk?” she asked.

  My eyes darted from her face to the wine, trying to decide what was going on. If she was going to fire me, I didn’t think she’d offer me alcohol first. “Sure.”

  She poured us each a glass. There was no toast. There was no hint as to her thoughts. I took a large gulp.

  “This,” she said, gesturing between us, “isn’t working for me.”

  Shit. She was firing me.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to apologize, to beg for my job, when she asked, “Why did you kiss me?” She sounded angry, but her expression betrayed nothing.

  Was she serious? When she continued to stare at me expectantly, I told her the truth. “Because I’ve been imagining what it would be like for almost a year.”

  She jerked her head back. “What?”

  I nodded. “As you know, I used to nanny for a boy who went to the same school as Sophia. So, I saw you a few times at school plays, when he invited me.

  “I know it was completely unprofessional, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. But I had to know if it was as incredible as I’d imagined.”

  I held my breath, awaiting her response.

  She leaned forward. “Was it?”

  I shook my head. “It was better. Beyond anything I’d ever dreamed.”

  She groaned, dragging a hand through her long waves. “You can’t say things like that.”

  “Why? Because I’m your daughter’s nanny?”

  “That’s certainly a big part of it.” She took a large gulp of wine.

  “I won’t always be her nanny.” We both knew my placement would only last until the end of the summer.

  “True, but…” She seemed hesitant to tell me. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but I had to ask. If there was any way to overcome her objections, I wanted to at least try.

  “But what?”

  She opened her eyes again, and I knew she was stalling. “You’re so…young.”

  I set my glass on the table and leaned forward, looking her straight in the eye. “I’m old enough to know what I want. And I want you.

  “Tell me you don’t feel this.” I scooted closer to her, gesturing between us. “Tell me you don’t want me too,” I rumbled, challenging her to deny it.

  We stared at each other for a moment. Then we seemed to move at the same time, gravitating toward each other as if our collision were inevitable. Inescapable.

  Unlike our first kiss, there was nothing restrained about it. We were all hands and teeth and tongues. It was like a seal had been broken and the dam came crashing down.

  I pulled her onto my lap, needing to be closer. She tugged at my shirt, and I reached behind my neck to yank it off. Her fingers scorched my skin, a fire blazing in the wake of her touch.

  “This,” she said, breaking the kiss. “Is such.” Another kiss. “A bad idea.”

  “Do you want to stop?” I asked, needing to know.

  I couldn’t stop kissing her. Didn’t want to contemplate the loss of her touch. But I needed to know that she wanted this just as badly as I did. I needed to know that she wanted me.

  She stared at me a moment, my hands resting on her hips, her arms wrapped around my neck. Her lips were swollen from my kisses, her hair deliciously mussed from my fingers. I liked seeing my imprint on her, liked knowing I’d affected her.

  She pulled me closer, rubbing her nose against mine. “I don’t think I could stop even if I tried.”

  “Thank fuck,” I muttered, returning my attention to her neck, kissing my way down to her breasts.

  She arched her back, and I loved how responsive she was. I’d barely gotten started, yet her body seemed to come alive beneath my touch.

  “You’re not going to ghost me after tonight, are you?” I teased, trailing my fingers along the tops of her breasts, her collarbone.

  “I can’t exactly ghost you when you live in my pool house.” She laughed.

  She slid her hand up my neck and into my hair, pulling me closer. I shivered at her touch, at the molten look in her eyes. God, she was sexy.

  “So, no. I’m not going to ghost you. But we should lay down a few ground rules if we’re going to do this.”

  I smoothed her hair away from her face. I didn’t want her to overthink this. I wanted to keep her in the moment—with me. Still, I knew Alexis well enough to know she was the type of person who wouldn’t relax without some sort of plan. And I wanted her to relax.

  “Such as?” I pulled down the straps of her dress, revealing creamy skin encased in a thin layer of lace.

  I placed the lightest of kisses along the swell of her breasts, and I could tell from the way her breathing picked up that I was driving her mad.

  “Gorgeous.” I met her gaze. “You are gorgeous. And that’s what I should’ve told you when I met you at the bottom of the stairs.”

  “If you’re trying to distract me,” she said in a serious tone, though she was smiling. “It’s not going to work.”

  I grinned, taking it as a challenge. “I guess I’ll just have to try harder, then.”

  I picked her up and spun her before gently setting her on the couch. Her golden-brown hair fanned across the cushions, her brown eyes blinking up at me. I smirked, knowing I had her right where I wanted her.

  I sucked on her nipples through the lace, gratified by the way she tugged on my hair. I was eager for more, eager to feel her wrapped around me. But I was also patient. I wanted to enjoy this moment. I wanted to make our first time together special.

  “Preston.” It came out as half sigh, half plea. “Preston.” This time, her tone was more insistent, and she yanked on my hair, forcing me to look at her. “I’m serious.”

  “So am I.” I moved my attention to her legs. I started massaging her feet, slowly working my way up her calves to her thighs.

  By this point, she’d stopped talking. I glanced up her body and smiled when I saw her lips were parted. I loved pampering her, finally being able to touch her the way I’d dreamed of. Because I had a feeling despite all the expensive spa treatments, Alexis rarely allowed anyone to take care of her like this.

  “Would you still like to discuss conditions?” I mocked.

  “Yes,” she said on a moan.

  I withdrew my hands.

  She opened her eyes slowly and pouted. “Hey. Why’d you stop?” She grabbed my hands, moving them to where she wanted me to touch her.

  “Nope.” I crossed my arms over my chest to prevent myself from giving in. “You have conditions. Go.”

  She propped herself up on her elbows. “If we’re going to do this—”

  “We’re doing this,” I said, pressing my lips to hers.

  I’d meant for it to be a quick peck, but it turned heated. My hands were in her hair, hers on my chest.

  “Okay,” she panted when she gently pushed me away. “But no one can know, especially not Sophia.”

  I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of keeping our relationship a secret, but I understood. Especially since I didn’t think the Hartwell Agency would be supportive of the fact that I was screwing my boss. It wasn’t specifically outlined in my employment contract, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be fired if it came out. And I couldn’t afford to get fired. I needed the money to finish my degree, especially now that my scholarship funding was gone.

  “Fine. But no more dates. And you definitely can’t sleep with anyone else.”

  “Same goes for you,” she said, dragging a finger down my chest.

  “Of course.”

  The idea of me wanting to sleep with anyone else was laughable. Why would I want anyone else when I had this woman? She was everything. Brilliant, savvy, sexy. But she was also caring, hardworking, and so much more.

  I teased her breasts, moving her bra aside to circle her nipples. I was growing tired
of this conversation. “Anything else?”

  “I’m on the pill and I’m clean.” Was she… I swallowed, searching her eyes. Was she really suggesting I could have sex with her bareback? Holy shit.

  “But this is just sex,” she added.

  “I’m clean too,” I said, not wanting to acknowledge her last statement. I’d take her any way I could get her. Even if that meant agreeing to the fact that this was a fling, when I wanted more.

  “Good.” She grinned.

  “Good.”

  We stared at each other, wearing matching dopey smiles. I leaned forward, our chests brushing as I kissed her. After that, we didn’t talk; we communicated with our bodies.

  She slid her hand down my chest, cupping me over my shorts. My dick hardened even more, if that was possible, begging to be released. But I wanted this to be about her. I wanted to make her feel incredible.

  When she started to unbutton my pants, I shook my head and moved out of her reach. Sweat prickled along my forehead, but I wanted this so badly. I wanted her so badly. But I also didn’t want to ruin it with the conversation that would inevitably follow when she realized I only had one ball.

  “Tonight is about you.”

  She gripped the edge of the couch, and I sensed her desperation as she ground out, “You’re torturing me.”

  I pushed her dress up over her hips, biting the inside of my cheek when I saw the red lace of her panties. I kissed the inside of each thigh before nipping at them gently. As I worked my way higher, I could smell her arousal, and it made my chest puff with pride—knowing I’d done that to her. And when I finally moved her panties to the side so I could taste her, I growled.

  “So fucking wet.”

  “Mm. Someone has a dirty mouth,” she teased, but I could tell she liked it. It was clear from her short pants and the way her back arched as I lapped at her clit, feasting on her.

  I inserted one finger, then another, curling to hit that magic spot. She writhed on the couch, and it didn’t take long for her to fall apart, clenching around my finger as she quietly chanted my name.