Her head fell back on the cushions, one arm flopped over her forehead. “That was…oh my god, that felt amazing.”
“Good.” I grinned, unzipping my shorts but not removing them. “Because we’re only just getting started.”
Chapter Eleven
“Holy shit,” I panted, falling back on the rug.
Preston lay down beside me, cradling me in his arms. I marveled at the contrast between his strong exterior and the tender lover he’d been. That was the best sex I’d ever had. Hands down.
I didn’t know if it was his endurance, the stamina that came with being a younger man, or just him. But I’d never felt so sated. That didn’t mean I didn’t want more. I wanted much, much more. I told myself it was just because it had been a while since I’d slept with someone.
“Where’d you go?” he asked, tracing the line of my jaw.
I smiled, loving his ability to ground me in the present. “I’m here.”
I glanced at the time on the microwave, groaning when I saw how late it was. “I should get to bed. I have to be up in four and a half hours to work out.” I shifted, glancing around for my underwear.
“Can’t you skip?” he asked.
“Unlike some people,” I teased, trailing my finger over his muscular shoulders and down to his six-pack abs. “I don’t have the luxury of skipping.”
“Hey.” He frowned. “I work hard for this body.”
“I know you do.” I’d seen him in the home gym several times a week, usually chatting with Sophia. And I saw how healthily he ate—mostly home-cooked meals, lots of protein and produce, no carbs, and minimal dairy.
“Maybe I could join you?” he offered as he zipped up my dress.
I considered it a moment, wondering if that would be unprofessional. Unprofessional? I nearly laughed aloud. I’d just had sex with my nanny on my living room floor. Working out together seemed tame in comparison.
“I’ll be down at five thirty,” I said, closing my eyes as he kissed the skin behind my ear. “If you’re willing to get up that early, be my guest.”
He turned me so I was facing him, pulling me into him. Nestled in his arms, I felt safe, a sense of security I hadn’t had in a long time, maybe even forever. I breathed in his scent, enjoying the warmth of his skin beneath my cheek, the sound of his heart thumping in his chest.
“Come on.” He released me, only to link our hands as he tossed his shirt over his shoulder.
Preston seemed intent to touch me, even in small ways, and I secretly delighted in it. But when he headed toward the stairs, I froze. I thought I’d made it clear that this had to be a secret. That Sophia absolutely could not find out.
He glanced back at me, and I shook my head. “We can’t.”
He pressed his lips to mine, tangling his fingers in my hair. Despite the fact that we’d spent hours kissing, I was still desperate for more.
“If you’re trying to change my mind…” I whispered. “It’s not going to happen.”
He leaned his forehead against mine. “Tempted as I am to try to persuade you, I wanted to walk you to the stairs and wish you goodnight.”
I bit back a smile. “Oh.”
He backed away, a roguish smile on his handsome face. His chest was bare, his shorts hanging low on his waist. He was stunning.
“Goodnight, beautiful.”
I blinked up at him. “Goodnight.”
Preston headed for the pool house, while I floated up the stairs to my room. I still thought this was a terrible idea, but after multiple orgasms, I couldn’t muster the energy to care. It might be wrong, but it felt oh so good.
The next thing I knew, my alarm was chiming, alerting me that it was time to wake up. I groaned, feeling like I’d barely gotten any sleep. I stretched, my body telling me just how sore it was as memories of the night before with Preston flashed through my mind.
His hands caressing my skin, worshiping me. His large frame hovering over me. I’d never felt more cherished.
I remembered his mention of working out with me, and that got me out of bed. I selected my favorite leggings with mesh cutouts. On top, I wore a sports bra that really lifted my breasts. Then I put my hair in a ponytail and swiped on a fresh coat of lip gloss.
I bounded down the stairs, and into the…dark, empty home gym.
I switched on the lights and blew a raspberry, surprised I was so disappointed. Regardless of whether Preston came, I had a workout to do. Maybe he’d still show up.
I went through a short stretching routine, stalling as I kept checking the time. The room was a nice size, though not as cavernous as some of the ones in the homes I sold. But the wall of mirrors certainly made it seem larger than it was.
After a few minutes had passed, I hopped on my bike, getting into the program. My back was to the door, so when Preston’s deep voice rumbled, “Good morning,” I nearly jumped out of my seat.
“Good morning.” I smiled as he leaned in for a kiss. His hair was mussed, his smile sleepy.
He went over to the rack of weights and removed his shirt before picking up two large dumbbells. I watched in the mirrored wall as his muscles flexed, mesmerized by the way they moved beneath the skin. I didn’t realize I’d slowed down, until the trainer on my bike computer yelled at me to pick up the pace.
“You seem…distracted,” Preston said over the whir of the bike.
“And you seem intent on distracting me.”
“Who, me? I’m just working out.” He did another rep and then another. Then, he dropped to the floor and started doing push-ups.
I held back a groan. He was trying to torture me. But two could play at this game. With my warm-up out of the way, I went over to the weights.
“You know…” He jumped to his feet and came to stand behind me so I could see our reflection in the mirror. “I can think of a way to burn calories that’s much more enjoyable.”
“Is that so?”
He leaned in, brushing my ear with his lips. “You interested?”
“I might be. I do enjoy trying new things.”
He licked the shell of my ear, grazing it with his teeth and setting off a chain reaction in my body. I’d never considered the ear a sensual part of the body, but I was beginning to think otherwise as he continued to send goose bumps racing along my skin.
He smoothed his hands over my breasts, my hips, my stomach, and back up again. My nipples hardened beneath the thin material, and I was positive he could feel them every time he brushed past.
“I want you,” he rasped. “I want you so fucking bad.”
“Then take me,” I said, meeting his eyes in the mirror—dark, piercing, filled with desire. “I’m yours.”
Preston held me in place with his stare and his touch. He dipped a hand beneath the waistband of my leggings, and I watched as he continued to touch me, tease me.
“Leg up,” he commanded.
I complied, placing my foot on the bench, spreading myself wide for him. He slid a finger inside me, pumping in and out as I continued to watch our reflection. And as I stared at us in the mirror, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that he was younger than me, or my daughter’s nanny. All I could see was how hot we looked together. How attractive he made me feel—wild and carefree.
“Fuck, you’re sexy,” he grunted, his hard-on digging into my back.
And the idea that Preston—someone so insanely hot, so much younger than me—found me desirable pushed me over the cliff.
My muscles clenched around him, and I bit my lip to keep from screaming. When my knees sagged, Preston held me. He was there to catch me when I came down from one of the most intense orgasms I’d ever experienced.
I spun to face him, smoothing my hands over his chest. He smiled down at me, tempting me to kiss him. Instead, I pressed him down onto the bench, wanting to make him feel as incredible as he made me feel. As I massaged his shoulders and arms, his head lolled to the side. I marveled at the feel of his smooth, tanned skin beneath my hands. And when I dug my
fingers into his hair, he moaned in appreciation.
“That feels—” he swallowed “—so good.”
“Good. It’s about to feel even better.” I sank to my knees before him. “Now, strip.”
His eyes popped open, his entire body stiffening when he realized what I was offering. “You don’t have to reciprocate.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.”
He didn’t move. “No, really. It’s okay.”
I frowned at him, trying to understand. What guy in the history of—well, ever—turned down a blow job?
“Did I do something wrong?” I sat back on my heels, struggling to make sense of it all.
He reached out, grabbing my hands to stop me. “No. Not at all.” He cupped one of my cheeks, and I leaned into his touch. “I was just trying to be careful. I should probably get back to the pool house before Sophia wakes up.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn’t even six-thirty. We both knew she wouldn’t be up before eight.
“She likely won’t be up for another hour—at least. So why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?” I asked. “I mean, it’s not like I haven’t seen your dick before.”
“Yeah, but…you were distracted. It was dark.”
Okay. So, he felt more comfortable having sex with the lights off. Interesting. But also, completely fine. It wasn’t the worst quirk to have.
I went over and switched off the lights, so that only the natural light from the sunrise came in through the window. I resumed my position in front of him and tugged playfully at his waistband. “Now then. Where were we?”
Instead of removing his shorts as I’d expected, he turned and walked away. He rested his forehead against the opposite wall, banging it gently with his fist.
“Preston?” I went over to him, placing my hand on his back. “What’s wrong?”
“I-I,” he stuttered. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”
I rubbed circles on his back, trying to give him some space while also showing my support. “It’s okay. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’m sorry if I pushed.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he sighed, his voice full of sincerity.
“Will you talk to me? Help me understand?” Because the scenarios racing through my mind were absolutely terrifying.
He drew in a deep breath, and I tried to prepare myself for whatever he was about to tell me. “I only have one testicle.”
“The last girl you dated must have been a real ballbuster,” I teased, assuming this was some kind of joke.
I mean, how could I not have noticed something like that? The lights had been dimmed, sure. And he’d never taken his clothes completely off. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time—I was kind of distracted. But now I wondered if it had been intentional.
He turned to face me and barked out a laugh. “You know, I don’t think I’ve heard that one before.” He wagged his finger at me. “I wish I were kidding. But I’m not.”
He lowered the front of his waistband, giving me a full view of his semi-hard dick. I was momentarily distracted by the sight of it—long, heavy, and really just perfect. And, yep—there it was—only one testicle.
“Oh my god,” I breathed. “Preston, I’m so sorry. I swear I thought you were joking. I had no idea.”
He huffed. “Well, I guess I did a better job of hiding it than I thought. I, um, well, you’re the first woman I’ve slept with since…”
I watched him struggle with his emotions, desperate to comfort him. The man who always made my daughter smile, made her laugh and have fun, was baring himself to me. And here I’d turned his struggle, his pain, into some kind of joke.
“Since I went into remission,” he said.
I held my hands to my lips, tears pricking my eyes as I swallowed back emotion. Cancer? He was so young. Too young to have gone through something like that.
And I’d made fun of him—a man who’d survived testicular cancer. I’d never felt like more of an ass.
“Though your joke was pretty clever.” He glanced up at me from beneath his long, dark lashes.
“I’ll have to work on my comedic timing.” I tried to keep it light, sensing this was difficult for him. I placed my hand on his forearm, needing to touch him. “But seriously, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Really. Trust me, I’ve cracked many jokes about it over the years. Sometimes you have to—it’s the only way to cope with something so terrible.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe another time. I didn’t mean to start your day on such a heavy note. And I’m sure you need to get going soon.”
“Thank you for trusting me with this,” I said. “I can’t imagine how hard it was for you, but I’m here if you want to talk. Or not talk.” I waggled my eyebrows.
He laughed, and I felt my heart lighten. “You’re just trying to get in my pants.”
“You know it.” I winked. “But seriously, I think you’re so incredibly brave and…” I wasn’t sure I was ready to admit this to him, but he’d opened up to me. “I’m pretty sure last night was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
He closed the distance between us, placing his hands on my hips. “Only pretty sure?”
“Well…” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You know, it could’ve been a fluke.”
He captured my lips in a kiss that was both sweet and sensual. It was a reminder of the passion from the night before and a promise of more to come. It was addictive, and I wanted more, craved it as I played with the hair at the back of his neck.
I broke the kiss, only to press my lips to his cheek, his chin, his neck. I kissed my way down his chest, admiring every ridge and divot. When I reached the waistband of his shorts, I glanced up at him, silently asking for permission.
I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. I wanted to show him the same pleasure, the same reverence he’d shown me. I wanted him to know that he could trust me. That I would respect his scars, like he’d respected mine.
He didn’t fight me when I pushed down his shorts and boxers. He didn’t protest when I stroked his dick, licked all the way up from the root to the tip. And when I took him into my mouth, while gently massaging his ball with my hand, he moaned.
“Fuck.”
I could taste him, salty and yet somehow sweet. And I licked and sucked, drawing him as far into my mouth as I could handle. His grunts and the way he gripped my head, thrusting into my mouth at the same time, spurred me on. I was hungry for him, but more than that, I wanted him to feel as confident and sexy as he’d made me feel.
He tugged my ponytail gently. “I’m coming. Oh god, I’m—”
I swallowed it all down, licking every inch of him clean. He stared down at me, dazed.
“Um, wow. Okay,” he panted. “That was… Blew my mind.”
I laughed, standing up to pat him on the cheek. “So glad I could return the favor.”
My phone chimed with an incoming message, and I groaned. I wanted to ignore it, but I knew I couldn’t. Not when I had another closing coming up.
“It’s okay. Go,” he said, but not without tugging me back to him first. “Have dinner with me tonight—after Sophia’s gone to bed.”
I nodded, falling into his denim-blue eyes. “I’d like that very much.”
He slanted his mouth over mine, and as much as I wanted to stay, to fall into this incredible kiss with this amazing man, I couldn’t. I pulled away, knowing I’d get to see him again later.
“Later.” I smirked.
“Later.” His eyes were hooded, and I knew there would be a lot more on the menu than just dinner.
And I couldn’t wait to dig in.
Chapter Twelve
“Ooh. What do you think of these?” Sophia held up a hot-pink candle coated in glitter.
“Um—” My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket to see the Hartwell Agency flashing across the screen. “Hold that though
t.”
I connected the call, holding the phone to my ear. “This is Preston.”
“Hi, Preston. This is Renata with the Hartwell Agency.”
“Yes. Hi, Renata. How are you?” I asked, following Sophia around the store as she picked up nearly every pink candle and added it to the basket.
Who knew there were so many shades of pink? But hey, I guess if there were fifty shades of gray, why wouldn’t there be an equivalent for pink?
“Good. I wanted to check in and see how your placement’s going.”
“It’s great. Sophia and I are having a lot of fun together.”
“Excellent. Well, I just wanted to let you know that we’re still searching for a fall placement for you.”
“No prospects yet? No one I can interview with, even?” I asked, desperate for anything. The university had emailed earlier in the week to remind me that tuition was due soon, scholarship debacle or not.
“I’m sorry, but no.”
I could read between the lines to know that most parents preferred a female caregiver. There might be placements available, but parents weren’t interested in a twenty-six-year-old man. I respected it; I just didn’t like it.
I sighed. “I understand. I just really need to find a placement before this one ends.”
“I know. And we’re doing everything we can to make that happen. In the meantime, focus on your current position and getting a good review.”
I nodded, hating that I felt so powerless. Hating that I was often overlooked just because I was a guy. I knew the Hartwell Agency did everything they could to promote me as a candidate, but it was certainly an unusual situation.
“A positive review carries a lot of weight with families. For you—being a little different from our typical nanny—it’s even more important.”
“I understand.” I grabbed a candle from Sophia and placed it back on the shelf.
She stuck her tongue out at me, and I smirked.
“Please feel free to call with any questions,” Renata said. “Have a good night, Preston.”
“Thanks. You too.” I disconnected the call.
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