Sophia scrunched up her face. “I don’t think so. Well, at least, I hope not. I heard Mr. Nate telling his girlfriend that he spotted a cougar when he picked me up.”
I stilled, my blood whooshing through my ears. But Sophia continued talking, completely oblivious to my internal freak-out—thank goodness.
“You haven’t seen one out by the pool, right?” She stared out the glass doors to the backyard as if she expected to see a big cat prowling the edge of the pool.
I would’ve laughed if I didn’t feel like I was going to be sick. I was going to kill Nate. But really, could I blame him? I was the one who’d gotten myself into this mess in the first place.
I knew he suspected something between Preston and me. Knew it the moment I felt his shrewd gaze assessing, judging.
Sophia waved, and I spotted Preston smiling at her through the glass doors. He let himself in, closing them behind him. She rushed over to him for a hug, but his eyes were on me as he held her, silently asking if I was okay. I shook my head.
“You’re back,” he said to Sophia. “Did you have fun?”
“Oh my gosh! So much fun.” She held out her newly painted fingernails. “We did mani-pedis, watched a new movie that’s not even in the theaters yet, and got to make s’mores over the fire pit in their backyard.”
Normally, I would’ve enjoyed hearing all about her adventures, but I was trying to hold it together. Nate had a younger girlfriend, sure. But he was a guy. People wouldn’t judge him for their age difference. It was to be expected, something to be boasted about.
“Wow.” Preston grinned, leaning his hip against the counter. “That sounds pretty epic. The graham crackers were gluten free, right?”
I loved that he was so conscious about her diet. Loved that he encouraged her to take charge of her allergies by teaching her to cook. Loved him, even though I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that. But right now, all I could think about was the fact that everyone was judging me for falling for a younger guy.
Okay, not everyone, I thought. Just Nate. Who’d told his girlfriend. Who would tell someone else, and someone else, until everyone in our social circle knew. And when they realized Preston wasn’t just younger, he was the nanny… I clamped my eyes shut, holding a hand to my stomach.
“Duh,” Sophia’s snarky tone cut through my thoughts.
“Sophia,” I chided.
“Sorry. What I meant to say,” she said in a tone I didn’t appreciate, “was, yes, of course, they were.” Where was this attitude coming from? She wasn’t even seven, for crying out loud.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. I needed a drink. Several drinks. Something.
“Why don’t you go unpack, and then we can go swimming,” Preston said.
“Yay!” Sophia turned and headed for the stairs, but she paused before she reached the edge of the kitchen. “You haven’t seen any cougars in the backyard, have you?” Her brow was furrowed with concern.
Preston glanced to me for answers, then back at her. “Um, no. I haven’t.”
“Okay. Well, could you check before I come down? Just in case.”
He coughed into his hand to cover a laugh. “Of course.”
She scampered up the stairs, and I slid my hands forward on the counter, resting my forehead against the cool surface. A moment later, I felt Preston’s large hand on my back. He rubbed in a circular motion, leaning down so his mouth was next to my ear.
“Why does Sophia think there’s a cougar lurking in the backyard?”
I lifted my head. “Because Nate told his girlfriend he saw one when he picked Sophia up.”
Preston started laughing, but I glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest.
He held a hand to his mouth. “I’m sorry.” He laughed some more. “It’s just too funny.”
“I don’t find it even remotely amusing.” I blinked back tears. “How can you laugh about what people are saying about me? About us?”
That caught his attention. “You’re right.” He pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head on his chest. “It’s not funny.”
In his arms, I felt safe. In his arms, I felt whole. And while it had been easy to escape last night, easy to believe the fantasy was real, it had all come crashing down with one comment. One seemingly innocent question from Sophia.
“Preston, I’m ready,” Sophia called as her feet pounded down the stairs.
I backed away from him, putting some space between us. But he leaned in, speaking low in my ear. “You need to tell her about us.”
His breath tickled my ear, and I wanted to sink into him. “I can’t. Not yet.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but he glanced at something over my shoulder and smiled instead. “Ready, princess.”
“Nuh-uh.” She pointed at his shorts. “Where’s your swimsuit?”
“Oh right,” he said with an exaggerated eye roll. “I need to change.”
“What were you doing this whole time?” she asked.
“Talking to your mom.”
“About what?”
“Your…birthday party.” He strode toward the back door, opening it for her. When she hesitated at the threshold, he said, “There’re no cougars. I promise. I checked.”
I groaned and dropped my head on the counter, only to lift it a moment later when the doorbell rang.
“What now?” I padded over to the front door.
I was surprised to discover Christine, one of the agents from my brokerage, standing on my porch. I tilted my head to the side, one hand still gripping the edge of the door.
“Hey, Alexis,” she said. “I’m sorry to bother you at home, but I’ve been trying to call and text and email.”
She shifted her designer bag to her other arm, and suddenly, I felt incredibly underdressed in my scalloped shorts and tank top. My makeup was minimal, my hair was in loose waves, and I was positive from her expression that she’d never seen me look so…casual.
“You have?” I frowned, feeling a bit unprofessional. A bit—naked.
I glanced at my phone, realizing it was completely dead. No wonder there were no calls. I knew it had seemed odd. I hadn’t thought to log in to my computer because my emails automatically forwarded to my phone. Now I was kicking myself for thinking I could step back, relax, unplug.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I ushered her inside.
“Um, where to start?” She gestured wildly with her hands—always a tell that Christine was frazzled. “The seller for Miller stopped by wanting to talk to you. The escrow on Hummingbird fell through, and the buyer heard it from the bank before us. And…”
Her eyes were focused on something behind me. Even without looking, I knew it had to be Preston. A moment later, the glass door slid open, and he sauntered into the kitchen wearing nothing but his swim trunks.
He smiled, the white of his teeth almost as dazzling as the V of his waist. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we had company.”
I watched Christine, noticing how high her brows rose on her forehead.
“We forgot the sunscreen. I’ll just—” Preston hooked a thumb over his shoulder.
I returned my attention to Christine, leaning my hip against the counter. So far, she’d only told me bad news. I was hoping it would improve, but I doubted it. I’d been gone for one day. One. And the office seemed to have completely fallen apart in my absence.
“Is there something else?” I asked, impatient to determine the full extent of the damage.
She cleared her throat, returning her attention to me. “And the buyers on the Trousdale house are insistent they won’t close on the deal unless the light fixture in the kitchen is included.”
“What is it? A grand? Two? Tell them to buy a new one and be done with it. They aren’t going to get a better deal on that house.”
“I know, but they’re adamant. I’m afraid we’ll lose the deal if we can’t get the seller to agree.”
“Then get the seller to agree,” I said. “Try to find somethin
g else to sweeten the deal for them, and be done with it.”
She nodded. “And the rest?”
“Give me fifteen minutes to get changed, and I’ll ride with you to the office.” I headed for the stairs. “Help yourself to a drink, and I’ll be back in a sec.”
When I got upstairs, I immediately plugged in my phone, dreading the moment all the calls, texts, and emails would finally come through. Preston was great about getting me to unplug and enjoy the moment, but it was unrealistic to maintain for hours at a time. Had I enjoyed the time off? Absolutely. But it came at a cost. And it could mean losing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in sales.
I grabbed a dress off the hanger, shimmying into it before slipping into my favorite Jimmy Choo pumps. After a quick refresh of mascara and lip gloss, I tousled my waves, spraying in some dry shampoo. I was out of time; it would have to do. I’d never felt so disorganized, so unprepared, as I did in that moment.
Christine’s laughter reached me from the stairs, followed by the deep timbre of Preston’s voice. I gripped my phone, my heels clicking against the floor with every step. When I reached the kitchen, they were standing across the island from each other, and she was clearly into him.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
She whipped her head around to face me. “Yep. Whenever you are.”
Preston walked over to me, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. “Have a great day.”
I stiffened, even as I forced a smile. What the hell was he doing?
“Bye, Soph,” I called, stepping away from his touch.
“Bye, Mom.” She waved from the pool.
“Shouldn’t you be watching Sophia?” I asked him in a low voice, feeling conflicted about the kiss.
“I haven’t taken my eyes off her the entire time,” he ground out. And though I knew he was referring to my daughter, the green-eyed monster raging in my mind told me he was talking about Christine.
Who would blame him for looking? She was nearly six feet tall—even without the five-inch heels she often wore. She had platinum blond hair that hung like a waterfall down to her waist. And the most convincing pair of fake boobs I’d ever seen.
“It was nice to meet you, Christine.” He padded over to the door. “I should get back to work.” He gave me a pointed look, letting me know he wasn’t pleased.
I followed Christine out to her car, my mood growing darker by the minute. I buckled in and started scrolling through the emails that had piled up, responding to each as quickly as possible.
“So, Preston…?” Christine finally asked as we neared the office.
I kept my attention on the phone, trying to keep my voice even when I spoke. “He’s taking care of Sophia this summer.”
“He’s…the nanny?” She scrunched up her nose as if she smelled something disgusting.
“Yes. What’s wrong with being a nanny?” I turned, watching her profile.
“Nothing, I guess.” Even though she shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal, she spoke the words with such disdain, it made me sick. “He seems too hot to be a nanny. Honestly, I thought he was your new boy toy.”
“Boy toy? Me?” I burst out laughing, though her comment struck a little too close to home. “Christine, when have you ever known me to date? Let alone have a boy toy?”
“I wasn’t trying to offend you,” she was quick to say. “I thought it was a compliment.”
“Is that so?” I resisted the urge to cross my arms over my chest.
We worked in an industry that thrived on reading subtle signals, body communication. And crossing my arms over my chest would send the wrong message—would make it abundantly clear just how pissed I was. Would reveal my weakness when it came to this man.
“Yeah. I mean, he’s young, hot.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder.
I’d always admired Christine’s blunt manner, until now. She had to be close to Preston’s age, but they were so different in their respective outlook on life. Where he was focused on family and giving back, her only thought was for appearances. Not that I was much better than her, but still.
“And I’m what—chopped liver?” I teased, though it was no laughing matter.
Christine was merely echoing some of my own insecurities. Ones Preston had tried to dismiss, yet I continued to cling to the notion that people wouldn’t support our relationship. That there would be whispers behind our backs or snide remarks.
I’d worked too long and too hard to have people focus more on my personal life than my reputation as one of LA’s top real estate agents, and now brokers. I’d earned that respect, and I wasn’t going to give up now.
“Of course not.” Christine placed her hand on my thigh. “Alexis. You know how much I respect and admire you.”
At the moment, it felt more like hollow platitudes meant to placate her employer. But I was the boss, and I had a reputation to uphold. I had people relying on me—clients, employees, staff. Not to mention Sophia.
This thing with Preston was supposed to be a fling, nothing more. But I hadn’t had this much fun in, well, years. I felt like I was finally living again—spending time with Sophia, going to the aquarium without thinking about work, movie nights sans my phone.
But now, I was paying the price. I’d missed calls, texts, and emails…potential sales because I’d been distracted.
I could fix these issues. I would fix them. But now, more than ever, I needed Preston’s help with Sophia. And this was why I didn’t mix business with pleasure. Because things could get messy.
Chapter Eighteen
“Hey. How was your day?” I kissed Alexis on the cheek when she returned home from work later that week.
She’d apologized for snapping at me in front of Christine, and I’d forgiven her. Still, I sensed that she was pulling away, and I couldn’t deny that it stung.
It was typical. Frustrating. Every time I thought she was letting me in, she stepped back. She clammed up. I knew she was busy at work, but still…I didn’t know what more I could do to show her that I was there for her, that I loved her.
Alexis let out a deep sigh. “Long.”
“I can show you something else that’s long.” I waggled my eyebrows, hoping my cheesy innuendo would help her relax and take her mind off work. If nothing else, I knew she couldn’t deny our connection.
But she didn’t bite.
“Where’s Sophia?” She glanced around.
“Over at Brooklyn’s,” I said, gripping her hips. “And I’m pretty sure you’ll be getting a call in the next thirty minutes asking if she can spend the night.” I chuckled.
She smirked, and I could feel my shoulders relax at that small gesture. “I’m pretty sure you’re right. Those two are as thick as thieves.”
“So…I was kind of hoping you’d go out with me tonight, seeing as we have a babysitter.” I grinned. “And tomorrow’s your day off.”
“Tonight?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know. I have a lot of work to do.”
“You’ve been working so hard lately, you deserve a break,” I said, hoping to entice her to take one night off.
Instead, she stiffened, stepping out of my touch. “No.” Her voice was hard. “That’s part of the reason I’m in this mess, trying to put out all these fires—because I took time off.”
I stared at her. She couldn’t be serious. “You took one day to go to the aquarium. One.”
“Plus, all the time I usually spend answering emails at night, plus my days off.”
“Then they’re not really days off if you spend most of your time working,” I teased.
Her expression hardened. “You might not understand, but there are a lot of people who depend on me—clients, agents, employees, Sophia, even you. I don’t get a salary. If I don’t work, if I don’t answer emails and make phone calls and follow up, I don’t get paid.” She enunciated the last words.
“I understand that.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I understand the pressure of nee
ding to make money.”
She leaned forward, her expression hard. “Do you?”
I gnashed my teeth, but then I had another thought. What was this really about? Because it seemed like more than the normal stress related to work. I’d seen her negotiate multimillion-dollar deals without breaking a sweat. I’d watched her dress down a contractor without losing her cool. And I knew she thrived on the energy and the excitement of her job.
“Yes.” I stepped closer, not wanting to get into a fight. Not when we finally had a night alone together. “I do,” I murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I also know that everyone needs time to decompress, to have fun. Even—” I held a finger to her lips when she opened her mouth to protest “—you.”
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide her grin. “I guess you’re right. And we did just close another big deal.”
“See,” I said, rubbing my thumb across her lips.
“So, what did you have in mind?”
She toyed with the hem of my shirt, sliding her hand beneath the fabric and fanning her hands across the bare skin of my back. I massaged her shoulders, trying to get her as relaxed as possible before telling her my plans.
“Preston,” she moaned, and my dick twitched with excitement.
She tilted her head back, eyes closed, mouth open in ecstasy. Plans? What plans?
I placed kisses down her neck, across her collarbone, between her breasts. She melted into me, relaxing into my touch as I smoothed my hands up her rib cage, beneath her bra. By the time I pinched her nipples, twisting the tight nubs, she was panting. I loved the effect I had on her.
I pushed up her shirt and bra, admiring her gorgeous tits before lavishing each with attention. She palmed me over my shorts, making me even harder if that was possible. I wanted so badly to give in, but I needed to taste her first. I sank to my knees, pushing her skirt up her thighs.
“Fuck,” I groaned when I saw she wasn’t wearing any underwear. I swiped my tongue along her slit, savoring her flavor.
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