by Sky Winters
“We love the girls and always make time for them, but the three of us all work at the same fire station, and the hours can be irregular and difficult. There have been times when we’ve all had to go out on the same call and scrambled to find someone to look after the girls.”
“And now you’re looking for a live-in nanny,” she said.
“That’s right. We figured that we could find a human girl to live with us, but we all knew that having a human girl live with us would cause...problems. Keeping her unaware of our shifter nature would be another thing to worry about. On the other hand, shifters tend to bring shifter problems.”
Jessie knew he was right. Life as a shifter tended to be non-stop dealings with clan power struggles and rivalries between the various shifter species.
“So, we figured we’d put up a posting on the nanny site and see what kind of girls applied.”
“And what kind of girls have applied?”
“Some promising candidates, but I can tell that some of the humans have been more than a little confused by our living situation. Three men living with three daughters. They’re all obviously curious, but afraid to say anything for fear of offending us.”
Jessie couldn’t help but notice how refined Samuel was. It struck her as odd that he would be a fireman – his appearance and demeanor seemed more suited behind a desk at a massive international bank. A job like that would be more suited for a dragon, after all.
And besides that, she was having a very hard time ignoring how good-looking he was. She found her eyes tracking down to the toned muscles of his forearms, imagining what it would feel like to be held in his arms. She could picture, with perfect clarity, what he’d look like on top of her, between her legs, his strong, muscular body pounding her in the way that only a dragon could.
“You okay?”
Jessie quickly shook her head, coming back to the moment.
“Yeah,” she said.
“You looked a little off-in-space there,” he said with a small smile.
“Just...thinking this all over.”
He nodded.
“That’s what you should be doing,” he said. “I’d be requiring a major commitment from whatever nanny I brought on.”
“Of course,” said Jessie.
Samuel got up and stood in front of the window, looking out onto the city.
“It said in the ad that we’re looking for the right girl, and that we’d know her when we saw her. And that’s how I’m feeling about you.”
Jessie felt a thrill run up her spine. She felt the same way, like this arrangement was meant to be.
“Not to say that I’ve made my decision,” he said. “But let me tell you about salary and all that.”
He stepped over to his notes, picked up a pen, and wrote down something. Then he folded the piece of paper and handed it over to Jessie.
“That’s what your monthly salary would be. And we’d, of course, be taking care of all your expenses while you’re here.”
Jessie unfolded the piece of paper, her eyes going wide.
It was a lot of money. And with what she’d be saving with not having to pay rent, Jessie realized she could easily get back on her feet after only a few months.
“Is that acceptable?” he asked.
“Very much so,” she said.
He nodded.
“There’s still one more matter to take into consideration before I decide whether or not you’re right for the job.”
Jessie closed her eyes for a brief moment, secretly hoping that his next words would be, ‘I want to see you naked.’
“I have to see how you are with the girls.”
“Makes sense,” she said.
Right at that moment, a chime sounded through the apartment.
“Perfect timing,” said Samuel. “That would be the other two returning with the kids. You’ll get to meet everyone.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said.
Truthfully, she knew that she was now even more nervous than she had been. As the elevator doors opened, she took a deep breath, ready for whatever was next.
CHAPTER 5
JESSIE
The doors opened, revealing two tall men and three adorable little girls. The girls rushed into the room, hurrying up to Samuel.
“Papa Sam!” one of them shouted, throwing her arms around Samuel’s legs.
“Hey, kiddos!” he said.
Jessie took a good look at the girls. Just like the fathers, they were all striking – but in an adorable kid way. And also just like the fathers, one had gorgeous blonde hair, one hair fire-red hair, and the other had rich, brown hair.
They were about the cutest kids Jessie had ever seen in her life.
The two other men followed behind, bags from what appeared to be kid’s boutiques in their hands.
“How was the shopping?” asked Samuel, picking up the red-haired girl and plopping her onto his lap.
“Good!” said the blonde man. “Got them some very nice clothes that they’re almost definitely not going to fit into in a few months.”
Samuel smirked, and Jessie took in the looks of the other two men.
One was tall and Nordic-looking, with glittering, ice-blue eyes and fair skin. He was muscular, but in a lean, swimmer’s body sort of way. His face was clean-shaven and his features almost ethereally beautiful.
The other, the red-haired man, had a burly, beefy build, his eyes a gorgeous, grass green. He was dressed in a flannel shirt and rugged jeans, stylish work boots completing the look. Red scruff was on his face, giving him a beard that Jessie couldn’t help but find manly and sexy.
Again, she found herself crossing her legs hard as she tried to fight back how insanely turned-on all of these men made her. The intoxicating alpha scent that followed them in didn’t make things any easier.
Both of the men took a quick, appraising look at Jessie.
“Hey!” said the red-haired man. “I remember you!”
“Yeah,” said the blonde, crossing his arms and leaning against a nearby support column. “You’re that girl from the bar.”
Jessie realized that she’d made just as big of an impression on them as they’d made on her. Not surprising, considering she was an omega and they were as alpha as they came. But she wasn’t prepared for just how turned-on she’d get being in all of their presence at the same time.
And the effect was mutual. The two men regarded her with hungry eyes, as if they wanted to devour her right then and there.
Though she hadn’t gotten the job yet, Jessie realized that working with three gorgeous alpha men would be very, very tricky. She’d have to use all the restraint she had to keep things...professional.
“Who is she?” asked the blonde girl in a sweet, girly voice, turning her striking blue eyes to Jessie and pointing at her with a cute, chubby little finger.
Jessie knew this was her cue to start.
“Hey!” she said, making her voice as bright and friendly as she could. “My name’s Jessie! What’s yours?”
The blonde froze in place, apparently not prepared for Jessie to actually speak.
The redhead stepped toward Jessie, a big smile on her freckled face.
“I’m Alice!” she said, as if announcing her presence to the world.
“Nice to meet you, Alice,” said Jessie. “And what about you?”
“Lucy,” said the brown-eyed, brown-haired girl in a soft voice.
“Sarah,” said the blonde man. “Don’t be shy–introduce yourself.”
With her arms around the blonde man’s legs, she spoke, “Sarah.”
The blonde man smiled and put his hand on her head.
“She’s a little on the shy side, as you can see,” he said.
“She’s adorable,” said Jessie. “They all are.”
The men smiled.
“I’m Jonas,” said the blonde man, extending his hand.
Jessie took it and gave it a firm shake. Just like when she shook Samuel’s hand, a thrill ran
up her spine.
“And I’m Rick,” said the redheaded man in a gruff voice.
Another shake, another thrill. Jessie felt tension begin to build in her pussy. Part of her wanted to flee the place right then and there, to get away from the temptation.
“Easy to see which kid is who’s,” she said.
The men chuckled.
“The girls do seem to take after their fathers,” said Samuel. “Some more than others. But they’re all of ours, all the same.”
“I’d heard about alphas sharing a mate,” she said. “But I’d never actually seen it in person.”
“It’s an old way of doing things,” said Samuel. “But it worked for us.”
“Yeah,” said Rick, plopping down in the nearest chair. “Some people think it’s weird, but I say f−”
Samuel and Jonas shot him a look, one that said, “watch yourself.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, raising his palms. “Gotta work on my swearing, I know.”
Jessie found herself drawn to Rick in that moment. He seemed rough and tough, not refined and elegant like most dragons. She could easily picture him on the back of a motorcycle, tearing down some long-forgotten highway. Maybe even with her on the backseat, her arms wrapped around his strong body.
He flashed her a look that made it clear he’d noticed her attention, and that the attraction was more than mutual. Jessie felt her face go red as she turned her eyes away.
“What’s in the bags?” asked Jessie to Sarah, trying to get the girl to come out of her shell.
“Clothes,” said Sarah, her blue eyes still on Jessie, as if trying to figure her out.
“You like to go shopping?” she asked.
“Yeah,” she said in a soft voice.
Jessie could tell it was going to take some time and patience to get these little girls to warm up to her. But she knew enough about kids to understand that being kind would be the fastest way to get this done.
“I like to go shopping too!” said Jessie. “What’s your favorite store?”
“Gem’s,” said Sarah.
Jessie had heard of the place – it was a high-end children’s boutique near where Jessie lived. Or, used to live.
“I know Gem’s,” said Jessie. “But I’ve never been in there before. Maybe you and I could go sometime? You could show me all your favorite stuff.”
“Maybe,” said Sarah, her voice still quiet and soft.
“I think it’d be lots of fun,” said Jessie. “I bet you like the coolest clothes.”
“The best clothes are ones with all the sparkles,” said Alice. “They’re my favorite.”
Jessie could tell that Alice was the more outgoing of the three girls.
“Those are fun,” said Jessie. “I like to wear stuff like that and show it off.”
“Yeah!” said Alice, clearly on board with Jessie’s idea.
“And what about you?” asked Jessie to Lucy, the big-eyed, brown-haired girl.
“She doesn’t like clothes,” said Alice. “She likes boring stuff like books.”
“Books aren’t boring,” said Lucy, still in her soft voice.
“Yeah,” said Jessie. “Books can be lots of fun. Do you have a lot of books?”
Lucy nodded slowly.
“Mhmm,” she said. “They’re all in my room.”
“Maybe you can show me some of your favorites sometime.”
“Maybe,” said Lucy.
“Have you ever been to The Strand before?” asked Jessie.
Lucy’s eyes lit up.
“Yeah!” she said, excitement filling her voice. “It’s my favorite bookstore.”
“Me too,” said Jessie. “I could spend all day in there. You want to go sometime?”
Lucy nodded eagerly.
“Then it’s a date,” said Jessie.
Jessie knew she was being a little risky by making plans when the job was far from hers, but she decided to go with it anyway.
“Okay!” said Lucy happily.
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” said Alice, tugging at Samuel’s pant leg.
“You girls ready for some dinner?” he asked.
The girls all sounded their approval.
“Okay,” said Samuel. “What should we have?”
Jessie saw another opportunity, and decided to take it.
“How about I make you all some dinner?” she asked. “Maybe some sandwiches and smoothies.”
“I want a smoothie!” declared Alice. “With strawberries!”
Rick shrugged.
“You’re feeling up to dinner duty?” he asked.
“Yeah,” said Jessie. “That’d be part of what you all would be expecting from me, right?”
The men gave one another quick looks.
“Sure,” said Jonas. “Let me show you to the kitchen.”
He nodded in the direction of the other side of the apartment and Jessie followed him. As he passed, his alpha scent drifted past her and lit up her senses. Each of them seemed to call out to her in their own unique, sexually-charged way.
Jonas, for example, had an almost ethereal way to him. He moved silently and with fluid movements, as if he floated on air. He was the sort of strange, otherworldly kind of gorgeous that Jessie expected from dragons. He was dressed impeccably, and his hair was luminous and golden.
Part of her had a hard time imagining him as a fireman – he seemed like he’d be more at home as an art gallery owner, like some dragons she’d known.
The two of them arrived in the kitchen, which was as ultra-modern as the rest of the apartment.
“Here we are,” he said, turning around and leaning back against the granite-top kitchen island, his blue eyes locked on her.
“This is a really nice kitchen,” she said, looking around.
“Thanks,” he said. “Designed it myself.”
Jessie raised an eyebrow.
“Really?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Along with the rest of the apartment.”
“You like interior design?” she asked.
“I like anything that requires artistry,” he said. “And that includes interior design.”
That made perfect sense to Jessie. Though, she had a hard time formulating thoughts under the gaze of his icy-blue eyes.
“And cooking,” he said. “What’d you have in mind for dinner?”
“Well,” she said, “the girls seemed into the smoothie idea, and sandwiches are always quick and easy.”
“Maybe some soup to go with it,” said Jonas. “I know a quick tomato-and-beef soup recipe.”
“And beef?” asked Jessie.
“Yep,” said Jonas. “The girls are growing dragons, remember. Need to get as much protein in them as we can.”
“Oh, good call,” said Jessie.
“You take care of the smoothies and sandwiches, and I’ll take care of the rest,” said Jonas. “Let me know if you need help finding anything.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Jessie.
With that, they went to work. Jessie was surprised by how fully-stocked their kitchen was. The fridge had all the fresh fruit and vegetables and meat that she needed, and the cupboards were full of all sorts of useful appliances.
About halfway into the preparation, Alice, the little redhead, came into the kitchen.
“I want to help!” she said.
“Sure, munchkin,” said Jonas, lifting her up off the ground and sitting her on the kitchen island. “You can supervise.”
Jonas turned to Jessie.
“Alice is really getting into cooking,” he said. “So you might have her running around your legs while you’re making meals.” Then he quickly added, “If we decide to hire you, that is.”
“Of course,” said Jessie.
“I like her,” said Alice.
Jonas flashed Jessie a smile of perfect white teeth.
“That’s one in your favor,” he said.
The three of them set to work, with Alice offering her opinions on how
the food should be prepared. Jessie let her watch, occasionally slipping her little bits of fruit as she added them to the smoothie mix.
After a time, the kitchen was filled with delicious scents, and Jessie found her stomach grumbling as they finished the food. After some more work, Jessie had seven plates all set up, each with a turkey and roast beef sandwich on fresh bread, along with a small bowl of thick, rich-looking soup that Jonas made. And with each plate was a tall glass of dark green smoothie.
Jessie’s anxiety was gone, replaced by hunger.
Together, she and Jonas brought all the food and drinks into the living room where the rest of the family was waiting.
“Dinnertime!” said Jonas as they passed out the plates and glasses.
Rick looked over his food with hungry, eager eyes. “Oh, this looks so fu−... I mean ‘freaking’ good,” he said, lifting his sandwich up to his face.
Jessie plopped down next to Jonas, and he flashed her an approving look that seemed to say, “well done.”
After a few minutes of silent eating, Samuel looked up from his meal.
“These smoothies are great,” he said. “Where’d you learn to make them?”
Jessie considered mentioning her now ex, but the thought of bringing him up didn’t sit well with her.
“Just practice,” she said. “Smoothies are good when you want something quick and nutritious.”
Samuel nodded and set down his plate.
“Well, I didn’t plan on there being a cooking portion to the interview, but I’d say you passed it.”
Jessie smiled, happy to hear she was doing well. They turned back to their food, finishing up.
“That was so good!” said Alice. “Jessie, can you teach me how to make smoothies?”
“Alice,” said Jonas. “Be respectful and call her ‘Miss Jessie.’ She’s an adult, remember?”
“Fine, ‘Miss Jessie’,” she said.
“I’d love to,” said Jessie.
But she was hesitant to make any long-term plans with the girls – she’d already offered shopping trips she didn’t know if she was going to be hired to take them on.
The men seemed to realize that the time had come to make a decision.
“I’ll clean up,” said Jessie. “You girls want to help?”
The girls all agreed, and Jessie led them in picking up the plates and glasses and bringing them into the kitchen. The men all got up and headed out onto the balcony.
