by Emma Quinn
“Well, then, let’s get out of here! I booked us the most adorable beautiful bed and breakfast I could find,” Jack told her.
“I have to finish cleaning up first!” she insisted. Wiggling out of his grip, she poured Jack a coffee to drink while she wiped down the table and left a note saying she’d quit.
“Now can we go?” Jack asked, like a child waiting for a treat.
Alana smiled at him as she finally took off her apron. “Yes,” she replied. “Now we can go.”
Jack sprang out of his seat and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the restaurant for the last time. “Great,” he said, “Because I have a surprise for you back at the hotel.”
“Oooh,” said Alana. “Is it ice cream? Or some of Maria’s peanut butter cookies?”
“No,” said Jack. “Though, in retrospect, I should have brought some of those cookies. That was an oversight.”
“Definitely. You should have opened with the cookies. I wouldn’t have been able to resist them,” Alana agreed, laughing as they climbed into Jack’s sleek silver rental car. “So, if it’s not ice cream or cookies, what is it?”
Jack glanced at her and laughed. “A surprise!”
Alana groaned, then sat up straight. “Oh! I need to stop at the house to tell the Pattersons I’m quitting and get my things. Oh dear, I should be giving them two weeks’ notice.”
“Whatever. I’ll pay them two weeks’ worth of babysitting to cover the gap,” said Jack as they drove up into the hills.
“Jack—” Alana began.
“Yes,” said Jack. “And if you don’t tell them, I’ll tell them myself.”
Alana huffed, “Okay, okay. Thank you,” she said softly.
“My absolute pleasure,” said Jack, smiling at her.
Alana packed faster than she’d thought possible, throwing all her things into her luggage as Jack sorted out the details with her now ex-employers. Fifteen minutes after they’d arrived, they were heading out again.
“Anything else we need to do?” Jack asked.
“Nope!” said Alana shaking her head. “Take me to the surprise!”
Jack laughed and they sped through the warm, frangipani-scented night.
Their bed and breakfast was in a beautiful, Spanish-style house with terracotta tiles and bougainvillea covering the front entrance in an enormous crimson cloud.
But the best part of all was, as they passed through the front lobby and into the central courtyard, Alana heard someone call her name and then, a moment later, that someone ran into her with all their might.
“Lottie!” Alana cried. Clinging to Alana’s waist, the little girl looked up, her big grey eyes aglow with happiness.
“I missed yo-ou!” said Lottie, burying her face in Alana’s stomach.
“I missed you too!” said Alana, reaching down to lift the girl up. Lottie was really a bit too big to pick up these days, but Alana didn’t care. She hugged the girl to her and Lottie wrapper her arms and legs around her nanny and clung to her for dear life.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” said Lottie, her face in Alana’s shoulder. “I knew you couldn’t do anything bad. I knew it!”
Alana laughed and sniffled, fighting to keep tears of joy from spilling. “Thanks, honey,” she said.
Lottie lifted her head finally. “Are you coming home with us now?” she asked.
Alana glanced at Jack, who smiled. “She is,” he said. “But not until tomorrow.”
“But I have school tomorrow morning,” Lottie pointed out.
“How about we practice French together on the plane like we used to? Then it’ll be like you’re in school,” Alana smiled.
Lottie pretended to think. “Hmmm, okay,” she said finally, giggling and hugging Alana again, as her father looked on, smiling. “But first can we go for dinner?” she asked. “I’m starving. Dad said we had to wait for you!”
“I’m starving too!” said Alana. “Thank goodness you waited for me!”
“Can we go for sushi?” Lottie asked, looking towards her dad.
“Alana?” Jack asked. “What do you think?”
“I think sushi would be perfect,” said Alana, grinning. “But I have to put you down now, Lottie, because otherwise my arms are going to fall off.”
“Oh fine,” Lottie sighed as Alana lowered her to the ground.
They put Alana’s suitcase away in Jack’s room, Jack and Alana both looking longingly at the enormous California king bed that monopolized the sunny room. Alana only barely noticed the beautiful blue of the ocean sparkling in the distance, framed by the leafy vines that encircled their window.
“There’s a Jacuzzi in the bathroom,” Jack said as they headed out, Lottie calling for them to hurry up as she ran ahead.
Alana made a face. “I’m not really that hungry, you know,” she said, smiling.
Jack laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Me neither. But Lottie would kill us.”
Alana chuckled. “Too true.”
Despite the call of the enormous bed and the unseen Jacuzzi, dinner was perfect and Alana wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world – not even sex with Jack. Lottie sat next to Alana, talking about all the different things she’d learned since Alana had gone away and all the things she wanted to do now that Alana was back. Alana listened to her chat away and reveled in the warmth and love that had been such a huge part of her life until so recently.
As they finished their green tea ice cream, Jack cleared his throat and looked over at Alana, raising his eyebrows. “Lottie, we have something to tell you,” he said.
Lottie looked up from her dessert, raising her eyebrows in an unconscious imitation of her father. “Are you and Alana going to get married?” she asked.
Alana nearly choked on her ice cream, but Jack just smiled. “It’s not that. It’s something else.”
Lottie put down her spoon to show she was paying attention.
Alana and Jack looked at each other for a moment. “How would you feel about having a little brother or sister?” Alana asked gently.
Lottie looked Alana for a moment. “Well, I’d rather have a little sister because that would be more fun, but I’d probably be okay with a little brother too as long as he wasn’t mean and didn’t steal my toys.”
Alana tried not to smile. “I’d like a little girl too,” she said.
Lottie’s eyes grew wide, the realization suddenly dawning. “Oh my gosh! Are you going to have a baby, Alana?”
“I am,” said Alana.
“With my dad?”
“Yes.”
Lottie punched the air in excitement. “That’s so cool!” she said and hugged Alana tightly.
Alana kissed her hair and smiled at Jack over her head.
By the time they finally got back to the B&B, Lottie was asleep in the back seat. As gently as he could, Jack carried her up to her bedroom, Alana following behind, smiling at Lottie’s head lolling on his shoulder.
Once Lottie was safely tucked away in bed, Jack and Alana tiptoed out into the hall, Jack pulling the door quietly closed behind them.
“Finally,” he breathed, immediately pulling Alana into a tight embrace.
She laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Patience is a virtue,” she teased him, standing on her tiptoes for a kiss.
“One that I do not possess,” Jack replied when they finally broke apart.
Alana laughed again, letting Jack pull her towards their room. He unlocked the door, turning around to kiss her one more time. They ended up stumbling backwards through the open door, their eagerness getting the better of them. As they kissed, Jack kicked the door shut behind them and Alana impatiently tugged his shirt out of his pants.
Jack reached down, pulling Alana’s dress up and off her. He tossed it to the side, bringing her back into a fervent kiss.
“God, I’ve missed you so much,” he said, his hands running down her bare back, undoing her bra as they went. Leaning down, he ran his warm lips down
her neck, over her collarbone and between her breasts, covering her skin with hot kisses and making Alana gasp with pleasure.
Gently, Jack laid her down on the enormous bed, bracing himself above her as they kissed. Alana wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him closer, arching towards him so that her nipples brushed his chest.
“I missed you too,” she whispered as he moved down, taking one nipple and then the other into his mouth, swirling them with his tongue. But Jack didn’t linger. He tugged off Alana’s panties and ran his tongue over the ripples of her pussy, making her quiver and moan as he shed his pants and underwear.
Expertly, he toyed with her clit, sucking it between his soft lips as his fingers entered her, running across her sensitive g-spot as Alana moaned, gripping the sheets in her hands.
“Don’t tease me,” she panted, knowing Jack loved to draw things out. Usually she loved it too, but tonight she wanted him right away. It had been so long. “Come here,” she commanded breathlessly.
Jack’s eyes grew dark and he did as she asked, climbing onto the bed and thrusting his waiting cock deep into her slick pussy.
Alana gasped. She’d grown tight over the last month. But she was wet and ready and her walls stretched to accommodate Jack’s girth. As he began to thrust, all she felt was pleasure.
Jack bent over Alana and kissed her before flipping them over, so that she was on top. Alana looked down at him, his dark eyes on her and his chiseled chest straining below her hands, and she grinned. Jack grinned back, his hands coming to grip her hips as they began to speed up. Their bodies came together hard and fast, Jack’s cock driving deeper and deeper into Alana as she arched her back, running her hands through her hair and showing off her breasts, enjoying the feel of Jack’s desire washing over her.
“Fuck,” he swore softly and she felt his balls tightening below her. She bucked against him, harder and harder and he lifted his hips, drilling into her with frantic speed, until Alana was swearing too, pleasure flooding through her. The lights began to flicker behind her eyes and Alana felt her body clench around Jack’s cock as she came. Jack groaned her name and she felt him come in her as they both gave into ecstasy.
Alana fell forward, gasping for air next to him. Smiling and breathless, Jack looked over at her, running his hands through her hair.
“Did I mention how much I missed you?” he asked.
Alana giggled. “You did,” she said. “I seem to remember you mentioning something about a Jacuzzi as well.”
Jack laughed, kissing her lightly. “It’s like you can read my mind,” he told her.
11
A
lana got out of the car, looking up at the familiar, rose-covered mansion she so wanted to call home. Her father’s surgery had been a success and he was recovering in a private room with everything he could want, thanks to Jack. Alana was exhausted but happy. She just wished she could feel as certain about her future with Jack. Even though she knew he thought he wanted to be with her and the baby, what if he changed his mind or tried to sabotage things again? She needed to be able to trust him like she had before, but she wasn’t sure what would make that possible.
But she didn’t have the energy to worry about that just now. She needed a hot bath and a glass of wine. And not necessarily in that order, she thought as she pushed open the front door.
What she saw inside the front hall, stopped her in her tracts, however. The whole place was filled with roses: in bowls on the tables, in vases on the stairs, in petals strew across the floor. In the middle of it all, sitting on the stairs, was Jack. When he saw her, his face broke into a grin and he got up, bounding across the space between them.
“You’re home,” he said.
“Jack…” Alana looked around in bewilderment.
Instead of answering, Jack kissed her passionately.
“Jack!” she giggled this time, then grew silent, her eyes widening. “Jack…”
Jack had gotten down on one knee in front of her. “I wanted to do this properly,” he said, looking up into her eyes.
Alana felt her heart pounding in her chest. “Do what properly?” she asked breathlessly.
“Will you marry me, Alana?” Jack asked, bringing a small velvet box out of his shirt pocket and opening it. Inside was the beautiful emerald and diamond ring that Eleanor had used to frame her. “I wasn’t sure about the ring,” he admitted. “But I want you to have it and I want it to always remind me of what I almost lost.”
Alana felt tears well in her eyes. Her doubts washed away. How had he known she’d needed this? “But you didn’t lose me,” she reminded him.
“So you will?” he asked.
“Yes,” Alana beamed at him. “Of course I will.”
“Hurray!!!!” A shout came from behind the kitchen door, quickly followed by a loud shushing sound. Lottie and Maria were, apparently, eavesdropping.
But Alana and Jack had eyes only for each other.
“Thank you,” said Jack as he rose to his feet, lifting Alana into his arms. Alana wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, filled with love and happiness.
Finally, she had come home.
THE END
Extract from the book:
The Nanny’s Secret
Emma Quinn
1
A
nna Fox stiffened, her whole body freezing as she heard the distant click of a latch. But it was someone else’s door opening, not her own. For a second, she heard voices echoing in the hall, but they disappeared again as the door closed behind the guest. Quickly, Anna went back to packing.
Even though she knew Justin wouldn’t be back for at least another hour, Anna couldn’t help the knots that ached in her stomach, the tension that kept her shoulders hunched and tight, or the semi-hysterical anxiety that buzzed through her like a live wire. She was running away from her husband. Of course she was on edge.
Finally, her backpack was full, all her most beloved belongings carefully stowed away among a few necessary bits of clothing. She didn’t have much to take. One of the lesser-known advantages to the mobile, temporary character of military life was that it made running away a lot easier. But, what she did have – family photos, knick knacks given to her by her grandfather, a necklace from her mother before she died, and a few well-read favorite books – were precious to her. There was no way in hell Anna was going to leave behind the few souvenirs of her mother and her grandparents with her asshole soon-to-be-ex husband.
Glancing one last time at the condo, Anna took a deep breath. Then, before she could second guess herself, she grabbed her coat and car keys and walked away, closing the door on her old life – and her old self.
“Hey, Mrs. Sawatsky,” Joe, one of her downstairs neighbors grinned at her as she wove through the parking lot. He was walking with an overflowing bag of groceries in one hand and his little girl’s hand in the other. “Howya doing?”
“Hi!” his daughter, Sonya, added, working a sticky lollipop out of her mouth and giving Anna a blue-stained grin.
Anna smiled at the pair. “Hey guys,” she said. An unexpected feeling of loss rippled through her, like a pebble falling through water. She’d miss her home and her neighbors. They were good people and she’d been happy here. “I’m great. How are you?”
“We’re gonna make pizza!” shouted Sonya.
“Wow, delicious!” Anna replied, looking back up at Joe. He smiled wanly. Already imagining the mess that’ll make, no doubt, Anna thought. “Have fun, guys!”
“You headed to the gym?” Joe asked, nodding to her backpack. It was the same one she used for spin class.
“Yeah,” Anna said, nodding. She’d chosen the bag specifically so that if any of her neighbors saw her, they wouldn’t ask any awkward questions. And, if she was lucky, maybe their false intel would even put Justin off her trail for a while. “No rest for the wicked,” she grinned.
“You’re a better man than I,” Joe joked. “Enjoy.”
“Enjoy your pizza!�
�� Anna replied and headed for her car. For the first time that day, she was smiling without having to force it. As she got into the driver’s seat of her little blue Mazda, she watched Joe and Sonya disappear around the corner. All the best, guys, she thought silently. She was grateful to them for letting her enjoy her last few moments in the condo complex where she’d spent two nearly perfect years of her life.
‘Nearly perfect’ being the operative words, Anna thought glumly as she reversed out of the stall and pulled out into traffic.
When she and Justin had first been transferred to Williamsburg, Virginia, it had seemed like they’d finally gotten everything they’d wished for.
“We’re together, we’ve both been promoted, and this condo has a view of a goddamn river,” Justin had said their very first night in the new condo, as they’d lain, exhausted, on their unmade bed. He’d propped himself up on one elbow and grinned down at her, his tanned, handsome face bright with happiness. Anna could still remember how happy she’d felt in that moment. How loved, how cherished, how safe.
How things had changed.
In retrospect, and especially as a psychologist, she probably should have seen this coming. But she’d been blindsided all the same.
Anna’s mother had died while she was still in high school, and her medical bills had bankrupted the family. Bright and eager, Anna had joined the military straight out of school because they were willing to pay for her education. She’d studied psychology, Russian, and Spanish, and graduated top of her year. That was when she should have realized what was to come.
She met Justin in Psych 300: Abnormal Psychology. Just like her, he was bright and eager and in the military. But, unlike her, he was competitive and a sore loser. When she’d won top honors at graduation, he’d sulked and sniped at her for weeks.
“I mean, you worked so hard, babe,” he’d said to her once. “It’s great to see that being recognized. It’s, just, you know…it’s not like you were the top of every class. But, hey, that’s positive discrimination for you.”
