Extensive (A Single Dad Box Set)

by Claire Adams

  I slowly inhaled, smelling a hint of his cologne. The scent memory catapulted me back to Saturday night.

  “Well,” he said with a small smirk. “I should get going.”

  “Yeah,” I said as I exhaled. I needed him out of my sight or I was going to go crazy with need. Would this feeling ever go away? It wasn’t completely his fault that this was awkward. I had wanted to have sex with him. And I was the one who left that night. What would have happened if I stayed? Did he think of me more than his nanny after that night? Or did he agree that this was a bad idea? It was clear we weren’t going to talk about it at that moment. But I built up a list of questions in my mind for when we did have that discussion when we had more time to hash it all out.

  I waited until the front door closed and I heard the engine of his car before I headed into the kitchen to start on Gina’s breakfast.

  With her dislike for most vegetables, I chopped spinach and added it to her oatmeal. It was a trick I’d learned in one of my earlier nanny jobs. Sadly, that job only worked out for about two weeks when the family moved across the country.

  When I finished preparing the breakfast, I put the oatmeal in two bowls to allow it to cool before going upstairs.

  Gina was still in bed when I opened the door. Her little eyes cracked open and then widened like saucers. “Jess!” She jumped out of bed and ran over to me, hugging my legs.

  “Good morning, little tacker. Ready for breakfast?”

  “I’m hungry!” she said in a deep voice. The reference to the dinosaur cartoon character from one of her favorite shows made me smile. She hugged her new doll against her body and took my hand, marching down to the kitchen with me.

  At first, Gina glanced suspiciously at her oatmeal, but when I started eating it, she dug right in. Kids are much smarter than we give them credit for, so I held my breath as she ate, fully expecting her to know that I sneaked something healthy into her meal.

  “Your dad told me your uncle got you this doll?”

  “I love her!” she said then kissed the doll. I loved how affectionate she was. “Her name is Sally.”

  “That’s a pretty name,” I said. “What else did you do yesterday?”

  “Did Daddy tell you about his date?” Gina asked, completely ignoring my question.

  “Um, not really,” I said.

  “He told me that he’s not going out with your friend anymore.”

  “Oh.”

  “He was in a good mood yesterday.”

  “He was?” I asked. Even after the awkward goodbye we shared, he had been in a good mood? After this morning and his nonchalant attitude about everything, I had no idea what to think. But hearing he had been in a good mood helped improve mine as well. I tried to hide my smile with a sip from my mug. With Gina reporting to me about Noah’s mood, I was sure she’d say something to him if I reacted too much either way.

  “Yeah. He was smiling like you are.”

  I wiped the smile from my face. I thought I hid it enough, but Gina was observant. Almost too much sometimes.

  Gina sighed. “Do you have any other friends for Daddy?”

  I almost choked on my oatmeal. “I don’t.” Like hell was I going to set him up ever again. Especially after sleeping with him.

  “Oh,” she said.

  “These things aren’t to be rushed,” I said, trying to cheer her up. “I’m sure someone will come along.”

  She nodded and focused on her meal again.

  Later that morning, we stopped by the record shop on the way to the fabric store. Tuckering Gina out early would help get her down for a nap easier that afternoon and then I could focus on preparing the quilt for us. When we entered the store, Gina ran over to Sierra, who was behind the counter, painting her nails.

  Gina almost knocked over a bowl of lollies on the counter. With my quick reflexes from working with kids, I was able to grab it before they scattered all over the counter and floor.

  “Can I have one?” Gina asked me.

  “No,” I said firmly. “Not before lunch.”

  “Oh, come on,” Sierra said.

  I narrowed my eyes at her.

  Sierra ignored me and spoke to Gina. “Give me a second, and I’ll get you the record.”

  There was no one else in the shop that morning, so we had the place to ourselves. I desperately wanted to tell Sierra about everything that happened this weekend. It wasn’t a conversation to be told through text. And Gina would be busy dancing in a few moments so we could quickly chat.

  Sierra came around the counter, waving one hand out at her side to air dry the nail polish.

  Something crinkled, and I saw Sierra slip Gina one of the lollies.

  I gritted my teeth. At least I was sticking firmly to my answer.

  After setting up the record for Gina, Sierra went back to the counter, and I leaned against it, watching Gina.

  “I said no candy,” I said to her.

  “But I’m the fun one,” she said with a wink.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “How did your weekend turn out?” Sierra asked. “I couldn’t believe I was stuck here both days. I’m going to have a chat with Harold about the schedule.”

  “It was interesting,” I said. Sierra raised an eyebrow. I pushed on, determined to get it out before the song was over. Gina could not repeat any of this to Noah. “Apparently, Noah had a terrible time with Kimberly.”

  Sierra snorted. “I could have told you that. She’s an airhead.”

  “Anyway, so he came home, and we shared a bottle of wine. And then we, um, you know.”

  Sierra leaned against the other side of the counter and brought her face close to mine. “Don’t tell me you—?” She made an inappropriate gesture.

  I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that Gina didn’t see it. “Yeah.”

  “Holy shit,” Sierra hissed. “You had sex with Noah?”

  I buried my head in my hands. “Yes. And it was so weird afterward. I left like immediately after. I almost regret doing it.”

  “Why? You needed this. And you like him.”

  “It’s complicated with him being my boss and all,” I said. She didn’t understand that if things went sour, I’d never be able to see Gina again. And that hurt almost as much as me never seeing Noah again.

  “It’s obvious he likes you,” she’d said. “You even said he’s not the type to hit it and quit it.”

  I never used those exact words, but she was right. “It was so awkward this morning, but at least I’m keeping my job. For now.”

  “He’s not going to fire you,” she said. “He has eyes and knows that you and Gina are a perfect pair.”

  “So, what do I do about it?” I asked.

  “Whatever you want. If it were me, I would keep it going. He’s into you, and you’re into him. Why not be that naughty nanny I always knew you were?”

  I swatted at her. “I’m serious.”

  “I am too.”

  “You don’t think it’s a bad idea to get involved with him? What if something happens and I lose my job?”

  “You’re not going to lose your job, sweetie. If the both of you are concerned with that then obviously there is something more there. Besides, who better to be a mother figure to Gina than you?”

  “I don’t know…” I trailed off.

  “Have you spoken to him directly about this? Maybe it was only awkward because you were the one to leave the other night?”

  “Maybe,” I said, thinking about it. “Gina said he was in a good mood yesterday.”

  “Well, duh. That should help you from feeling weird about it. He liked it, and there was no awkwardness for him. That’s all on you.”

  I turned around and watched Gina dance around and make the animal noises. I couldn’t help but smile. I’d have to think more about this whole situation. I knew Sierra wanted to see me happy, but I had to make sure that my happy was the same as Gina’s and Noah’s. Somehow at that moment, I doubted it. If I pushed it too far, then it would
be my fault. It was best to leave it alone for the time being.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Noah

  On the way out of the building on Friday afternoon, I stopped into Marcel Jordan’s office. He was closest to the elevators. He had only been with us for about a year but had quickly climbed the ranks in the sales department.

  I knocked on the door even though it was open. Marcel’s chair swiveled around, and he stood up when he saw me.

  “Noah,” he said, crossing the room to give me a handshake. “What do I owe the pleasure?” Marcel was shorter than me, but his handshake was strong.

  “Allison told me you had a meeting with the Mansfield Nursing Home group this morning. I wanted to see how that went.”

  Marcel cracked a wide grin. “I nailed it.”

  “That’s fantastic,” I said. Mansfield was a tough account since they relied on the resident’s monthly payments to determine their budgets. But Marcel came through for us as I knew he would when I gave him that account. The others on the sales team were apprehensive about the new guy handling such a big account, but I had the final say. And challenging Marcel would benefit him by showing his worth to everyone else. It was great news for the company and a big account since they owned several properties in the area.

  “I know,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t thank you enough for assigning me the job. It was hard work, but I think we can help them out with pricing and getting them the best supplies for the residents.”

  “Let me know if there is anything I can do,” I said. “My door is always open.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Marcel said.

  “Have a nice weekend.” I turned to the door and headed out. I had a little pep in my step since I knew I would see my two favorite girls in a short time.

  On the ride home, I thought about Jess. As I did every day this week on my ride into and out of work. Seeing her every morning and afternoon since Saturday night gave me the opportunity to feel her out about that night. I buried Brandon’s advice deep down in my brain. Neither Jess nor I were the one-night-stand type of people. We both knew what we did that night, and the only thing I wanted to know was when we would do it again.

  I couldn’t rush into it again. I wanted to approach her slower this time. Show her I wanted her in my life as so much more than just Gina’s nanny. And that would take time. The longer it took, the sweeter the reward. And there would be less of a chance of her leaving me right after if we agreed that everything would remain the same with our relationship.

  My cock was semi-hard by the time I got home. I wish Jess knew how much she turned me on, both physically and mentally. She was the perfect package, and now I needed to convince her of that. And the next opportunity I had to show her, I was never letting her go.

  I cooled down before I went inside. Jess and Gina were in the family room. It looked as if a fabric store had exploded inside of my house.

  Jess leaned over her piece of fabric while she hand-stitched one side while Gina sat cross-legged next to her.

  I propped myself against the door frame to watch them for a moment. I’d never seen Gina so still in my life. She sucked on her lower lip while Jess moved the needle and thread through the fabric. Her stitches were precise and small enough that I couldn’t see the marks even from the short distance.

  A few moments later, I cleared my throat. Jess didn’t move, but Gina jumped up.

  Her shock turned to glee as she ran over to me. “You scared me, Daddy.”

  Jess glanced over her shoulder, smiling at Gina. She turned back to her work without a look at me.

  I hoped it was her concentrating and not ignoring me.

  “Come see,” Gina said.

  I sat between the girls. “What are you working on?”

  Jess lifted her eyes to mine. “I’m showing Gina how to hand-sew. Until I can get my hands on a sewing machine.”

  I leaned forward, our faces nearly colliding. Jess moved back.

  “Sorry,” I said, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet. I handed her my home credit card. “Buy whatever you need.”

  “Are you sure?” Jess asked.

  “Buy two!” Gina said jumping up and down. “So we both can have one.”

  Jess hesitated before taking the credit card. “I’ll buy one for now. These things can be a little dangerous to little fingers.”

  “Okay,” Gina conceded.

  Jess and I shared a look and smiled at each other. Okay, we were making progress.

  “How was your day?” Jess asked, getting back to her sewing.

  “We closed a big account today. One of my new guys, Marcel, crushed it.”

  “That sounds great,” Jess said. “I’m sure he’s going to get a big raise, huh?”

  “Probably.” His contribution the business was well deserving of a pay increase. And it would put a fire under the others on the sales team to catch up.

  “I thought about going to Playland tomorrow to celebrate,” I said to Gina.

  She sucked in a big breath. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” I said.

  “Can Jess come?” she asked.

  “Oh, um,” Jess stammered.

  “Jess might have plans, honey,” I said then turned to Jess. “Though you’re invited if you don’t have anything to do.”

  “She doesn’t have plans,” Gina said. “She told me.”

  Jess chewed on her lower lip. “She’s right. But I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You won’t be,” I said, touching her arm.

  The feel of her soft skin under my fingers stirred something inside of me. I quickly moved it away and looked at Gina. She hadn’t noticed whatever spark had occurred between Jess and me.

  “Then I’d love to come,” Jess said, still staring at her arm where my hand had been. She was clearly as affected by me as I was her.

  That was a good thing. Knowing her feelings made my plan much easier to fulfill.

  “Well, I should get going,” Jess said, gathering the swatches of fabric and layering them on top of each other.

  “I’d offer to help, but I don’t want to mess anything up,” I said.

  “That’s okay,” Jess said. “Gina and I dedicated this room to quilting, so we’re leaving it all here.”

  “We don’t use this room anyway,” Gina said.

  She was right. Whenever I had time to watch television with Gina, it was always on the big screen in the living room.

  The doorbell rang, and Gina bolted out of the room shouting, “Pizza!”

  I followed her out of the room before she could open the door.

  After I had tipped the delivery guy, Gina took the pizza into the kitchen.

  “Bye, Jess!” she said, scurrying away.

  “See you tomorrow,” Jess said. “At least now I know that I come second to pizza.” She shook her head and laughed softly.

  And then we were alone again. Over the past few days, our alone time had improved. The awkwardness left that first day, though I sensed Jess was still a little off about everything.

  “Let me walk you to your car,” I said.

  “That’s okay,” Jess said.

  I leaned in. “I insist.”

  She licked her lips and nodded, turning away from me.

  She had no idea what that little gesture did to me. How I wanted to draw her mouth into mine and taste her again. I brought myself back to reality as Jess opened the front door.

  Dark clouds gathered in the short time I was inside. And a cool breeze whooshed passed me. I closed the front door, wanting to keep that chill out of my house.

  I caught up with Jess and walked side-by-side with her. “That was nice of Gina to invite me to the amusement park.”

  “She’s really getting close to you.”

  “I know,” Jess said. “I’m lucky to spend time with her every day. She keeps me on my toes. And she’s quite the little spitfire. You’re going to have a lot on your plate when she’s older.”

  I laughed. “I k
now. I’m not looking forward to it.”

  “I suppose I have you to thank for bringing us together.”

  “It wasn’t a hard choice for me. And it’s turned out well. I’m happy she has someone like you to spend time with.”

  She smoothed an invisible wrinkle from her shirt. As much as I wanted her to stay with me forever, I had to let her go home.

  “Well,” I said at the same time she said, “Congrats—”

  I put my hand out for her to continue.

  “On the deal…” she finished. She opened her car door. “See you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll text you the details,” I said.

  She smiled and got into the car.

  I took a few steps away to allow her enough space to back out of the driveway. And without another glance, she drove away.

  I couldn’t help but think that less than a week ago, we’d had sex. The visceral images flashed in my mind as if they just happened. I could still feel her under me, surrendering to me.

  “Daddy!” Gina called from the front door.

  “Yeah, honey. I’m coming,” I said, turning away from Jess and headed inside to spend some quality time with Gina.

  Later that night, after putting Gina to bed, I went straight into my bedroom to change. This week kicked my butt, and I wanted to get to bed early, knowing tomorrow would be another long one.

  After getting into bed, I flipped on the television to the news. Within minutes, it was hard to keep my eyes open.

  Movement from the other side of the room caught my attention. I sat up and squinted through the darkness

  “Gina?” I asked.

  Her little form ran to my bed, and she launched herself at me. She snuggled under my covers and scooted her body close to mine.

  “You’re supposed to be sleeping,” I said.

  “I can’t sleep! I’m too excited for Playland.”

  “All right, well, you can stay here for a little while, then you’re going to go back to your room.”

  “Can I sleep in here tonight?” she asked sweetly. “You’re bed is huge. I can fit.”

  How could I say no to that logic?

  “Okay,” I said. She had me wrapped around her finger. I didn’t want it any other way.