His Virgin Babysitter (An Older Man Younger Woman Romance)

by Lila Younger

  Copyright

  © 2017 Lila Younger

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination.

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  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Jade

  Carter

  Jade

  Jade

  Carter

  Jade

  Carter

  Jade

  Epilogue | Carter

  Enjoy the first chapter of my book Bossing the Virgin below!

  Other books by Lila Younger

  About Lila Younger

  Jade

  I settle myself down onto the uncomfortable red metal bench and plop down my purse. Rummaging around, I manage to find my blue pen and sigh. This is the last one, I think to myself. My hand is going to fall off, and there are only so many applications I can fill out. I decide to treat myself to a frappuccino after this and start at the very top. All these applications are the same and the repetitiveness of it all is definitely getting to me. Of course, maybe if I hadn’t landed myself in this mess, I wouldn’t be applying to Target. Nothing wrong with it, but for someone who’s always aimed to be a doctor or a lawyer, it’s definitely disappointing.

  “It’s just a year,” I mutter to myself. “And then I can go back.”

  Since I’ve done this so many times, I’m blasting through the application. But then I hit the part about my schooling and I stop. What the hell do I put here? Suspended? Didn’t finish? None of it sounds great. Ironically, I landed in my current situation because I was the only one who told the truth. For some reason, that also meant that I was the only one the school could punish. So instead of going back to school after winter break, I’m stuck at home. Yuck.

  I run my hand through my thick chestnut hair and sigh one more time. I already applied at all the graphic design firms and office receptionist positions I could find. Not one of them responded. Then I started looking at stuff in customer service and the restaurant industry. If something doesn’t pan out, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. My parents already made it clear that they weren’t about to give me a free ride. I tried to explain what happened, but they were too busy scrambling for a plausible lie for why I’m not going back to university.

  Come on Jade. This isn’t like you to be all doom and gloom about things.

  There’s nothing else to do but suck it up and finish, so I do just that. Once I’m done filling out the same information I’ve filled out a hundred times by now, I drop the application back to the chubby guy behind the customer service counter and head for the Starbucks in Target. As I go, I catch the eye of a guy who’s at the self-checkout, and he flashes me a smile. I flush and duck my head down out of habit. It’s the ugly duckling syndrome, but even though I’m aware of it, it’s still hard to break. We moved a lot in junior high, so it was almost impossible for me to make friends. Since I was always the new kid, I was naturally picked on.

  I’m not ugly, not by a long shot. As my mom would say, my body just grew at different rates. Of course, I just thought she was being kind about my knobby knees and overlong arms, but I did grow almost two inches in senior year, and filled out more too. And it turns out mom was right. Everything is now nicely proportioned, put together the right way. But by now blushing and looking away is a reflex that I do without thinking, which probably accounts for why I still don’t have a boyfriend. If I am braver I would smile back and maybe even flirt a little, but I have no clue how to do any of that stuff, so instead I just hurry into Starbucks.

  Once I suck in a few gulps of my vanilla bean frap and figure that the coast is clear, I head towards the Target parking lot. I’m right by the carts when a gold whirlwind crashes into my leg. I look down and see an adorable little girl in what looks like a Belle costume, complete with gloves and all. She looks seriously adorable.

  “You okay, Belle?” I ask, bending down to her level.

  “My crown,” she wails, putting hands onto her head.

  “Here, I can help,” I say quickly.

  She looks to be about two or three, and I know just how quickly meltdowns can happen at that age. She stands still while I fix her crown, patting it once I’m done.

  “All fixed,” I say with a smile.

  “Luna, you cannot run away from me like that. And you have to watch where you’re going. Apologize please,” a voice says, coming up behind Luna.

  “Oh it’s not a big deal,” I say. I look up to the guy who must be her father and freeze.

  Was this her father? Cause he definitely didn’t look like a dad. My eyes sort of bounce all over, taking in the broad shoulders beneath his suit jacket, perfectly sculpted cheekbones, and the most amazing lips turned up in an apologetic smile. He pushes his golden, windswept hair out of his dark blue eyes and my heart starts thumping erratically. They’re that incredible, I can’t even look away like I usually do.

  “Apologize Luna,” he says again, firmly.

  “Sorry,” the little girl says, and I finally manage to drag my eyes away from her dad. I try to focus on the little girl as much as possible, because I know without a doubt how obviously I was staring.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I say. “Look, my drink isn’t even spilled.”

  Satisfied that she did her part, the girl turns away from me to point at the special carts for kids.

  “That one daddy,” she says imperiously.

  She’s clearly comfortable with being a princess, and it makes me grin. What can I say? I love children.

  “Hold on one second honey,” he says, cocking his head to the side. “Do I… know you from somewhere?”

  “Know me?” I echo foolishly. I’m not sure I can look up at those eyes again. I flick my eyes up, and yep, they’re capturing me again. I blush like I’ve never blushed before, but the guy just rolls on, mercifully unaware, or just being kind.

  “Yeah. You’re Louis and Diane’s kid aren’t you? Jade?” He holds out his hand. “I’m Carter Sedgwick. I used to live on the other side of the duplex.”

  I have a vague recollection of a guy with glasses, but we lived in the duplex when I was eleven or twelve. I definitely did not remember my neighbor being this hot, but then again, I was pretty obsessed with the Jonas Brothers at the time.

  “Oh, wow. That was a long time ago.”

  “Yes it was,” he says, fixing me with a thoughtful gaze. “You’ve grown up a lot since then.”

  I try to resist the urge to duck my head down again. What exactly did he mean by that? Well, I know what he means, but did he… did he notice me too?

  Before I could say anything else, we’re interrupted by his little girl, who has decided she’s not going to wait for us to finish talking, but runs off for the carts.

  “Don’t go,” he says to me before running off after her. I watch as she hops into one of the carts and he starts to strap her in. I really have no reason to stay. It’s not like we knew each other really. Mr. Sedgwick, as I used to call him, was much chattier with my parents. I vaguely recall that he seemed much older to me at t
he time, but honestly he couldn’t have been much more than thirty-five. He looked really, really good. I wonder what lucky woman he married, because as far as I knew, he hadn’t. Then again, my information is outdated by almost a decade now.

  Once Luna’s strapped into the cart, he wheels it over to me.

  “So Jade,” he says. “I could use your help if you have some time. The situation is… complicated with Luna, but essentially she’s going to be staying with me for a while. I don’t have anything for a little girl at all, so it would be great if you could point out what I’d need.”

  “Uh, sure,” I say, which takes me by surprise too. Spend more time in the presence of a man who can literally turn me on with a smile? In the middle of Target of all places? I really shouldn’t. “I don’t know if I’ll be any help to you.”

  “Of course you will. You were a girl once, and you’ve got all those little siblings of yours don’t you? Either way, I think between you and me, you’re the more knowledgeable one. I can do this myself, but it would go much easier if you could join me.”

  “Come,” little Luna adds.

  I bite my lip, unsure, but what the hell. It’s not like I have anything planned, and I’m sort of curious about just what’s going on. And yeah, a little part of me wouldn’t mind seeing Mr. Sedgwick a little while longer. A man like him is so far out of my league that I can almost relax because I know there’s no chance in hell he’s interested in me.

  “Okay,” I say at last. “Let’s go.”

  The first thing we do is head towards the children’s section, where luckily there’s a toddler bed/ crib combo that would work just fine for Luna. We also pick up some bedding (’Pink!’ Luna commands.) and a pillow, and then we get a night light just in case. Next is the clothing section, because apparently, she has none.

  “You can pick whatever you want,” Mr. Sedgwick says.

  Luna happily begins to point things out on the racks. Since we aren’t completely sure on sizes, we have to grab a quite a few things. Then it’s into the changing room where Luna declares she can do it herself. Since most of the things we got were leggings, skirts, and t-shirts, she should be fine. I help her unzip the back of her Belle gown, and she heads in. We stand together by the changing room and wait.

  “Do you mind if I ask what’s going on?” I venture. “A bed I can understand, but no clothes? Did she not have any when she came to you?”

  “To be honest, I didn’t think I would be raising her at all,” he says. “But now I have to. I only just met Luna a few months ago, to be honest. Her mother hadn’t bothered to let me know that I had a kid. So it’s newfound territory for me too. I appreciate you coming to help out.”

  “Sure, of course,” I say. “What happened to her mother?”

  “I don’t know,” Mr. Sedgwick replies wearily. “That’s what I’m trying to find out myself. As far as I know, Stacie doesn’t have a family. At least not one she’s kept in contact with. I think her mother lives in New Jersey, but I could be wrong. I don’t know anything else about the situation, except that I couldn’t let Luna into the system when I’m her father. So here we are.”

  Wow, I think. That’s amazing. Who could leave their kid behind like that? I’m glad that Mr. Sedgwick at least is a responsible parent and that Luna doesn’t seem to be hurting from her mother leaving her behind.

  Just then Luna opens the door. She’s put a sequined pink tank top and a green t-shirt on top of one another, a frilly white skirt, and a pair of blue leopard print leggings. She holds up her hands.

  “Ta-da! I told you I can dress,” she says proudly.

  “You look great,” Mr. Sedgwick says.

  “Absolutely beautiful,” I add. “Do you like it?”

  “Yes. I have more.”

  Luna turns around and heads back, slamming the changing door behind her. I look at Mr. Sedgwick, and we both break out in grins.

  “It’s certainly efficient,” he says. “Although I hope she doesn’t really want to wear all of that at once.”

  “She might,” I say seriously. “I remember one year when all my little sister would wear were red cowboy boots. Little kids have strange tastes in clothes. There’s nobody to tell them ‘you can’t do that’.”

  “It must be nice,” Mr. Sedgwick says, his blue eyes twinkling.

  “Yeah,” I agree with softly.

  Gone are the days when I could do whatever I wanted, that’s for sure. For as long as I could remember, I had to be the responsible one, as the oldest. I was praised as smart, responsible, level-headed. I was treated as an adult before I was ready to grow up. So of course when I messed up, it came as such a shock to my parents. And now that I’ve taken a detour on my life, I don’t know what to do at all. Go back to the way things were? I’ve always felt a sense of dissatisfaction with my life. A sort of uneasy feeling that maybe I was making a big mistake. Why, I never knew. But maybe it was because what I planned to do with my life had nothing to do with what I wanted, and everything to do with what was expected out of me from others.

  If only I could get some kind of sign telling me what to do, I think wistfully.

  “Help,” Luna calls out, breaking into my thoughts.

  “What is it?” Mr. Sedgwick calls back.

  “My dress,” she replies.

  We look at each other, then I knock and open the door. She’s back in her Belle dress. The clothes in a crumpled heap on the floor.

  “Do you want me to zip you up?” I ask.

  “Yes please,” Luna says, turning around. I zip the dress back up for her, and she gives me a smile.

  “I like you,” she says simply.

  The words warm my heart. I’ve always had a soft spot for kids, and Luna is no exception. She’s cute as a button, and her story is so sad. I wish there was something more I could do for her, but all I can give is a hug. The rest of the grocery trip is easy. Since Luna isn’t a baby, there actually isn’t too much left we needed to buy. Just some underwear, a couple more clothes now that we know her size, kid shampoo, and a few toys to entertain her. He already has a booster, so that big purchase is taken care of. Our little shopping trip was coming to an end, and I’m surprised to find I’m a little sad about that.

  “Thanks for all of your help,” Mr. Sedgwick says as he wheels the cart towards the checkout line.

  “Don’t worry about it at all. I wasn’t doing anything anyways. I actually came here hoping to get a job,” I say.

  “You know Jade,” he says, leaning his powerful frame on the cart. “I could really use a babysitter. Unfortunately, I’m not able to take time off right away, and Luna seems to really like you. It’s temporary, but maybe it could tide you over until you find another job. I could pay well… say twenty an hour?”

  My eyes widen.

  “That’s-that’s an amazing offer,” I say. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. I’d need you to come by tomorrow at eight though,” he says. “I don’t know about the hours per say since I’ll have to figure out just how much time I can or can’t take. Luna will also need to be enrolled into preschool.”

  “Oh, of course. No, yeah, I’d be thrilled to babysit Luna. Thanks for the chance Mr. Sedgwick!”

  “I should be thanking you,” he says. “And call me Carter.”

  He holds out a hand, and hesitatingly, I reach out. A spark of electricity passes as we touch. His hand is large and warm and calloused, a real man’s hand. My breath catches as he shakes my hand, holding it for just a moment longer before letting go. For a moment I almost think that he feels something too, but surely that can’t be true?

  Carter

  “Morning Gina,” I call out as I head past my secretary’s desk. “Full day today, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” she says, standing up. Her snow white hair is carefully swept up, and her matching sweater set has nary a wrinkle. That sort of neatness and carefulness extends to her work, making her irreplaceable to me. “Also, Stacie called again.”

  I open
the door to my office. It’s not a corner suite, but that should change within the next year or two. There have been rumblings of senior partner Hiczewski retiring soon, opening up a potential spot for me. After years of dedicated 80 hours weeks, I am finally going to get what I worked for. The call from Stacie is rather strange though. I accept the coffee mug Gina hands to me with a frown.

  “Did she say what it was about?”

  “No, only that it was important. She called five times already,” she replies.

  “Sounds serious. Thank you,” I say. “Can you let me know as soon as the new client arrives?”

  “Sure thing Mr. Sedgwick,” she says as she closes the office door behind her.

  I take a fortifying sip of the strong black coffee and pull up Stacie’s number on my cell phone. My ex, if you could even call her that, is a lot to take in on the best of days. We met a few years ago during at a friend’s wedding. The whole encounter was a cliché: she was the bridesmaid, I was a groomsman. She had mile long legs, and modeled as a part time gig. I was a newly minted lawyer from Columbia. There was an open bar that night, and we ended up fucking in the hotel bathroom. Classy it was not, but I didn’t care. I chased tail whenever, wherever. The next morning, I went home with a hangover and a need to wear collared shirts for a week, and thought that that was it.

  Six months ago, I got a call, asking us to meet. I saw absolutely no need to rekindle the one night stand, but something in her voice stopped me from hanging up. She wasn’t being flirty or desperate. So I agreed to meet her at the Starbucks on the corner. When I got there, she had a little girl with her, with dark hair and big baby blues that I would recognize anywhere. Turns out that the condom that night hadn’t done its job (or let’s face it, I was so smashed out drunk I didn’t put it on right), and she’d had a kid. Luna.

  After I got over the shock, I started to look forward to the meetings. Stacie would call, every other week or so, and we’d all get dinner together, or watch a movie, or go to the park. Low key things. It was the perfect way to get to know Luna. I never thought I wanted kids. Hell I never even thought about the idea of it. But when it’s your own… there’s something different about it. Luna brought something I didn’t know I was missing from my life as a lawyer.