The Lost Seal: A Seal Romance

by Bell, Victoria

  Max could only nod as the older woman rumbled on. He didn't listen to what she was saying anymore, already thinking about the changes his baby would have to go through.

  Mrs. Jones finally left, and Max put Daisy to bed half-hour later. She was starting to get cranky, which he took as a sign that she was already sleepy. He cleaned her, put her in her PJs and gave her her bottle. It was when he flopped on his bed, staring up at the ceiling that he started to think about the events that happened today.

  First, he had to fire his best friend's sister. And now the only babysitter he wanted looking after his daughter had quit for another job offer, which happened to be a coincidence since Nicole knew nothing of her job. While Mrs. Jones knew what she was doing, Max had to lose her in the end.

  A sudden, crazy idea swam its way into his head. What if he took Nicole as his new babysitter instead? He trusted her more than anyone. She was like his sister, and she also happened to like kids. So, it seemed like a great fit.

  "I'm fucking crazy for even considering this shirt," he told himself.

  He turned on his side, propping a fist under his chin. He couldn't shake off Nicole's face as much as he wanted to. He had to admit that she had been on his mind a lot lately, which was pretty weird since this had never happened before.

  He remembered the white V-shaped shirt she wore today. It showed a hint of cleavage that had him looking. It was pretty subtle, but it was enough to draw his attention to the creamy skin beneath. Max wondered for a crazy second of how it would feel to run his fingers along her flesh. Would it be soft and sweet as it looked? And would she tremble from the way he touched her?

  He could bet all of his money that she was the type of woman to shiver from his touches. Little moans are coming out of her mouth. A mental image of her naked and soft beneath him had Max groaning into his pillow. Lusting after Nicole should be the last thing on his mind. His best friend would surely kill him for just thinking about her like that.

  Fuck, she was almost like his little sister.

  •••

  Nicole woke up the next morning, her body alert and ready to bolt out of bed. Only to remember that she had been fired from her previous job. She flopped back down on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. Her brother and their parents would surely be mad when they find out that she had lost another job.

  Her phone started to ring breaking the silence. Reaching out for her phone on the bedside drawer, she pressed the button and answered without looking at the screen.

  "Hello?" she said.

  Her brother's voice boomed through the speaker of her phone. "Nicole."

  "Michael?" she said, surprised to hear from him.

  "Surprised to hear from me, aren't you?" her brother said, sounding amused. "Open the door, Lil' sis. I'm outside for a good five minutes."

  Nicole rushed out of her bedroom and ran to the door. She opened it and found her six feet tall brother standing before her, head cocked to the side. He raised a brow. "You're not even gonna hug your older bro?"

  She walked into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him. Right there, Nicole felt comforted just having her brother around. "So, when did you get back?"

  Michael Gerard had been in the army for almost five years, and this was the first time he had come home in almost a year. So, to see him in good shape without any scars or his flesh married, made her breathe easy.

  "I just got back last night. Mom and dad don’t know I'm here yet. I'm planning on surprising them." They walked in, and Nicole closed the door behind her. She followed her brother into the living room, flopping down on the couch beside him.

  "So, how's everything going? Is max giving you any trouble at work?" her brother asked.

  She bit her bottom lip, unsure whether she should tell him the truth already. "There's something that I want to talk to you about, Michael. But I think it could wait."

  His eyes narrowed into slits. "What is it?"

  There was a knock on the door before she could answer. Frowning, she wondered who it could be and stood up. But Michael grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. He gave her a meaningful look.

  "Stay there, and I'll see who it is." He left the room and headed to the door. She could hear voices coming from the hallway, but couldn't make out what was being said. It was only when she saw who walked in that she realized who it was.

  Michael walked back in with Max trailing behind her brother. Nicole was so surprised to find her former boss in her home that she forgot her almost undressed state.

  Beneath her white shirt, she wore no bra. Her shorts rode up high her thighs. She grew conscious, wishing she had enough time to get changed at least. If it was her brother, it would have been fine. He was used to her looking like she had just come out of a drunken state.

  "What are you doing here?' she screeched, grabbing a pillow to cover herself.

  Something had flickered in his gaze before he looked at her. "I sent you a text and even called you, Nicole. You didn't bother answering me."

  "I didn't realize you would even consider calling me let alone text me. I got fired yesterday, didn't I?" Nicole slipped up.

  "What?" Michael roared, turning to her. "You got fired yesterday, and you didn't even tell me?"

  "Uh," she said glancing at her former boss for some help. But Max merely shrugged, leaned against the wall and smirked. The bastard. "I was about to tell you when there was a knock on the door. I swear to you Michael; I was going to tell you."

  Her brother turned his blazing eyes on Max, who didn't even flinch. He merely sighed. "I wasn't going to fire her really. But no offense to you both, but she doesn't really know what she's doing in the office. The fricking presentation I got her to do took about three weeks before I could get it. And it was half done."

  She bit her lip, already feeling the explosion her brother was about to have on her. It was her fault for being so damned lazy, and not having the motivation to learn.

  "Is this true, Nicole?" her brother asked.

  She nodded, slowly.

  Her brother sighed in disappointment, sitting back down. As much as she hated letting down her family, Nicole knew that she wouldn't be able to get anything right. She wasn't even good at anything. Damn it; she couldn't even type fast to save her life.

  "I don't actually know what I would do with you, Nicole."

  "Look, Michael. I would just find another job, okay?" she assured him, her hand on his arm. Nicole shot Max a look behind his head, not helping her case at all.

  There was another ring that seemed to be coming from her brother's pocket. He pulled away and went to another bedroom to answer the call. She leaned against the sofa, unsure of what to do anymore.

  "I'm tempted to give you back your job but," Max started. She looked at him curiously. "I don't think you would do any of us any good."

  "You are so not helping me here," she said.

  He chuckled before settling opposite of her. "Aren't you curious to why I came here?"

  "Why are you even here anyway?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her chest.

  "I came here to give you another job since I don't want to let your brother down again."

  "This is not the time to be joking you know, Max."

  He raised his brow. "Do I look like I'm joking to you?"

  She studied his face, trying to see if he was actually playing around with her.

  Chapter Three

  Max stared at the woman in front of him. Her blonde hair was up into a messy ponytail. Her face free of make-up with her lips naturally painted pink. He could tell that she wasn't wearing a bra underneath her shirt. Her nipples had prodded against the thin, white material. Drawing out his attention to the little beads, making his mouth water.

  He looked away and shifted on his seat. A jolt started at the base of his length, slowly traveling its way up. Max had to count inside his head before he could think about what he was saying.

  "As I was saying, I wanted to offer you a job again. But it seems like
you might not be interested."

  "What kind of a job, is it?" she asked, her interest piqued.

  "It involves looking after a baby," Max declared. He watched as emotions played out on her face. "Do you think you're interested in something like this?"

  She licked her lips, making him think that it was a habit. "Max, if you're talking about newborn babies. I don't think I'd be able to look after them. I can handle toddlers but not babies."

  He sighed once again. "Look, my babysitter decided to quit last night. She was offered some job overseas, and I don't have the time and the patience to look for a replacement."

  "So, you're offering me a job as your daughter's new babysitter?" Nicole looked as if she was about to faint. "You would trust me with her but not with the workload in the office?"

  He trusted her all right. He just couldn't bring himself to trust her to finish the work in the office.

  Leaning forward, he stared right into her hazel eyes. The gold and green flecks merged into the corner of her orbs, drawing him in deeper. She looked so beautiful right then that it took his breath away. If only circumstances were different, he would probably find himself courting her. But there was too much on the line.

  She was his best friend's sister. She was not included in the list of women he could date. Besides, he didn't even know how he could even approach her. He was super awkward and knew nothing about women.

  Fuck, why is he even thinking about all these things?

  "So, are you in for the job or not?"

  She looked like she was about to say no and argue with him. Max was already expecting a smart remark from her. But none came.

  "All right," she said nodding. "I'll be your new babysitter."

  If she wasn't so desperate for a job, Nicole wouldn't have taken Max's offer. She had little knowledge about children, but surely, it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.

  Michael came back into the living room with a serious look on his face. She waited for him to start out on his lecture. But it didn't come. Nicole stared at her brother as he stared at his best friend. His next words took her by surprise.

  "You gave her another chance, didn't you?" he asked.

  Max didn't hesitate. He nodded. "I hired her as my new babysitter. Mrs. Jones decided to ditch Daisy and me, so I don't have a choice. You know I don't have the patience to deal with hiring and going through resumes and shit."

  "So, you hired her to be your new babysitter?"

  Max nodded.

  "Good," was all Michael had said before he walked out of the room again. He fished his phone out of his pocket as he left them again. Nicole watched as her brother disappeared, wondering where he was going.

  She followed him outside, calling his name. "Wait, Michael. Where are you going?"

  "I'm leaving already," he said as he opened the door to his car.

  "What?" she screeched. "You can't just leave! Please stay, Michael. I haven't seen you in almost a year. Let's take some time to hang out at least."

  "I'm coming back this afternoon, don't you worry, little sis. I just have to deal with something." He hopped out of the car and rode away, leaving her standing by the entrance of her house. Wondering what had just happened.

  "He left already?" Max said from behind her.

  She turned to face him. He had his hands buried in his pocket, and he was leaning against the wall. She never had the chance to be alone with him before, not even when they were at the office. There was always someone interrupting or giving them the chance to be pulled away from each other.

  And now here she was again, working for him. Nicole wasn't even sure she would do a good job at taking care of Daisy. Sure, she knew the kid well. Max had brought the baby around a couple times and got her to babysit. As much as she was close to the two-year-old, she was still unsure of how kids truly worked.

  "Max?" she said.

  "Hm?" he responded.

  "What if I fail you on this again?" she asked, her voice small.

  He stared at her. "Don't worry; you won't. Looking after Daisy shouldn't be hard at all. She doesn't fuss a lot."

  "You do realize that I've looked after her before, right?" Nicole reminded.

  "Well, yeah. But I didn't actually pay attention to how you looked after her."

  "Have you heard her cry while she was with me?" she challenged.

  Max pretended to think about it. "No," he uttered.

  "Well, then there's nothing for you to be worried about. When do I start?"

  "Today actually. Which is why I came over here in the first place." Why did she feel so disappointed after hearing that? Did she actually want him to come over for another reason?

  She shook that thought aside, not wanting to mess this up too. "What time did you want me there?"

  "I'm about to leave for work in an hour. Do you think you'll be able to be there in thirty minutes?" he gestured at her attire and she blushed.

  "Of course," Nicole assured.

  •••

  As soon as she stepped into his house, Nicole found Max waiting in the kitchen with Daisy on her high chair. She watched silently as the two interacted. She had never seen him look so sweet with anyone else before. The sight made her heart swell.

  For a crazy second, Nicole wondered what it would be like to be a part of their family. This was what she wanted in the future. A husband to come home to and a child to look after.

  After getting her heart broken by her previous boyfriends, Nicole almost swore not to love again. But with her secret attraction to Max, he made it hard for her to forget about falling in love again.

  She walked in, never taking her gaze away from the father and daughter. Max looked up when she leaned against the door, a small smile on her lips. "I didn't hear you come in," he said retreating back to his grumpy side.

  "You guys looked so cute I didn't want to interrupt," she reasoned.

  "I have to get going," was all he had responded before he stood up.

  She watched as he grabbed his briefcase and pressed a kiss on Daisy's forehead. He walked past her, their arms brushing. Nicole bit back the gasp that almost slipped out. Max didn't seem fazed by what just happened, merely continuing outside where he jumped into his car.

  "I guess I should have expected that," Nicole said to herself.

  She turned back to find Daisy staring at her. Her bright blue eyes wide with her spoon stuck in her mouth. Great. She hadn't even started yet, and Daisy was already scared of her.

  Nicole sauntered over to her direction. "Hey, baby."

  The baby didn't blink.

  "I do hope you remember me," she said and pointed to herself. "It's Aunty Nicole, Daisy. Your favorite aunt in the whole wide world, remember?"

  Daisy didn't move.

  "Okay, different tactic then." She said before picking the baby up.

  They went to the living room where the toys were already spread out. Nicole could already guess that Max had played with his daughter for a little while before she got here. She set Daisy down on the fluffy white carpet and sat down beside her. The toddler hadn't made a move since she had picked her up. Nicole was starting to think that the baby didn't remember her at all. So much for playing the favorite aunt.

  "Well, look at this pony, Daisy!" Nicole muttered, lifting it up to the baby's face.

  Her big blue eyes started to water up to her surprise. Before she knew it, Daisy had her mouth opened and tears running down her cheeks.

  Oh, boy.

  This wasn't working out the way she had hoped it would.

  •••

  "Finally. Some peace and quiet," Nicole said as she flopped down on the sofa. After what felt like decades, she had managed to put down Daisy for a nap. The house was surrounded by silence just the way she preferred it. There was no screaming baby girl to drive her up the wall. It was just her and the open view that stretched out in the balcony.

  She stood up and walked over to the balcony. Staring out into the night, Nicole waited for Max to
come back. He was about to come home in half an hour, and would surely ask her about what went down today.

  As if on cue, she heard the keys rattling outside and the door opening. She turned to find Max in his usual suit attire, briefcase in hand. He didn't see her from where she stood, too busy closing the door after him.

  "Good day at work?" she asked, suddenly regretting asking. She felt like a housewife waiting for her husband to come home from work.

  "Where's Daisy?" he asked.

  Nicole tucked a strand of blonde hair into her ear. "She's taking a nap."

  His eyes flared when he noticed the gesture. The look disappeared before she could even put any meaning behind it. "It's way too late for Daisy to nap, Nicole. She won't be able to sleep tonight at her exact bedtime."

  Fuck, the first day and she had already fucked up.

  "I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Nicole

  "Well, now you know. So, next time make sure to call me if you have any questions regarding my daughter's matter."

  She had never felt so stupid in her entire life until now. Anger brewed inside of her. But Nicole had to remember that he was still her employer, and she should be thankful that he even gave her the job. Even if it was another job that she had not much knowledge about.

  "I'm sorry. I'll make sure to keep that in mind for future references." She lingered about, not sure whether she could go now.

  "Stay for a little while. I want to talk to you about something important." Max went to the kitchen, retreating back with a glass of scotch in his hand.

  "Sit down," he ordered.

  She sat.

  Chapter Four

  Max regarded the familiar rumpled figure that was the total opposite of him. A tuft of blonde hair was sticking in every direction. Her blue eyes framed with thick lashes and not a stitch of make-up on her face. She wore a shapeless dress that hid her great curves. Her small, pert breasts are pressing against the thin material drawing his mind into dangerous grounds. Her short, creamy legs tucked beneath her.

  Her dress was accompanied by a pair of white sneakers that did no justice to her five-foot height. A gold necklace with a small pendant hung on her slender neck. He wondered what it would be like to bury his neck there. Smelling her floral scent, driving him crazy with need.