Las Vegas Sidewinders: Jared
Page 25
He changed into his swim trunks, pulled on a T-shirt, stuck a baseball cap on his head and slid his feet into flip flops. It was hot as hell in L.A. today so a dip in the pool sounded wonderful. Spending some quality time with his son, no matter what they were doing, sounded even better.
He followed his mother and grandmother next door and his mother opened the latch of a large fence door that hadn’t been there the last time Eric had been home.
“Daddy!” Elias practically levitated out of the water.
“Hey, buddy.” Eric scooped him up again after he set the paella down on a table with other food.
“I have so much to tell you,” the boy announced.
“I can’t wait to hear it, but let me say hello to everyone.” He carried Elias toward the group of people sitting in lounge chairs and around a table covered by an umbrella.
Introductions were made and he shook hands with Hal and Myra Carson, who had bought the house next door to his parents. By the time he’d finished saying hello to his father, his other two sisters, and nieces and nephews, he’d somehow missed the bikini-clad woman in the pool. It wasn’t until she rose from the steps, the water glistening against her tan skin, that he finally took notice.
Sweet Jesus, who the hell was this? Alarm bells rang in his head and he swung his gaze around to meet his grandmother’s twinkling eyes. Dammit. He should have known they were playing matchmaker, no matter what they said about finding him a nanny.
He turned to his mother, but before he could say anything Elias had wriggled free and ran to the woman, gripping her hand. “Delilah, come meet my dad!”
He tugged her forward and Eric had no choice but to make eye contact with the brunette beauty. Damn, she was hot enough to make the sun seem cool. Long, dark hair, breasts that filled out the top of her bikini nicely, legs that were ten miles long, and full, red lips. Even in the bright sunlight, with his shades on, he saw the rich, natural color. She was the whole fucking package and he was having trouble believing his grandmother was behind this.
“Nice to meet you.” The woman gave him a shy smile. “Elias talks about you all the time.”
“Daddy, look!” Elias took off, jumping in the air and executing a perfect cannonball into the pool.
Eric made a move in that direction but Delilah put a restraining hand on his arm. “We’ve been practicing all week. He’s got this…watch.”
Eric swallowed and watched his son kick to the surface, shake the water out of his eyes, and grin. “Did you see me, Daddy? Did you see me?”
“I did,” Eric called back, grinning. “It was awesome!”
Elias got out of the pool and did it again, making everyone laugh.
Delilah got a towel and wrapped it around her waist before settling into the chair next to Eric’s grandmother, Antonia.
“Come sit by me,” Antonia called out to him.
Here we go, he thought, joining them.
“Delilah is the Carsons’ nanny,” Antonia said in her heavy Spanish accent. “She’s been with them for two years but the kids are going to school all the day next year so she’s looking for new job.”
“I see,” was all he managed to say once he stopped staring.
Delilah pushed her sunglasses up on her head and met his gaze with startling blue eyes. Her dark hair and skin had him expecting her to be of Latin descent, but now he wasn’t sure. “I’m sorry your grandmother is putting you on the spot,” Delilah said with what appeared to be a fond smile at the older woman. “She’s told me that you’re going to be some kind of special forces and—”
“Force Recon,” he interrupted automatically.
“Yes, in the Marines, and you’ll need help with Elias when you get called away on missions.” She met his gaze directly and paused, as if waiting for a reply.
“Well, er, yes.” He took a breath. “We hadn’t made any decisions yet. I didn’t want him to live here in L.A. while I’m in San Diego, but there didn’t seem to be much choice.”
“I need the work and you need the help,” she said simply. “But we don’t have to rush into any decisions. I’m sure you’ll want to—”
Antonia lifted her chin as she interrupted. “Is no time like the present,” she said firmly.
“We don’t even know each other,” he protested quietly. “And we—” He was interrupted as Myra came out with a big platter of burgers, her husband right behind her.
“Who wants burgers?”
The delight in his grandmother’s dark eyes made Eric realize he’d been bested. For now anyway. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but there was no way in hell he was hiring the gorgeous brunette in the skimpy white bikini. Nope. No way. He’d talk to his mother once they were back at the house and figure out what was really going on, but having this beautiful woman living in his house? Not happening. He was a good guy but there were limits to how much temptation he could take. Besides, he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend and he was positive that’s what the women in his family were hoping for. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to get to know a new woman right now and he had to make sure they all knew it sooner rather than later.
Coming July 9, 2019…