* * *
Second, this town already hates me, so the last thing I need is to get tongues wagging.
But hell if she isn’t a walking, talking temptation.
* * *
The way her jean shorts cling to her curves, accentuating her long, tan legs.
The timid smile that peeks out from her plump lips just begging for mine.
* * *
I knew I shouldn’t.
But I did anyway.
The moment our lips touched, the way her body molded perfectly to mine, something inside I thought had died years ago came to life.
* * *
I should have stopped there, but I didn’t.
I claimed her. Made her MINE.
Knowing full well I’m not her happily ever after.
* * *
Life has a funny way of not letting me forget I don’t deserve a second chance . . .
* * *
Her dad shows up with a shotgun, her ex shows up to win her back, and the whole nosy town knows I stole her innocence.
* * *
She deserves more than this dead-end town.
And my baggage.
* * *
She deserves for me to let her go . . .
Chapter 1
Colton
RUNNING a hand through my hair, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Every muscle in my body is tense, sore, and tired. Emotionally, I’m fucking drained, stressed, and pissed. I don’t know how many more nannies I can interview today. Every single one is either stupid, on drugs, or is some kind of hippy that believes rubbing a magical balm on a child’s feet will cure them of cancer. I laugh at the stupidity and shake my head. I pick up my old, worn baseball cap and pull it back on low to cover my tired eyes. I rub my hands over my face and prepare for the last interview I have set up. Mentally, I pray that this one isn’t crazy. I’m in dire need of a nanny. Celeste, my sister-in-law, isn’t here full-time, so I can’t count on her to babysit at the drop of a hat like I have been doing lately. Hell, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be doing these interviews right now. She was the one who set up the ad in the paper and sifted through the hell no’s before handing me this stack.
My phone chimes with a text and I pick it up. On the screen is a picture of Milly, my daughter. She’s only two years old now, but she’s wearing a pair of Celeste’s high heels. She has bright red lipstick all over her face and a string of pearls around her neck that almost reaches the floor. She’s wearing a big, proud smile as her blonde ringlets fall into her face. I chuckle to myself and set the phone down when a knock comes from the door.
With a deep breath, I stand and move to answer it. Just get through this last interview, I tell myself. Maybe I should be looking into daycare rather than a nanny. I turn the knob and pull open the door. On the other side stands a girl that couldn’t be any older than eighteen, if that. She’s short, only coming up to my chin, and she’s tiny—I bet I could bench press her. Surely, she doesn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds. Her green eyes find mine and they’re wide with fear. Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled away from her face and hanging down her back in soft curls. Her ivory skin is perfect, with freckles kissing her nose and cheeks. I almost expect to find her selling Girl Scout cookies.
“Can I help you?” I feel my brows pull together as I look her over again: long, shapely legs, narrow waist, and thin neck.
She holds out her hand. “I’m Brennan Crawford. I’m here for the nanny interview.” She offers up a sweet but nervous smile, showing me her perfectly straight, white teeth.
I look her up and down, confused. “Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?” I rub my hand over my scruffy jaw as I take her in.
Her hand falls back to her side. “Twenty-four. It should say that in my application.” She crosses her arms over her chest, causing her breasts to press together and giving me just a glimpse of cleavage. Her skin is like peaches and cream: smooth and milky.
“It did,” I agree with a nod. “It’s just that you look much younger.” Fuck, I feel like I could be arrested just for checking her out.
Her smile is back in place. “I get that a lot. I’m tiny compared to most women my age and I’m not big on makeup.” She shrugs one shoulder. It’s only now that I notice the natural beauty of her face. It’s not covered in a thick, off-colored foundation. Her eyes aren’t lined in a deep black. It appears she’s only wearing a shiny lip gloss and maybe a touch of mascara.
Already, I’m wondering what the point of this interview is, but I know I have to go through with it. I mean, Child Protective Services will probably be called if the two of them go out in public alone together. The nosey townspeople will think some worthless parent let his older kid babysit. I shake my head at the thought and open the door wider.
“Come on in,” I mumble, stepping back and allowing her to walk through.
She steps inside and as she walks past, I get a whiff of lavender, vanilla, and mint. The mixture is sweet and has my mouth almost watering. She sits in the nearest chair, and I take my place in front of her on the couch with the coffee table that’s littered with applications between us.
“So, tell me about yourself.” I lean back and cross my ankle over my knee, giving her my full attention. The corners of her plump lips turn upward. The dark pink of them seem even more vibrant compared to the creaminess of her skin. My eyes automatically lock on her lips and stay there.
She sits up straighter and clasps her hands together in her lap. “Well, I was born and raised here. After high school, I went to college as a piano performance.” She giggles. “I know, pretty useless, but I just love singing and playing piano. I was hoping to get a job as the music teacher here in town. However, I wasn’t given the position, which has led me here. I’m an only child, but I babysat in high school, so I have plenty of experience. I also have a long list of references if you want those.” She begins digging around in her purse and pulls out an envelope, handing it over.
I lean forward and take it but drop it onto the table to look over later. “And you’re aware that this job is full-time, correct? Monday through Friday, seven a.m. until five or six p.m.? You’re okay with that? It wouldn’t interfere with whatever it is a girl your age does?” I wave my hand in her direction.
Her eyes shoot daggers my way, a tiny wrinkle forming between her perfectly arched brows—apparently, I’ve offended her. “I’m not sure what you were trying to imply there, but I know the hours and I assure you that I’m up for it.” She squares her shoulders, causing her breasts to poke out a tiny bit more—yes, I notice—and she raises her chin in defiance.
She’s calling me out and a part of me likes it. A grin tugs at the corners of my mouth but I hold it back. “I wasn’t trying to imply anything. It’s just that you’re young. I’m sure you have a full life already. I mean, friends, boyfriends, dates, and parties…” I think back to when I was her age and it was nothing but endless parties and fun.
She straightens her tight, white blouse. “All my friends already have full-time jobs, and I broke things off with my boyfriend when I moved back home. Right now, I just need a job so I can get out of my parents’ place. I’m a typical student that ended up back at home when college ended. I just want my own space, my own life.” Her green eyes focus on mine and I can see the desperation in them.
I nod. “Okay then. Tell me what you would do here. I’m looking for someone I can trust. Someone that will not only take care of my daughter, but will also take care of the house while I’m gone. I don’t want to work twelve hours a day and have to come home to cook and clean.”
She nods. “I’m more than willing to clean up while I’m here. In my previous babysitting jobs, I made all the meals. I cleaned the house, did the laundry, ran errands, and I always tried to have projects to do with the kids. I’m not a ‘here’s an iPad, leave me alone’ kind of babysitter. I do projects that help develop children’s motor skills and teaches them at the same time.”
&
nbsp; I admit, on paper, she’s damn near perfect. However, she seems so innocent, so young. She can’t possibly know what she’s doing. She doesn’t have any children of her own. And my daughter is only two, so she needs constant attention. I know how young people are nowadays. They spend too much time on their phones and social media to pay attention to anything else. It feels like hiring her would be taking a chance with my daughter’s life.
“Would you be okay with random drug screenings?” This is the question that chased most of the others away. Even if they weren’t addicts, most of them liked to dabble in things once in a while. Her mouth drops open in surprise. “Um, sure,” she says, wrinkling her brow.
“I know it seems odd, but this is my daughter and I can never be too careful. I don’t allow drugs of any kind in my home. I don’t allow people that I don’t know to be around my daughter, which means no friends or boyfriends are to come over when you are here.”
She nods and holds out her hands towards me, palms up. “I completely understand.”
“One more thing: how do you know Celeste? She seemed to think you’d be perfect for this job.”
She smiles. “She’s my daddy’s lawyer. She’s always coming out to the farm for their meetings and she usually ends up staying for dinner. She’s really sweet.”
“Thank you for interviewing. I will call some of these references and will get back to you.”
She offers up a smile, but it’s not the same as before. Standing up, she holds out her hand. I finally reach forward and shake it. The moment I touch that soft skin of hers, my hand burns and tingles. The numbness moves up my arm, drops down to my stomach, and then shoots to my groin. My dick twitches with excitement.
“I’ll show myself out,” she says, spinning and heading for the door.
When it closes and I’m alone, my head falls forward. “What the fuck was that shit?” I ask my man parts. They don’t respond —not that I expected them too— and I let out a long breath as I throw myself back on the couch. I close my eyes as I try to release the stress built up inside of me. My body’s reaction to her touch confuses me. It’s been nearly two years since my wife’s passing, and I haven’t been with a woman since. I haven’t even thought about having sex with another woman. The only woman I’ve ever loved, the only woman I’ve ever wanted, is gone. I’ve vowed to never move on in any way whatsoever. When a need in my body arises, I take care of it myself. Sure, I miss being intimate. I miss the soft touch of a woman. I miss that overwhelming feeling that consumes me when I slide into her, but I know it will never be the same with any other woman.
There’s no use in trying.
And I know one other thing: Brennan Crawford will not get this job. No way. No how.
I grab my keys and head for the door. Climbing behind the wheel, I start toward Drake’s. Twenty minutes later, I’m pulling into the gravel driveway, dust floating around the old truck.
I climb out and Drake steps out of the barn. “What’s up?” he asks, motioning toward the barn.
I follow him in and he hands me a beer. I sit it aside. “How was Milly?”
He nods. “Good. She’s always good, and Celeste loves watching her.”
“You two need to get busy and make one of your own,” I reply.
He laughs. “Nah, it’s not the time for us yet. There’s no way I could raise a child by myself every three months. And I don’t want to make things harder for Celeste. She’s traveling too much to handle a pregnancy and a baby right now.”
“So marry her already and move her in full-time.” Seems like the perfect idea. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about this nanny nonsense.
“We’re just not there yet. I mean, I love her, she knows that, and I’d love to marry her, but now isn’t the time. We’re still all over the place. She’s traveling every three months, and when she leaves again, I’m planning on going with her.”
“You? In California?” I can’t hold back my laughter.
He chuckles. “I know. Seems fucked up, right?” He shakes his head. “I don’t know what the hell I’ll do there, but I can’t live without her. I can’t go three months without seeing her, touching her. So, until she makes up her mind on where she sees our future, we’ll be going back and forth.”
“Wait, you’re letting her decide where you end up?”
He nods. “That’s right. I don’t care if I’m here or there, as long as she’s with me. If she wants a city life, that’s what we’ll have. If she decides she wants a quiet country life, we’ll be here.”
I shake my head. “You got it bad.”
He laughs. “Come on. Let’s go see how those girls of ours are doing.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me toward the house. A part of me envies him. I want that life again. A life where my wife is alive. A life where my daughter has her mother. A life where I’m actually happy. It’ll never happen. I might as well not even think of it. It will only make me feel twice as worse as I already do.
Grab Off Limits Daddy HERE!
The day my wife died leaving me a single father,
I thought the sun would never rise again...
Until Brennan showed up to be my little girl’s nanny.
* * *
First things first, I don’t need a damn stranger to help me raise my baby girl,
Let alone a fresh-faced, young woman who still looks like a teenager.
* * *
Second, this town already hates me,
The last thing I need is to get tongues wagging.
But hell if she isn’t a walking, talking temptation.
* * *
The way her jean shorts cling to her curves,
Accentuating her long, tan legs.
The timid smile that peeks out from her plump lips just begging for mine.
* * *
I know I shouldn’t.
But I did anyway.
The moment our lips touched, the way her body molded perfectly to mine,
Something inside I thought had died years ago, came to life.
* * *
I should have stopped there but I didn’t.
I claimed her. Made her MINE.
Knowing full well,
I’m not her happily ever after.
* * *
Life has a funny way of not letting me forget I don’t deserve a second chance…
* * *
Her daddy shows up with a shotgun,
Her ex shows up to win her back,
And the whole nosy town knows I stole her innocence.
* * *
She deserves more than this dead-end town,
And my baggage.
* * *
She deserves for me to let her go…
Copyright © 2020 by Alexis Winter - All rights reserved.
* * *
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
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* * *
It’s no secret I’ve always had a crush on Damon Strickland.
My best friend’s older brother and the center of every single one of my fantasies.
* * *
He’s a walking, talking temptation.
* * *
That cocky grin and those broad, athletic shoulders.
You know what they say about a man with big hands right?
* * *
Growing up, we always tormented one another.
I was the nagging, annoying little girl he hated
And he was the man-whoring, douchebag I couldn’t seem to get over.
* * *
Now as adults he actually came through and helped me land a job a
t my dream company.
* * *
How the hell am I supposed to focus when all I can think about is tearing that tight suit from his tempting body!
* * *
What’s even worse?
He forgot to mention, he’s my boss.
* * *
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One
Colton
RUNNING a hand through my hair, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Every muscle in my body is tense, sore, and tired. Emotionally, I’m fucking drained, stressed, and pissed. I don’t know how many more nannies I can interview today. Every single one is either stupid, on drugs, or is some kind of hippy that believes rubbing a magical balm on a child’s feet will cure them of cancer. I laugh at the stupidity and shake my head. I pick up my old, worn baseball cap and pull it back on low to cover my tired eyes. I rub my hands over my face and prepare for the last interview I have set up. Mentally, I pray that this one isn’t crazy. I’m in dire need of a nanny. Celeste, my sister-in-law, isn’t here full-time, so I can’t count on her to babysit at the drop of a hat like I have been doing lately. Hell, if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be doing these interviews right now. She was the one who set up the ad in the paper and sifted through the hell no’s before handing me this stack.
The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection Page 21
