Hot Dad Next Door: A Single Dad & Nanny Romance (Temptation Next Door Book 1)

by Nicole Casey

  He looked up at me and I shook my head. “That’s Jasmine, the consultant that I hired to work for me.”

  “Wait a minute!” Marcus said, turning to look up at me. “That is who you hired from J & E Consulting Firm?” he asked.

  I had wanted it to be a secret, but it was clear the secret was out. “Yes. Why?”

  Marcus snickered. “Some guys have all the luck. My consultant was a guy with a beer belly and a tattoo wrapped around his neck. How’d you come up with her?”

  I snickered. “Luck of the draw, I guess.” I turned to find her just at the bar and my eyes slipped down to her firm ass. I looked back at the men and they were now staring at me. “What?” I asked, feeling annoyed.

  “Nothing!” they each said, then chuckled and went back to talking.

  I knew what they were thinking, but they weren’t going to get me to admit anything. Sure I liked my hot consultant, but the question was…did she like me? That was really what kept dragging my attention away. I wasn’t going to risk everything by taking a chance, unless I was one hundred percent certain. I had my bar to consider and with any hope it was on the road of doing better.

  Another week went by, before she finally stated that the paperwork was finally in order and she wanted to go over ways that she thought the bar would improve. However, the night was busy, probably one of the busiest I had had in over two years. So, every time she tried to get me to go over things with her, I had to apologize and tell her that I would find her as soon as I was finished.

  I didn’t plan on that not being until two in the morning, when the bar was just closing. I thought she had probably already left for the night, but I found her in my office as I went to grab my things and head home.

  “Oh…Jasmine. I didn’t realize you were still here,” I said.

  She looked up from her notebook. Her hair was a frazzled mess, but she’d never looked more beautiful. She stood up from behind my desk, looking embarrassed that I found her sitting there. “Well, I got busy working and nearly forgot the time. We can go over this on Monday, if you would prefer.” She looked at her notebook, but I shrugged.

  “As long as you’re still here, I don’t mind staying,” I said.

  She nodded and then opened her notebook back open.

  “I had an idea. What if you have a night where you can open up the club to the public, offering them free drinks for their first round?”

  I frowned. “Free drinks? Opening up to the public?” I shook my head. “I don’t know. It seems to me that that’s one way to quickly go out of business.”

  She shrugged. “I can see why you’d say that, but really you do have to spend money to make money. Trust me that people aren’t going to be able to stop at only one drink. Then, if you are offering the general public a chance to come in, that will get them enticed to join the club. Plus, chances are they will use the casino machines and the pool tables and that is all more money in your pocket. I really think this could work, but are you willing to take a chance?” She held up the notebook and showed me the figures she had worked out and the potential money I could take in during the night. She then scrunched up her nose.

  “I know that it could be much less, but I think this is your best chance at bringing this bar back up to your standards…and the standards of your dad and your grandfather.”

  I did like the sound of that and I was putting my trust in her, because I did have faith in her abilities. “I suppose it could work.”

  She smiled. “It will work. Imagine this club on Saturday night booked to capacity with a line of customers waiting to get in. I know it can work.”

  “Okay, then I say we can give it a shot.”

  “Yes!” She looked like a little girl on Christmas morning and I had to smile at her excitement. “Are you free tomorrow?” she asked.

  I frowned. “It’s Sunday. Don’t you want a day off?”

  She shook her head. “Not if we’re going to have this shindig ready by next week. We need to make fliers and bulletins and we need to start a revolution, where all your regular guests tell their friends and get them in here. People aren’t going to want to miss this. Trust me.”

  I laughed. “Okay, if you want to get together tomorrow, we’ll get together tomorrow. Say six o’clock? I can make us supper here.”

  She laughed.

  “You cook?” she asked.

  I didn’t know why she was so surprised, but I nodded. “I do indeed cook and you won’t want to miss out on my masterpiece recipe.”

  She arched an eyebrow, then smiled. “Okay, then I’ll see you at six o’clock.”

  We made plans for her to meet me in the back alley, so I could let her in. Then we would immediately get started. I didn’t know what it would all entail, but I did know that I was excited to get the ball rolling and hope that things did all work out as she thought they would.

  9

  Jasmine

  When I first ran into Trevor, what was now nearly two months ago, I thought he was handsome. He had a sexiness about him that made the hairs on my arms stand up. He had a smile that captured my whole heart. And to this day, he knew how to make me catch my breath, by just looking at him.

  I didn’t know if he could sense when I would gawk at him, but there were a few times that I was certain he was staring at me. Working with him for the past few weeks had me more enthused about the new chapter in my life. I would have to remember to thank Roger one day for it.

  When I woke up on Sunday morning, I couldn’t believe how excited I was to be working the sixth day in a row, but with Trevor, it wasn’t even like work. Time always passed by so quickly. The only time it slowly went by, was when I was away from him and in this particular case…the hours between the time I woke up and the time six o’clock finally arrived. I didn’t think it would ever get there.

  Driving to the club, I had a fast country song playing on the radio and I was singing loudly, the top of my jeep down, and the wind whipping through my hair. It was finally warm enough to have the top down and it was the perfect weather outside with birds singing in the background. I felt like a woman that was stuck in a romantic comedy and excited for my day.

  The only difference was, I still wasn’t sure that Trevor knew exactly how I felt about him, but I had no doubt that my feelings for him were strong. I hadn’t felt this way since Josh and honestly, I was questioning whether I really loved Josh, because the feelings that caught my breath when I was around Trevor, was that much more superior.

  I was lusting after him, or at least that was my thought. When I would see Trevor, I would sometimes feel my whole body tingling, from my toes to my pussy, and up to my chest. I wanted to feel him under me, as I rocked my hips harder against his. I wanted to taste him as every careless thought was released.

  It was a fantasy that continued to play through me and I wasn’t used to that. I was the woman that had never been sexually active, so I didn’t know what that would even feel like. Yet, when I was with Trevor, it was just natural. Me wanting to finally let loose and have a man whisk me to his bedroom, or right there on the floor, while he deflowered me, seriously plagued my mind. I wanted this and every time I saw him, I wanted it even more. So, I was a little fearful of being with him…alone…in his bar…while all these dangerous feelings played out.

  I pulled into the alley of his club and parked next to an Aston Martin. “Oh my God…” I breathlessly released from my lips. I wanted to have sex with a billionaire. That was what it boiled down to. I slowly got out of my jeep and glanced once more at this beauty. I shook my head, mainly in shock that I was definitely living some fantasy world.

  I walked up to the back door and knocked. After a few minutes of not getting the door open, I rang the bell on the side. I waited and this time I heard the back door being unlocked and then he opened it. Trevor welcomed me with a huge grin on his lips.

  “Hello, Jasmine.” He stepped back and allowed me to enter.

  “Hello!” I smiled and tried to calm my raci
ng heart.

  “Put your purse in my office and I thought we could set up out in the bar area. There will be more room to move around.”

  “Great!” I said. I went to his office and put my purse on his desk. I walked out of the office and went to the bar, where I found several banners, posters, papers, and markers, sprawled all over the place.

  He thought of everything.

  “I hope this will all do,” he said.

  I nodded. “I’m impressed,” I said.

  He snickered. “Thank you!” He then motioned for me to grab a seat. “I thought I could make us supper first. What do you want to drink?” he asked.

  I thought about it, then shrugged. “I feel bad wasting your drinks, so maybe water?”

  He tilted his head. “I think I can afford a couple of drinks. I’m not that bad off, am I?”

  I snickered. “Okay, fine. I’ll just take a beer.”

  “A woman after my own heart,” he said. He laughed, then turned to the refrigerator.

  I wondered if he knew how that simple statement seemed to make me feel. He grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and then walked one over to me. I grabbed it from him and he tapped it and then smiled.

  “Cheers!” he said.

  “Cheers,” I whispered.

  “I’ll be back. Supper will take just a few minutes to make.”

  I frowned. “Making TV dinners?” I asked, laughing slightly.

  He shot me a look, then laughed. “Please…this constitutes more thought than TV dinners.” He tossed his head back and went through the kitchen doors. I still wondered what it possibly could be, but I didn’t have to wonder for long.

  He was right about it taking a few minutes. He was back out there and he was carrying two plates and they were covered. He placed one down in front of me, then sat across from me. “Bon Appetit,” he said.

  I lifted the cover off and then started laughing. His gourmet dish was grilled cheese sandwiches. I looked up at him and I chuckled. “A man after my own heart.”

  He laughed. “I hope you enjoy!”

  I looked at the sandwich and grabbed one side of it, then took a bite. I pondered on it and then nodded. “Hmm…not bad!”

  His jaw dropped. “Not bad?”

  I laughed, because I could tell he appeared a little hurt. “It’s been a while since I had this delicacy and I have to admit that this might be the best darn grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever tasted.”

  He nodded. “That’s a better review.”

  We laughed as we went on to drinking our beers and enjoying the sandwiches, also falling into a little bit of conversation. The conversation we hadn’t had ever. I was getting to know the real Trevor Wild and it felt good.

  When we finished eating, we got started making fliers and bulletins, but the conversation never died down.

  “What do you like to do for fun, Jasmine?” he asked me, really looking interested at discovering the answer.

  “Well, I enjoy the outdoors, so really anything…camping, swimming, hiking,” I smiled. “Really the list goes on.”

  “Oh wow…you’re an adventurous girl.” He said the statement like he was in shock. I looked up from the poster board in front of me.

  “You seem surprised,” I said.

  He looked up and smirked, then shrugged. “I suppose I am a little, but I like that. Adventure means courage.” He winked at me. “Good quality to have.”

  I blushed, but kept my eyes intently on his. “How about you, Trevor? What do you do for fun? Besides run a club, that is?”

  He laughed and looked around the bar. “Well, sometimes people wouldn’t think this is a form of fun.” He then looked back at me and I hadn’t torn my eyes away. “Backpacking through Europe,” he replied.

  I nodded. “Really? You’ve done that.”

  His jaw dropped. “Hasn’t everyone?”

  I chuckled. “Um…not on my side of town.” He laughed and continued to talk about it. I really saw a different side of him, too.

  “You should really go sometime,” he said. “There was nothing like it.”

  I doubted that I would ever have the opportunity, but I smiled and agreed that maybe I would give it a try. “When you’re not backpacking through Europe, what do you do for fun?” I asked.

  “I like the outdoors too. Nothing like camping in fall, a fire in front of you, and getting lost in just watching the flames.” He was talking and I nearly forgot where I was as I kept looking at him and found myself getting drifted off into some fantasy land, where we were in front of a fire, cozied up and staring at the flames together. His arms wrapped around me, as nothing else mattered but the two of us. It was a vision that I would love to have played out. “Jasmine…Jasmine?” I finally and reluctantly pulled out of my fantasy.

  “Uh…yeah…” I said, blushing as I looked back down at my bulletin board, I went back to writing the information, but his eyes were still on me.

  “I thought I lost you,” he said, laughing slightly.

  I shook my head, but didn’t look back up. I was getting too involved too fast, and soon this job would end and I would probably never see him again. I had to remain neutral about everything.

  We continued working on all the signs, leaving not one empty board left untouched. We had banners, fliers, ads, brochures, and so much more to pass out to the neighbors and anyone else she could think of to share the news.

  I had noticed that as we worked, it kept getting darker and darker outside. It wasn’t until we were done working on the signs that I looked at my watch.

  “Wow! I’ve been here for six hours. It’s almost midnight.” I stood up, my knees were a little shaky from sitting for so long. “I’ll help you move these to the side and we can start putting them up tomorrow. I can be here earlier than normal, if you want.” I looked up at him and he nodded.

  “That would be fine. Whatever works for you.”

  We gathered the stuff and moved it to the backroom. I then went to his office to grab my purse. He had followed me. I looked up at him.

  “I had a good time tonight,” I said.

  He laughed. “A good time working?”

  I shrugged. “It sometimes doesn’t feel like work. I know that probably sounds crazy.”

  He assured me that it didn’t sound too crazy and then we walked out to the door of the alley. I turned back around to thank him again, when I noticed that his eyes dropped down to my lips.

  “Goodbye!” I said. I backed up, but before I could leave, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him.

  The shock of his lips on mine, caused me to drop my purse. I was caught by surprise, but I didn’t want the kiss to end. I wrapped my arms around him and snaked my fingers through the back of his head, running them tenderly through his hair.

  A soft moan escaped as his tongue pressed in between my lips and we stood in his backroom, making out and neither one pulling away. He lifted his hand up my back, slipping it underneath my sweater and holding onto my bare back. I moved in closer to him, colliding my tongue against his and moaning with every turn.

  His hand moved up higher, this time touching the clasp of my bra and my shirt rose up higher, and in an instant, I knew where this could go. I could let all my defenses down and have sex with him, something that I had been craving for, but then that would mean that years of holding onto my virginity would be gone. I wanted to lose it to the man I loved, the man that loved me. I couldn’t be certain if I was just another woman Trevor wanted to bang, or if he felt something.

  So pushing him away was where my heart led me in that moment. I put my hand to his chest and slowly ended the perfect kiss, the one thing that felt right for so long. He looked at me; there was obvious lust in his expression. He opened his mouth to say something, but I backed up. His hand fell from behind me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. I grabbed onto the doorknob and turned away from him, flinging the door open and nearly running from any unanswered questions he had. I ended it and tha
t was all that we needed to know. Tonight was not the night I was going to lose my virginity and I needed to accept that, because I was the one to pull away.

  10

  Trevor

  I didn’t know what went wrong. One minute we were kissing and I thought for sure she wanted to move it to the next level and the next…she was gone. I went home, wondering what I did wrong and questioning everything. I even wondered if she would be at the club the next day.

  The next day she did show up at the club, but it was awkward. We barely made eye contact and the only words we spoke was in greeting. So, I really didn’t know what I could say to her that she would want to hear. So, I just let her be.

  We got the bar ready for the upcoming Saturday night, where hopefully I would greet the most guests I had had in many years. While she stayed out in the bar, hanging poster boards, I spent much of my time in my office, just making calls.

  I called up each of my friends, making them aware that this was all going down on Saturday, asking them to tell friends and shout it from the rooftops if they needed and was confirmed that they would all do their best.

  I went through my list of contacts and made a few more calls, before closing off the list. I looked towards the office door, when I spotted Jasmine.

  “So, all the signs are hung. I’m going to go and try to get some of these fliers out there.” She barely looked at me; I couldn’t just make up that uneasiness between us.

  “Okay. Great! Thank you so much for your help!”

  She nodded. “No problem.”

  She left the office and instead of forcing her to talk to me, I let her go. The next day, she showed up again and this time, she brought news.

  “I handed out the fliers and everyone really seemed interested about the event on Saturday. This could really be much bigger than we thought.”

  “That’s awesome!” I said. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  She blushed and shrugged. “Just doing my job!” She pushed several strands of her hair behind her ear and I once again got that urge to go to her, but I held back.