by Amy Brent
After I came, I spooned her in my wide bed. I had missed the company of someone who needed me as much as I needed them. And it wasn't just the chemistry. It was like a pull on my whole being that invited me into her beautiful world where everything just seemed so right. I had felt like this with Alice, but not to the same degree. With Karly, it was as if when I wasn't with her, a part of me was gone. I had never in my life experienced it, and now I knew why certain people lasted an entire lifetime together.
"Thank you," I said, holding her close to me.
She was sure of me too. I knew it as she pulled my arm tighter around her. "Thank you, Damon. I never thought it could be so…perfect." She paused. “I’d better go into the guest room so Alexis doesn’t find us,” she said in a whisper.
I didn’t want her to go, but I kissed her and did the right thing, knowing my responsibility as a father must come first. “Good night, beautiful,” I said.
She smiled at me, fire in her eyes. “Good night, Damon.”
After she left, I realized her words had melted into me as I’d heard them. She was genuine and kind, and I was the luckiest man on the whole planet. To have someone so beautiful allow me to take her in the dominant sense, to be vulnerable to me just because I needed it to be that way—well, that said a lot.
I felt, at this point, we were going to be instrumental in one another's lives, and not just for a few silly months like most people. We actually gave a shit about each other and had the feelings of the other at the forefront of our minds. That was the stuff dreams were made of. Yes, real, tangible, hopeful, pie-in-the-sky dreams that could unfold because we both wanted it to be so. I felt as if some sort of magic had entered my life in the form of a twenty-five-year-old woman who cared for my daughter way more than anyone else could or would.
Karly Lewis had changed my life, and from the moment I first saw her, I had been hooked. How was it possible the universe could shower you with such perfection? I didn’t even think I could have dreamed her up more perfectly. I was more than lucky. God, and she was so fucking hot.
Chapter 22
Karly
On Saturday, I woke up to Damon and Alexis cooking breakfast. They were trying their hand at pancakes with maple syrup and ice cream. Alexis was pulling the leaves off the strawberries to help her dad with the finishing touches. I'd forgotten to set my alarm after the night I'd shared with Damon. It had been desperately good, but now I awoke to the reality of the whole situation. A little girl's feelings were at stake, and if she knew what was happening between us, it would affect her entire life.
"We're all going to see the Statue of Liberty today," said Alexis. "And Clara even said she's coming with us."
"Really?" I answered, wondering why Damon had planned such a family-style outing.
I made myself a strong coffee, and I tried not to show my disconnect regarding the planned outing. It had been an exhausting week, and the last thing I felt like doing was sightseeing with the rich man who had tarnished the front page of the newspaper because of his interactions with me. I would've preferred to lay low and lock myself in a tall tower somewhere in the middle of a small country that no one ever visited. My mood wasn't the best despite the night we'd shared. The reality of the situation was really hitting home for me, and I didn't quite know how to cope with it all.
What was I, really? A girlfriend? A nanny? A nanny with benefits? A girlfriend who was a nanny? Shit.
I ate my pancake with a smile on my face. I didn't want to rain on Alexis's parade. It would be an exciting adventure to visit the Statue of Liberty, something I hadn’t done since elementary school. I began to wonder if this was Damon's way of finding out my feelings. Maybe he wasn't sure how I felt about everything either. We’d never told one another. It was important that he knew eventually, mostly for him, but definitely for his beautiful daughter who needed to know where she fit into any relationship he had. At six years of age, she had to be the most important part of everything, center stage.
The other issue I'd been trying to wrap my head around was the press conference that was coming up on Monday. To get the press off the doorstep in the literal sense, Damon had promised them an exclusive conference. There would be a ton of questions, and the way I felt about him mattered. He really needed to know my standing in it all before he spoke to them. The pressure was just so overwhelming for me.
Damon smiled at me and looked like heaven in his gray sweatshirt. He'd slept well, and I could sense his eyes fixated on me.
"I'm going to get ready," said Alexis, grabbing Clara by the arm and taking her to the bedroom. "Can I have curls, Karly? Please?"
I called out down the hallway, "Of course!" Then I at Damon, who still couldn't take his eyes off me.
"I hope you don't mind going today. I thought it might be fun for us all to, you know, really have a day off."
I smiled at him, glad he was happy. "Of course not. Alexis will love it."
I grabbed our finished plates and rinsed them, putting them in the dishwasher with our cups. I had a little girl waiting for curls, and most probably a doll that would need pretend curls.
"We'll leave in half an hour so you girls can get yourselves ready. Is that enough time?" Damon asked, still wearing his captivating smile. The stubble that was protruding on his face made me enjoy looking at him even more.
"Yes. That'll be great. Are we going in your SUV?"
"Yes. I'd thought we'd feel more at home that way."
His words sunk in as I made my way to see Alexis and Clara. Home? Was he really thinking of me as a long-term thing? I didn't know what to think or feel about the whole scenario. I did know I was head over heels for him and I’d never wanted anything more. Wow, what a revelation.
***
I was in awe as we stood at the top of the Statue of Liberty. The view was more breathtaking than I'd remembered it to be. Alexis was in Damon's arms, showing Clara the wild view below us. The sight was adorable, and I took pictures of them together on my iPhone.
"Wow! Me and Clara love it. Come and see it, Karly."
I walked to them and opened my mouth wide, exaggerating my expression to match hers. "Oh my goodness gracious! It's so wonderful, isn't it, Damon?"
Damon smiled at me. "Yes, it's so wonderful. And we are really, really high up. So high up that everything down there looks like—"
"Like ants!" Alexis interrupted.
Damon and I laughed at her perfect words. "Yes, they do look like that."
"I'm hungry," said Alexis. "And Clara too."
I looked at Alexis. "Me too! It seems like ages ago that we had pancakes, doesn't it?"
"Uh-huh."
Damon put Alexis down and looked at his watch. "It's after one. Let's go and get some late lunch."
We made our way to a quaint café that had a ballpark playground for the kids. We ate soup and salad and enjoyed bagels and coffee as an afterthought. Alexis ran and played with other kids, leaving Clara with Damon and me. That same stitched smile was on her face. She was always happy, and I wondered if I needed to take a leaf out of the ragdoll's book and remain positive despite the circumstances. I smiled at Damon but kept my thoughts to myself.
He smiled back, and I could tell he wanted me to open up to him. I wasn't sure if he wanted to hear me confess my undying love for him or whether he just wanted to know my feelings for right now. My heart yearned for him and Alexis, but a weird feeling washed over me, making me realize again that there was so much at stake. What I’d found in him was exceptional and rare, but what would I say, and how should I say it so that it incorporated all of us? Alexis had to be at the forefront of everything.
Damon looked as if he were about to speak, but then Alexis called him over to the playground. He gave me a gorgeous smile and went over and got purposely stuck in the balls so Alexis and another small boy could rescue him. There was loads of laughter, and as I watched, I also got called into the wonderment that ensued. I lost my sandals, and there was a"search party that found them f
or me.
I laughed like a child as I followed Alexis and Damon through the entire course of mazes, ball pits, and adventurous tightropes that were safe because of the soft landings underneath them. We were being big kids, and everyone was having a ridiculously fun time. It was rare that adults could play with kids in a setting like this, but the proprietors had made it so, with the rules and regulations sign stating that the playground was made for everyone, big or small, young or old. There was a height rule, but it wasn't huge, and so Alexis had been thrilled she was big enough to play here. Clearly, her socialization skills had grown, as she played with two boys and their older sister. They all tried to catch up with Damon and me, who were running from the dragon empire made up of the four very loud kids.
After a time, the other kids had to go and told Alexis they made it a habit of coming on Saturdays. Alexis told Damon, who said it could be a thing they could do once a month if she behaved like a good girl all week.
I walked out of that place feeling exhausted and wondering how such a cool place had even been invented. It was clean, fun, and great for all age groups. I even saw a grandpa and grandma get stuck in the ball pit, and their laughter had truly been something to behold. It wasn't Disneyland, but it was definitely a fun place to be with children.
On the way home, we drove past a local park where there was a heap of dogs doing dog training. Alexis made us stop so we could admire the well-behaved and not-so-well-behaved dogs that were doing their thing. Some of them could jump over hurdles, and many of them could do a twisting jump that made Alexis giggle. One of the dogs was an all-black crossbreed. He was being very cheeky. All the other dogs in the class sat and stayed, but when off his leash, he ran to a tree and peed on it while the owner ran after it. Alexis laughed so loudly, Damon had to tell her to be quiet so as not to distract the good dogs that were learning how to behave properly.
An hour passed, and Alexis grew sleepy as the light began to fade. The day had ticked by like a flash storm that came and went in a passionate rage. Once in the car, Alexis nodded off, so Damon rang for pizza, which we picked up on the way home.
My heart was happy as we drove to the pizza house on Fifth. Damon had enjoyed a great day, and so had I. For Alexis, it had been "out of this world." I imagined being her age again and doing all the things we'd done in one day. It would have been wonderful and exciting.
When we got home, Damon placed Alexis in bed and got her comfortable, taking off her shoes and socks and making sure Clara was with her in bed. I sorted out the pizza and opened a bottle of red wine. It was Damon's favorite, a Shiraz from a good year.
I didn't have to wait long for Damon to join me. He was starving, and we sat together, just eating and sipping our wine in blissful silence. The fire flickered, and the peace was golden. He didn't push a conversation with me, and I didn't entertain my feelings aloud. As I finished a piece of garlic bread and took my last sip of wine, I thought I would clear the plates and make my way to bed.
"I'm exhausted," I said as I got up. "I think I'll head to bed. Thanks for today."
Damon smiled at me, looking like he was tired too. I knew I should've said something, but my body and mind were at the point of no return. We had been on most of the day, and as usual, Alexis had been full of energy and a million wonderful questions that made you really think hard each and every time.
"Good night, Karly," he said.
"Good night, Damon. Sleep well."
I knew my distance from him was unfounded. We'd shared an amazing day with Alexis, but we'd barely said a word to one another. It was my fault. I had created the disconnect without any real explanation. He knew it and I knew it, but he was still a gentleman about it. Maybe tomorrow would bring me some clarity. I needed a big sleep to settle things in my mind.
Chapter 23
Damon
I headed to work and got my mind into gear regarding the upcoming press conference. I needed them to know it was more than just a fling between an employer and an employee. I wasn’t just fucking the nanny, as they’d put it. Karly meant the world to me, and I felt like she was the piece of the puzzle that had been missing in my life for so long.
The media were there, waiting for me to tell my side of the story. It was like watching shark-infested waters get closer to a boat in the ocean with me being the boat. I wasn’t going to get eaten, though.
They had set up a small podium for me to stand on in front of the company building, which looked amazing given its glassy magnificence and stature. I had already spoken to the owners of the company, a group of four super-rich men who knew I was more than capable of handling myself well.
I stepped up and waited for the questions. My heart already knew the answers.
"Mr. Jacobs, good morning. Is it true that your new nanny is now a sexual partner of yours? And do you think it's professional to be sleeping with your employee?"
I smiled at the journalist, who I knew. Cheryl Winton was one of the hungrier ones who liked to be as controversial as she could. The eyes and cameras were on me.
"First of all, I'd like to state that the media has blown this well out of proportion. Yes, I did employ the professional Ms. Lewis as my nanny. We have been branded as 'sleeping together,’ but I would like to say, for the record, that we have actually found love with one another. The fact that it has been cheapened into a bed-notch story is a real shame for your profession. Neither of us was searching for a partner, but we have definitely found one in each other. The fact that she is employed by me is just coincidental. I would've fallen in love with her regardless of our contract for her childcare services."
I felt good as I told them my truth. I knew Karly felt the same way, and I could sense that her recent distance had been a result of the media frenzy and her angry ex’s behavior.
"Mr. Jacobs, is it true that you had an altercation with a man who is Ms. Lewis's ex-boyfriend? The video of this has been rife on social media."
"Yes, it is true. Mr. Swifton was stalking her. I had no choice but to defend myself because he would not calm himself that particular day. I am not a physical person, but when a guy like that won't listen to reason, then it becomes necessary. And I would do anything and everything in my power to stop him from harming Ms. Lewis, myself, or any of my friends or family."
"Is it true that there is a restraining order in place on Mr. Swifton?"
"Yes, absolutely. He is not to come near me, my family, or Ms. Lewis. It was issued immediately after the altercation."
A new reporter asked the next question. "Is it true that Mr. Swifton has been violent in the past?"
I was unsure about the facts here, so I answered truthfully. "That's a question for law enforcement to answer. The reason for my restraining order against him is his actions toward me and Ms. Lewis. As for his past actions, I really am not aware of them. I have yet to tell Ms. Lewis about this order, but I know she'll be delighted. It is not all right to be threatened or bullied by anyone. Unfortunately, Mr. Swifton needed the law to become involved in this instance."
"Mr. Jacobs, does your daughter approve of Ms. Lewis? If not, why is that?"
I couldn't believe they were being such assholes, trying to delve into my six-year-old daughter's mind. It was callous and unrelenting.
"I'm going to ignore that question. A minor is none of your concern, and I think your duty of care is in question when you relish in becoming that personal. Let’s move on."
"Are you planning to tie the knot with your lover?" That was the next scandalous question from Cheryl Winton.
I stayed on course despite my anger at the way the question had been worded. "Ms. Lewis is not my lover. She is my daughter's nanny, and we have both decided to begin a real, meaningful relationship with one another that is separate from that fact. Please do not make this out to be a scandal. Ms. Lewis and I are in love with one another; our feelings are very real and should not be ransacked by misconstrued wording and/or sensationalized headlines to sell newspapers or TV stories."
The pack of wolves quietened down a bit. It was as if they finally realized they had been wrong and that the scandal they thought they had witnessed was actually a beautiful love story, a story that could be a fairy tale rather than a misconstrued headline set to put us in a world of shame.
"What are your intentions with Ms. Lewis?" asked Roley Jefferson, a journalist who had more morals than most.
"My intentions with her are to build a long-lasting relationship, to stay in love and to build on the love we already share."
The press went silent until Terry Danielson chirped in, obviously realizing this story could go from scandal to fairy tale in a matter of moments. "Do you think wedding bells are in the cards anytime soon?"
I smiled. "In the future, for sure. But Ms. Lewis's feelings for me and my daughter's feelings are first and foremost. We will decide these things together as a family. These things take time."
I wondered what else they could possibly ask, but then the time was up. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Jacobs. We would welcome any future press conferences to celebrate further milestones on this subject."
I smiled. "Thank you for your time. I must go inside. After all, I have a large company to run. We're delighted to see so many new investors since Mr. Tommy Chan came on board. Actually, I have investors waiting for me right now. We're having a huge conference this morning."
I got a look from Cheryl, who was totally pissed that my live press conference had ended up helping the company. She was such a narcissistic woman, happy to fuck up anyone's livelihood or family life just to bag a great story for herself. Now my company would get more clientele and the entire US would know my story was a fairy tale, not a dirty rotten scandal.
I headed inside and met with influential investors who'd been watching me live in the boardroom. Rhonda hadn't wanted to let them see the news, but they'd threatened to walk if they didn't see it. Frank Lexin and Daniel Harbinger came up to me said they'd walk if there were any more press conferences like that. Even though I'd handled myself well, they didn't like all the publicity it was bringing. It could "fuck up" the whole company.
