Protecting the Babysitter: A Billionaire Alpha Male Romance

by Bloom, Nikki

  “And you tried so hard to resist me.”

  Laughing through gathering tears, she shook her head. “Don’t remind me.” Taking my hand in hers, she gazed at me. “I can live my life freely again because of you. I can’t believe you went after my father like that. No one ever had the guts.”

  “But your testimony helped to put him away for good.”

  “I wouldn’t have been given the chance without your bold move.”

  Pulling her closer, I promised, “I’ll do anything to protect you. Always. You’ll never be alone or unsafe again, I promise.”

  She leaned in to offer me her mouth and I accepted. As our kiss deepened, I blindly found the button to send the partition up, hiding us from the driver’s view. I released her tresses from its neat updo to run my fingers through the silky strands. Pulling away, I looked at her. “I can’t wait until we get to the hotel.”

  Eyes swirling with hunger, she purred, “Then let’s not wait.”

  Epilogue

  Crystal

  Two years later…

  I rolled over in bed and was disappointed to discover that I was alone. Sitting up, I looked around the room with a frown. There was no sign of Erik. I loved waking next to him every morning. Where was he? I gingerly scooted out of bed, hampered by my ever-expanding belly. I was six months’ pregnant and loving it. I caught my reflection in the mirror on my way out of the bedroom and stopped.

  I studied the woman staring back at me. Her blonde hair had grown past her shoulders and hung over her breasts that were much larger since her pregnancy. Her brown eyes gleamed with contentment. She was happy and so full of life. I was staring at the real me. The woman who had existed before she was oppressed by the threat of her father. I smiled. It sure was good to have her back.

  On my way out, I grabbed Erik’s shirt, which hung on the back of a chair, and shrugged it on. Padding down the spiral staircase of the penthouse, I moved toward the sounds coming from the kitchen. There was the clinking of what sounded like pots followed by a loud crash and a string of expletives.

  Hurrying my steps, a little panicked, I rounded the corner. Erik had his back turned and was fanning a charred...whatever it was with an oven mitt. I peered at it, guessing it was supposed to be some kind of bread or muffin. “Damn it, Christine, you said to put in the oven for thirty minutes. That’s what I did. It doesn’t look anything like yours.” He jabbed the thing in the baking tin with a finger and I pursed my lips to keep my laughter in.

  Christine’s voice filtered from the phone on the island. “Yeah, for thirty minutes at three hundred and fifty degrees.”

  “Oohhh.”

  “Oh? How much did you have it on?”

  “Four hundred and twenty-five.”

  Christine sighed. “Hell, just take her out for breakfast, Erik. She knows your useless in the kitchen and she still loves you. Just quit while you’re ahead, man, before you burn the place down.”

  “Who are you talking to so early, babe?” Came a deep baritone in the background.

  “Oh, David…” Christine stuttered, “I-it’s Erik. We’re on speaker...”

  “Shit, he’s going to kill me,” David said, Though he didn’t sound the least bit afraid.

  Erik threw down the oven mitt. “David? What the hell is he doing there?” He turned to grab the phone. “David, you son of a bitch, I told you to stay away...” he glanced up and spotted me. “I’ll kill you later,” he said and hung up.

  I smiled. “Rough morning?”

  He shoved a hand through his hair and sighed. Picking up a tray that had a cup of green tea and a single red rose, he said wryly, “Happy anniversary. I only got the tea right. I burned the rest of your surprise breakfast in bed.”

  I melted on the spot. Taking the tray, I placed it down and reached for him. Cupping his face, I cooed, “You’re the best husband a girl could ask for, even if you can’t cook. Happy anniversary.” With a broad grin, he leaned forward to graze my lips with his.

  We’d been married for two years and I was deliriously happy.

  “Guess we’re going out for breakfast,” he announced.

  “Or I can make something.”

  He placed a possessive hand over my swollen stomach. “Absolutely not. You need to stay off your feet.”

  “I’m pregnant, not handicapped,” I scoffed.

  “Just humor me.”

  Resigned, I took a seat to drink my tea. Erik had become even more impossible since my pregnancy. I couldn’t work— I still did a few days as a teacher’s aide while I studied to get a degree in education—I had to take a break or he’d worry endlessly all day. I couldn’t even put on my own shoes. I secretly love it but pretended to be annoyed. I smirked at him over my cup. “Fine, we’ll go out for breakfast.”

  He kissed me again. “Good. I’ll clean up and then we can get ready.”

  We were having a small party in the evening with a few friends and family to celebrate. Christine, Mason, David, Kerry, Erik’s assistant, Lorie all attended and Elle was there too, visiting from New York. It would be fun... I just hoped Erik didn’t really end up killing his best friend for dating his sister. That little drama aside, my new life was great. I was officially Crystal Crawford, free from my tyrannical father, married to the love of my life and expecting our first child.

  I watched Erik clean up the disaster he’d created with a smile. “Erik?”

  He glanced over his shoulder, immediately giving me his full attention. That was one of the things I loved about him. I loved everything about him. “I love you.”

  He smirked, his eyes taking on its usual teasing glint. “Trying to get into my pants?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  His laugh filled our kitchen, and when he stopped, he said, “I love you too. Wife.”

  Grinning from ear to ear, I fell silent and continued sipping my tea. So this was what they called domestic bliss...

  The End

  About the Author

  Thank you so much for reading!

  I’m a contemporary romance writer who loves to write about billionaire bad boys! Join my mailing list here for freebies and promos regarding my upcoming releases!

  A bit over a year ago, I took a leap of faith to pursue my dream of becoming a full-time writer. I love to get to know my readers personally so please connect with me for any feedback, questions, or even just to say hi!

  info@nikkibloom.com

  Nikki

  XOXO, Winter

  1

  Winter

  “I’m going to miss you, honey!” My mother engulfed me in one of her world-famous bear hugs. I could no longer breathe. “Promise you’ll come back to visit me really soon!” To my dismay, she hugged me even harder. “Oh, and good luck with school. I know you’ll do great!”

  I tried to say something but with my lungs flattening into pancakes, it was impossible.

  “You’ll be a vet in no time and then maybe you can get a job down here next to me. I know the local–”

  “Mom!” I said at last. “I need to go or I’m really going to miss my flight.”

  “Oh!” She lunged forward and again I was left gasping for air.

  Her new boyfriend came to my rescue. With a hand on her shoulder, he managed to pull her back. I nodded in his direction before making my getaway.

  “Passport, please.” The TSA agent looked like he was bored out of his mind.

  I rummaged through my bag but like the black hole it was, it had managed to consume my passport. “Great,” I mumbled under my breath. “Just great.”

  “Is there a problem, ma’am?”

  “No, no, just…give me a second.” I could feel the heavy stares of everyone behind me.

  “Most of us don’t have all day,” he said. “If you can’t find what you’re looking for, I’m going to have to ask you to step aside.”

  “Now boarding flight A7. All passengers for A7 please check-in before boarding.”

  “Shit.” I plopped my bag onto the c
ounter and tore through it in a desperate attempt to find what I was looking for.

  “Ma’am–”

  “Here.” I practically shoved my passport in his face. “And if we could hurry this up a bit… my flight is about to board.”

  “That’s not my problem. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport two hours before their flight time.”

  Well, you don’t have a mother that takes a literal eternity to get ready in the morning.

  “Hmm…” he mused.

  “What is it?”

  “Seems like your flight has been overbooked.”

  “Overbooked?” I repeated. “What do you mean it's been overbooked?”

  A random flight announcement pinged over the intercom system, halting his ability to answer my question.

  He was just about to say something when yet another announcement was made. “Final call for passengers boarding flight J15 to Toronto, Canada–”

  I held my breath. Would there be another? Would I ever be able to walk away from this ticket counter?

  The attendant waited for a beat but then, finally, answered me. “There are too many people on the plane.”

  “Wait… so what does that mean?” The hustle and bustle of the airport was starting to make my head spin.

  “It means we’ll have to put you on another flight.”

  “Another flight?” I gripped the counter. “When do you imagine that’ll be?”

  “Well, from the looks of it, the next flight back to Maine leaves in two hours or so. Or, you can wait five hours and ride first class.”

  “Did you say first class?”

  “Mhm.”

  “You mean the front of the plane where you have all that leg space and the stewardesses serve complimentary champagne, right?”

  “That would be correct.”

  “And…how much would that cost?”

  “Nothing more than the original price of your ticket. The airline assumes responsibility for overbooking. Consider this our apology.”

  “Deal,” I said a heartbeat later.

  The TSA agent took down all my information and typed it like a sloth. You’d think that someone who worked with computers all day would be able to type just a little bit faster.

  “Alright, you should be all set. You’re on flight M22.” He handed over a printed ticket. “Your gate will be announced over the loudspeaker but as of right now it is expected to be H9.”

  “H9,” I repeated. “Got it.” With that, I spun on my heels and off I went.

  “Ma’am.”

  I froze.

  “Your passport.”

  “Right.” I doubled back, snatched it up, and shoved it into my purse. From there, I went straight through security. With all the fancy technology these days, why do we still have to go through the hassle of taking off our shoes? Like many other people, I struggled to carry my luggage to a nearby bench. I was a mess. Despite packing ‘light,’ it still felt like I had all of Manhattan tucked away inside my backpack.

  Calm down, I told myself. You’ve got five hours to kill. There’s no need to rush.

  Agreeing with that little voice in my head, I decided to explore some of the duty-free shops. Some of them made little sense to me. Why would anyone need to buy designer luggage when they’re already at the airport? And did anyone actually drop a few thousand bucks on top-of-the-line laptops while traveling from point A to point B? Maybe that’s just something you do when you’re rich.

  “All passengers of flight T11, please be advised that your gate has now changed–”

  I was so focused on listening to the announcement that I ended up bumping into someone. The backpack I wore threw me off balance and I felt myself falling back like a turtle about to land on its shell. I braced myself for it but instead of making an idiot of myself, someone grabbed me before my feet could slip from under me. His grip was strong as it tightened around my arm.

  “Are you alright?” he asked.

  I blinked and looked up at what must have been a model or something. Oh my.

  “Miss, are you alright?” he asked again, this time leaning down so his face came dangerously close to mine. Oh, c’mon, say something, Winter.

  “I’m f-fine,” I stuttered. Great, now this guy probably thinks I have some kind of problem. “I’m fine,” I repeated as if that would make things better. “Totally fine.” Okay, now you’re totally drooling over this guy. Get a grip!

  But that was incredibly hard to do when this guy looked like he belonged on the big screen. Hey, for all I knew, he was probably a movie star or something. With a smile like that and hair that thick and luxurious… And don’t even get me started on that body. Tall. Broad shoulders. A tapered waistline. This guy had it all.

  “Good,” he whispered, his voice as smooth as whiskey.

  Was this guy trying to make me melt right now?

  “Who knew buying some snacks could be so dangerous?” He chuckled.

  Oh, jeez, he even has a gorgeous laugh.

  “Right.”

  “I try and eat healthily but as soon as I see chocolate, that all goes out the window.” He bent down and browsed the candy bar selection. His thighs were so sculpted they looked like they were going to burst through his dress pants as he squatted down.

  For some crazy reason, I squatted down next to him. I had no right talking to this guy, but I wasn’t about to waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “So, you have a bit of a sweet tooth then?”

  “That’s the understatement of the year,” he said. “If it weren’t for some incredible dentists, I doubt I would have any teeth left.”

  “That bad, huh?” My initial jitters were starting to fade, and I found it easier to talk to this guy.

  “Oh yeah.”

  “So, what would you recommend? The king-sized Snickers or the king-sized Milky Way?”

  “Oh, Milky Way all the way. That’s not even a question worth asking. Snickers has always been a pet peeve of mine. It’s just not enjoyable. Those nuts are like putting M&Ms in soft serve ice cream – hard and impossible to eat. I’d probably be better off eating a mouthful of rocks.”

  “Wow… I didn’t know anyone could be this passionate about candy.” It was only after I picked up the Milky Way bar that I realized I had spoken my thoughts aloud. Great, way to insult the guy.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Some may call it a problem.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said, trying to rectify the situation but I felt like I was only making things worse.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Our steps coincided as we approached the cashier. There was a long line trailing around the store. “You’d think they’d have more people working here. It’s the most popular store in the whole airport.”

  “Yeah, because why spend your money on gourmet seafood when you can waste it on an overpriced bag of Doritos?”

  “You mean Flemings? They actually have pretty good food there,” he said without missing a single beat. “I don’t know if its gourmet, per se, but it’s not half bad.”

  My jaw nearly hung agape. This guy had actually eaten there? Flemings was one of those restaurants that omitted the prices on their menus so they could slap you with an outrageous bill at the end of your meal. Only those with a few hundred to blow ever stopped to eat there. Maybe this guy really was a movie star. As subtly as possible, I glanced at what he was carrying. A designer luggage bag. From the looks of it, the thing was made of genuine leather. On top of that bag sat a plastic one from the tech shop. Was that… no… it couldn’t be…

  A brand-new computer.

  This guy was definitely loaded.

  “So, what were you doing in Florida?” he asked.

  “I came to visit my mom. She lives in Clearwater with her new boyfriend.”

  “Ah,” he nodded. “You fond of him?”

  I shrugged. “He’s one of the better ones so I guess I can’t complain. For the most part, they left me alone as I lounged by the pool.”

 
“Doesn’t sound too bad.”

  “Oh, no, it was a much-needed break from everything.”

  He raised an eyebrow in question. I’ve always wanted to do that, and this guy makes it look so damn easy.

  “I’m studying to become a vet but it isn’t easy. Just trying to afford all my textbooks has me working two jobs. Plus, I volunteer at the pet shelter whenever I have a bit of free time under my belt.”

  “Sounds like you’re a busy woman,” he said as we crept forward. It didn’t look like the counter was getting any closer.

  “You could say that.”

  “Well, I think you can do it.” He rested a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently. Now, when a random stranger touches you like that, it’s usually a little weird but with this guy, it felt…natural. A sort of tingle crept up my spine and settled inside my chest. “I know what it's like to stay up all night studying. Sometimes, all you want to do is give up but, in the end, it’ll all be worth it.”

  “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

  “Doctor,” he explained. “Well, surgeon, to be specific. I specialize in cardiology.”

  “Wow, that’s impressive.”

  He smiled. “As long as I can help save people, I’m happy.”

  So, this guy is smoking hot and altruistic? Could he get any more perfect?

  Finally, we reached the counter. I placed my bundle of snacks down and rummaged through my purse, searching for my wallet. Before I could find it, my new acquaintance slipped his card through the reader.

  “Why did you do that?” I asked.

  “Consider it my good deed for the day,” he said with a wink. “Now you can put that towards a textbook.”

  “Thanks.” Already, my cheeks were burning.

  “Anyway, I had to chug down a giant bottle of water before going through security so you’ll have to excuse me.” And with that, he hurried off towards the bathroom. I never even managed to snag his name.