Not yet.
“It could be that simple if you’d give me a chance.” He said quietly. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m not like other guys around here.”
“Trust me, I’m noticing.”
“Then let me show you I can be trusted. I won’t judge you. I won’t ever do anything to make you feel uncomfortable around me, Lydia. And if I do, you can feel free to smack me.”
He caught her gaze when she lifted her head and try as he might, he couldn’t really decipher the emotions brewing in her lovely green hues. It usually wasn’t hard to read people like an open book, but Lydia, thank the good Lord above, was very different. She was a book full of secrets, hopes, and dreams. He wanted to learn them all.
“How did you know I wasn’t their cousin?” She asked suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts.
“Huh?”
“When you said you wanted to take Mrs. McIntosh’s daughter out for a little while.” She frowned. “How did you know the truth?”
“I won’t lie to you, Lydia. I’m not a lying type of guy.” He scratched the scruff on his jaw and chuckled. “Jeb told me.”
“He WHAT?”
“Now hold on a minute. Don’t get mad at him.”
“He was supposed to keep it a secret. Mama made it crystal clear no one was to ever know the truth. I’m a cousin visiting a from Germany...and...and...” She was stammering, tumbling over the words she wanted to say as her face turned red again. She was going to blow a gasket.
“Easy there, spitfire.” He took a chance. Reaching out, he cupped the side of her face and without really thinking about it, traced his thumb over the soft flesh of her cheek. God, her skin was so soft. “I hope you realize how protective your brother is of you. He loves you. So much, in fact, he threatened to kill me and bury me where no one would find my body.”
Her expression softened as she leaned into his touch. “He did?”
Nodding, he slid his thumb over her bottom lip and tried to imagine how glorious it would feel to kiss her.
“He did. That night at the bar, he was almost as upset as you. I wouldn’t have left at all if it hadn’t been for Laney. She went ten shades of alpha-female on me. I honestly felt my life was in danger.”
“You did not.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Laney wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Maybe not, but she would hurt a Callum. Trust me.”
Her laughter died down as she stared at him. “I want to, you know—to trust you. I really do.”
“Then take a chance.” He whispered, gripping her chin lightly and tilting her head back. Inching forward, he waited for a sign, to continue, to back off.
“I wish I could.” Moisture glistened in her eyes. “But it isn’t that easy and you know it. I fought really hard to get to this point in my life, Callum.”
God, hearing his name fall from her lips was nothing short of heavenly.
“You don’t have to fight alone anymore, Lydia. When I said I liked you, I meant it. I mean it. You’ve been so brave and courageous this whole time. What’s keeping you from taking another risk?”
She sucked in a breath and released it with a shaky sigh. The distance between them was minimal and all it would take was one small movement to bring their lips together.
His heart was thundering in his ears as he cradled her face between both hands and lowered his mouth to brush lightly against hers.
She gasped, but didn’t pull away.
However, feeling her lips tremble against his, Callum did.
“You’ve never been kissed before, have you?” He asked, his voice husky from desire. He’d be lying if he said his jeans weren’t extremely tight at the moment. Lydia was gorgeous and his body had taken a quick liking to hers, but his parents had raised him to be a gentleman.
“No,” she whispered. “Is that bad?”
“No.” He replied, grinning. “It’s not bad, Lydia. I just want your first kiss to be one you’ll never forget.”
She smiled the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen and her cheeks warmed beneath his touch.
“I don’t really imagine it getting any better than that.”
“You can’t be serious.” He blinked. “You think that was a real kiss?”
“Well, no, but...” She lowered her head and her hair fell down, covering her face from his view. “I don’t really believe that Hollywood’s depictions of romance are accurate.”
“Hollywood?” He laughed. Loud. “Sugar, this is the south. We don’t pull none of that Hollywood stuff around here.”
Lifting her head until their gazes met, Callum leaned in and laid one on her she wouldn’t soon forget. Their lips molded together and if it was sloppy, he didn’t notice. The only thing he could focus on was how sweet and perfect her mouth felt against his. Absolute perfection.
Chapter Nine
Lydia
For the first time in her life, everything seemed to make perfect sense. Laney was a great roommate and it was so nice spending time with her instead of chatting through a screen, and Jeb visited daily. Their father came over for supper on the weekends and even though her mother never stopped by after the Callum incident, Lydia felt extremely grateful for being closer to her family.
And Callum. Oh, Callum.
Things were terrifyingly perfect with him. He was too good to be true—even though she knew better than to think like that. He was kind, funny, sweet, and patient. They’d never gone further than kissing, but she was contemplating on changing that soon. Why shouldn’t she?
I am a grown woman now. If I want to have sex, I’ll have sex.
But sex was still a scary thought. What if it hurt? What if it was uncomfortable? What if Callum didn’t enjoy doing it with her?
Oh, her heart couldn’t take that. He was so wonderful. It would be devastating if they couldn’t be intimate with one another.
But maybe he will like other things we can do to each other...
She felt her entire body heat up as she squeezed her thighs together and pushed naughty thoughts out of her mind. It wouldn’t do her a bit of good to think about being beneath his sweaty, hard body when she was supposed to be looking for a job.
Gran left behind enough money to help me manage for a few months. Why am I rushing into employment? Why am I even thinking of getting a job here? I’m not staying.
Ouch.
Was that still the plan? Her heart had been changing a lot since the night Callum kissed her. Six months would surely fly by now that they were spending so much time together—that’s just how her luck went—and she couldn’t just leave everything behind in Vermont. She had a life there. She had friends.
But my family is here. Callum is here.
It was stupid to have second thoughts just because a handsome guy walked into her life, wasn’t it? She knew better. She had to know better.
God¸ I don’t want to know better. He’s perfect.
“Lydia. Hello? Earth to Lydia?” Laney snapped her fingers in her face, causing Lydia to jerk.
“Jesus, Laney. What is it?” She asked, calming her racing pulse. “I was thinking.”
“You were in a mental coma.” Laney laughed. “I’ve been talking to you for five minutes. Didn’t you hear anything I said?”
“No, I’m sorry.” She sighed in defeat and rubbed at her temples. It was ridiculous to get stressed out over stupid things that would never happen. Callum and employment were just the tip of the iceberg for her; there was so much she needed to be worrying about.
“Don’t be sorry. I was just saying there’s an opening for a babysitter. Would you be interested in doing something like that?” She pushed the newspaper towards her, tapping her index finger over the ad. “They seem to be nice folks.”
“How can you tell from just a few lines of text?” Lydia’s eyes scanned the Help Wanted ad and it almost sounded too good to be true.
Wanted: Babysitter
Caring, fun female, age 21-30. Good with kids, dogs, and a stubborn ca
t. Must be able to work Monday through Friday from 9AM to 5PM and on occasional Saturdays. $300 a week.
“Well, they have to be nice if they’re willing to pay three hundred bucks a week, Lyds. That’s twelve hundred a month! I’d take it if I didn’t already have a job.”
“True.” She murmured thoughtfully, re-reading the text. “Do you think I should call them?”
“Duh. What kind of stupid question is that? This is Prairie Town for God’s sake. You’d have to be an idiot to pass up an offer like that.” She held her cellphone out for Lydia to take, grinning. “Do it now or I swear I’ll quit the bank and take it myself.”
“Don’t be dumb, Laney. That is a good job to have.” Lydia snatched the phone from her hand, rolling her eyes. “What’s that number again?”
—————
There had to be a mistake. When the voice on the other end of the line, who identified himself as Mr. Eubank, said the house was hard to miss, he wasn’t lying.
Lydia was staring at a Daddy Warbucks mansion. It was the only way she knew to describe it.
It was a fairly new house. She couldn’t recall seeing it before when she’d lived in Prairie Town as a kid. It was also expensive; houses like that only existed in fairy tales and in rom-coms about princes trying to keep their identities a secret.
Don’t be stupid. She thought with a roll of her eyes. Mr. Eubank certainly isn’t a prince.
Getting out of the car and making her way towards the front door, she paced her breathing. She didn’t want to seem overly eager about the job, but she’d be stupid to ignore what a good opportunity it was. Jobs like this just didn’t exist in Prairie Town.
Or maybe her Gran was truly looking out for her from up above.
She didn’t even have a chance to knock on the door; it flew open just as she lifted her fist and she found herself face to face with an attractive, well-dressed man. He couldn’t have been over forty if she had her guess.
He gazed at her with sparkling green eyes and held his hand out.
“You must be Lydia.” He smiled, revealing impressively white teeth. “I’m Paul Eubank. It’s so nice to meet you.”
God, he even sounded filthy rich. Was that possible?
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” She shook his hand sheepishly and tried to hide the blush on her cheeks.
He was a handsome guy—not as handsome as Callum, but he was definitely very appealing. But good looks aside, it was going to be his decision on whether or not he wanted to employ her. Her stomach twisted into nervous knots and her knees began to tremble. What if she totally screwed this up and didn’t get the job?
Screwing up is not an option.
“Won’t you come in?” Mr. Eubank asked, dropping her hand gently. “Please excuse the mess. We’re redecorating and everything seems to be out of place.”
“Um, yes. Thank you.” She smiled back at him and stepped inside.
Peering around his home, the intimidation began to sink in. The living room was ginormous, with marble floors and fancy wallpaper. It felt like she’d stepped straight onto the set of Gone With The Wind. The windows were huge and the curtains probably cost more than her entire wardrobe.
Messy? There wasn’t anything that remotely resembled the word. It was perfect. She was tempted to run a finger along the window frame just to see if any dust existed.
Probably not.
She couldn’t help but to wonder what Mr. Eubank did for a living. There wasn’t anyone in Prairie Town who made enough money for a place like this.
“Make yourself at home, Lydia. Please have a seat. I’ll just go get my wife.” Paul said excitedly as he hurried away, leaving her alone with a ball of black fuzz to keep her company.
“You must be the stubborn cat,” she murmured.
The Persian stared at her lazily from its spot on the back of the sofa, purring softly as its tail swished back and forth.
“How much trouble can you be?” She said playfully, reaching out to stroke the top of its head. Lydia was a sucker for cats and dogs—any animal, really—and she couldn’t help but to want to pet the furry feline.
However, its gentle growl made her reconsider and she quickly pulled her hand away.
“Need to warm up to me, huh? That’s okay. I have to warm up to people, too.” Lydia promised, easing down onto the soft cushion of the sofa. It felt so wrong to even sit down; this place was not meant for someone like her. She wasn’t Annie the orphan, nor was she as bold.
Maybe this is a bad idea...
“There you are! Hello! Welcome to our humble abode.” A very cheerful and gorgeous woman exclaimed as she hurried into the living room.
Her blonde curls bounced against her shoulders with each step. She wasn’t dressed like her husband. Sporting a plain gray t-shirt and some yoga pants, her flip-flops were terribly noisy as she hastened towards her.
Lydia was surprised when she pulled her into an embrace and squeezed as tightly as she could.
“H-hello.” She replied, patting the woman’s back awkwardly.
“I’m Tula, Paul’s wife. Gosh, I’m sorry I wasn’t present to greet you at the door—I got lost in a really good chapter and lost track of time.” She explained, releasing her and smiling broadly.
“Oh, you like to read?” Lydia prompted. “I do, too.”
“Read?” Tula blinked and turned her head to stare at her husband.
As she began to laugh, Lydia became confused. What was so funny about that?
“Tula is an author, Lydia.” Mr. Eubank chuckled softly and stepped up to his wife’s side. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek. It was easy to see he was proud of her. “She’s actually a very good author. Her last book got us this place.”
Lydia’s eyes widened as she stared around the room and then looked at the picture-perfect couple again. Tula’s golden curls framed her face so elegantly, but the casual attire she was sporting totally didn’t match. However, it did make sense.
“Maybe you would know me better by my other name—Carmen LaRoque?”
“Carmen LaRoque?” Lydia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Of course she’d heard of Carmen LaRoque. She was a popular erotic romance author and her stories melted panties everywhere. She also featured a trans-man in one book and he was a very sought-after escort for men and women alike. That just happened to be one of Lydia’s secret guilty pleasures.
“Miss McIntosh?” Tula snapped her fingers. “Are you still there?”
“Oh...Oh, I’m so sorry.” Lydia stammered, dropping her head bashfully. Leave it to her to freeze up in front of one of literature’s greatest, sexiest minds.
“No, it’s okay.” Tula insisted with a small giggle. “I get that reaction a lot.”
“Or screaming,” Paul grinned. “A lot of her fans scream.”
And so do her characters. Lydia thought as a tidal wave of shame washed over her. Now definitely wasn’t the time to be reminiscing over the sexual escapades of fictional people.
“It’s quite all right.” Tula patted her arm gently and nodded to the hallway. “Would you like a tour of the house, Lydia? I don’t want you to get lost on your first day.”
“My first day?” She blinked. “Does that mean you’re hiring me?” There hadn’t even been an interview yet. How was she supposed to get a job they hadn’t interviewed her for?
“Well, it’s yours if you want it.” Tula sweetly replied.
“That’s right. I have to go run some errands now.” Paul kissed Tula’s temple and smiled in Lydia’s direction again. “You girls have fun. It was nice meeting you, Miss McIntosh.”
“You, too.” Lydia called after him.
Once the front door closed, she stood face-to-face with one of the most famous people on earth and still didn’t understand how it had happened. While Carmen LaRoque most certainly wasn’t mysterious, Tula Eubank was. How did they slip into town without being recognized?
“I know you have a lot of questions for me, Lyd
ia—may I call you Lydia?” Tula asked, guiding her down the hallway.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, no.” Tula peered at her over her shoulder. “There will be none of that. I’m Tula, okay? Or Carmen if you prefer, but I like my real name, too.”
I don’t like mine. Lydia thought, pursing her lips together. That was a worry she tried not to think about. What if they discovered her past? Surely that would be instant termination.
Pushing the thought aside, she followed Tula through the bathroom—which was also ridiculously big—and into various rooms which all seemed to have a purpose. Once they were finished touring the study, the game room, the guest bedrooms, the guest bathrooms, and a trophy room with all her author awards, they entered another room with light pink walls. It was a nursery.
The only problem was, Lydia didn’t see a baby anywhere in sight.
“And this is where we will put our little ones.” Tula sighed dreamily, caressing the wooden rail of the crib with her fingertips. Turning to peer at her, she smiled. “We plan to adopt, we just have to wait for all the paperwork to go through.”
“Oh.” It wasn’t really any of her business. Maybe Mrs. Eubank couldn’t have children of her own, or maybe adopting a child was just her way of helping the world’s overpopulation. Either way, she offered her a smile and nodded in understanding.
“For now, I’ll only need you to watch over my furbabies,” Tula added. “We have three dogs and the cat—you met her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but I fear I didn’t make a very good first impression.”
Tula began to laugh then. She threw her head back and her shoulders rolled with each giggle. Slapping a hand against her knee, she shook her head.
“Oh, you are funny. I quite like you.”
“Thanks...I think.”
“Aurora has been with us since she was just a little kitten. I promise she’s much nicer once she gets to know you.”
“Aurora? Like the princess?”
“Yes.” Tula nodded excitedly. “So you said you like to read. I suppose you know what I’m going to ask next.”
“Yes,” Lydia smiled. “I’ve read your books. They’re really good. I enjoy them.”
180 Days Page 7
