Blindsided (Fair Catch Series, Book Three)

by Christine Kersey

  Boldness flared inside her. Maybe she should take a chance. “I’m…I’m not saying you were right in your assumption, but…what if you were? What then?”

  His eyebrows shot up, then he rubbed a finger across his upper lip. “I don’t know.” His eyes narrowed. “Are you? Interested, I mean.”

  Dare she admit it? After what she’d heard him say to Simone that very day?

  Wanting to know why he’d said those things, but not wanting to admit she’d heard him say them, she said, “I don’t think I’m your type.” Remembering what he’d said, she added, “You’re not really into art, right? Football’s more your thing. Plus…I’m a lot younger than you.”

  Hank cocked his head. Why did those words sound familiar? Then it hit him. Those were the things he’d said to Simone. Had Mari heard him? Embarrassed and ashamed for saying things about her that were untrue, Hank scrubbed his face with his hands.

  “You heard what I said to Simone. Didn’t you?”

  Mari stared at him a moment, then she nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just…I left my shoes outside.”

  She was apologizing to him? That made him feel even worse.

  It was time to come clean. “I had to tell her that.”

  “Why?”

  Mari had worked for London for several weeks now. Did she have any idea how vindictive the woman could be? He considered mentioning that to Mari, but didn’t like the idea of talking smack about his ex-wife. Especially because he wasn’t sure how Mari felt about him. He had to tread carefully.

  His lips pursed. “Just trying to avoid a complication.”

  She nodded. “With London.”

  So she did know. Or at least had an idea. “Yeah.”

  Wait. Did this mean she was interested in him? It was starting to come together now, the mixed signals he’d gotten, the interest he’d sensed, but the coolness she’d exhibited after Simone’s visit. After she’d overheard his idiotic comments.

  All the same, he wasn’t certain how she felt. Maybe he was still misreading her. He had to find out. But would she admit it? It was time to put himself out there.

  “Mari, can we be honest with each other?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Mari was nervous. What if she admitted that she was attracted to him and he took advantage of her? What if he really was charming but selfish?

  “Yes,” she said in answer to his question. If she wasn’t willing to be honest, what was the point?

  He nodded, the line of his mouth firm. “Good.”

  When his green eyes focused intently on her, desire skittered across her skin, settling deep inside her. No matter the cost, she would tell him the truth, tell him how she felt.

  “I’m attracted to you, Mari,” he said, sending the butterflies in her belly into a full-on riot. “Maybe too much.”

  Was that possible? To be attracted to someone too much? Holding back the smile that wanted to burst onto her mouth, she kept her gaze steady on him, mentally encouraging him to go on. To tell her what she’d been hoping to hear.

  “You’re Harper’s nanny. You don’t work for me, but you work for London. That…well, that could be a problem.”

  She knew that. First hand. She held back a frown.

  One side of his mouth quirked up. “Of course, none of that matters if this…attraction…is one-sided.”

  Okay. Time for her confession. She softly inhaled. “I’m attracted to you too, Hank.” Her smile blossomed.

  His lips curved upward, making the lines around his eyes crinkle. Slowly nodding, he said, “Okay.”

  “Mari,” a voice called from the living room. “Mari, I’m thirsty.”

  Mari leapt to her feet at the sound of Harper’s voice, her gaze going to Hank. “I need to…”

  He nodded. “We’ll finish our conversation later.”

  Anticipation at having that conversation flooded her, then she turned and hurried inside. “I’m right here, Harper.”

  Harper turned to her, her favorite blanket clutched in her arms. “I’m thirsty.”

  “Okay. Let’s get you a drink of water.” Mari’s gaze went to Hank, who had walked inside.

  “Daddy,” Harper said, running over to him.

  He scooped her up.

  Mari went into the kitchen and filled a small cup with cold water, then walked toward Hank and Harper. Now that they had declared their interest in each other the atmosphere between them was distinctly different. Where before there was the unknown, now there was a certain level of comfort, of familiarity, of knowing how they felt. Of electricity.

  “Here you go,” Mari said as she handed the cup to Harper.

  Harper took a few sips, then handed the cup back to Mari.

  “Let’s get you back to bed,” Hank said as he carried her toward the stairs.

  Mari watched them ascend the staircase. Now what? When was Hank planning on continuing their conversation? Not sure, she went back outside. On impulse, she went into the art studio and turned on the lights. Walking over to the painting she’d been working on—a painting of Harper based on a photograph of the little girl—Mari squirted paint onto her palette, then picked up a brush.

  “You need to stay in bed now, Princess Pink Rose,” Hank said as he settled Harper under her covers. “No more getting out of bed. Time to go to sleep.” He kissed her on the forehead, and when she closed her eyes and turned onto her side, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

  Smiling, he walked down the stairs and into the family room. His conversation with Mari was going well, and he was thrilled to know his instincts were correct, that she was attracted to him too.

  Glancing around the room, he didn’t see her, and when he looked out back, he saw the lights on in the game room. Striding across the tiled patio, he was eager to continue their conversation, to see where things would lead.

  “There you are,” he said as he walked into the game room.

  She stood in front of a canvas, paint brush in hand, but from where he stood he couldn’t see what she was painting. Curious, he walked over to her and looked over her shoulder. It was a painting of Harper. He was no art aficionado, but even to his untrained eye he could see she was good.

  “That looks just like her,” he said as he glanced at Mari. He lifted his hand and gestured toward the painting. “You’ve captured her…her essence, I guess.” He smiled at her. “It’s beautiful.”

  Mari’s face lit up. “Thank you.”

  Seeing the joy on her face, the delight, Hank wanted nothing more than to kiss her. But he didn’t. It was too soon. They’d barely admitted their attraction. He wasn’t going to jump in with a kiss just yet. Not until the moment felt right.

  “Don’t let me stop you,” he said.

  She dipped her head. “I wasn’t sure how long you would be, so I…” She glanced at the painting, then looked at him, her eyes wide.

  This was fascinating, watching her work. More fascinating than he would have ever thought. And her reaction to his being there? Her shyness? Endearing.

  “I’m just…I’m not used to an audience.” She softly chuckled. “Besides Harper.”

  He got it, but he didn’t want to leave. He also didn’t want her to stop painting. Yes, he wanted her to pay attention to him, but he understood passion, understood the need to do what was driving you. He wanted to encourage her, not stop her for his own selfish reasons.

  “What if I…” He pointed toward the pool table. “Shoot some pool while you work?”

  Mari liked having him there, but she was self-conscious about him watching her paint. His suggestion was a good compromise. “Okay.”

  He walked to the pool table, which was on the other side of the room. She adjusted her easel and canvas so that he wouldn’t be able to see her work, maybe not even see her face behind the easel, and she continued painting. As much as she loved painting side by side with Harper, being able to fully concentrate on her work was a luxury, and she took full advantage, the sound o
f Hank hitting the balls fading into the background.

  Half an hour later she realized the room had gone silent. Lifting her head, she looked toward the pool table, but Hank wasn’t there. Had he left without saying good-night?

  She walked to a window that looked toward the house, her gaze searching. The lights were on inside the house and the blinds were up, so she was able to see inside. That’s when she saw him. Talking to Simone. Her heart stuttered to a stop, then began to pound.

  What was Simone doing there?

  Chapter Twenty

  “It’s getting late,” Hank said to Simone as they stood in the archway that led from the family room into the entry. “And I need to get up early.”

  “I’m well aware of the time, Hank, but I need to talk to you.” She glanced behind him, toward the family room. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  He didn’t want to. He wanted to go back out to the game room and be with Mari. If he hadn’t come inside to check on Harper he never would have heard the doorbell, never would have been interrupted. Still, he’d been dating Simone for several months. At a minimum, he owed her some courtesy. He swept his hand in the direction of the couch. “Of course.” She walked into the family room and sat down. He sat near her. “What’s going on?”

  She took his hands in hers. “I wanted to apologize. For earlier.” She shook her head. “It’s been bothering me all day.”

  His eyebrows creased. “Apologize for what?”

  Her face relaxed. “For questioning you. About the nanny.”

  Mari? She’d been thinking about Mari all day? That couldn’t be good. “Okay.”

  “I shouldn’t have…that is…it wasn’t my place to tell you what to do.”

  That was true, but it hadn’t been a big deal. He’d already forgotten about it. “It’s fine, Simone. Just forget it.”

  “That’s just it, Hank. I can’t forget it. I…” She looked at their intertwined hands before meeting his gaze. “I saw something in that girl’s eyes. Something I couldn’t shake.”

  What? Hank’s eyebrows pulled together.

  “She just…” Simone’s lips pursed for a moment. “I know when a woman is interested in a man, Hank, and that girl is definitely interested in you.”

  Well, this wasn’t good. He knew how Mari felt, but he didn’t realize it had been so obvious to Simone. “Where are you going with this?”

  One shapely eyebrow arched. “You don’t seem surprised by this information.”

  Making a scoffing sound in his throat, he shook his head. “First off, you assume way too much. Second, you’re being completely ridiculous.” She didn’t looked convinced, so he went on. “Simone, Mari is Harper’s nanny. Nothing more.” He paused a beat. “I’m still unclear why you’re telling me this.”

  She looked at him like he was simple-minded. “Because, Hank. How can the girl do a good job of caring for your daughter when she’s fixated on you?”

  He hadn’t thought of that. Was that really a concern? From everything he’d seen, Mari did an excellent job of caring for Harper. She hadn’t done a single thing to give him even a moment of doubt. And she hardly seemed fixated on him. It was more the other way around—he was fixated on her.

  “I’m gone most of the time, Simone. And Mari takes very good care of Harper.”

  Simone’s delicate jaw tightened. “She’s living under the same roof as you, playing in the pool with you, part of your daily life.” She shook her head, her blue eyes blazing. “You’re asking for trouble, Hank.”

  It was too late. He and Mari had already shared their feelings for each other. Nothing Simone said would change that.

  “I talked to London,” she said, shattering Hank’s confidence.

  “You what?” He yanked his hands from hers and leapt to his feet. Closing his eyes, he shook his head, then he stared at her, betrayal pounding through his veins. “You spoke to my ex-wife?” Fury dripped from each word. “Why would you do that?” He paused as his thoughts jumbled then clarified. “How did you find her? Her number’s a highly-guarded secret.”

  “Turns out we have a friend in common.”

  How hard had Simone worked to get London’s number? How many of her friends had she contacted in her search? The answer to that question worried him, because if she’d been that determined to talk to his ex-wife about Mari, that could only mean bad things for him, things that would keep him and Mari from having a chance at…well, at whatever the future might hold for them.

  Simone stood and faced him. “I admit, she wasn’t happy to hear from me. At first. But I care about you, Hank.” Her voice was soft, her blue eyes tender. “I did it for you.”

  His whole body went still. “What did you do, Simone?”

  “Nothing, really. Just, you know, told her my concerns.”

  “Your concerns.” He had to play it cool, pretend like she was wrong about everything. Besides, there really was nothing to tell. All that had happened was he and Mari had admitted they were attracted to each other. Was that really so terrible? “Your concerns about what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Simone’s lips curved slightly, then she stroked his arm and kept her gaze on his. “My concern about Harper’s nanny taking advantage of you. Football season will take all of your attention, Hank. That will leave you vulnerable.”

  Vulnerable to what, he wasn’t sure, but he’d heard enough. “I’m a big boy, Simone. I don’t need you to worry about me.” When she frowned, he said. “It’s time for you to leave.”

  Her mouth fell open and a sound of shock slipped out. “Leave? But I haven’t told you what London said.”

  He didn’t want to know, yet he had to. “What? What did London say?” He hated that he needed to care, but London controlled access to Harper and he wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardize that.

  “She said she would take care of it. That’s all.”

  What did that mean? “Take care of it how?”

  Simone shrugged. “She didn’t elaborate, but I told her not to worry, that I would keep an eye on things. That seemed to set her mind at ease.”

  Hank wanted nothing more than to kick Simone out, to never see her again, but he had zero doubt that that would send Simone straight to London, and London wouldn’t hesitate to punish him. Either she would yank Harper away from him, or she would fire Mari, which would devastate Harper. Either option was out of the question.

  He and London had already agreed that London would have primary custody—for months at a time she wasn’t working, whereas Hank only had a few weeks a year where he was free. Hank had frequent custody, but technically, right now, he wasn’t supposed to have Harper. It wouldn’t be difficult for London to send for Harper and Mari, to have them join her on her movie shoot.

  Sure, he could have his attorney do something about this, but how long would that take, and did he really have the energy to go through that now? Right when football season had started?

  No, he would have to shut off this attraction to Mari. There was no other way. Anyway, that attraction had barely begun. How hard would it be to end it?

  And to keep Simone from running to London he would have to let her remain part of his life, to let the charade of his feigned interest continue. At least for now. But he didn’t have to let her stick around tonight.

  “I appreciate your concern, Simone.” The lie left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  “It’s only you and Harper that I care about.”

  Hank was certain that was a lie. Simone obviously felt threatened by Mari and didn’t want to lose her place in Hank’s life. She was blind to the fact that by contacting London she’d done exactly that. She just didn’t know it yet.

  “I’m really tired,” he said, and that was true. This conversation, this knowledge, had wrung him out.

  “I understand.” She smiled at him, then she slid her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder.

  Frowning, he put his arms around her. No reason to mak
e her think he was less interested in her than he’d been all along. How often would she be talking to London? Or should he say, reporting to London.

  Simone pulled away, her eyes on him. “Tomorrow’s your day off. How about I take you to lunch?”

  No. He wasn’t going to let her manipulate his time. “You know I go in for a workout on Tuesdays, and when I get home I’ll be spending time with my daughter.”

  Her head tilted, her eyes narrowing. “And the nanny?”

  “What?”

  “Will you be spending time with the nanny as well?”

  Irritation climbed his throat. “Hard to say. She is here to take care of Harper, you realize.”

  Her lips pursed. “Be careful, Hank.”

  Not sure whether her warning was based on her worry of losing him or whether it meant she would report back to London, he grunted a reply.

  A moment later he turned toward the entry. Simone took the hint and walked to the front door.

  “I’ll see you soon,” she said with a warm smile, then she opened the door and left.

  Hank closed the door behind her, the tension he’d been holding in his body releasing in a loud rush of breath, then he turned and strode to the game room. He needed to tell Mari what had happened.

  Tell her that there could never be anything between them.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Mari watched the interaction between Hank and Simone with growing trepidation. What were they talking about? Why was he holding her in his arms? Had he meant it when he’d told her he was attracted to her? Did that mean anything to him, or was he just playing with her?

  A few minutes later he walked Simone to the door and she left without so much as a kiss. Interesting.

  Hank was striding out to the art studio. The outdoor lights illuminated his face, and when she saw his flattened lips and clenched jaw, her pulse accelerated. Seconds later he burst through the door, his gaze searching.

  With no idea what was going on, she didn’t move, waiting for him to spot her by the window. A moment later, he did, and in just a few steps he was in front of her, his gaze burning into hers.