London was quiet as she stared at Mari, and Mari could see the wheels turning.
“I told you how Hank can be,” London said. “Don’t forget that. Don’t do something that you’ll regret, Mari. Something that will make life miserable for all of us.”
Needing to understand what London would do, she asked, “What do you mean?”
London sighed. “You and Harper have developed a strong bond. I really, really don’t want to break that.” She stared straight into the camera. “Please don’t make me do that.”
“I would never…”
London cut her off, her eyebrows sharply raised. “Mari.”
Real tears filled Mari’s eyes, and she looked at Harper once again before focusing back on London. “I adore Harper. Of course I won’t do anything to jeopardize my job.”
London’s face seemed to relax. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Mari was ready for this conversation to be over. She blinked to clear her eyes. “Do you want to talk to Harper?”
Smiling, she said, “Absolutely.”
Mari brought the phone to Harper, who was thrilled to talk to her mother. Standing to the side, Mari listened carefully to the conversation, worried Harper would say something in innocence that London would misconstrue. But that didn’t happen, and Mari was pleased that London didn’t so much as ask Harper anything about Mari or Hank.
When their conversation was over, Mari disconnected the session and tucked her phone into her pocket, her mind in turmoil. London had made it clear that if Mari got involved with Hank, she would fire her. But she was falling in love with Hank, had begun imagining what a future with him would look like.
She also loved Harper, feared what being fired would do to her. Yet another worry was that if word got around that she’d fallen for her charge’s father, no one would hire her. Her career as a nanny would be over.
Thoughts flying, she asked herself what would happen if she and Hank ignored all of their concerns and went for it. Assuming a relationship between them succeeded, if the repercussions were too much, would that break them? And if it did, what would happen then? Would London fight to keep Harper out of Hank’s life to punish him? It would be bad enough for Mari to lose her job and possibly any future as a nanny, but what would all of that do to Harper?
Mari was being torn to pieces.
The only solution was to put aside her attraction to Hank and focus on why she was there. To take care of Harper. Soon enough she’d go back to LA and her life would go on. When it was time to return to Sacramento to accompany Harper on her future visits with Hank, Mari would have to deal with her feelings then. For now though, at that moment, she needed to stop thinking about Hank Parson in any terms except as Harper’s father.
Chapter Twenty-Four
That evening when Mari and Harper joined Hank for dinner, Mari wanted to have a moment alone with Hank to tell him about her conversation with London, to let him know that Simone really had talked to her. It was only fair to warn him, to make sure he knew exactly what was going on.
At lunch, unable to pretend all was well, she’d avoided interacting with him, but in the intervening hours she’d come to realize that it was silly to avoid him, that it would only make things harder. Besides, both of their focuses needed to be on Harper, not on how they felt about each other.
“How was swimming?” Hank asked Harper as she set her glass of milk down.
“Good.”
“After she went swimming, Harper talked to her mommy,” Mari said with a direct look at Hank.
That was news. Hank’s eyebrows rose, then he turned to Harper. “Is that right?”
“Yes. She’s doing a movie.”
“I know she is. What did she have to say?” Hank’s gaze cut to Mari.
Mari nodded slightly, her lips pursed.
“I don’t know,” Harper said with a shrug, her focus on the tomatoes in her salad.
Hank would have to talk to Mari alone, see why London had called in the middle of the day.
The thought of being alone with Mari made him smile with anticipation.
A knock sounded on Mari’s door. Harper had just gone to bed, and she’d known Hank would want to talk to her so she hadn’t gotten ready for bed. Nerves singing at the idea of being alone with him, she opened her door. There he stood, looking as gorgeous as ever.
No no no. He’s not gorgeous. He’s Harper’s father. That’s it. That’s all you’re allowed to think about him. So control yourself.
“Let’s go outside,” he said by way of greeting.
Mari nodded, and when Hank stepped back and swept his arm toward the hallway, she led the way to the back patio, sitting in the chair she was becoming more and more familiar with.
Hank sat in the adjacent chair, and when the scent of his cologne wrapped around her, making her want to climb onto his lap and snuggle against him, she screamed at herself to remember the stakes. Only then did she manage to get herself under control.
“What did London say?” he asked.
Glad he was getting right to the point—better than talking about how they were feeling—Mari repeated the conversation she’d had with London.
Staring into the distance, Hank leaned back in his chair, his mind racing, his body tense with anger. “Simone actually called her.” He shook his head as the semblance of a smile tugged up the corners of his mouth. “Why am I not surprised?”
“What are you going to do?”
He turned to Mari. Her job had been threatened. All because of him.
This wasn’t fair. He and Mari were both single. Getting involved wouldn’t hurt anyone. Why did London have to make such a big deal out of the very possibility? Why did she have to exhibit so much control over the lives of other people? Over his life?
Fury at his ex-wife slashed through him. She’d left him. Had cheated on him. That affair had fizzled. Was that why she didn’t want him to find happiness? Because she was no longer happy? How was that his fault?
Audibly sighing, he clenched his jaw as he looked at Mari. She was nothing like London. Where London was ambitious and driven, Mari was sweet and thoughtful. Where London was all about herself, Mari was willing to sacrifice for others.
Now that he thought about it, Simone was much more like London than he’d realized. How had he not recognized that before now? Didn’t matter anyway. It was over with Simone. She’d betrayed his trust, gone behind his back to talk to his ex-wife about something that she had no business discussing with anyone.
Fresh fury at Simone pounded through him, but Mari was still waiting for an answer to her question.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do about Simone,” he finally said, resigned to the idea that, for now at least, he would have to keep up the charade that he had no interest in Mari.
Mari nodded, her eyes downcast.
Seeing how she was affected by all of this drama, he frowned. He wanted nothing more than to fix everything, to bring that bright smile back to her face.
“Look,” he said, not sure what he was going to say even as the words tumbled out of his mouth. “It’s no one’s business how we feel about each other. Whether we’re interested in each other, or even if we hate each other. As long as we’re doing our jobs—yours as Harper’s nanny, mine as Harper’s father—then why is the way we feel about each other anyone else’s business?”
Was that really what he thought? What about London’s threats? Maybe he wanted to show her that she couldn’t dictate his life. In reality, she couldn’t. But she could dictate Mari’s life—at least as far as her employment went. Was he willing to risk that?
Was Hank right? But what about what London had said? And did he really care so much about her that he was willing to toss aside convention and to anger London?
Heart soaring at the possibility, Mari smiled. Still, she was worried.
“I understand what you’re saying,” she said, glad they were talking about this. “But I’m scared. I don’t want to lose my job. It’
s not just a job to me. I love Harper.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
The way he was looking at her—so focused, so intense—made her pulse pound harder. That, coupled with his words, settled her fears. She had confidence that he really could fix this. London was his ex-wife. Shouldn’t he know her well enough to resolve this?
“Okay,” she said on a release of breath. The future had just gotten considerably brighter. “Now what?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
That was a good question, and Hank answered the only way he knew how. Standing, he tugged Mari to her feet. Only a wisp of air separated them, and as he gazed down at her, he knew this was about more than showing London she wasn’t in control. This was about his undeniable attraction to Mari, an attraction that had been growing every day. An attraction that he had no intention of curbing.
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then curled his hand around her neck, holding her in place. His gaze traced the outline of her jaw, stopping on those luscious lips, then moved to her eyes—eyes that were watching him with unmistakable wanting. Seeing his need reflected in her eyes, Hank reached out with his other hand and ran a finger across her bottom lip, tugging it downward.
Her eyes fluttered closed and a soft sigh slipped from her mouth.
He smiled, and taking advantage of her closed eyes, he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her throat, moving along the curve of her jaw.
Her skin was smooth, tender, baby soft, and oh so delicious.
Mari could barely stand it, the feel of his lips caressing the sensitive skin along her jaw. Desperate to have him kiss her, she nearly turned her head to meet his mouth with hers, but his hold on the back of her neck told her he didn’t want her to move. So she didn’t. As excruciating as it was to hold perfectly still, she did it. It was the best kind of unbearable tension.
A soft moan climbed her throat as his kisses enchanted her, captivated her, branded her. His lips were millimeters from hers, and with her eyes still closed, she softly panted as she anticipated his mouth claiming hers.
Then it did, his lips consuming hers.
Sensations uncoiled within her, and she let her body melt against his as her arms wound around his neck. Happiness and desire engulfed her as she clung to him. This was heaven, this was what she was made for.
After several moments, he released her. Breathless, she gazed up at him as she took half a step back, her lips tingling.
“Once I got a taste of your lips,” he murmured, his voice low and sexy, the green of his eyes barely visible around his dilated pupils, “I couldn’t go another day without tasting them again.”
Desire flared within her, and she smiled. Then the memory of London’s face, so firm and resolute, filled her mind, along with the message that if Mari and Hank became involved, London would fire her.
She was tempting fate. There was no doubt. That thought cooled the passion in which she’d been basking.
Turned out she wasn’t so sure Hank could fix this after all. She’d let her fantasies carry her away. That, and her powerful yearning.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said, her voice soft, as if she feared speaking too loud would give them away. No one was there but them. Harper was sound asleep and Mrs. Stillman had left hours ago. Still, Mari couldn’t stop the caution.
A muscle worked in Hank’s jaw, but his gaze never wavered from hers. “I know.”
The acknowledgment was simple, but it wasn’t what Mari wanted to hear. Deep inside, she’d hoped he would say not to worry, that he would fix everything, that they could do what they wanted. But that had been wishful thinking.
The fingers of his hand wove into hers as he gazed at her. “No one can know about this,” he said. “About us.”
Us? Was there an us? Mari wanted nothing more. The idea that Hank felt the same made rainbows and butterflies come to life inside her.
But no one could know.
Her despair must have shown on her face, because he stroked her cheek and added, “Not yet.”
Did that mean there would be an end to this secretiveness? Hope flooded her.
Was he making promises he wouldn’t be able to keep? Hank wasn’t sure. All he was sure of was that he wasn’t willing to give this up. Wasn’t willing to give her up. He was falling for her. He knew that now.
“Trust me, Mari.”
“I do trust you.”
The look in her eyes confirmed her words, which only added to the pressure. But he was used to pressure. He thrived on pressure.
“Good.” Then he drew her against him and enveloped her in his embrace.
With his powerful arms around her, Mari felt the most exquisite sense of security. Nothing could hurt her. Nothing and no one.
“We have to be aware of Harper,” he murmured beside her ear.
She pulled away. “What do you mean?”
“We can’t have her telling London something that will make her suspicious.”
Remembering how Harper had told London about Hank teaching her to play pool, Mari nodded. “Right.” She paused a beat. “What about Mrs. Stillman?”
“I trust Mrs. Stillman implicitly, but just to be safe, we should be careful around her too.”
Mari nodded.
He gazed at her. “I’m sorry it has to be this way.”
No one was sorrier than she was, but at the same time, she was glad Hank knew the stakes, knew how important it was to protect Harper from the repercussions. Because if London found out, she would fire Mari. No question.
Smiling sadly, she said, “I’m sorry too.”
He led her to the couch that sat near the chairs they’d used earlier, and they snuggled and quietly talked, and as the evening grew late, they went inside and said good-night.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next day, Mari took one of Hank’s cars and spent hours with Harper at the Sacramento Children’s Museum. He’d told her that Wednesdays and Thursdays were his toughest and longest days—those were the days the team had to learn the new plays in preparation for the upcoming game—and that he would be home late.
Hank didn’t get home until just before Harper went to bed. He tucked her in, then went straight to Mari’s room, leading her out to the game room.
“How was your day?” he asked as he closed the door behind them. It was as if the world had disappeared and it was just the two of them.
“I took Harper to the Children’s Museum. As you can imagine, she loved it.”
Seeing the caring in her eyes, the commitment to his little girl, only made Hank fall for Mari harder. He’d missed her. When he’d had a moment to think about something other than football, his thoughts had gone straight to her. Always to her.
Watching her now, he knew what he had to do, and in two long strides he closed the distance between them before pulling her into his arms and kissing her with passion.
“I missed you,” he said as he smiled at her.
If this was what keeping their relationship a secret would be like, it wouldn’t be as hard as Mari had thought. Smiling up at him as he held her loosely in his arms, still feeling the thrill of his kiss, she relaxed.
“We should play pool,” she said with a grin.
His head tilted. “Oh yeah? You want another lesson?”
The memory of him pressed against her stirred something within her. “Maybe. But I might not need one.” Her eyebrows rose. “I’ve been practicing.”
He looked suitably impressed. “Really?”
“Well, just today so far, but I can hit a ball into a pocket.” She’d practiced a bit while Harper had played with her collection of Play-Doh and now she felt more comfortable using the cue.
“Okay. You’re on.” He racked the balls, then turned to her. “Do you want to break?”
Smiling with more confidence than she felt, she nodded. “Yeah.”
He stepped back and swept his arm toward the table. “All yours.”
Loving how easy
it was to be with him, how comfortable she felt, how she could be herself, she chalked her cue and stepped up to the table. Setting the narrow end of the cue on the fingers of her left hand, she lined it up with the white ball as she held the wider end with her right hand, then she slid the cue back and forth a couple of times before shoving it forward and hitting the white ball. It slammed into the triangle of balls and the balls scattered. None of them rolled into a pocket, but Mari didn’t care. She was just having fun. Besides, the balls had scattered pretty well. It was better than any of her practice breaks.
She turned to Hank with a smile. “Guess it’s your turn.”
He chuckled, then chalked his cue and proceeded to pocket five striped balls, one after the other. Finally, he missed.
“Wasn’t sure I was gonna get a turn,” she said with a grin as she stepped forward.
He laughed.
Mari lined the white ball up with a solid ball that was close to a pocket and managed to hit it in. She couldn’t help but throw a proud smile at Hank. Knowing his eyes were on her sent a tingle radiating to the tips of her fingers and toes.
Turning her focus back to the game—which was difficult with him having such an effect on her—she managed to hit another solid ball into a pocket before missing on her third try.
It didn’t take long for him to finish off the stripes before hitting the eight ball in.
His expertise was sexy. “You make that look easy, Hank,” she said with a smile.
Her praise warmed him, but he wanted more out of this. “Let’s make this interesting.”
“What do you have in mind?”
The way she stood there, looking so sweet, so beautiful, he almost swept her into his arms, but he held back. Right now he wanted to get to know her better.
“Whenever one of us hits a ball into a pocket, that person gets to ask the other a question and the person being asked has to answer. And the answer has to be the complete truth.”
Blindsided (Fair Catch Series, Book Three) Page 11
