“It’s going to be okay.” She placed what she meant to be a comforting hand on his arm, hoping to calm him. But it was the first time she’d touched him and the sizzling shock ran straight through her body.
He glanced at her hand and she froze, meeting his gaze. The warmth of his skin seeped into her palm and the heated look in his eyes wrapped around her body like a caress. Physically there was no doubt she desired him but every warning in her brain told her to walk away before either of them did something stupid, and from the darkened hue of his brown eyes, she wasn’t alone in the wanting.
But she had a good job for a man she respected and a little girl she adored. She’d be a fool to let lust get in the way of common sense and living a smart life. Quietly and with his hot gaze on hers, she slid her hand off him.
Shooting him a regret-filled look, she picked up her tea and made her way to bed.
Alone.
Chapter Three
September went by quickly with no word from Kayla, which made Austin nervous. His lawyer said they could take her apart on the stand if it ever got that far. As time passed, Austin became convinced that his ex-wife was more afraid she would be awarded custody than he was of going up against her in court. That was the hope he held on to as he tried to push her to the back of his mind.
Dan had held up his end of the bargain, and by late September, Austin was working three days a week from home, at the office one day for the weekly meeting, and a second when needed. An intended result of his time at the house was more ability to be on call when parents were requested in class. Bailey’s school was big on “Days of the Year” celebrations, and once a week the teacher allowed parents in with the kids.
Today was a celebration of Stanley Berenstain’s birthday, the children’s book author and illustrator, and Bailey had volunteered Austin as one of the parents who would read to the kids this afternoon. Unfortunately an office emergency came up and he had to go in to work, so Mia was going to read for him. Bailey had taken the news in stride, no doubt because she had Mia to take his place.
Mia, who he couldn’t stop thinking about and not as his child’s nanny. She captivated him with her sexy body. Her easy grace, her kindness… everything about her called to him. He wanted to taste her, to feel her curves beneath him. It was quickly becoming an obsession.
She knew him now, took care of him as well as his kid. Each morning she had his coffee—black the way he’d mentioned he liked it—ready for him before he went to work or headed upstairs to his office. But things had changed.
On the night he’d confided in her about his ex-wife, the night she’d reached out and touched him for the first time, he’d known the awareness between them was mutual. Why else would she have fled the kitchen, her cheeks on fire, unable to meet his gaze?
And ever since, it was as if a wall had fallen between them. Maybe it was his imagination but she was more relaxed around him now, less formal. The sharing of his personal pain and her comforting touch had both bonded them and crossed a line neither of them wanted to acknowledge.
They locked eyes often now. They brushed past each other with inadvertent touches he’d never noticed before but couldn’t stop thinking about when he was alone.
Nighttime was painful, as he’d lie in his bed, knowing she was one floor down while he was hot and worked up, wanting her and unable to have her. Showers were worse, but at least then he could make good use of his hand, his mind conjuring images of her naked, kneeling at his feet, her lips around his cock.
It was fucking unbearable, considering there was still that defined line between employer and employee keeping them apart. And he understood, at least on a rational level, that for both their sakes, there had to be one.
He wrapped up things at the office more quickly than anticipated and he decided to surprise Bailey at school. He arrived midway through the reading hour, signed in at the office, and headed to the classroom. He walked down the hallways, cheery only due to the brightly colored drawings done by the children, and approached the room.
The door was open, and as he drew closer, Mia’s voice traveled toward him. She read about Mama Bear, Sister Bear, and Grizzly Gramps, her voice animated with each character she mentioned. He paused in the doorway and took in the sight.
Mia sat in the teacher’s larger chair, Bailey beside her in a small one. Just as the kids who kneeled and sat on the floor eagerly listened to her rendition of the story, so, too, did his daughter, watching with adoring eyes. He was pretty riveted himself and not by the story but by the woman reading it. Her expressive eyes flashed with delight, her cheeks were alight with color, and despite wearing a sweater that covered her well, he could see the outline of those breasts he imagined cupping in his hands.
With a shake of his head, he drew his attention to the stick-figure drawings on the wall, anything to cool himself off. He waited until he heard Mia say the words, “The end,” with a flourish before stepping inside. The kids clapped for her, so Austin joined them.
“Daddy! You made it!” Bailey grinned up at him from her place on the chair. Instead of running straight to him, she grabbed Mia’s hand and looked up at her. “Thank you!” She gave her a big hug before heading over to him to do the same.
“Thank you for coming, Mia. And Mr. Rhodes, I’m glad you could stop by for Bailey,” her teacher, Mrs. Johnson, said.
“I did my best. But I’m guessing she didn’t even miss me. She had a much better reader.” He grinned at Mia, who blushed at the compliment.
“Thanks for having me,” she said to the teacher. “Bye, Bailey.” She waved and Austin did the same as the kids all scrambled back to their desks.
“See you at home,” he said.
He placed a hand on Mia’s back, his palm burning at the innocent touch, as they stepped out of the room. “Thank you,” he said to her.
“You’re welcome but I was just a stand-in for her dad.” She tucked a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear that had fallen out of her ponytail.
His fingers itched to touch those strands and see how soft her hair actually was.
He cleared his throat. “You’re hardly just a stand-in.” He shoved his hands into his front pockets, doing his best not to stare.
Today she wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans and that V-neck sweater, totally school appropriate, but his brain didn’t want to cooperate with that fact. All he could see was her barely there cleavage and think about the luscious fullness hidden beneath. He spent hours in the gym trying not to think about what color her nipples were or whether she’d fill his hands or overflow them. Yeah, you could call him a breast man.
He started to sweat and decided a subject change was in order.
“Want to get a cup of coffee? After sitting in on meetings for the better part of the morning, I’m dying for some caffeine.”
She glanced at her watch. “I don’t know. I need to be back in an hour for pickup, and if I go home, I could get dinner started.”
Did she not want to be alone with him? He wasn’t sure nor did he plan to take no for an answer. He wanted to know more about her and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“Or you could get coffee with me, I’ll drop you back off here for your car and to get Bailey, and we could order in Chinese or sushi.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Wow. Coffee and no cooking or going home to prep dinner. You drive a hard bargain,” she said, laughing so her pretty green eyes lit up with delight.
His dick perked up at the sound. “Don’t forget to factor in the good company when you’re weighing your options.”
“When you put it that way, how can I resist? Let’s go to Starbucks.”
A little while later, Austin sat across from Mia at the local Starbucks, not far from the school. She took a sip of the vanilla latte she’d ordered, ending up with cream on her upper lip. The desire to lick it off her and taste her mouth was strong. Only the fact that they were in a public place kept him sitting in his seat.
She slid her
tongue over her lip, pulling the white froth into her mouth, and moaned. “Now this is a luxury,” she said.
He was grateful for the table that hid his erection, because if they were standing, it would be loud and proud.
“Are you telling me I don’t pay you enough?” he asked.
She laughed. “You pay me plenty. I’m just saving for my future.”
He nodded in understanding. “I can respect that.”
“Aren’t you going to drink yours?” she asked.
He nodded. “Cheers,” he said with a grin, lifting his cup before taking a sip.
She smiled and did the same.
“So I’m curious. How did you end up being a nanny? What was your path?” he asked.
She glanced at him over the top of her cup. “I was in foster care from the age of seven until I aged out at eighteen,” she said.
He thought of his little girl, and the idea of her being left alone, to the clutches of the state and whatever person took her in, made his stomach turn. “I’m sorry,” he said, suddenly envisioning her as a little thing like Bailey, only a few years older, going to live with strangers.
“Don’t be. I mean, I had it better than most. Good families, decent people took me in. As I got older, I loved taking care of the younger kids and the babies in the houses I was in. I didn’t make trouble, so I didn’t get switched around too often.” She shrugged, seemingly having made peace with her past.
“So you always liked kids.”
She nodded. “I put myself through a local college. I majored in early child development and minored in psychology, and I could have gone on, gotten my master’s in education, been a teacher…”
“I hear a but there,” he said, enjoying the story and her attitude toward life.
She smiled. “But I’d been working as a nanny while I was in school, and it suited me.” She shrugged. “Not a very exciting story.”
“It is to me.” He met her gaze, hoping to convey that he really did appreciate her life and admire her. “You’re strong, Mia. And you made the best of the hand you were dealt.”
She blushed. “Well, thank you for saying that.”
“No thanks necessary. Just telling the truth. So what’s your end game?”
She paused, lowering the cup from her lips. “You’ll laugh. Or at the very least, you won’t think it’s overly ambitious.”
He ignored his coffee, more interested in the fascinating woman sitting across from him. “Try me.”
“Someday I’d like a family of my own. A lot of kids, not all mine. Kids who’ve been in foster care too long and never adopted because everyone wants babies.” She rubbed her cup between her palms, not meeting his gaze. “See? Nothing all that enterprising, like becoming a teacher or succeeding in business.”
He couldn’t stop staring, enthralled not just by her beauty but by her heart. “I think it’s inspiring, what you want to do.” And the man by her side when she fulfilled her dreams would be one lucky SOB. “Not for me, because been there, done that… the family and marriage thing, but I’m sure it can work for the right couple.” He shrugged, realizing he’d admitted way too much. “I hope you find what you’re looking for,” he said, meaning it.
She glanced down, her gaze sweeping over her watch on her wrist. “Oh! It’s time to pick up Bailey.” She crumpled the napkin beside her and picked up her cup as she rose to her feet.
He stood, joining her as they tossed their half-finished drinks in the trash. They headed to the car and he beat her there, opening the passenger door before she could grab the handle herself.
He turned back and she stopped short. He caught her before she bumped into him, grasping her around the waist and pulling her close. She sucked in a surprised breath but didn’t back away, her face inches from his. Her mouth so damned close.
He knew better, he really did, but he was tired of denying himself what he wanted and his body was definitely on board. He waited for a sign she wasn’t right there with him. If she pulled back or jerked away, he’d apologize and they’d move forward from there. Instead she swayed toward him, sealing her fate.
He grasped her waist, anchoring himself by touching her, the soft sweater doing little to hide her slender body or delicate curves. He tipped his head, sliding his tongue across her lips, and with a soft moan, she parted her mouth and let him inside. She tasted of vanilla and coffee, a sweet flavor that was all Mia.
Their tongues touched, tangled, and his body came alive with a hunger he hadn’t known before.
She raised her arms, hands coming to his biceps, holding on for a brief second before she gave in and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, giving him all the excuse he needed to deepen the kiss. He tilted his head and consumed her, swirling his tongue around the farther recesses of her mouth.
He had no wall, no car door to push her against, which was a good thing because he wouldn’t have been able to control himself if he crushed his body against hers. The kiss would have to do, and it went on, him lost in the scent of her, the way her breasts crushed against his chest, and the feel of her silken tongue rubbing against his own. He bit down gently on her lower lip and she moaned into his mouth, the sound going straight to his dick.
“Get a room!” someone called out, breaking the spell that had come over him and caused him to kiss her in a parking lot like they were alone in his garage.
She lifted her head and he touched his forehead to hers, needing time to catch his breath. It would be awhile before his body calmed down, his dick hard and erect in his pants.
“I should apologize,” he said, not letting go of her waist. “I don’t want to but I should. Because I’m your boss and I don’t want you to feel taken advantage of. Or sue me for sexual harassment, God forbid.” He laughed but the thought wasn’t the least bit funny.
“It was mutual,” she whispered. “I just don’t know what to make of it. I’ve never crossed that line with an employer before.” Her voice trembled and he hated that he’d put that quiver there.
“Listen,” he began.
“No. That kiss shouldn’t have happened and there won’t be a repeat. It’s fine.” She ducked past him and slid into the car. “Let’s just forget about it,” she said, reaching for the handle so she could pull the door shut and seal herself inside.
He stepped back, giving her space, but his body and mind still buzzed from that simple kiss. There was something brewing between them that she couldn’t discount by pretending it had never happened. Something that would bring them together again.
It wasn’t like he didn’t still have concerns about sleeping with his kid’s nanny. He did. He just knew the desire between them was stronger than their common sense, and sooner or later, she’d come to the same conclusion.
Still, for now he’d respect her wishes and back off. But he wasn’t foolish enough to think they could avoid the inevitable.
Not anymore.
* * *
Mia was shaken by what had happened with Austin in the parking lot. She hadn’t seen that kiss coming, no matter how much she might have desired it, and now that they’d crossed that line, she didn’t know what to say or do except to pretend it had never happened. The hottest, most sensual kiss of her life and she had to put it behind her.
She couldn’t let her mind drift into memories of how his mouth had captured hers, gently at first, his tongue gliding over her lips, his tongue tangling with hers, and then it’d turned molten, his teeth nipping at her lip, the sensation traveling straight to her core. No, she wasn’t supposed to think about that at all.
Somehow she’d managed that feat for the rest of the week and tomorrow was Friday. She blew out a breath and pulled a lasagna from the oven, placing it on a cooling rack on the counter.
“Mia!” Bailey shouted, running into the kitchen from upstairs and skidding to a stop in front of her. “I was FaceTiming with Grandma and guess what? I’m going there for a sleepover tomorrow night!”
Mia smiled at the enthusiasm in
her tone. “That sounds like fun.”
“Will you miss me?” Bailey asked, seating herself on a stool by the counter.
Mia glanced at the little girl. “You bet I will but I’m going out with some friends tomorrow night, so that’ll help me get through it.” She was taking the train to New York City to see friends from her days living there for school and work.
“Like a playdate?” Bailey asked.
“Exactly.”
“Hi, ladies.” Austin walked into the room, his gaze zeroing in on the cooling dinner. “That smells incredible.”
“Thank you.” He seemed to like her cooking and it made her ridiculously happy to know she was doing something helpful for him, even if it was her job.
“Daddy, Mia has a playdate Friday night when I’m at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Isn’t that good? So she won’t have time to miss me too much.”
Although she was technically off Friday night, if she didn’t go out, Bailey sometimes made her way down to her room and encouraged her to watch television with her until bedtime.
“What’ll you do when I’m gone?” the precocious little girl asked.
“I’m sure I’ll find something to keep me busy,” Austin said wryly.
Mia didn’t want to think about what Austin might do to keep busy on a Friday night without his daughter. No doubt the man had women he saw, discreetly, because in the time she’d been working for him, he’d never brought a female around Bailey nor had he mentioned going out. He hadn’t dressed up in the evenings for a date, either. Still, that didn’t mean he was celibate. Hell, his kissing skills were off the charts and that kind of thing took practice. Didn’t it?
She glanced over, noting he wore his typical hanging-around-the-house outfit, black track pants and a tee shirt, and she had trouble tearing her gaze away from those muscular arms and, in particular, the one sleeve of tattoos. God, the man was sexy. And although she knew it was her imagination, she thought he’d gotten more so since their kiss and her vow to forget it had happened. It was as if the heavens were punishing her by making him look even hotter and more edible.
Tempt Me Page 4
