by Erin Havoc
Billionaire single father. Looking for someone to help him raise his kid. I would have swooned. But that would have been old Robin, the one with big dreams, who read too much erotic romance and never had a decent date. Old Robin of researching #shifters on Instagram and drooling over muscular men. Saving for later so I could show Meghan, my friend. Laughing at her when she dismissed me because her mate was so much better.
Present-day Robin is nervous because I don’t even remember how an interview is supposed to go. And for a nanny? What does he expect? I have no experience and no way to prove I’m good with kids. He might be a misogynist who believes every woman loves children, and that would suck at first, but would still fit my agenda.
I just need a job.
And a job is what I get. Turns out Hunter doesn’t care about my lack of experience. He doesn’t care about pretty much anything, to be honest. After I hand him my curriculum, he dismisses it as he shows me around the house and introduces me to his little girl.
Brianna. The cutest little thing anyone will ever meet, I’m one-hundred percent sure.
We’re a week in, and I’m feeling damn lucky for the first time in months. Hunter is a good guy. He’s a firefighter, and Brianna is his niece. She’s lost her parents recently, and Hunter’s taken upon him to raise her. He needs some help until he gets his shifts back at the station right.
A firefighter. Somehow, it’s so much more interesting than a billionaire. He’s all muscles, tall and broad. Like, really tall and really broad. I’m a tall girl myself, but I don’t even reach his chest. And he’s so good looking. But nothing of this matters, of course. He’s my employee, after all. And I need the job.
Brianna sits on my knees, cocking her head up so I can braid her hair. Ever since she’s found out I know several hairstyles, she’s been asking me to change her hair every few hours. I’m fine with that. She’s such an easy kid. I meet her after school, and her teachers have no problem with her. All the kids like her already. We walk home and have lunch. I help her with homework and we play together. Sometimes we read. Sometimes we play with her collection of ponies or watch one of their colorful movies.
I have to be honest. The movies are kind of addictive.
“Can you make popcorn for us, Robin?” She voices from where she’s perched on top of my knees. “I want to watch a movie!”
I hum under my breath as I check my phone. “I’m not sure. It’s almost time for Hunter to arrive and he’ll want to have dinner with you.”
She blows a raspberry, wiggling on my lap. “He can watch the movie with us!’
Heat crawls up my face. The couch is small. Hunter used to live by himself before Brianna arrived. If the three of us were to share it, I’m sure I’d be squeezed to his body. Tightly. Feel all his muscles against my skin. Too close from his heat. Too close...
I clear my throat. I don’t know what has gotten into me. Hunter is a ridiculously good looking man, and exactly because of that, I’m sure he wouldn’t bat an eye in my direction. It’s not that he’s out of my league. He’s a completely different game. Like I’m playing hopscotch, and he’s in rugby or something.
“We’ll have to check with him. What if he already thought of something else?”
As if beckoned by my words, I hear the key jiggling before the door opens. My heart thunders inside my chest, and I’m calling myself stupid in every possible way. Cursing my flush, I let Brianna hop off my lap as I tie the ends of her hair. She darts to Hunter as I glare away, my gaze fastened anywhere but on him.
How ridiculous. I can’t develop a crush on my boss. What if one night he brings a girl in? A girlfriend to introduce to Brianna? That would just get me hurt, and I’ve been hurt enough for a lifetime. I don’t want anything with anyone anytime soon.
A delicious smell wafts its way to me, and I’m finally forced to shoot to my feet and turn.
Hunter holds two pizza boxes in hand as Brianna dances around him, celebrating the dinner. But his eyes are on me, a pantie-melting smile across his face. “Hey, you.”
That damn hey you. How does a greeting get me wet? This is outrageous.
“Hey there,” I greet back after clearing my throat. “I was just telling Brianna you were about to arrive.”
“Really?” He takes a step. “I hope you like pizza. I didn’t know what toppings to get, so I got two half-to-half.” His smile never falters as he waits for my answer.
I blink, confused. “Hm. Yeah, I do like pizza.”
“Great,” he says with finality, shutting the door behind him. “Then let’s have dinner. I’ll take you home after it.”
Brianna squeals in celebration and darts into the kitchen. I hear her fumbling inside the fridge. “I’m getting ketchup! Let’s watch a movie!”
“More ponies?” Hunter grunts, rolling his eyes at me with a grin that tells me he’s joking. And for a moment, I glimpse a possibility. He’s so nice to me. Inviting me to stay. Acting like this is so usual.
Me, the stay at home mom, and him bringing pizza so we can share a dinner.
Shaking my head fiercely, I drive these ridiculous ideas away. Nonsense. Since when have I gone back to the silly girl before everything went down? No, that’s not me. I need to guard myself. Keep the sturdy walls around my heart up.
“I have to go.”
His smile melts. “You don’t have to. Let’s have dinner.”
I shake my head again, hurrying to grab my purse. “No, I really have to. Thanks for the invitation anyway.”
Brianna shows up once more, ketchup in hand, a bottle of juice in the other. “What? But our movie, Robin!”
“I can watch it with you some other day,” I promise her, plastering a smile on my face before I take the long way around the couch to keep my distance from Hunter. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” With a last nod to Hunter, I cross his door and flee.
That’s exactly what I do. I feel like a coward.
Because I can’t stay around him for long. Not if I want to keep my sanity. Not if I want to stay professional.
He’s too good looking. And I have to resist his absurd charm. This great magnetism.
Everything depends on it.
4
HUNTER
Robin is a great mystery to me.
She is my mate. There’s no doubt about that. My bear leaves no doubt about what he thinks of her. The way she smells, the way her hips sway, how pretty her strands would look roped around my knuckles. There’s a tug to get home soon. See her. Be around her. An urgency I can only quench when I’m in her presence.
Yes, my cock is permanently hard around her, and I think she’s the most beautiful woman ever put on earth. But what I feel for her doesn’t stop there. The ache to touch. To bury my face in her neck and take deep sniffs of her. Commit her to memory. And there’s this great call to keep her safe. Make her happy.
I want her. But I’m not so sure she wants me back.
Robin is extremely professional. She dresses in a sort of uniform, always in a dark shirt and pants. Very sensible. Doesn’t conceal her huge tits and how mouth-watering is her rack, but she’s dressed for work. She’s always on time. And she keeps refusing my invitations to have dinner with us.
Strictly professional. And I don’t get why.
I’m not bad to look at. My body’s in shape, and I’m naturally wide because of my bear. He doesn’t get it either, but he just insists I should take a direct approach. Just kiss her, goddamn it, he seems to say inside my head. But I’ve heard that’s how our animals work. Never one for romance. They just want the mating bond to settle.
I’ve come home earlier than usual today. The new schedule was settled yesterday, and I stuck around a while longer to be sure no one would forget. They didn’t, and I’m glad I run a tight ship in the station. So I’m back home.
Most importantly, before Robin’s hours are over.
Lounging on my couch, I watch her kneeling on the carpet, playing with Brianna. My niece has developed some kind of intric
ate story between the ponies, with intrigue and likes and dislikes. They sometimes even get violent.
Robin doesn’t seem bored, as most adults would. She smiles and participates in the dialogs, moving one of the ponies as if it’s the one speaking. Her dark hair slips down, and I watch her beautiful face as she plays with my niece.
And I can’t help but picture her with our kids. As a shifter, there’s nothing I want more. Find my mate. Fill her belly with my cubs. She’s great with Brianna, and I’m sure she’d be a fantastic mom. She’s careful and kind. Even when Brianna does something wrong, she reprimands very subtly, pointing out her mistakes. Robin is sweet and I can’t help but thank the stars who brought her my way.
“Uncle Hunter,” Brianna cries out, waking me from my Robin-fed daze. “Why don’t you play with us?”
“Your uncle must be tired, Bri,” Robin chimes in, her eyes on the toy horses. “He’s just arrived from the station.”
I love it she calls Brianna Bri. I don’t think anyone else ever did. The two seem close, almost friends if it wasn’t for the gentle way Robin corrects some of Brianna’s misdoings.
My niece sighs. “But he’s watching us. I thought he was interested.”
Robin cocks a brow, her face tilting up slightly. Her gaze locks with mine, and I don’t conceal I have been looking at her. She’s fucking gorgeous. It’s impossible not to stare.
Her cheeks acquire a subtle shade of pink and she drops her head again, the bangs hiding her expression.
“Uncle,” Brianna calls after some minutes. “Can we have pizza today?”
“Sure thing.” I lean forward, a plan forming on my head. “But only if Robin stays.”
Robin’s head snaps up, her brows raking up her forehead. “Oh, I don’t think I can.”
I wouldn’t be able to convince her by myself, I’m sure. So I indirectly enlist Brianna, with her childish sweetness, to help me.
Brianna bounces where she sits. “Please, please, Robin! There’s this really good pizza with loads of cheese, and I love it!” She groans in anticipation, pressing both hands to her stomach. “Please! I’m so hungry!”
Robin chuckles. “We’ve had sandwiches half an hour ago.”
“But I’m hungry for pizza! Please, Robin, stay!” She draws out the last word, batting her lashes.
“All right, all right...” Robin sighs, and I grin victoriously but she doesn’t look my way. “Just this time.”
That’s the chance I needed. One chance to make her see me as more than her boss. And I have to make it count.
One hour later, the pizza arrives and we sit around the table to eat. I ask about Brianna’s day, and then I subtly insert questions that Robin could also answer. Soon enough, I have her talking to me, her shoulders relaxed as she eats her second slice of pizza. She tells me about moving recently, and the aches of doing so. That’s something we can relate, since Brianna has moved in here the past month and we’ve been finding ourselves around her stuff yet.
She tells me she worked at a boutique before, and she loved her job. She loved her friends and the life she had there. But she doesn’t talk about the reason she moved. Her face droops to something dark I want to kiss away, and she changes the subject. That’s a sensitive one. Should be careful about that.
She may have lost a relative. Like I did. So I share the situation after my sister’s accident. Brianna chimes in saying she misses them, even if she spent little time with them. Both traveled constantly, more than I wanted them to with a small child, but I wouldn’t order my sister around. She had her own life.
Robin seems to relax as she shares her condolences. Then Brianna veers off into movies to watch and a long-winded story about one of her classmates falling from a tree. Robin is relaxed now, and we laugh together, and when she thinks I’m not looking, I catch her glancing at me through the window reflection.
There’s hope. I feel it burning in my chest.
When we’re done, with some regret I let her pick her purse and walk to the exit. I follow her, opening the door. “That was great,” I try to sound casual though my bear’s thrashing inside me, unhappy to see her go. “We should repeat it.”
She smiles and nods. It’s the best thing I’ve seen in days. “Sure. That sounds great.”
“Would you like me to accompany you to your car? It’s dark outside.” Once more, I try to sound dismissive as my bear screams at me I should never let her walk in the street by herself after sunset.
She shakes her head. “No, the bus stop is nearby.”
My bear stops. Silence blankets me with the shock.
“You take the bus home?” I say the words slowly, and I wait for her to tell me I got it wrong.
But she nods again. “Yeah. It’s not that far. Just a twenty-minute trip.”
My heart jumps up to my throat. “No. No way you’re going alone.” I whirl around quickly and pick my car keys. “Brianna, let’s take Robin home.”
Robin’s eyes bulge out of their sockets. “That’s not needed.”
“I don’t care,” I tell her, some of my possessiveness slipping on my tongue. “We are taking you home. It’s unthinkable you’re taking a bus after night has fallen.”
She seems to fight it for a moment, but a very short moment, and acquiesces. In five minutes, we’re inside the car, Brianna sitting on her chair on the back seat, playing on my phone. Robin guides me through the streets and I commit the path to memory. It won’t be long though. Soon enough, I’ll make this woman come live with us. And that’s a promise.
When we enter a shadier side of town, I’m even surer I’m making her move in with me as soon as possible.
“Here we are,” she says with a smile in my direction. I park in front of her building, the entrance dark. My bear’s all alert, looking around myself to be sure it’s at least safe for her. Her fingers drop to the knob. “Thanks for bringing me here. See you tomorrow, Bri,” she calls over her shoulder.
“‘Til tomorrow!” Brianna cries out, her eyes not leaving the phone screen, her feet dangling.
Robin leaves and I leave with her. She stands on the other side of the car, staring at me. “Is there anything you need, Hunter?”
Any doubt I had evaporates the moment her lips form my name. Hot. So fucking hot. “I’m walking you to your door.”
“Oh, you don’t...”
I cut her in, slamming my door shut and taking a long look at my surroundings. There’s no one anywhere near us. My bear doesn’t feel any presence, doesn’t smell anyone. The place is deserted. It’s both a good and a terrible thing.
Striding to her, I motion for her to take the lead. We walk to the entrance of the building, not far, but soaked in darkness. Robin fumbles in her purse for her keys.
“Thank you,” she voices as she digs around her purse. She’s taking too long to find them in the dark. I hate to think what could happen if someone was watching her. Waiting for her guard to drop. “It was very kind of you, Hunter.”
I still watch her, her scent filling me. She’s close now. Closer than ever. Her chest rises and falls with her breaths, and I raise a hand to her chin. Robin freezes, her eyes slowly coming up to meet mine.
“It wasn’t out of kindness. There’s something I need from you.”
Her hand stops, and she shifts to face me. My hand escapes her chin to brush against her cheek. Her eyelids flutter, and I feel her leaning slightly into my hand. Then she stops, staring at me with fierce, suspicious eyes. “What is it?”
I take a step closer, every inch of my body pressing to hers. My hand buried in her locks, I feel the smoothness of her hair, tilting her face up to graze my lips over hers. Robin’s breath catches but she doesn’t pull back. Her hands come up to my waist, holding tight. So tight.
“I’ve been dying to have a taste of your lips,” I tell her in a whisper. Night coats us, and Brianna can’t see us from the car, though my attention is half on her, half on Robin’s thick body. “Dying to touch this hot body of yours. I can’t focu
s around you. Can’t think of anything else around you.”
“Hunter...” She murmurs, but her body molds to mine, her curves pressing into every vale of mine. She’s soft all over, my free hand immediately growing busy holding her hips, brushing against her waist. Pushing the hem of her shirt out of the way, I explore the smooth skin of her stomach and ride a thumb up to the edge of her bra. Robin’s eyes flutter shut, her pretty mouth opening in a soundless gasp.
The last of my restraint snaps. I stamp my mouth on hers, and she slings her arms around my neck for balance. The kiss is fierce as we devour one another, tongues swiping and fighting in a heated dance. Our teeth clink together as we move, turn, shift. I suck her lower lip between mine, and she digs her nails into my shoulders. We’re lost in pleasure, my hard cock digging into her thigh.
Stroking her underboob, I buck against her center. She moves back, circling her hips so deliciously. It’s maddening. Wild. I even forget we’re in public for a moment, the kid on the backseat of my car.
Robin takes all my mind. All my focus. She tastes amazing, and I can’t tire of her.
Suddenly, she pulls back. Her eyes are wide as she steps away, her hand diving into her purse with determination. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you,” she says in a shaky voice. Her lips are swollen from abuse and I hallucinate about them stretched around my girth.
I chuckle, breathless. “Yeah, you should. I told you, I’ve been dying for a taste.” Pressing my body to hers again, I watch her resolve falter, her gaze riveted on my mouth. “I can’t get my mind out of you, Robin. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. It’s impossible not to want you.”
In the darkness, I lightly stroke up her thigh, and to my torture, I finger the space between her legs. Her arousal coats my lungs, and I groan to the feel of her heat against my fingers. Robin looks away, and I can see the fight between her brain and her body. Her body responds to me, begs for me. But her brain keeps telling me no, and I don’t know why.
