by Jill Downey
“I’m hoping we continue getting to know each other. It’s kind of been accelerated due to our circumstances. I’d like to see more of you, have you in my life, Finn’s too. What do you want?”
“I’m not sure. I’m not going to lie to you, your wealth intimidates me. You can have anything and probably anyone you want. Where do I fit in? I’m from the other side of the tracks. I’ve had to work my ass off for everything I’ve ever gotten. I’m not sure how well we’d fit in the real world.”
A flash of hurt flickered across his face before Kyle could mask it, “You don’t think this is real?”
“Of course, it’s real.” Ella touched his thigh resting against hers, “What I meant is that we have been insulated here in this fairytale castle, away from the rest of the world, it hasn’t prepared us for outside influences.” Ella softly sang a line from the famous Cat Stevens song, “Oh baby it’s a wild world.”
“Ella I’m not afraid for us, my only fear is that you’ll leave me or that you won’t give it a chance.”
She trailed her fingertips softly across his bare chest. She was touched by his vulnerability yet at the same time left feeling like she was the one with the most to lose. She had been ripped apart before and wasn’t sure she was ready to take that risk again. He seemed to be holding all the cards; she was already half in love with him and that felt like a freefall into the abyss.
“Let’s take it slow. I’ve agreed to stay on another week to care for Finn until your new nanny is on board. Then we’ll figure out where we go from there. I’m not ready to let you go either. I’m just super cautious. I’m out of my league and smart enough to know it.”
His eyes flashed with irritation, “You aren’t that bright if you truly believe that load of bullshit. League? Really? What are we, in high school?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Can we change the subject? I just want to lay in bed together and snuggle and make love and snuggle again. Is that too much to ask?” she wheedled.
“No more talking about leagues or comparing our financial portfolios. I’m inspired by everything about you, your brains, your passion, how engaged you are with life, your killer bod…” he waggled his eyebrows twirling an imaginary handlebar mustache.
“You’re laying it on a bit thick, but I like it.”
“And I like you.” Yawning loudly, he stood up and took their empty bowls to the sink to rinse out. “Are you ready for bed? It’s been so long since I’ve held a woman in my arms all night… I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it.”
“I hope you don’t snore,” she said.
“I hope you don’t snore.”
“After you Mr. Bennett.”
His eyes smoldered. “Mademoiselle.”
19
Kyle sat sprawled on a club chair waiting for Ella to finish in the bathroom. His eyes were closed but his fatigue had disappeared, and his body tingled with anticipation. Rather than feeling satiated from their earlier exploration in the limo, he felt like that had merely been a taste of what was to come.
“Bathroom is all yours.” Ella stood in front of him, her eyes lively and bright with expectation. He cracked his eyes open and raked her body from head to toe. She still had her dress on but now that she had captured his full attention, she began to undress in front of him…correction, she began to strip.
Smiling seductively, she bent over to kiss him. When he reached for her she backed away, index finger to her lips, and shook her head no. Ella slowly began to undress, running her hands down her hips before reaching around to unzip her dress, then she playfully pulled the thin straps down one shoulder at a time. Meeting his gaze, she tugged at the bodice and her full rounded breasts spilled out, pink nipples engorged. He thought he was going to come right then.
She turned her back to him and took her time bending forward to gracefully step out of the dress, making sure he had a tantalizing view of her ass. She added some extra wiggle as she straightened and tossed the garment aside.
Now naked except for her lacy white panties, she licked her fingers then circled her nipples. Kyle groaned. All her movements were deliberate and meant to drive him insane with desire. It was working. She then slid one hand down her flat belly to slip it inside her sexy underwear.
His nostrils flared as he stared at her perfect body, “I’m going to explode, come over here.”
She took her time sliding the panties off inch by torturous inch, her breasts swaying as she bent over. She kicked the lace aside and knelt on the floor at his feet. She buried her face in his crotch and nuzzled him through his slacks. He brushed his hand through her curls. She looked up at him through her lashes, confident, daring, radiating lust. Kyle thought he couldn’t get any harder, but she’d just proved him wrong.
Ella pulled his pants down over his muscular hips and legs slowly, slinging them to the side. Kyle spread his legs wide as she smoothed her hands up his inner thighs. Her mouth followed where her hands had been, licking and nibbling the sensitive skin of his adductors, until she reached his angry scar. “My poor baby,” she said tenderly as she kissed his healing wound. His heart contracted and he felt a deep longing and with it the realization that he had always felt alone. She finally reached his erection and mouthed him through his underpants.
“Fuck me Ella!”
Putting an end to his torture, she pulled off the last remaining barrier of clothing. Kyle reached into the side drawer and handed her a condom. She looked sexy as hell tearing the wrapper open with her teeth. She gripped him firmly and rolled it slowly over his hard length. Her hips swayed as she straddled him, allowed just the tip of him inside her wet center, before lifting her pelvis teasingly. Teasing… torturing… just a taste. Each time she would sit a little lower onto his throbbing manhood.
Kyle reached out for her breast, pinching and rolling her nipple between his fingers. She leaned forward and held her breast to his face. His mouth covered her areola then circling with his tongue he drew it in to suckle hard. She cried out and arched away, suddenly lowering herself all the way taking his whole length inside of her. Warm…wet…wild…
She threw her head back exposing her creamy throat. He slid his hand down her belly and rubbed his thumb against her sweet spot. She started out slowly, up and down, her quads strong and lean, lifting then lowering, her breasts bouncing with each pump. He watched, mesmerized. She picked up her tempo and rode him hard; She bit her bottom lip her eye’s glazed in rapture. When she began to pant, he knew she was close to climaxing, so he let go. The orgasm rocked him to his very core and only intensified when he felt her pulsating around him as she cried out with abandon.
Ella lay against him, spent. She didn’t want to move…didn’t want him to slip out. Cradled against his chest, her lips pressed against his throat, tongue darting out to lick his salty skin. Her body was hot where his fingertips caressed her back, from her neck to her buttocks and back up again. If she were a cat she would be purring. Kyle buried his nose in her hair and kissed her head.
“Ella, stay with me, don’t go back to your condo.” She stilled, her breath hitching. “I feel so alive with you, I want to be with you Ella, only you.”
She was silent for so long Kyle thought she wasn’t going to respond, then she said, “But for how long? I’m a new shiny object Kyle. The newness will eventually wear off, then what?”
“Then we go deeper.”
“You say that now, but what happens when you’ve grown tired of me? You’ve had everything you’ve ever wanted for your entire life. I can’t compete with that. The excitement will wear off, trust me. I’ve been there, done that. There will always be another beautiful woman waiting backstage.” Ella got up from his lap and moved to the bed, sitting cross legged she tucked her hair behind her ears.
Kyle followed her to the bed and laid down on his side facing her, running his fingers softly up and down her thigh, “I could say the same about you. You have your share of admirers. T
hat’s fear talking. You’re still living in the past.”
“I was that girl, the IT girl. The chief surgeon put his sights on me. Like you, he could have anyone he wanted—rich, gorgeous, successful, and he wanted me. I was the new bright shiny object. He chased me relentlessly, seduced, cajoled, until finally I broke my very own cardinal rule and mixed my personal and professional lives.”
“You can’t paint all successful men with the same brush Ella.”
“Look, I resisted for a while, just like I did with you. Then I caved…it was all downhill from there. Once he had me, it didn’t take long before he no longer wanted me. I was devastated Kyle. I didn’t think I’d ever get over the heartbreak and humiliation. I was stigmatized at my job, and I still had to make myself get up every day, go in to work, and hold my head high.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you but life does have risks. Relationships are a gamble. My marriage was a disaster. But I got Finn out of it. My wife and I loved each other; we just weren’t in love. She had an affair; it caught me off guard, but she deserved to be happy, to have some male attention, and she wasn’t getting it from me. I didn’t blame her. Then she got sick and we fought hard together. Jemma wanted to live, so bad,” his voice broke. “It should have been me. I sucked as a husband and I’m even worse as a father.”
Brushing his hair back from his brow she said, “Finn adores you! You’re being way too hard on yourself.”
Sadness clouded his features, “I’m still here, she isn’t. Jemma doesn’t get to see her amazing little boy grow up. He was the love of her life. Her whole world revolved around him.”
Ella tenderly cupped his face, “He had her for those first formative years, it is part of who he is and who he will become. That’s why he’s doing so well. He knows he’s loved.”
“I hope you’re right and I hope it’s enough.”
“Are you kidding me? Your face lights up whenever you look at your son. And you are his hero. You’re both going to be just fine.”
“When I’m with you I believe that…like everything is going to be all right. How do you do that?” He pulled her head down and nibbled on her lower lip.
“I just speak the truth,” she said. She got up and returned to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Watching her long legs and rounded ass as she walked back to the bathroom made him want to take her all over again. Too bad his dick wasn’t ready for another round. Oh well. There was always the morning. He knew he was in way over his head. He could only hope she was falling as hard as he was.
The following morning the first thing Ella was conscious of was a feeling of safety and connection, still half asleep she snuggled into the warmth at her back. Then as she began to wake up, she became aware of Kyle’s hand cupping her breast and his erection pressing between her legs. She could tell by his steady breathing that he was still asleep.
She reached for him and held him between her thighs, rubbing against his growing erection. Kyle’s breathing quickened and he fondled her breasts, now fully awake. He began to thrust himself between her legs, his pelvis pressed against her buttocks, the friction against her sweet spot, sending shudders through her body.
After struggling to slip on a condom, he plunged inside her, hard and deep. He steadied her hips with his uninjured arm and began thrusting from behind. Moving in and out, faster and harder, Ella arched her low back and reached around to spread her buttocks apart so he could penetrate even deeper.
“Yes, yes, harder,” she moaned as he pounded against her. The stimulation from behind hit her G-spot and the tension built to an unbearable crescendo—she had to have release. “Kyle, oh my God, Kyle…” her entire body shuddered in a long intense climax.
Kyle was right behind, convulsing inside of her as he held her against him, his body sweating from exertion. His voice was husky as he checked in with her, “Was I too rough?”
“No! I loved it, I love you inside of me, you fill me up, it feels so good.”
“Ella, your body… is so responsive…and beautiful, your ass, sweet Jesus.”
She rolled over to face him, “You are such an amazing lover my body has no choice but to respond.” She pressed her lips against his for a tender kiss. Her hand cradled his face and she rubbed her thumbs across his cheeks. His eyes were such a dark blue this morning, like peering into a deep lake.
“Your eye lashes are ridiculous,” she said.
His laugh lines fanned out as he smiled in response. “I hate to spoil our bedroom play, but Faye will be dropping Finn off any minute and I have to shower and shave for the unpleasant task of interviewing nannies.”
She stretched sensuously, arms overhead, and Kyle took full advantage of her breasts in his face to suckle her as he caressed the soft smooth skin at her waist. She buried her fingers in his hair to hold him against her as she bit her bottom lip, aroused again by the heat of their chemistry.
Hearing a door slam from somewhere downstairs they both jerked then laughingly scrambled out from beneath their warm cocoon of blankets.
“Lock the door, quick,” he said. “you’re faster than I am.”
Ella raced to the door and turned the lock, giggling.
“I feel like I’m about twelve years old right now,” Kyle said.
“Me too. So much for our shower together.”
“We could still try.”
“I’m going to slip on my dress and high tail it back to my room. I’ve got to feed Daisy anyway. She’s probably confused and wondering where the hell I am.”
Kyle pulled Ella’s sumptuous naked body against his and held her tight. “That was the best night of my entire life. From start to finish.”
“Mine too.”
She grabbed her dress off the floor still lying where she had tossed it the night before and slipped it over her head.
“Here let me zip you up,” Kyle said. She melted against his chest. He pulled her hair aside to nuzzle the back of her neck. Suddenly remembering she should be in a hurry, she grabbed her panties, not bothering to put them back on and left him with a sweet kiss. “Later.”
20
Kyle waited on his last nanny applicant to show up, feeling utterly discouraged. He hoped to hell this interview surpassed the last several. Although he thought the first interview went well enough, he knew she would be a little too stiff and formal for Finn’s liking. He glanced up as Richard led an attractive twenty-something woman into his office.
Standing, Kyle reached his hand across the desk and greeted her, “Hi, I’m Kyle Bennett.”
“I’m Lindsey Jones. Nice to meet you.”
He motioned to the chair in front of him and said, “Have a seat.”
She perched on the edge, knuckles white as she clutched her portfolio tightly on her lap.
“Can you tell me a little about yourself? What made you decide to become a live-in nanny?’
“I come from a large family, I’m the oldest, and I practically raised my four younger siblings. I love kids. It seemed a natural career choice for me.”
“Tell me about the last family you worked for, why did you leave?”
“They had two little boys, a four- and six-year-old, both parents were professionals with demanding careers, who each worked fifty plus hours a week. I loved the family, but unfortunately the wife took a job in England and I didn’t want to move out of the country, so I resigned.”
“That must have been hard, I’m sure you’d grown attached.”
“Heartbreaking really. I not only loved the children, but I loved the parents too… not to mention their dog. They had become my family.”
“Lindsey, I’d like to bring in a friend of mine who has been my temporary nanny while I’ve been recovering. I’d like her to meet you, if that’s all right.”
“Sure.”
Ella smiled warmly at Lindsey, noticing her nervousness, “I won’t bite I promise. I hate interviews. They’re the worst.”
Visibly relaxing Lindsey said, “They really are.”
Kyle made the introductions then invited Ella to ask any questions she thought might be helpful.
“Finn has been through so much… losing his mom, then his dad getting hurt, he sometimes wakes up with nightmares, what would you say to comfort him?”
“Well I’d probably just hold him and let him cry it out then read him a story or tell him something funny… my youngest brother had nightmares, so I’m used to it.”
“Do you think of yourself as flexible or are you more organized and routine-oriented?”
“I’d have to say both. I think routine, like same bedtimes and mealtimes, stuff like that, makes kids feel secure, but I think play time and being off the clock are equally important.”
Ella exchanged an approving look with Kyle. Ella liked that Lindsey was articulate and confident as well as sensible. She would guess her to be mid-twenties which was young enough to keep a six-year-old entertained but mature enough to be level-headed when necessary.
“You’re young and I’m sure you have a boyfriend or will have at some point, how do you work with that? Do you compartmentalize, on the clock and off the clock?” Kyle asked.
Her smile slipped for a moment before answering, “Um, yes exactly, just like any other job. I try to keep my personal life separate from my work… for the most part. It’s not to say they never cross over, but most of the time, I see my boyfriend when I’m off-duty.”
Kyle studied her for a moment then said, “If you do ever have guests here, they have to be cleared by our security first.”
“Of course.”
“Anything else you can think of Ella?”
“Nope.”
“If you get the job how soon could you start?”
“I’m crashing at a friend’s house right now so I could start almost immediately. I don’t have a lot of stuff so there isn’t a whole lot for me to move.”
