Chapter 8
chapter
eight
Official Rules for Wind from the East Nanny Service
Brody’s take away: I can’t kill my brother’s for flirting with Winnie. But I can think about it.
Brody
I’m going to murder all of my brothers.
All. Of. Them.
I stomp all the way to my bedroom closet, and I’m pulling out a pair of swim trunks when I see Bryant lean against the doorframe. He crosses his arms over his chest and gives me a smug look.
“What’s with your shitty attitude, big brother?” he asks.
“I have no idea what you mean. I always have a shitty attitude.” I pull off my shirt and toss it into the hamper.
“Fair enough. How about this: your attitude is shittier than normal. What’s up with that?”
If I knew what was wrong, maybe I’d tell him.
If I could figure out why everything inside of me feels like it’s rearranged itself and then been tied into unreasonable knots, well, then I might could explain it to him.
All I know is that seeing Briggs smile his carefree smile and jump into the pool with my gorgeous nanny made me feel like ripping off my skin.
Or maybe just ripping off his. Horny bastard.
“There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m fine. You’re the one who should be worried.”
Bryant arches an eyebrow. “Why should I be worried?”
“Because that big oaf out there is throwing people and dogs into the pool Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. Someone could get hurt.
“Okay, first of all, he tossed your daughter into the pool, which we’ve all done. Including you. And the dog jumped in on its own. I’m thinking this has nothing to do with any of that and everything to do with a certain buxom nanny.”
“Don’t fucking call her that.”
Bryant moves out of the doorway and turns to face my big window that looks out on the backyard. Primarily, the pool. I can see Briggs acting like a goddamn fool in the water. And even Bear is sorta smiling.
Briggs goes underwater, then comes up sputtering. But now he’s got Winnie up on his shoulders. She grabs onto his head, and she’s laughing.
“He needs to keep his fucking hands to himself,” I mutter.
Bryant shrugs. “I don’t know. They make a cute couple, don’t you think? I mean, at least Briggs is closer to her age.”
“I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work.”
“What am I doing?”
“Trying to get me to admit I’m jealous. Get me to tell you you’re a fucking idiot and I’m not too old for her.”
Bryant holds his hands up. “You said all of that, not me.”
Fuck. I hate the way he does that. Sneaky bastard.
“I’m just trying to figure out why you haven’t made a move yet.”
“Made a move? What are we, twelve?”
Bryant smirks at me. “I’m just saying, you’re obviously into her. You haven’t taken your eyes off of her. And given the fact that every time I see you, you are more and more grumpy, you’re obviously not getting laid.”
“I haven’t been getting laid since my daughter was born in case you’ve forgotten.”
As a single dad, running a ranch, I don’t have time to get laid. Even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. Or at least I didn’t until Winnie walked into my life. And now I can’t stop thinking about it. With her. In every position imaginable.
“Everybody knows that you can’t sleep with the nanny,” I say.
“If you’re a married man, you can’t sleep with the nanny. But you’re not married. So there’s no reason you can’t sleep with her,” Bryant says.
“Okay, well, how about this reason… Clementine adores her. If I sleep with Winnie and it ends badly, Clementine will never forgive me. I can’t break my baby’s heart like that.”
“Why are you assuming it would end badly?”
That question is still ringing in my ear when we both go back out and get into the pool. I covertly twist Brigg’s nipples and give him a death glare while growling “hands off my nanny,” quietly to him.
The rest of the time, I do my best not to stare too much at Winnie and the way her bikini molds to her curves lest I get an erection in front of my entire family.