Chapter 10 #2
I find I like taking care of her, not just sexually. I want her to depend on me for everything. She’s a capable woman, much more than she should be, but she’s more mature than many women my own age. At least those like Madison that are still unmarried and without a family of their own.
“You don’t have to send him back there ever again. I took the liberties of setting something up,” I begin.
“Of course you did,” she mutters.
I put my hands on her shoulders and turn her around so I can look her in the eyes. “What did you say?”
She rolls her eyes, and earns herself a spanking after Xander goes to school. “You taking liberties?” She puts a hand on her chest and her face becomes a mask of fake shock.
“Alright, brat. That’s enough sass out of you. If your brother weren’t going to be out here any moment I’d find a better use for that smart mouth of yours. I probably will once he’s gone,” I warn her.
Shaking off the erotic images flooding my brain, before blood floods my cock, I force my mind back onto the topic I actually need to discuss with her right now.
“I hired a nanny to come and stay here when you and I have to be on the road.” Her plush lips fall open to argue with me, but I hold a hand up to stop her.
“Before you ask, yes she has been fully vetted. A very thorough background check was done prior to me calling since she works for a very reputable agency. Still, I called all of her references. Every one of her former families gushed over her. Their kids are older now, so she’s finally available. ”
“Does she have a name?” Sloane asks. I don’t miss the emphasis she puts on she and I smirk. My baby girl is jealous.
“Her name is Carmela Aguilar. And before you get your panties in a twist, she’s in her late fifties.
She has gone into semi-retirement, so it’s perfect for our situation since she will be with him when we’re gone, and will only need to pick him up from school or activities on the days one of us can’t the rest of the time. ”
Her mouth hangs open, but she’s not trying to argue with me anymore. If this were just for her she absolutely would. She may have a sexually submissive streak, but she’s not a meek woman. I like that she has fire inside of her. Makes life interesting.
“We can’t just move in with you,” she says after she recovers.
“You’ve been living with me for three days,” I counter.
“But—” She chews on her bottom lip. Then she sighs, having already worked out that I’m going to win this because being here with me is what is best for her brother.
She looks down at her feet, and her shoulders slump. “What about my dad?”
I tip her chin up so she sees how serious I am. “He’s not moving in here.”
She’s shaking her head before I finish speaking.
“No, trust me, I don’t want him here and he won’t leave the house anyway.
I just—” She sighs and I know she doesn’t even want to be considering him at all.
“What am I supposed to do with him? He’s not going to work.
The mortgage isn’t paid off, so eventually he will lose the house, and then he’ll just be out on the street.
I am angry at him, but I don’t want to abandon him either. ”
I lean down and kiss her softly because the sad look on her face is doing weird things to my chest. I don’t like it when she’s sad.
“You have a huge heart, baby girl, because all he’s done is abandon you. I’ll see what I can do for him.”
Her hands grasp my T-shirt. “I don’t want you paying his way. I just don’t know what to do with him.”
The sound of small feet sound in the hallway, and I know that Xander will be in here in a moment.
We’ve tried to maintain that we’re friends around him.
The innocence of children is the only thing that makes that lie believable to him.
He only asked if he could have a friend over for a sleepover too.
Even his young mind might start to wonder what is really going on if he sees me holding his sister the way I am.
I kiss her on the top of the head before taking a step back and creating distance between us. Before he enters the room I lower my voice and tell her, “You don’t have to worry about everything anymore.”
She nods. There’s a bit of a confused look on her face, but I think she just doesn’t know how not to worry about everything anymore.
Xander comes in carrying a Ninja Turtles backpack. I hold out my fist to him. “Who’s your favorite?” I ask him and point to his bag. “Mine’s Rafael.”
Sloane snorts. “Figures you’d like the mean one,” she says under her breath. She’s definitely getting spanked now.
“I like Donatello. My friend Paul says that the only cool one is Michelangelo, but I think it’s much cooler to be smart.”
“I agree with you. It’s always better to be smart. Ask your sister. She’d tell you that being smart will keep you out of trouble,” I taunt her, knowing Xander won’t pick up on my meaning.
Her eyes darken, and she huffs, but now she also knows that her ass is going to be sore on the way to St. Louis today.
Focusing back on Xander, I do something else that promises to piss her off. “Hey, Xan, how would you like to stay here while Sloane and I have to travel for work?”
He scratches his hand through his mop of dark brown hair. “Why does she have to go with you? She doesn’t play hockey. Sloane can’t even skate.”
I file that bit of information away for later.
“She works for the team. There’s a lot of people who travel with us that don’t play hockey.
Sloane handles our social media and other media stuff for us.
” I don’t tell him that she’s working specifically for me, because this is the first time I’m feeling ashamed of the way I’ve acted the last few weeks.
Funny how looking at how my behavior would seem through the eyes of a child gives me the humility I should have had all along.
I am starting not to even fault some of my fans for having such a strong negative reaction.
I bet those families who watched together weren’t very happy with the example I set.
I’m still a bit sore with how they didn’t bother to hear me out, but I did knock a guy out on film. I suppose children aren’t really prone to nuances. All the adults that have been judging me can go deep throat a cactus, but I do feel bad for what the kids might think of me now.
Xander hums, and he’s looking at Sloane. I should have known that I couldn’t just toss this invite out there and back her into a corner.
Sloane looks up at me for a second then refocuses on her brother. “If you feel better here, I’m fine with it.”
Xander nods enthusiastically. “I’d love to stay here. Who is going to stay with me? I’m not allowed to use the stove yet.”
I ruffle his hair, making it even messier. “I’ve hired a nice lady to come and stay with you. Her name is Mrs. Aguilar. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to introduce you.”
“Yeah, is she like a babysitter? Like the ladies from the church?” I can see the tension in his shoulders, and I agree with Sloane that he can’t go back to his dad’s care. Or lack of care I should say.
“No, she’s going to stay here with you. Neither your sister nor I will be leaving you to take care of yourself anymore. And when we get back, how about we take you to go pick out a few things to decorate your room?”
His eyes, dark brown instead of a misty gray, light up. “Really? I can get anything I want? Like a lava lamp and Ninja Turtles blanket?”
I smile at him. His easy acceptance is refreshing and something his sister could take pointers from. “Sure, bud, we can get you those things.” I’m going to have Carmela take him to get some clothes too, but I don’t say that because I can see that Sloane is seconds away from blowing up at me.
I get it. I might have grown up with all the material things I could ever want, but I’m no stranger to people making promises they didn’t keep either. It always hurt worse when I was a kid and still believed parents were supposed to care.
Weston, Asher, and Jude have proven to me over and over that family isn’t always the people you share blood with. I won’t be another adult who lets Xander down with empty promises.