1. Lucy
“ W here’s Daddy?”
I couldn’t ignore Lena’s worried tone over her father’s absence even if I wanted to, because those big blue eyes damn near broke my heart.
I glanced at the clock again. It was after nine and Dante still wasn’t home, which was unlike him, and worse, he hadn’t called. In fact he hadn’t called all day which I’d arrogantly believed was because he finally trusted me to do my job. But now I couldn’t deny the fact that something was very likely seriously wrong.
“I’m not sure Lena.”
“He always says good night,” she whined and her lip quivered.
He didn’t just say good night. Dante usually tucked her, read her a story before he kissed her good night and wished her sweet dreams. Think fast, Lucy. I had to come up with something before tears or a tantrum came, neither of which were good around bed time.
“I have an idea!”night
“Call Daddy?”
That would be the best idea, but if something had actually happened to him, I didn’t want to hear the news with Lena watching and listening. “Better. We’ll make a video of you telling him good night and that you love him, so he won’t feel bad about missing out tonight. How does that sound?”
“Okay,” she said around sniffles.
Relief coursed through me at her easy agreement and I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and set it down before I settled her in bed. “Let’s get you under the blankets so he feels like he was right here with you.”
“Okay!” She was such a sweet girl, so accepting of everything life had thrown her way, and somehow able to get excited about the smallest things. “How’s this Lucy?” She smiled up at me with the blankets tucked up under her armpits.
“Perfect.” I held up the phone and tapped the record button. “Okay, what do you want to tell Daddy?”
“Good night Daddy! I love you and I miss you, but don’t miss bedtime again, okay? Love you, good night!” She collapsed back onto the bed and sighed. “Was that good?”
“He’ll love it,” I assured her and sat down on the bed. “I know it’s not the same, but I’m happy to read you a bedtime story, if you want?”
“Okay Lucy.” Lena settled under her blankets and listened while I read a story about a ladybug who loved to make friends, but she quickly fell asleep. Dante typically made it home for dinner, so since about six this evening Lena had been worried about her father.
“Good night honey.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed as I backed out of the room and turned off the light. I wasn’t sure if Lena would sleep peacefully given how the past few hours had gone, so I grabbed my e-reader and curled up on one of the plush sofas in the sitting room.
I was so engrossed in the romance that I didn’t hear the front door as it opened and then closed, or the sound of Dante’s designer loafers on the floor until his shadow fell over me and my e-reader. His unexpected appearance startled a gasp out of me, but I recovered quickly and looked up with a frown.
“You look like hell.” Handsome as hell to be sure, but also like he’d been to hell and back in the ten or so hours he’d been gone.
His scowl darkened. “You don’t. What’s your point?”
I resisted the urge to smile at his unintended compliment and instead took a long look at his beautiful face. “Rough day?”
Dante nodded and raked a hand through his thick hair as he blew out a long exhale that contained so many emotions that my heart went out to him. “It was a nightmare. Everything that could go wrong today did.”
“You want dinner?”
His look only darkened at my question. “That’s not your job.”
“Duh,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s called basic human kindness. Look it up when you have a chance.” I stood and put some distance between us by warming up the leftover dinner.
“I’m kind,” he insisted, his voice closer behind me than I expected.
“If you say so Dante.” I turned slowly, which was a mistake, because he was entirely too close, and all of my curves were brushing against him from the front, the counter at my back. “Excuse me.”
He took a step closer and I held my breath. “You afraid of me Lucy?”
I laughed. “Hardly. It’s just called personal space.” I sucked in a breath and skirted around him. “Why don’t you go kiss Lena and get changed out of your work clothes?”
He frowned. “Are you a parenting expert now, on top of all your many other skills?”
I rolled my eyes and gave his chest a shove. “You’re an ass, Mr. Rush. Lena was worried from the moment you didn’t show up for dinner until I managed to get her to go to sleep. She thought something happened to you.”
“She knows I would never leave her.” He let out an exaggerated scoff just to make sure I knew what he thought about my words.
“Okay fine.” I pulled out my phone and sent him the video. “Do what you want, I’m going to bed.” I boiled with frustration, so I turned around, ready to grab my e-reader and turn in for the night.
“Lucy,” he growled and grabbed my arm to stop me from walking away.
“Let me go, Dante.”
“I’m sorry,” he growled. “It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.”
I shrugged out of his hold and sighed. “All the more reason to go see Lena.” I took a step forward and he pulled me back close, but not quite flush against his broad chest. Our gazes collided, his angry and mine shocked. Deep breaths rushed out of us both, and Dante looked as if he wanted to say something, probably scathing to me. In the end, he released me and left the kitchen, stalking up the stairs to his daughter’s room.
I let myself have a satisfied smile and rolled my eyes over the stubborn man. He was contrary sometimes just to be contrary, and it was very frustrating, luckily he wasn’t my charge. Still, I knew what it was like to have a long hellish day, so I re-heated his dinner before I returned to the living room to retrieve my e-reader once again.
“Stay,” Dante ordered as he jogged down the stairs a few minutes later in a fresh pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt that molded perfectly to his chest and arms.
“I am not a dog,” I grunted and set my e-reader aside.
He stopped halfway between the bottom of the stairs and the kitchen, his shoulders fell forward and he sighed. “Please stay.”
Indecision warred within me. Part of me wanted to run up the stairs before he returned from the kitchen, just because I could, but that would be petty. Hilarious, but petty.
“Thanks for dinner.” Dante returned and dropped down on the sofa, leaving one cushion between us as he kicked his legs up on the coffee table. “It’s delicious.”
I shrugged and tugged my legs up to my chest. “Don’t thank me, Dotty is the one who made it.”
“You warmed it up,” he insisted with a panty melting smile.
“Job security.” I kept my expression blank as a slow smile crossed his face.
“Liar.”
I shrugged again and met his smile with one of my own. “You’ll never know.”
“Thank you for the video. It was sweet and just what I needed.” He dug into the food, eating it as if he hadn’t enjoyed a meal in weeks. “Even in her sleep, Lena clung to me.”
I nodded to acknowledge that I was listening, but I hated that I felt my heart softening towards this stubborn man. Why was it so damn attractive that he loved his kid? He was a father, he was supposed to love and care for his child, and no man should get extra points for doing what mothers have been doing for thousands of years.
“You should call if you’re going to be late. I know it’s not always convenient, but it would make Lena worry less.”
Dante’s nostrils flared angrily and I wasn’t even surprised. The man couldn’t take any type of criticism. It probably made him a beast of a boss. Then he surprised me by saying nothing, he just returned to his food without a word.
“You know Dante, not every drop of advice is a criticism. It’s merely a suggestion, to let Lena be a little girl instead of a ball of anxiety.”
His jaw clenched again, but I was undeterred.
“She’s already lost her mother, and if you could have seen her worry tonight you would understand my concern.”
“Stop!” He barked. “Just…stop Lucy.”
My mouth snapped shut and my eyes widened at his tone, or more accurately, my response to his commanding tone. It was hot and forceful, which I apparently liked. “You know, I think I will stop. Good night, Dante.”I stood, and this time I didn’t take my time, I just grabbed my e-reader and hit the stairs.
“Lucy…” he called after me, but I kept moving, refusing to be derailed by the infernal man. “Dammit.”
I couldn’t help but smile to myself, that for once in his life Dante wouldn’t get his way. Not with me.
“Lucy,” he growled again, but this time his hand snaked out and gripped my upper arm.
Where in the hell had he come from? “Didn’t anyone ever tell you to keep your hands to yourself, Mr. Rush?”
When he spun me to face him, heat flared in Dante’s eyes and I couldn’t look away. My heart raced and my breath caught in my throat. “You annoy the hell out of me, woman.”
“I feel the same way about you.”
He let out a low grunt and then his lips were on mine, his mouth devoured me hungrily, and when his arms wrapped around me to pull me closer, I held on tight. The kiss was hot as fuck, too hot for someone I actively disliked, but damn, he kissed like a dream. His hands slipped from my shoulders down to my waist before he cupped my ass and brought me flush against an impressive length of hardness.
I moaned into his mouth, and his tongue slipped inside. Dante deepened the kiss and stoked the fire that burned through my veins. The kiss was like a revelation, like I hadn’t been truly kissed until this moment, which was pretty disconcerting. Still, as much as I told my brain to pull back, to stop this magical nonsense, I couldn’t do it. He tasted too good.
Felt too good.
My hands gripped his shoulder and I told myself to use his strength to push away, to end this erotic torture before I did something crazy, like beg him to strip me down and make me scream his name. It was madness and I was powerless to stop it. I leaned into it, devoured his mouth the way he did mine until I was dizzy and horny and out of my mind with lust.
The kiss was eternal, but that was the type of dangerous thinking that I couldn’t afford, so finally I managed to slowly pull back, my gaze unfocused and my lips swollen.
“Lucy,” he moaned and his fingertips dug into my flesh.
He’s your boss. Dammit. I stepped back until his hands fell away, my eyes wide with shock. This was exactly what he expected of me, and all women in fact.
Shit, shit, shit. I took one step back and then another and another until I felt the doorknob of my bedroom pressed against the small of my back. I turned it quickly and stepped in. “I should, ah, get to bed. Early day,” I said by way of a totally unbelievable explanation.
“Right,” he said shakily. “See you tomorrow.”
I nodded absently, slammed the door and pressed my back against it. I kissed my boss. Well, more accurately he kissed me and I did nothing to stop it, which to his warped mind, probably meant that I was trying to find my way into his bed.
Stupid, stupid girl.
I spent most of the night reliving the hottest kiss I’d ever experienced and worrying that Dante would use it as an excuse to get rid of me.