5. Daisy
***Daisy***
Iwas in the kitchen with dough clinging to my hands by five-thirty.
I could always find a reason to bake. Happy?
A cake was needed. Sad? Chocolate and lots of it.
Angry? Something that called for crushed nuts.
Anxious? A classic cookie. I was learning that horny called for something decadent, something that would slide over my tongue when I bit into it and make my eyes roll.
That was why I was making a cheesecake alongside the muffins and scones and everything else that felt like breakfast. With a deeply caramelized cookie base and eventually topped with a layer of caramel and chocolate ganache, the cheesecake was going to hit the spot I needed it to hit.
I’d made a quick puff pastry and fixed the kids homemade breakfast pockets with eggs, sausage, and cheese filling them. I had homemade pop tarts coming out of the oven soon and my mind was slowly starting to move away from what I’d seen.
I had my hands buried in a second dough for homemade sandwich bread when I felt the air shift in the kitchen.
I looked up and saw Wes standing at the foot of the back stairs with a thick, leather-bound book in his hands and reading glasses snagged between his teeth.
He was frozen, staring first at me and then at the excessive baking I’d done.
When he nodded once and then settled at the other end of the island, glasses on and notebook open, I had to fight the urge to talk to him. From what I could see it looked like he was working on a ledger, probably for the business, and he looked intent on making sure everything made sense.
At first, it threw me off. I was aware of the oldest Calloway brother the way I’d be aware of a bear in the room with me.
His huge presence demanded attention just by existing.
Slowly, though, I was able to recenter myself and focus again.
I was still aware of him but it was a quiet awareness.
So much so that when he finally did speak, I flinched at the sudden sound.
“About the nanny job.” Wes raked his hand through his thick, black hair, and then rubbed his jaw.
The sound of his work-roughened hand moving over his coarse beard sent a chill down my spine that I ignored.
“Obviously, we’ll pay. You’re a successful business owner and I asked you to be a nanny for the summer.
It’s not exactly a normal set up but I just wanted to make it clear that we’ll pay you for your time.
If you decide to stay. It was impulsive of me to ask, but the kids adore you and you have the summer free…
And I thought maybe you needed three kids demanding your attention to get your mind off of everything. No pressure, though.”
“I’m staying.” I was almost as shocked by the firmness in my voice as Wes was. “I don’t want your money, though. More importantly, I don’t need it. Oopsie Daisy is doing well. Plus, I’ll be staying in your house, eating your food. That’s more than enough.”
He muttered something that sounded a lot like him calling his brother a moron and then stood up. “What can I eat?”
I looked around at the counters full of food and shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
He snapped his notebook closed and grabbed a couple of muffins and three of the breakfast pockets. “Thank you, Daisy. But you’ll be paid.”
I chose to ignore him. “I remember you take your lunch to work, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I just grab whatever.”
“I’m making your lunch today. It’ll be in the fridge for you when you’re ready for work.” The high I felt from doing something to prove how useful I was probably wasn’t normal.
“You don’t have to make me lunch, Daisy.
I’ve seen stuff about your bakery online.
I know for a fact that I’m not special enough to have you baking your magical things for me.
” He flashed an uncharacteristic grin and took a giant bite of muffin, speaking around it. “I’m special enough for this, though.”
I laughed and waved him off. I was also trying desperately to wave off the flush from his compliments. “Do I need to tell you not to speak with your mouth full, too? I was sure it’d just be Charlie.”
Heat filled his gaze for a second before he blinked it away. “We’re probably all a little feral. You’ll have your hands full.”
That made me think of Flynn in the bathroom and there was no hiding my red cheeks. Even through my makeup I knew he could see it. I didn’t have to worry about responding because he just nodded at me and disappeared back up the stairs.
I didn’t breathe again until I heard his footsteps at the top steps.
Sinking back against the counter, I grabbed a muffin and shoved half of it in my mouth.
If Wes had always been so intense with me, I hadn’t noticed.
I was used to quiet, stern Wes but the version of him that just left the kitchen was new and a lot to handle.
That look on his face made me feel like a little rabbit being hunted by the big, bad wolf.
For the second time that day I could feel my core slickening, readying itself.
The timer went off and I blinked hard before twisting around to get back to my baking.
If I’d finally baked off my edginess over Flynn, Wes had just ruined that peace.
Giving up on being a decent person, I made sure everything but the oven holding the cheesecake was turned off and went up to my room.
I could grab my tiny vibrator and a new pair of panties and slip into the bathroom before anyone would notice my absence.
I just needed to burn off the excess energy.
I’d been prepared to show up and disappear with Tyler for a day or two.
My body had been ready for sex, obviously, and that was why it was reacting so wildly to the Calloway brothers.
That had to be it. An orgasm would clear my head, for sure.
The kids and Hank were still sleeping hard when I slipped inside to grab what I needed. I was almost to the bathroom when I looked up and saw Flynn coming out of his room. He looked at me, at my flushed cheeks, and then at my hand. There was no way he could see my vibrator but it felt like he knew.
He raised his eyebrow and smirked. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
I was flustered enough that I fumbled and dropped my panties.
They landed next to my feet, all black lace and ruffles.
I watched in horror as Flynn glanced down and saw them.
I knew Flynn was a flirt. Everyone knew it.
He’d teasingly flirted with me before in front of Tyler, just to mess with his little brother, but there was no one in the hallway and the look on his face didn’t have the same teasing nature that I was used to.
He closed the distance between us and kept his eyes on mine as he bent and grabbed my panties.
He stood back up slowly and let the fabric brush against my body as he did.
My legs, the dress over my thighs, my stomach, and finally my chest. I stood there, breathing faster than I should’ve been, lip caught between my teeth.
Before I could melt, or run away screaming, Flynn grinned and stepped away. His eyes cooled and he was the same old Flynn I knew again. He dropped my panties into my hand and lightly tapped my nose. “Cute.”
I locked myself in the bathroom and leaned heavily against the door. Cute. He’d booped my nose and called me cute. Like a little kid.
That was for the best. Whatever my body was doing, it had no right to risk ruining my easy relationship with the brothers. They didn’t want me and I didn’t want them. That was that.
I put my vibrator on the counter and glared at it. I was back to feeling too guilty to orgasm.