Chapter 9
nine
GREER
Greer needed a break. And the hour and a half drive out to visit with Kam had been well worth it. It would have been better if Alaric hadn’t been in the back seat with her because it meant that she hadn’t been able to talk to Kam about everything.
She sighed as she glanced in the rearview mirror.
Last-minute changes were the name of the game when nannying for three families. And she didn’t feel right leaving Alaric in the house with Nathalie who was sick in bed and hadn’t emerged all morning. It was outside of her contracted responsibilities, but she felt for the kid. She’d been there when she was a kid herself, taking care of the adults and having no one else to take care of her.
Not that Nathalie was that kind of parent, but when there was no partner or no second parent, it meant that Alaric was often left on his own. She imagined at one point that he’d gone over to Ivy’s and Lachlan’s more often, but with all of the changes in the past couple years, that seemed to not be as common for Alaric. Besides, he was the only kid that was around the three adults twenty-four seven. Because he had nowhere else to go.
“Did you have fun today, bud?”
“Yeah!” Alaric bounced in his seat. “I’ve never been to a boarding school before.”
Greer smiled at him. Most people hadn’t, and the campus at Windermere was stunning in the spring. It’d be even better in another month, when all of the trees were in full bloom. She might just have to take him back with her so he could get a real view of what the school looked like when it wasn’t like a drenched dog from the melting snow.
“Am I going to go to school there when I’m old enough?” Alaric asked.
“Probably not, kid. Unless your mom wants to send you there. But I have a feeling that she’s going to want to keep you closer to home than that.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty far.” He looked out the window, and Greer focused back on driving. “I would miss her, and you.”
Aww, that little comment warmed Greer’s heart. She loved that Alaric was loving her. She wouldn’t want it any other way. It wasn’t too much longer when Greer pulled into the driveway and parked the car in the garage. She helped Alaric out of his seat, not that he needed help, but because she loved him to see a smiling face as soon as she opened the door for him. Alaric didn’t even hesitate as he ran inside.
She had to follow him, not wanting him to disturb Nathalie if she was napping or something. So she chased after him, but he was already halfway up the stairs by the time she got into the main part of the house.
“Alaric, leave your mom alone if she’s sleeping, okay?”
“Okay!” he called back to her, but he didn’t hesitate as he ran straight for Nathalie’s room.
Not wanting to let him have free rein in there so Nathalie could at least continue to rest, Greer headed up to follow him. She knocked lightly on the door when she heard murmuring voices and was greeted with a sight she hadn’t expected.
Alaric was curled up against Nathalie’s side in the bed, holding onto her with an arm over her belly and his head on her shoulder. Nathalie looked pale and perhaps even a little gray. Either way, she didn’t look any better than when they’d left that morning. But she tilted her head, burying her nose in Alaric’s hair as she listened to him ramble on about his day.
But Ivy was the true surprise. She was sitting on the other side of the bed, her bare feet up on the mattress with her red-painted toenails wiggling back and forth. The leggings she wore were brown and had a leathery look to them, and the shirt she had on was a loose tank top with a sports bra underneath. Her curves were slight and brilliant in the outfit, and Greer looked each one over before her eyes locked on Ivy’s.
Embarrassment hit her.
Had she seriously just been caught gawking at another one of her bosses? Who the hell was she becoming? Because she wasn’t sure that she liked this person. Greer stood awkwardly at the door, flicking her gaze from Ivy to Nathalie, who was staring at her with the same odd look that she had that night in the kitchen all those weeks back, as if she was trying to figure out what exactly was running through Greer’s mind.
“I uh…” Greer swallowed. “I was just coming to check on you and see if you needed anything.”
“I don’t, thank you.” Nathalie sat up a little straighter. “Ivy’s been taking good care of me all day.”
Greer looked back at Ivy, who now had a slight smirk on her lips, her eyes dancing with humor, and oh God, Greer’s entire body was going into overdrive. “Right. Then I’ll uh… go make Alaric some dinner.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Nathalie said quickly. “You’re not working today.”
Greer dragged her gaze away from Ivy and looked pointedly at Nathalie. “Don’t worry, I’ll be charging you for the overtime.”
Nathalie let out a light chuckle. “Good girl.”
And hell’s bells, those two words sent a thrill through Greer that she didn’t even know was possible. She had to get out of that room. She had to find where her sanity had gone and left her and put it right back into her. Because that wasn’t going to happen. That thought that she just had? It needed to go find a hole, bury itself, and die. Because she couldn’t be having those thoughts with these women.
Nope.
Not at all.
Stumbling slightly, Greer walked out of Nathalie’s bedroom and shut the door. She used the railing on the way down the stairs because she wasn’t sure that her knees and feet would hold her up. And she really needed to find her balance again. Those two words, that look from both of them—it had sent her into a frenzy that she wasn’t sure she was ever going to come back up from.
“Are you okay?” Ivy asked.
Greer closed her eyes and winced. She didn’t want to turn around, not right now. She couldn’t let Ivy see anything that was on her face, and she’d be damned if she hadn’t figured out how to have a fucking poker face yet. Because she couldn’t ever hide her feelings or emotions. They were always written right across her features for everyone in the world to read them.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Greer squeaked out. “Just going to get some water. It was a long drive.”
Ice water. Very fucking cold ice water. Or better yet, an ice-cold shower. That was exactly what Greer needed right now.
Instead, Ivy stepped down the last few stairs and took Greer by the hand. “You don’t look good.”
“I could be getting what Nathalie has,” Greer said, trying to find any excuse as to why she was barely holding herself up.
“I doubt that,” Ivy answered, frowning slightly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Greer shook her head before she could stop herself. She wasn’t okay. She wasn’t prepared for what this family would mean to her or exactly how she would react to them. She hadn’t been prepared to come into their lives and be met with who they were—unabashedly. None of them tried to cover up their faults ever. They simply lived as exactly who they were every moment of the day. And Greer loved that.
And seeing Nathalie and Ivy in bed together? Seeing them so relaxed and comfortable with each other? Seeing Ivy being the caregiving one when she was usually the one running around and wrangling the chickens? Holy hell, she had been in her element. That was the calmest and most serene that Greer had ever seen Ivy.
“Come sit down,” Ivy said, tugging Greer’s hand toward the couch.
Greer just followed her, not quite sure what else to do right now, because her mind was mush and her hormones were taking over.
Ivy plopped Greer onto the couch and immediately held the back of her hand to Greer’s forehead. Greer was clammy and sweaty all right, but it had nothing to do with being sick. And Ivy should know that. It was impossible not to see what was going on, wasn’t it? Greer reached up and took Ivy’s hand, lowering it.
“You’re so hot,” Ivy said.
Greer shook her head and then nodded. “I mean, yeah, I am, but I’m not sick, Ivy. I promise you.”
“Are you sure?” A line formed in the center of Ivy’s forehead as she concentrated. “We don’t need you getting under the weather.”
“I promise you, I’m not sick.” Just really fucking turned on right now . “I’ll be fine in a few minutes.” If you back up and give me space, that is.
But Greer couldn’t bring herself to say that, and she definitely couldn’t out herself like that in front of Ivy. Not only would it change the entire dynamic behind their relationship, it could ruin the job that she had seriously come to love in the last few weeks. Despite all the drama, she’d found a home here with these women and their kids, and she didn’t want to give that up.
Ivy hummed, pulling her lower lip between her teeth and then letting it pop out. “I’m going to get you some water.”
“Thanks. I’d uh… appreciate that.” Greer waited until Ivy was in the kitchen before covering her face and groaning into her hands. She had to muffle the sound somehow and this was the best way, and she couldn’t leave because then Ivy would be coming to find her again. She only had a few seconds before Ivy returned, glass with ice water in hand.
Greer leaned back into the couch as she took it. “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Ivy sat next to her, their thighs bumping.
This wasn’t going to be good. Greer had never run into this problem before. She’d always managed to keep her emotions separate from her work and she’d never actually been attracted to her boss before—well, one of her bosses—because she did have three right now.
“I think it was great of you, coming over to take care of Nathalie.” Greer downed half the glass of water and then set it on the side table. “I’m sure she appreciated it.”
“We always take care of each other. I just haven’t been able to do that for a while.”
“Because of Penny.”
“Yeah.” Ivy frowned slightly. “But I decided after the other week, when Penny took the boys in such a fuss, that I really have to stop letting her ruin my life, and I need to live my life like I want to live it. I need to be me again. And I need to be free from the dark cloud that’s her .”
“Understandable and commendable.” Greer stared at the wall across from her, trying to figure out if there was a pattern to the texture on it. She really needed to focus on something other than just how close Ivy was sitting next to her, just how beautiful this moment truly was.
“It really is, isn’t it? Nathalie and I had a lot of time to talk today.” She let out a little chuckle and a smile. “I do promise that I let her rest too.”
“Good,” Greer said with a deep breath.
Ivy reached up, putting a hand on Greer’s cheek and turning Greer’s face toward hers. “Are you sure you’re all right? Your cheeks are still red.”
Greer nodded, staring directly into those stunning honey-colored eyes. She dropped her gaze to Ivy’s lips, to the way they bowed naturally upward, unlike Nathalie’s which bowed naturally down, so she perpetually looked like she was frowning.
“You were made for smiling,” Greer murmured, and then she bit her tongue. What the fuck was she doing?
Ivy’s lips curled upward instantly, and they parted slightly. “So I wasn’t wrong when I thought you were attracted to women.”
“God no,” Greer answered. “I’m very open about being a lesbian.”
“Good.” Ivy smiled again, and then she tilted her head back, shaking her hair out slightly. The length of her neck was stunning, the lines, the muscles as they moved, leading straight toward the tank top and her collarbones. “And was I wrong when I thought you were attracted to me?”
“No,” Greer said, as if she couldn’t control herself. “You’re a very attractive woman. So are Nathalie and Lachlan.”
“But you don’t want anything to happen,” Ivy surmised.
Greer flicked her gaze directly to Ivy’s eyes. “You’re my boss. They’re also my bosses.” That should be enough of an answer, right? It should be enough of an explanation to stop whatever the hell was happening between them. “I do love the way you take care of each other.”
“It’s nice, isn’t it? Our own little family unit.”
Greer hummed her agreement.
“But it does seem to be missing something.” Ivy put a finger underneath Greer’s chin and lifted her gaze back up to meet her eyes. “I haven’t kissed anyone since I split with Penny.”
“Really?” That was a few years ago, but Greer could see why. Penny kept Ivy on her toes. She wouldn’t have a chance to find anyone to even have a moment’s break with, would she?
“Yeah, and you know what I’d really like right now?”
“What’s that?”
“A kiss.”
Greer’s lips parted in surprise, and she pulled back slightly, breaking the physical contact between them. “I don’t think that’s a wise decision.”
Ivy nodded. “It’s not. I know it’s not. But for just one day I wish someone would want to touch me in that way again.”
Pausing, Greer held her breath. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to touch Ivy. It had never been because of that. But Greer was putting space between them because she worked for her. She didn’t want Ivy to think it was because of anything else. “I’m going to hell for this.”
“For what?”
Greer cut off anything else that Ivy might have said. She pressed their mouths together hard. She parted her lips and cupped the side of Ivy’s cheek, pulling her in closer. She moaned as she pushed Ivy down onto the couch and covered her entirely. Greer nipped at Ivy’s lower lip, she palmed Ivy’s breast through the sports bra, feeling the moment Ivy’s nipple hardened against her hand.
Breaking the kiss, Greer looked at her directly in the eye. “It’s not because I don’t want to touch you.”
Ivy grinned up at her. “I want you to touch me. I want to touch you.”
Greer groaned and dove back in for another kiss. She wasn’t going to take this any further than a few touches and a few kisses—at least not until she figured out exactly what the consequences for her actions were going to be. At least not until she figured out if she’d still have a job tomorrow and next week. She brushed the edge of her thumb across Ivy’s hardened nipple and savored the moan that escaped Ivy’s lips in response. Greer swallowed it down, tangling their tongues.
She jerked back when the door upstairs snicked open. She eyed Ivy carefully, pulling her up to sit, eyes wide as the fear that should have been present five minutes ago finally came racing in and smacking her in the face.
“Ivy…”
“We both wanted this,” Ivy said, reaching up and wiping the wetness from Greer’s lips. “And I don’t regret it one second.”
“But tomorrow?”
“I won’t regret it then either.” Ivy grinned widely. “You’ll see.”