Chapter Five
Nora
He used the word ‘date.’ He actually used the word, date.
My heart beats heavy as I try not to read into it, though I’m not sure who wouldn’t. It’s a word used for people to read into. He could’ve used a plethora of words.
Talk. Drink. Hangout.
He used ‘date.’
I need to call Daphne. I’m sure she’d have some solid advice to set me back in place again.
I’ll call her after dinner… before the date.
Ellie bites into her pizza, pulling the crust away with a stringy piece of cheese hanging from her mouth. “This is so much better than cow poop.”
Colton laughs, and I get the feeling this is their dynamic, which I have no plan on disrupting. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been raising a little girl without her mother.
“So, what are you two going to do tomorrow?”
Colton takes a sip of beer and settles the bottle onto the table.
“Nora says we’re going to see how much longer until the new playground is done at Mrs. Robinson’s house.”
She bites into her pizza again, before taking a sip of water.
“That sounds like a fun day. I think they’re still working on it, but I want to say a slide was finally up. Take pictures for me.”
Ellie continues, “Then, we’re restocking the house with food, and we’re gonna learn how to make the cheesy noodles I had at that restaurant.”
“Alfredo?”
Colton grins toward me, brushing his hand down over his beard before tossing his napkin down onto his empty plate. “That sounds delicious. I’m sure you two will do great.”
“And… apple pie for dessert, ‘cause that’s my favorite. I told Nora your favorite is raspberry, but we’re gonna make my favorite first.”
“Okay…”
The lines beside his eyes wrinkle as he holds his gaze on mine.
I wonder if I have something on my face, or basil in my teeth, or if my mascara is smudged all over my eyes.
With my luck, it’s all three.
“I was hoping you two would have time for lunch tomorrow. I’ve got a few colts to feed and normal chores, but I should have time for a picnic.”
“Oh,”
my tone brightens with excitement, “we could definitely meet you down in the pasture for lunch. I planned to get an early start, anyway.”
“Yes! We can show Nora all the pretty horses, and I can show her how to braid their hair, and I can show her my kingdom!”
Ellie shouts and jumps up from the table.
“Are you finished eating after one piece, bug?”
Colton flips the pizza box open and wiggles his eyebrow toward Ellie.
“Yeah, I’m tired.”
“Tired?”
Colton’s voice draws deeper as he says, “I’ve never heard you admit that to anyone. You feeling okay?”
Ellie grins wide, twisting her curls. “Nora says that I’m a unicorn princess, and a princess needs eight hours of sleep every night so their powers are their strongest.”
“Oh yeah?”
Colton glances toward me. “What’s your superpower?”
“Unstoppable energy!”
The announcement comes straight from her chest as she hops up from the table and runs toward the stairs.
Colton smiles at Ellie then toward me. “That’s very perceptive of Nora to notice that, and I agree, sleep is the best way to keep those powers fresh and strong. You better go brush those teeth. I’ll be up to tuck you in shortly.”
“Okay. Good night, Nora.”
She runs up the stairs, one foot after the other, as my heart expands and warms.
I shouldn’t imagine what it would be like to be a part of this family because I’m not and never will be.
I definitely shouldn’t fantasize about Colton and I disappearing into his bedroom after dinner.
He didn’t mess with the hot mom, so he’s certainly not going to mess with me.
“I’ve got this, if you want to head up and get ready for bed too. Your day has been long.”
“Umm, thanks, but you’re paying me to clean up and take care of things, so why don’t you get cleaned up and I’ll do this.”
“It’s a pizza box and a few glasses. Let me feel like the hero tonight.”
He smiles that big, gorgeous grin that he smiles, and stretches up from the table. “We can talk after we get comfortable and put Ellie to bed. Does that work?”
Getting comfortable with him wasn’t something I anticipated. In fact, I don’t have a change of clothes. “Oh, shoot. I wasn’t expecting to start on the spot like this today. I didn’t bring anything from home to wear.”
“Damn. I’m sorry. I should’ve thought of that. If you want to go upstairs in my room, the second drawer of the dresser has some t-shirts of mine you can wear. I’ve got extra toothbrushes in the bathroom next to your room.”
His t-shirt. He wants me to wear his t-shirt… to our date. This is going to my head. I need my sister.
“Okay,”
I say, my voice cracking as I turn. God, I need to get a grip. It’s not a big deal. It’s fabric. It’s just washed fabric. “I’ll meet you in Ellie’s room in five.”
“Sounds good,”
he groans, opening the front door with the pizza box in hand.
Lord, help me.
I shouldn’t be here.
I really shouldn’t be here.
Ellie is sweet as heck and I love spending time with her, but today was an emotional roller coaster, and I fear every day from here on out will be as well.
I’m going to have to stop overthinking every single word and glance.
But how? How do I do that when I’m desperately searching for the smallest sign that he might like me?
I push open Colton’s bedroom door, and my thighs squeeze together.
The whole room smells like him.
Cedar, pine, and something deeper like diesel in the background.
He’s made his bed fairly neatly and one single pillow sits on the left side with a nightstand.
The space is decorated with pictures that Ellie’s drawn in frames.
I can’t fathom how this man is still alone. A big, hot, girl dad. I mean, that’s kind of catnip for women.
I open the second drawer to the dresser and pull out the first t-shirt I see.
It has some kind of tractor on it.
I’ve never touched a tractor in my life, but I already love this thing.
I can’t imagine the look on my father’s face if he knew the dirty, filthy things I was thinking about his friend right now.
It’s so messed up, but I’d give just about anything to have one night with Colton.
Pulling off my dress, I replace it with the oversized tee, but it’s uncomfortable, and my back is aching from wearing this stupid bra all day.
Maybe I should take it off.
Maybe I should give Colton something to look at. Maybe give him reason to say more words I can hyper-analyze later.
I mean, I’ll know in the next three minutes if he’s into me or not. This t-shirt is thin… and my nipples are hard.
As my fingers unclasp the bra, a sense of panic sets in. This has to stop. I’m not here to seduce Colton. I’m here to take care of his daughter. I’m here for money. I’m here as a favor to my father.
“I’m ready!”
Ellie shouts as Colton’s heavy weight climbs up the steps.
“We’re on our way.”
His voice is so deep and graveled that I feel another twinge between my legs.
Get a grip, Nora! You’re the nanny, not a prostitute. Though, right now, I’m kind of wishing I was the prostitute.
I tuck my clothes under my arm and tip toe out of his bedroom with the plan to escape to my room before he sees me without my bra on, but there he is gruff and tall, staring toward me.
Actually, isn’t this what I just said I wanted?
“Oh, damn.”
His arm brushes against mine and his eyes glance to my chest and up again quickly as though he’s trying not to look. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to… bump into you.”
“No. It’s okay. I’m good.”
Am I really, though?
We walk side by side toward Ellie’s room, the tension hot between us. Then again, maybe I’m the only one feeling it.
“You’re here!”
Ellie climbs under her covers. “Good thing. It’s late.”
“Which story did you pick tonight?”
Colton makes a B-line for her bookshelf as though this is the routine they have every night.
“Dad, its already ten minutes past bedtime. If I want my powers to be strong in the morning, I need to get to sleep.”
She snuggles under her covers and stares at us. “Come on… kisses!”
Colton bends down and sweeps her hair back, kissing her head gently. “Love you, bug. Sweet dreams.”
“I need a hug from Ellie, too!”
The warmth is back again as I lean down and hug her tight. I can’t disappoint her. She’s already lost her mother. I need to get my head out of the gutter and back into reality where actual things happen, not whatever fantasies I’m dreaming about.
“See you guys in the morning. You should get to sleep too so your powers are their strongest. Dad’s power is definitely strength. I saw him lift a whole horse last week.”
“I lifted a horse last week?”
Colton laughs, “I must have forgotten that one.”
“You did, Dad. You lifted Tiger.”
“Oh, the foal. Yes, I did lift the foal, didn’t I.”
He grins. “What’s Nora’s power?”
Ellie lands her hand on her chin and looks away as though she’s thinking. “Nora’s power is… kindness, because she listened to me and helped me all day today. Plus, she makes you smile too, Dad.”
Colton glances toward me and my heart slams against my chest. “I’d agree with that. She’s very kind.”
“Thank you both. Good night, Ellie. I can’t wait to spend the day with you tomorrow.”
“Same.”
She rolls over and cuddles her unicorn as Colton flicks off the light.
When the door is closed and we’re down the hall, he leans into me, bringing with him the scent of all the hard work he’s done today. Maybe some women would be repulsed, but there’s some kind of pheromone dripping off him that leaves me desperate to climb all over him. “I’m going to need to up your pay already.”
I grin. “Why’s that?”
“You’ve broken her fear of the drain, gotten her excited about bed, and gave her something to feel good about. I think that’s above and beyond what I was expecting. Thank you.”
“Oh, she’s great. I’ve always loved Ellie.”
He nods slowly as we stand on the top of the stairway. “I’m gonna get cleaned up. I’ll be down in five.”
He turns toward his bedroom, but glances back slowly. “That t-shirt is one of my favorites.”
“Oh, I can change. I—”
“No, it suits you. I’ll be down in five. There’s a carton of ice cream in the freezer. We can share.”
I consider heading back to my room to slide my bra back on, but I liked the way he was looking at me, and I want more. Plus, I’m pretty sure ‘it suits you’ can go in the lexicon of words I get to analyze later.
I turn off the overhead light in the kitchen and twist on the lamp in the attached living room. It’s a dimmer light for this kind of night, which is easier on the eyes… or I’m inadvertently setting the mood.
I grab the cookie dough ice cream from the freezer to defrost a little before Colton gets back downstairs. As I wait, I pull my phone from my pocket with intentions to text my sister, but instead see a barrage of texts.
Dad: How’s the first day going?
Dad: Don’t let him work you too hard.
Dad: I just stopped by the pie shop. They have that new butterbeer pie you were looking forward to. I’ll stop by Colton’s with a slice on my way back from your sister’s place tonight. Let me know if eight works.
I have been looking forward to that new Harry Potter themed pie, but no, eight doesn’t work. I’ll have to stop and get a slice for myself.
The lamp flicks off, and Colton lands his heavy feet on the hardwood floor of the kitchen before turning on the brighter overhead light.
What the hell?
He’s wearing a pair of boxer briefs and a tight white t-shirt that shows everything and anything a woman could ever want to see. Okay, I guess a brighter light can be good too.
I drop my phone onto the table and check my chin for drool. “Oh, ugh, one scoop or two?”
He grins. “I say we take two spoons and eat it right out of the carton. Calories don’t count unless they’re in a bowl.”
My clit throbs. I pretend it’s about the calories not counting comment, but I fear the throbbing has more to do with the outline of his massive cock. God, I need help. “Oh, that sounds good.”
He grabs two spoons from the drawer next to the dishwasher and sits at the dining room table before pushing the chair next to him out for me. “I meant what I said a few minutes ago. I’m happy you’re here. Ellie hasn’t responded to anyone like this.”
“I’m glad I can help.”
How am I going to focus knowing his cock is that big? I mean sure, I only saw the outline, but that was more than enough.
He shovels his spoon into the carton and stares toward me. “Lately, she’s been asking about her mom, and it’s gotten complicated.”
“What happened?”
I dig into the ice cream as well, fishing out a bite of cookie dough.
“I’m surprised your dad hasn’t told you.”
“No, he never said a word.”
He shrugs and rolls his big shoulders back with a sigh. “I don’t know how much to tell her or if I should tell her anything at all. She’s everything to me, and now that she’s starting to make friends and see all the other kids have moms… it’s hard.”
“What happened?”
I twist my spoon back into the carton of cream as I hold my breath in anticipation. I can’t imagine why anyone would ever leave this man or Ellie. They’re perfect, and so is this ranch. Who would throw all of this away?
“Her mom was a woman I met a little over five years ago. We didn’t know each other well. She was an artist, a painter who was in town sketching the mountain range. We connected for the weekend, but she was ready for her next adventure, and I didn’t hear another thing from her until nine months later when she called to tell me I had a daughter.”
He swallows down a bite of cookie dough. “Anyway, we did the DNA testing, and sure enough, Ellie was mine.”
“So, why isn’t she here?”
“She couldn’t handle staying in one place or caring for a child, so she signed over full custody and agreed never to come back again. I didn’t want to take a chance of her messing up Ellie in the future. Last year, around Christmas time, I heard that she’d passed away. Some kind of ski accident.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s sad. I feel bad things ended the way they did, but when she snuck away after that weekend without even a call, I knew that she was never going to be a stable presence in mine or our daughter’s life. I’m glad she was wise enough to give Ellie to me when she did. I can’t imagine where Ellie would be now if she hadn’t.”
So much of this makes sense now.
“So, you’ve been alone with Ellie this whole time, since she was an infant?”
“Six months old.”
He shrugs. “We just made it work.”
“What about the chores? How’d you manage all that with a baby?”
“I brought her down there in her stroller and kept her close. When she started walking, I made a pen in the yard. She played, and I worked.”
My God, this man is hot as hell. “That’s pretty incredible. Most guys would’ve probably put the baby up for adoption, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just… that’s a lot of work you took on.”
“Well, I love her. I’m glad she’s here. I wish I could still make everything work but she needs a woman in her life, too.”
“Yeah.”
I look down at the carton and grab another spoonful. “Well, I hope you find her. I know yo—”
“I’m pretty sure I did. I mean, you proved that today. She needs you in her life.”
He laughs. “No pressure. I’m not tying you to the house or anything. I’m just saying you’re special, and you got here just in time.”
Okay, I’m going to die now. Tell me how a person doesn’t read into that.
His hand reaches toward mine and lands over the top of it, brushing softly. “Ellie’s right. Your superpower is kindness.”
My clit throbs harder and harder as our eyes stay focused on one another. I’m crazy. This doesn’t mean anything. Telling someone they’re kind is just a friendly, nice thing to say. I’m sure he tells loads of women that they’re kind.
But does he say it in his underwear, at his kitchen table, while they’re wearing his favorite t-shirt?
What the hell is happening? Why do I want to lean in and kiss him? Why does he look like he’s thinking about kissing me?
Send help!
“Jesus,”
he groans under his breath before breaking the spell. “Sorry… I got lost for a second there.”
“Yeah,”
I sigh, standing from the table to set my spoon in the kitchen sink. When I turn back, he’s kneading the back of his neck, staring again. “You okay?”
“Oh,”
he glances down at the table and rolls his head to the side, “I fucked my neck up today bending over the tractor.”
“It’s probably your suboccipital. I can work it out for you.”
God, my voice probably sounded way too excited to offer that.
“No, that’s not in your job description. I’ll be okay. It happens all the time.”
He continues kneading the back of his neck, rolling it back and forth.
“You’re probably doing more damage rolling it that way.”
I stand behind him, landing my hands on the back of his strong, solid shoulders. “Can I try and work it out?”
He groans low in his throat as my hand rubs the tight muscles at the base of his skull. “You sure? It’s been a long day.”
“Yeah,”
I say, my voice cracking. “I’m sure.”
“Damn,”
he grunts, leaning forward and resting his head on his bent hand. “That feels good.”
The back of his neck is warm, and I can tell right away where the pain is coming from. I move my hands on his shoulders and rub slowly, scratching my fingers up through his hair and onto his neck to relax the muscles surrounding the knot.
He groans under his breath. “Right there.”
Oh shit.
I dig into the knot with more pressure and flatten my thumbs to loosen the cords in his neck as I try to keep myself from salivating, though it’s not working.
Currently, my clit is throbbing, and my rock-hard nipples are brushing up against his back as I lean into him.
I’ve never noticed this with any other clients. Only this one.
“Shit,”
he bends up from the table and stands, abruptly stopping the massage, “that felt really great.”
I swallow hard, noticing the unmistakable bulge in his jeans.
Oh God.
I glance away, my eyes wide. Too wide. I need to be cool. He’s not hard. He can’t be hard.
I glance back. Why did I glance back?
He’s hard!
“I can’t take and not give anything back.”
He pulls out the dining room chair. “Sit down.”
“What? It’s okay… I’m good.”
“I’m sure you are, but I’d feel weird if I took a massage and didn’t give one back. Go ahead and sit.”
I’m pretty sure I could come just thinking about this man touching me. I’m not sure how my body is going to respond to his big, calloused hands. That said, there’s no way in hell I’m saying no.
I slide into the chair and lean forward, resting my head in my hands as his big, rough hands dig into the back of my neck.
Right away, I feel his strength.
His fingers are thick, and his grip exudes power and steadiness.
The pads of his fingers are rough, reminding me of the years of hard work and silent challenges they’ve overcome.
His thumb brushes the space behind the lobe of my ear. It’s an unexpected tenderness that sends a chill down my spine.
Softly, a sigh leaves my lips without permission, and he tilts my head to the side, cradling the weight of my skull in his hardened palm as he works one side of my neck and then the other.
“Feel good?”
His voice is deep but quiet.
“Yeah,”
I whisper. “I can’t remember the last time I was on the receiving end of this.”
“It’s about time then.”
He spreads his fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp. “You smell good, like flowers.”
“Thanks,”
I squeak, barely alive. “You feel amazing.”
“You’re much better at this than me. I’m just… going with the flow.”
I moan under my breath as his hand catches a particularly tight muscle at the base of my neck.
“Good girl. Relax for me.”
Hold up. Did he just call me a good girl?
My body stiffens and my heart rate flies at the speed of light until I melt into some state of being that I didn’t know existed until right now.
I’m pretty sure he feels it too.
He feels me thawing.
He feels my body giving into him.
He has to.
How else could I explain why he grips the back of my neck and turns me toward him?
How else do I explain why he settles me on to the dining room table and leans into my lips with a growl low in his throat?
How else do I explain the way he tears off the t-shirt I’m wearing, or the way he cups my breasts and licks each nipple? How else do I explain his teeth scraping against them?
My entire body is on fire.
I’m not here anymore.
I don’t know this girl.
I don’t know her at all.
My hands wrap around his strong shoulders, and my fingers weave through the tuft of hair on his chest.
We shouldn’t be doing this.
I know damn well we shouldn’t be doing this.
There are so many consequences.
My father.
Ellie.
Everyone in town.
I couldn’t handle it.
Also, I can’t stop.
He kisses my neck with a growl. “I think about you constantly, Nora.”
My panties are soaked. “You do?”
“I do.”
“What do you think?”
Clearly, I know what he thinks, but I need to hear it. I need to hear his gruff voice whisper filthy things in my ear.
He brushes my hair back away from my face and leans his forehead against mine. “I shouldn’t tell you all the things I think. If I do, you’ll want to leave. Hell, you probably shouldn’t be here, anyway. Clearly, I can’t control myself.”
“I want to be here,”
I murmur as I tug at his boxers. “I think about you too.”
“What do you think?”
My eyes meet his. “I asked you first.”
A low growl emanates from his throat as he wets his lips and leans into my ear.
“Oh, honey, I think about all kinds of things. Your soft hair in my hands, your pretty smile, what you’d look like on your knees, my cock sliding into your throat. My thoughts are all over the fuckin’ place. Your turn.”
His lips meet mine gently, then deeper until our tongues are twisting together and he’s groaning into my mouth.
“I, ugh,”
I take a breath, “I wonder what your hands would feel like on my skin, which tractor you’d bend me over first, what your cock would feel like spreading me wide.”
Oh my God, I’ve never talked this dirty in my life! What am I saying? Why am I saying it to my father’s best friend?
My cheeks heat and a wave of dizziness washes over me.
“Jesus,”
he growls into my mouth, kissing me deep and hard before pulling away with a less satisfying growl.
This one is angry.
“What the fuck am I doing? We can’t do this.
You’re twenty years younger than me. I just hired you for employment, and Ellie needs you. I’m complicating this. Not to mention your dad…”
“Why does this need to be complicated?”
I hop down off the table, my nude body on display like I’ve never had an insecurity in my life, and Lord knows that isn’t true.
“This doesn’t have to be forever, Colton.
There’s no contract to sign.
We don’t have to tell my father, and we don’t have to make this more complicated than it needs to be. Just one night, you and me. We can forget about everyone else, and just let this happen.”
“That won’t work, honey.”
He steps toward me, his hand weaving into my hair as he presses my bare chest against him. “I can’t take you once and not want you again and again. It’s impossible.”
“Can you really walk away from tonight and not regret it?”
Silence ensues as he studies my face, looking over me as though he’s weighing out the level of pain this is about to cause.
Without warning, he crashes against my lips and lifts me back up onto the dining room table with a growl. “If I only get you for one night, I need you to promise you’ll be a good girl and do what I say.”
My heart slams against my chest with anticipation. “Okay, but you have to promise me this is really a one-night thing. We can’t do this ever again.”
He sweeps his hand down over my face. “I can’t promise that.”
His lips land on my neck and he kisses me over and over. “How could I? You’re here every day. You’re taking care of us. You’re… I need you.”
“One night, Colton. It’s all we’ve got. Can we agree or should I leave?”
I don’t know if I have the power to leave, but pretending like I do makes me feel like a better person. Like somehow, if I only fuck my dad’s best friend one night, I’m not as bad as I could be.
“One night at a time,”
he groans licking each nipple gently. “I’ll take you one night at a time.”