Chapter 10
10
NICKY
“H ey…”
That one word uttered from Ronan’s lips immediately sends my heart galloping. It doesn’t make any sense.
I mentally stomp out the visceral reaction and let my eyes bounce between the two men. “Twins. Right.”
I do remember Mason mentioning something about Karli having twin brothers. And although both of these men are so good-looking, Ronan manages to do something to my body that his twin brother does not.
“Uncle Ronan, we don’t think this is the pizza guy.” The little girl eyeballs me suspiciously, clutching her one-eyed rag doll snuggly to her chest.
Ronan chuckles. “Nope. It’s definitely not the pizza guy.” His gaze slowly spills over me like warm honey. “Trust me—I’ve never seen a pizza guy who looks like that .”
His innuendo makes me shiver. I’m not proud of it.
I self-consciously smooth down the collar of my blouse. My business suit was supposed to establish a professional distance between us. But it’s clearly not doing its job. Now, I feel like I overdressed for nothing.
“So, who is she?” the curious child asks her uncle.
“This is Nicky. She’s my new babysitter,” Ronan answers, taking his eyes off me for just long enough to give her a grin.
“Your babysitter?” the girl guffaws. “But you don’t need a babysitter. You’re a grown-up!”
“A grown-up? Is he really?” The twin brother snorts.
Ronan ignores him. “Well, apparently, I’ve been a bad, bad boy. Uncle Darius thinks I need some…supervision.” His grin only goes wider as he speaks, each word dripping with double-meaning.
“What’s a ‘supervision’?” The child asks.
I decide to jump in there before Ronan can toss out any more innuendo. “It’s a sort of punishment for not following the rules,” I say sternly, my eyes on him, reminding him that I’m not here for his fun and entertainment. This is business.
“Yeah, that’s right. A punishment,” he echoes me. At least he has the decency to try and hide his smile.
He tries. He fails, though.
Ronan’s twin rolls his eyes. “Why do I get a feeling you like this particular punishment?” He stretches a hand out and introduces himself. “Hi, I’m Nolan. The better twin. This is my daughter, Stella.”
“Nolan’s the bitter twin,” Ronan mutters. “He’s angry that I got the bigger—”
“Oh look,” Nolan hastily interrupts. “There’s the pizza guy!” Headlights shine over us as a delivery car drives up into the yard.
“Pizza! Yay!” Stella squeals, immediately forgetting this conversation about her uncle and his punishment. She wiggles her way out of Ronan’s arms and he sets her down on her socked feet.
The pizza guy hurriedly jogs up to the porch, depositing the boxes into Nolan’s outstretched hands before quickly running back toward his delivery car. The aroma of pepperoni, cheese and fresh-baked dough fragrances the air around us. Nolan shouts a thank you after the man and Stella is already halfway down the very long hallway, yelling that it’s dinner time.
As he turns back toward the house, Nolan jabs his twin in the ribs. “You’re an inappropriate asshole, you know that?” His eyes shift to me. “You have your work cut out for you, being stuck with this guy.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “I have a feeling I’ll be jabbing Ronan in the ribs too, over the next few months.”
“Oh, you will. A lot…Nice meeting you, Nicky.” He turns on his heel and heads deeper into the house.
“Nice meeting you, too,” I call after him.
Then I’m left standing here, face-to-face with his mischievous twin. Ronan’s hair is wet, one silky brown lock flopping over his strong brow. He smells so fresh and so clean and so manly.
My heart is galloping again as silence stretches between us. A delicious smile unfolds across his lips and my knees falter the slightest bit. Momentarily, I wonder what it would be like to trace my tongue along the seam of those lips.
As hungry as I am, if I had to choose between those lips and the pizza, I’d choose—
Stop it, Nicky. Keep it professional. Besides, didn’t you just swear off men?
I smooth down my blouse again. “I didn’t realize you had a twin brother.” I say, quickly glancing to where Nolan is disappearing around a corner inside the house.
Ronan’s fingers brush over mine as he’s taking my bags out of my hand. Awareness ignites at the contact and my eyes shoot to his.
He’s watching me intently with a playful glint on his face. “I do have a twin brother. But don’t pay him any mind. I’m superior on every level.” He winks.
“I bet.” Sarcasm drips from my words.
Ronan chuckles. “Follow me.”
I toe off my boots on the mat. There’s already several pairs of mens shoes sitting there alongside a pair of tiny pink butterfly boots. A catchy children’s song blares from somewhere at the end of the hallway.
Ronan strolls ahead of me across the buffed concrete floors and I peek at the modern furniture and the abstract art on the walls. It’s giving ‘I definitely hired an overpriced interior designer to get this shit together’ energy. I love that for him.
Finally, we turn into a huge kitchen with high ceilings and stainless steel appliances. Nolan and Stella are sitting at the massive stone island, eating pizza with two other men as a cartoon plays on the wall-mounted TV.
Some wild and crazy party, this is.
Gotta admit—I feel silly. I’d been expecting to be walking in on a drunken rager that I’d have to break apart. Instead, this is the most wholesome kind of gathering imaginable. Complete with kiddie juice boxes and the hottest Cocomelon tunes pumping through the speakers.
The men turn and look at me. They don’t have to say a word. I immediately know these guys are two more Brighton brothers. The family resemblance is that obvious.
Ronan sets my bags on the floor, shooting threatening glares between his brothers. “This is Nicky.” He lowers his voice. “Say something stupid and I’m cutting you all out of my will.”
The one with the happy green eyes and the reddish hues in his brown hair stands from the counter. He introduces himself. “Hey, I’m Felix.” He extends a hand.
His name rings a bell. “You’re the doctor, right? You hired Mason to work at the medical clinic?”
He nods proudly. “That’s me.”
My eyebrows rise in unison. “My Grammy still hasn’t forgiven you for luring her favorite grandson away from Honey Hill with that job offer.”
He flinches. “Yeah, I know. I sort of figured I was on her shit list. She didn’t give me any cookies when I met her at the housewarming party.”
I laugh. “That sounds exactly like Grammy.”
“This is Archer.” Felix claps a palm on the flannel-covered shoulder of his other brother.
“Hi.” Archer wipes his fingers on a paper napkin, gives my hand a quick squeeze and then returns right back to his pizza.
“We don’t disturb Archer while he’s eating,” Felix tells me in a whisper. “He’s a hangry bear.”
Stella giggles melodically but Archer isn’t amused. He crumples up a napkin and tosses it in the little girl’s direction. That only makes her giggle some more.
I like the Brightons already. The dynamic between them puts me right at home. As a girl who grew up in a big family, the back and forth ribbing is so familiar to me.
Throughout the interaction, I feel Ronan’s eyes on me. I glance in his direction and when I catch him staring, he gives me a smile that’s almost boyish. Is he blushing?
I don’t understand him. One minute, he’s trying to peel my clothes off of me with his eyeballs. The next minute, he’s acting shy and his cheeks are going splotchy and pink. This man is strange.
Nolan steals my attention. “Are you eating with us?” He flips open a pizza box, enticing me with the steaming, yummy-smelling pie.
But Ronan hurriedly interjects. “We’re gonna take this to go.” He quickly grabs one of the three pizza boxes.
Nolan laughs, watching me. “He’s trying to keep you from us. He knows it won’t take long for us to break out the family photo albums.”
“Photo albums?” I laugh. “I’m intrigued. You got something to hide, mister?” I nudge Ronan’s elbow with mine.
Well, that wasn’t professional, Nicky . And how did we end up standing so close? I quickly straighten up and take a step away from him.
Ronan scoffs. “I have nothing at all to hide,” he says, all defensive. Then he drops his voice. “Only the Justin Timberlake-inspired frosted tips hairstyle of Summer 2014.”
Nolan shakes his head. “Still can’t believe Mom let you do that to yourself.”
Felix shrugs. “Every man needs to try the frosted tips at least once in his life.”
“Agreed.” Archer grunts, dropping his head ruefully, like he’s reliving painful hairstyle decisions of his own. That makes me snort with laughter.
“Fine. I rocked some frosted tips. Doesn’t mean I want to let the pretty girl see the photographic evidence a decade later, though.” Ronan is full-on beaming at me now.
Fuck, that smile is pretty. And he called me pretty. My core throbs so hard it almost throws me off-balance.
Grinning with amusement, Ronan hands the pizza box to me. “Let’s go get you settled in, shall we?” He takes my briefcase and my overnight bag from the floor, heading for the exit.
I wave goodbye to the rest of the family, wishing them a good night. But as I’m about to step into the hallway, Felix jogs after us.
He stretches a floral business card my way. “Can’t let you leave without promoting my fiancée’s vintage clothing shop. Wisteria and Grace. Be sure to drop by when you’re in town. It’s right above the medical clinic. Tell Daphne I sent you.”
The proud smile on his face makes my heart melt. Aww. So sweet. The way he’s eager to brag about his lady. The way he’s supporting her when she’s not even in the room. A guy shouldn’t want to keep his woman a secret. He should be ready to shout her name from the rooftops.
I feel a pang of jealousy in my chest. Some girls have it so good.
Will it ever be my turn to be loved like that?
“I’ll definitely check it out,” I promise Felix. Then I give another wave and follow after Ronan.
“Good luck, babysitter,” he calls out as I go.
“Thanks,” I mumble. My spidey senses are telling me I’m going to need all the luck I can get.
Especially when I see Ronan waiting patiently at the door, big and broad and intently focused on me as I approach. He’s looking like my very own bodyguard. Good lord.
His steadying hand darts out, settling on the small of my back when I wobble as I’m stepping into my boots. My thighs squeeze together again.
And is there an ‘off’ switch for this thing? Somebody needs to invent an ‘off’ switch for this thing. Because my body is acting downright inappropriate now.
Ronan’s not safe, Nicky. Ronan is heartbreak waiting to happen . And on top of that, he’s my assignment. My trouble-causing, disorderly assignment.
He holds the door open, allowing me to step out first. Then I follow him around the side of the house, the pizza box clutched in my clammy hands.
Ronan moves unhurriedly, in no rush, as I navigate my way down the icy path. My gaze sweeps around as we walk. This property is huge.
We pass by an outdoor pool. It's all covered up, now that we’re in the dead of winter. I also notice a standalone sauna right next door to the pool house.
And is that a freaking skating rink? No way. It’s massive like at a hockey arena, and it’s lit up by bright stadium lights.
In the distance, all I see is the faint outline of the mountains under the starlit sky. It’s breathtaking out here.
Is this place even for freaking real?
Sure, Ronan is a professional athlete, but so is my brother Harry. And while their home is spacious and gorgeous, there sure as hell are no football fields hidden around Harry and Nadia’s property.
Further down the brightly-lit pathway, I catch sight of an adorable little house. It’s a log-style cabin that looks like something from out of a story book.
I’m so fixated on our surroundings that I forget to pay attention to where I’m putting my feet. Suddenly, my boot slides on a patch of ice and I yip.
But before I can go down in a pile of tangled limbs, Ronan’s strong arm hooks around my back, his long fingers firmly grasping my hip. There he goes, displaying those superhero reflexes again.
I suck in a sharp gasp, mostly because of the fiery explosion in the spot where his hand is gripping me.
Now his face is so close to mine, his hypnotic eyes holding my gaze. “You all good?” he asks, his voice a low rumble.
I squint against the darkness to sift through the flecks of blue and gray in his frost-colored gaze. After a moment, I snap back to myself, putting distance between us again. “Yeah. I’m good. Thanks.”
As he steps backward, Ronan looks a little hypnotized, too. “No problem.”
What on Earth is this man doing to me?
I awkwardly clear my throat and force a smile. “And we managed to save the pizza too.”
He smiles back. “Yeah, we saved the pizza. That’s important.”
Ronan keeps his hand at the small of my back as we walk the rest of the way to the cabin. I try to convince myself that I need his support to make sure I don’t land on my ass in the snow. But the truth is, his touch feels…nice. And it’s been a little too long since a man put his hands on me.
I take my time climbing the three short stairs and Ronan jogs ahead, stepping up to the threshold and holding the front door open for me.
We step into the small building and I can see the whole house right there from the front door.
It’s a loft-style cabin with massive windows everywhere. There are hardly any walls. From where we’re standing in the living room, I can see the kitchenette, the living room space and even the bed tucked into the loft upstairs. I spin around and, through the windows, I have a view of the entire yard, the mountains, the dark sky. All of it.
“My god—it’s clean in here.” I sniff at the air. “And it smells good, too. Potpourri?”
He nods proudly, pointing to the cozy corner where a small side table is set up next to an armchair. “There’s some scented candles, too.”
“Oh my god. Reading nook, unlocked!” My paperback is burning a hole in my briefcase now.
Ronan proceeds to give me a tour of the small space. I trail him around, trying to keep my jaw off the floor as he points out the house’s special features. Every door he opens, he politely steps aside and ushers me through first.
Wow—the chivalry is unexpected from this tattooed bad boy hockey player.
It catches me off-guard the first couple times, but then I start to accept it.
I take my time, making sure I understand how to turn the fancy faucets on and off, and that I’ve figured out how the lights work.
He’s so patient and accommodating the entire time. It almost has me lowering my guard. But then I remember, this is the guy who is thinking god-knows-what about me because he read my dirty text messages.
Right. Don’t lose your grip on reality, Nicky.
When we’re back in the kitchen area, Ronan leans a hip against the granite island and grabs a slice of pizza. He gives me the rest of the rundown.“The thermostat is on the wall next to the bathroom. Set it at whatever makes you comfortable. Everything in the fridge and in the pantry over there has been freshly stocked for you. Towels are in the cabinet next to the bathroom sink. I’ll bring in logs for the fireplace but whenever you need a fire, let me know and I’ll build you one. The motorized blinds open and close with just a flip of that switch.” He scrunches his mouth to the side, thinking. “If there’s anything missing, just make me a list.”
My head swivels, taking it all in. “Okay, got it. Thank you.”
“Let me know if you need extra blankets or something.”
I nod. “Yeah. Thanks so much.”
“And if you need any of your stuff transported out here, I can arrange that, too.”
“All right. Thanks again.”
Okay, the prolonged eye contact is starting to get awkward. And by awkward, I mean ‘ hawt ’.
I glance around at my surroundings. This is far from the hostile work environment I was expecting. I’m relieved. To be honest, this is really nice.
Quietness settles in the room and my body is so damn aware of his. It’s insane.
Desperate to ease the weirdness, I let my gaze find the nearest window, admiring the view of the forest. This is a whole lot of nature for a Chicago girl. I’m a long way from the big city. But maybe Alana is right. This peaceful, middle-of-nowhere house in the woods might be just what I need as I embark on this new era of life.
“I should probably let you unpack,” Ronan says finally.
My head bobs. “Yeah. Sounds like a good idea.”
He grabs another slice, takes a step toward the door, and then pauses. “I know we had a weird first encounter, but I want you to know that I’m actually a nice guy, Nicky. And I’m definitely not the total asshole they say I am in the press.”
“Okay. Sure,” I mumble.
He chuckles sadly. “Jeez. Will you at least give me a chance?”
My heart jumps, not quite sure how to interpret that. Is he asking for a chance to prove he won’t be a nightmare to work with? Or a chance at something…else?
I give a little shrug, not really understanding why he seems so invested in all of this. “I’m not being paid to have an opinion of you, Ronan, so you don’t worry about that. As long as we keep things professional—and we keep you out of the news—everything should go smoothly until the end of the season.”
Ronan doesn’t speak. He just stands there, searching every corner of my face in a way that makes me tingle. All the way to my toes.
“Right…” he answers eventually. “Well, goodnight then.”
“Goodnight.”
Taking his pizza slice, he heads for the door. But there’s another tiny something weighing on my mind. Right before he steps outside, I call after him again. “Ronan?”
He pauses, peeking at me over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
I clear my throat, steeling myself for what I’m about to say. “One last thing.”
He nods, listening intently.
“Those text messages you saw on my phone? We don’t talk about them. We don’t think about them. We act like they don’t exist.”
His nostrils twitch. It’s almost as if he’s fighting against a smile. “Okay…” he says finally.
It’s not convincing at all.
“I’m serious,” I insist. “I don’t want that to blur the lines of our professional relationship.” I chew on my lip, my voice coming out quieter. “And aside from that…it’s a little embarrassing that you saw them.”
Without missing a beat, he blinks impishly. “Saw what? What text messages? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Now, I’m the one fighting a smile. “You can’t be serious for one second, can you?”
He drops his head and wags it left to right, like he’s shaking the thought out of his brain. “Fine. We won’t talk about the text messages.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He lingers in the entrance for a moment, watching me. “Sweet dreams, Nicky.”
“Good night,” I say, trying to appear unaffected by the tenderness in the way he says my name.
Then Ronan is gone, shutting the guest house door behind him. As he goes, my feet instinctively pull me to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. I stand there, watching his strong, powerful body stalking back to the main house.
As he walks away, something occurs to me. He promised he wouldn’t talk about my dirty text messages. But he never promised he wouldn’t think about them.
That realization sparks a throbbing burst of need between my thighs. Despite my best intentions, the idea of Ronan imagining me acting out those dirty deeds is kind of, um, arousing.
Stop it, Nicky .
After all, I’m done with men. Especially charming, reckless playboys I’ve been hired to babysit.
Suddenly, I feel the need to repeat my mantra.
Girl power! Boss babe!
Okay. Right.