Chapter 11
eleven
. . .
Archer
I’d tossed and turned all night.
Christmas was around the corner, work was crazy busy, and my nanny was consuming my thoughts.
I was horny as hell and tempted to take a shower so I could give myself a little fucking relief.
It was the one place I let my mind wander about the beautiful woman who was living in my home.
The woman who was great with my daughter, even getting defensive about how tough her teacher was.
Winnie was funny and witty and didn’t hesitate to give me shit when needed.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually looked forward to spending time with a woman.
And this woman wasn’t mine.
She was my daughter’s.
But we spent a lot of time together, and the lines were definitely graying.
I fucking hated gray lines.
I was a black-and-white guy. I followed the rules. Stayed in my lane.
The day I brought Melody home from the hospital, I’d made a commitment to my daughter. One she wouldn’t have been able to comprehend at the time, but I sure as hell did.
She was my priority. My life was forever changed, and I was going to be whatever she needed me to be to give her the best life.
So I’d date occasionally. Obviously I was a man with needs. But I was a straight shooter with the women I’d spent time with. I never lied about what I had to offer, which was nothing more than a casual thing.
Good dinner, easy conversation, and mind-blowing sex, if that was what they wanted.
And now, I was fantasizing about my daughter’s nanny.
A woman Melody had quickly grown close to.
A woman who was a decade younger than me.
She worked for me, for fuck’s sake.
I scrubbed a hand down my face.
I glanced at my phone when it vibrated, letting me know a new text had arrived.
Samantha
Hey handsome. I just got home from a work trip on the east coast, and I was thinking about you. Can you get a babysitter this week, and I’ll make you dinner? And maybe we can both scratch an itch.
I looked at the time and saw that it was just after two a.m. It wasn’t out of character for Samantha to text me this late.
We’d hooked up several months ago. She was a flight attendant, and when she wasn’t working, she was traveling.
She’d gone through a nasty divorce a few years back, and she wasn’t looking for anything serious, which had worked well for me.
Maybe that’s what I need?
To get Winnie out of my head.
I didn’t answer her. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to respond.
Instead, I decided to go get a bottle of water and a snack. I was wide awake, and maybe that would help.
I set my phone on the nightstand and made my way down the hallway.
Melody wouldn’t be up for several hours, so hopefully I’d still be able to get a few more hours of sleep.
I came around the corner and startled at the sight of her.
Winnie was standing with her back to me, staring into the freezer, wearing a pair of tiny shorts and a tank top. The curve of her peach-shaped ass was peeking out of the hem of her shorts, and my dick instantly reacted.
I quickly turned to get out of there before she saw me, but my arm hit the wall and made the slightest sound, causing her to turn.
“Oh, hey,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. Did I wake you?”
“No. I couldn’t sleep. Came for a snack.”
She pulled out the quart of ice cream that she’d picked up at the market and opened the drawer, then held up a spoon for me. “Want some ice cream?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, sure.”
Her eyes scanned my bare chest, and I was grateful that I’d at least tugged on a pair of gray joggers over my briefs.
She handed me the spoon, my fingers grazing along hers as I reached for it. She sucked in a breath, and I noted the way her chest rose and fell rapidly once I’d moved closer.
Looking at her was a mistake.
A big fucking mistake.
Because her nipples were poking through the thin material of her tank top.
It took everything in me to look away.
She appeared unfazed as she jumped up on the counter of the large kitchen island. She dipped her spoon into the green minty ice cream and wrapped her lips around it.
All I could do was imagine those lips wrapped around my cock.
My cock that was currently raging beneath my joggers.
I made sure to stand close to the cabinets so she wouldn’t notice as I faced her.
“Couldn’t sleep, either?” I asked.
“Nope. But that happens a lot to me.”
“Why?” I pressed.
“I think it’s the book that I’m writing. My brain can’t shut off sometimes, and I’m just sort of stuck right now.” She dipped her spoon back into the ice cream and made a little humming sound when she placed it between her lips.
Fuck me.
Winnie eating ice cream was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
“What are you stuck on? Maybe I can help?”
“Do you read a lot of romance, Archie?” she teased.
“No, but I’ve been around a bit longer than you, so I’m sure I can at least help.”
She chuckled. “Why do you always make age references? You’re not even old.”
Because I need to remind myself that I’m too old for you daily.
“Agreed. But I’m older than you, so I might have a different perspective.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “So, my hero, his name is Luka, and he’s a single dad.”
“Interesting. A single dad for your hero?”
“Don’t get a big head—I started it long before I met you.”
“Single dads are hot, aren’t they?” I waggled my brows.
“Sure.” She licked the ice cream off her spoon, and I swear I nearly came right there in the middle of the kitchen. “Anyway, he’s crazy about a woman who he can’t have. Her name is Francesca.”
“Why can’t he have her? She’s not into him?”
“No. She’s totally into him.” She laughed. “She’s his best friend’s little sister. She’s off limits.”
I rubbed my jaw, noting that it was time to shave. “Ahh… got it. Well, he should do the right thing and stay the fuck away from her then.”
She gaped at me. “That’s terrible advice. We want them to get together.”
“I don’t think they should be together.” I leaned closer, scooping another bite out of the container.
“Why?”
“Because I would assume that his best friend knows him better than anyone. He doesn’t think he’s good enough for her, so he probably isn’t.”
“His best friend is being ridiculous. Barbaric and controlling. He’s a total hypocrite,” she said, in the most defensive voice.
“Fine. Put them together. People love a happy ending.”
She gave me a look. “Archie. That could be taken two different ways.”
I laughed. Like I said, she was funny and witty.
And maybe I had a happy ending on my mind.
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?” she teased, reaching up to tighten her ponytail, and I noticed the ribbon tied around the elastic. Did she sleep in them, too?
“What’s the deal with the ribbons? I notice you wear them every day.”
“That’s very observant of you.” She smiled. “It’s kind of my thing.”
“Meaning?”
She pointed to my chest, where my daughter’s name was inked over my heart.
“My father has my name tattooed over his heart. And when I was young, after my mom left, I guess I had a hard time for a while. I barely remember it.” She shrugged.
“Apparently, I didn’t want to get out of bed because I was blue, and he told me that whenever he felt sad about something, he’d look at my name on his chest, and it became like his own little superpower.
He told me that I had to find something to use as my superpower.
To remember how strong I was when I wasn’t feeling strong. ”
I’d moved closer to her without even realizing it.
Wanting to comfort her.
Wanting to touch her.
“I could see how he would find his strength in you. I’ve experienced that with Melody. Times where I struggle and question if I’m failing at this whole dad thing—and all I have to do is look at her and know I’m doing all right. She’s my motivation. I guess she’s my superpower, too.”
Her lips turned up in the corners. “Yes. It shows.”
“So how did you decide on a bow?”
“My dad had bought me a bunch of bows to try to cheer me up. If you knew this man, you would know that he is not the kind of guy to go to the store and shop for hair bows.” She chuckled, and her eyes were wet with emotion.
“And he ended up buying me one in every color of the rainbow. So I guess in a way, these represent him. The fact that he stayed and he was there every step of the way. I put one of the bows in my hair that day, and I swear I felt like I suddenly had a superpower. And from that day on, I wore a bow in my hair every day, just to remind myself that I’m not alone.
That I can do anything I set my mind to. ”
Fuck me.
This girl never stopped impressing me.
And now I moved even closer, stepping between her legs that hung a few inches apart. I reached up and touched the back of her head. “It’s your superpower. I should just start calling you Winnie Woman instead of Wonder Woman.”
She chuckled as her gaze locked with mine.
“It’s a lengthy nickname, Archie,” she whispered, and her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink.
My hand moved to the side of her face, my thumb gliding along her bottom lip.
Had I ever wanted to kiss a woman more than I did right now in this moment?
Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Her lips parted when I pulled my thumb back.
I was going to kiss her.
I wanted it.
She wanted it.
That was all that mattered.
I tipped my head down as her hand moved to the back of my head and tangled in my hair, tugging me closer.
Our lips just a breath apart.
“Daddy!” Melody’s voice startled me, and I jumped back, just as she came around the corner.
“Hey, what’s going on, angel face?” I asked as I hurried toward her and scooped her up, settling her on my hip.
“I had a bad dream, and I went to find you in your room, and you weren’t in there?” she whimpered.
Winnie was already off the counter and on her feet, slipping the ice cream back into the freezer and filling my daughter’s cup with water. “Are you thirsty, sweet pea?”
Melody nodded, and Winnie reached for a paper towel and ran it under water before cleaning up her tear-streaked face. “I used to have bad dreams, too.”
“You did, Winnie?”
She nodded. “Yep. But then I would remind myself that they aren’t real, and usually when I’d go back to sleep, they were gone.”
“I hope this one goes away. I don’t remember what it was, but I was running from a bear, I think,” Melody said, her eyes wide as her bottom lip trembled.
Winnie reached behind her head and untied her bow, placing it in my little girl’s hand. “Here. Keep this with you. I’m giving you my superpower.”
“I love your bows, Winnie. I’m going to keep this with me and scare away all the bad bears.” Melody smiled.
“Sleep well, sweet pea.” Winnie kissed her cheek, and then quickly headed for her bedroom.
She glanced over her shoulder, and my gaze locked with hers before she turned away.
I almost kissed my fucking nanny.
The woman my daughter had grown attached to.
What kind of selfish prick was I?
I would have crossed a line that I shouldn’t have crossed.
And I would not make that mistake again.