Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Istood at the gate in front of Dalton’s private school and stifled a yawn.
I stared down at the app on my phone, swiping left on every single Alpha I came across without really looking at them.
I’d choose one based off our conversation, because visually, none of them enticed me.
None of them had those icy blue eyes . .
. or the regal—Nope, I couldn’t let myself think of Caine Astor.
The last few weeks I kept tossing and turning, my mind in chaos with thoughts I shouldn’t have about my employer.
I’d seldom seen Mr. Astor in the last week, which was due to my efforts to avoid him. I’d made sure to stay in my bedroom when I arrived back from school or made sure to stick by Dalton’s side as much as possible if we crossed paths. Put succinctly, I avoided him like the plague.
Sighing, I swiped out of the app I downloaded in effort to find an Alpha to sate my heat. It would happen any day now, so I needed to stop with my foolishness and just choose one.
I stuffed my phone in my pocket and rubbed my arms, the chill of fall melding into winter.
A coat fell over my shoulders and a long arm reached over my shoulder to tug the front of it closed. I craned my neck to look at a long, slim neck leading to a wide, chiseled jaw.
“Sir,” I breathed, and the soft sound snapped my back straight. I couldn’t be doing this! Immediately, I straightened and stepped forward out of his reach. “Thank you.”
I tugged the coat tighter around me; it wrapped me up in the long warm depths. It smelled just like him. I sniffed as inconspicuously as possible.
“Dalton asked me to pick you both up.” He cleared his throat and tugged at the sleeve of his white shirt, rolling the cuff up.
“Oh.” Licking my lips, I searched my thoughts for something to say, but all I could do was stare into his eyes. The sudden ring of the bell broke me out of my daze.
As I faced the gate, a flood of children began to trickle out. I immediately clocked Dalton. His head was lowered, and he seemed to be reading as he easily navigated through the crowd. In the last few days I’d been focusing on him, I’d learned about his interest in anime and fantasy books.
“Dalton,” I said, waving like mad. His head whipped up and a smile flashed across his lips. Then his eyes flicked over to Mr. Caine standing next to me and his smile calmed, his posture straightening.
“Ms. Issa,” he murmured.
I crouched and hugged him tight. Unlike the last times, he didn’t return my hug except for the smallest pat on my back. He was putting up a front in front of his poppa.
I laughed and stood, clinging to his small hand.
“We have to thank your dad. He’s saving us a walk,” I chirped and swung our hands as we followed Mr. Astor to the luxurious car parked in the lot.
Parents and children flitted past to collect their kids. I studied Mr. Astor. He strolled with a straight posture, his long strides ate away the ground with swiftness, but at the same time, he had a certain air of confidence that drew the eye. He was pure Alpha.
Women watched him with interest. Getting a woman wasn’t an issue, so why had he ended up in my bedroom? That cemented my assumption that he’d only come onto me because of access, and I’d stupidly let him be my first lover.
“Here we are.”
I focused on him holding the back car door open, and I shuffled Dalton in, holding his backpack as he settled in the seat.
“Scoot over for me, Dalton,” I murmured.
“No, sit in the front,” Mr. Astor ordered, plucked the backpack from my arms, and tossed it to the other back seat.
I made a face at Dalton, and he pressed his lips together, trying to hide a giggle. Mr. Astor slammed the door shut and turned to look at me, eyebrows furrowed.
“Mr. Astor, there really is no need for me to sit in the front.”
“Call me, Caine,” he said, holding it open.
I hesitated before getting into the passenger side. He was opening my door and everything. Something had to be wrong. And why was he telling me to call him by his first name?
I licked my lips.
“There is no need for any of this, Mr. Ast—”
“Caine,” he said, lowering his head to peer into my eyes. “That’s an order.”
Trying not to smile at the playful glint in his eyes, I thinned my lips. He wasn’t going to give in. My face warmed under the piercing light blue eyes. With a sigh, I slipped into the car. He gently shut the door while I jerked on the seat belt.
I inhaled deeply, smelling the soft fragrance clinging to her hair as she swept past me with Dalton. She smelled like sunshine, if it was possible.
It had already been a couple of hours of walking around the zoo. The entire time, she’d flounced ahead with Dalton, reading the descriptions on each enclosure. Her avoiding me wasn’t lost on me, and she noticeably clammed up whenever I got close.
I wanted to kiss the pout off her face. To make her moan with my fingers deep in her tight cunt. A week had passed with the barest of interactions between us and it was slowly driving me mad.
Today was my breaking point.
I rolled my shoulders back, forcing my thoughts away from the beauty but fuck, she made it difficult.
I waited a few feet behind them as they studied the bear exhibit.
She paid such careful attention to Dalton, and it made pride and worry mingle together.
I’d had my doubts about going through the Match-Au-Pair organization, but I was so fucking glad I agreed to let Barry take charge of finding someone.
She was exactly what Dalton needed. As much as I tried to get him to open up, he was too much like me and he needed a softer touch.
Now I wanted a bit of that attention she showered my son with.
She’d rightfully avoided me since we fucked. After what I’d said, I couldn’t blame her, but each day chipped at my resolve. I didn’t like the distance.
I’d been trying to hold myself back from her lure, but I couldn’t stop—didn’t want to stop. As soon as I’d accepted the decision to continue whatever this was between us, I left the office to find her.
“Can we go to the shop before we leave, Poppa?” Dalton called, his excitement palpable.
He toted Issa over to me and grabbed my hand. As if realizing what he’d done, his eyes widened. When he tried to pull back, I held on tighter. His little blond eyebrows rose with his obvious surprise, and he gripped my hand harder, dragging both of us after him.
Issa grinned over at me, then seeming to catch herself, smoothed her expression, yanking her gaze away from mine. As much as she tried to play it off, I affected her. That was why she avoided me.
She was simply . . . sweet, and I couldn’t resist any longer. I shouldn’t have assumed she had ulterior motives. That brought me to today and this trip. Issa avoided me with such vehemence that I had to resort to trickery. Already a few hours with her and I wanted more of her time.
Here, with my son and Issa, I felt happy.
I trailed after them as they ran toward the sea animal portion of the zoo.
I strode back toward them as I shook my hands to dry them. There hadn’t been paper towels in the bathroom, and I’d seen enough social media videos about the germs those hand blowers had, so I preferred to take my chances with my version of air drying.
Slowing, I studied father and son standing in front of the dolphin enclosure.
They stood next to each other with their hands laced at their backs Sunlight speared through the topside of the pool, causing a brilliant blue hue through the rounded cave.
One of the dolphins grazed the side of the glass and Dalton grinned, tugging at his dad’s arm.
Caine’s chuckle reached me and he scrubbed his hand against his head, mussing the blond hair.
A smile curled up the corners of my lips, spreading so wide it almost hurt.
I hadn’t seen them interact a lot, mainly because I avoided being in the same room with Caine for long, but they were both quiet souls.
A woman approached, peeking at him with furtive glances.
Her mouth started to move, but I was too far to hear exactly what she said.
Her shoulders squared and faced him, making her interest clear.
I clenched my teeth, hesitating on whether to approach. Even from the feet separating us, I could tell she spoke animatedly. His stance remained the same, but Dalton tensed up. He never relaxed around new people. I sucked in a breath and approached.
“And this is your son?” I caught the last bit of her sentence. They were the spitting image of each other. I’d been under the assumption she’d been flirting, but with that question, it was obvious she was. “He’s a cutie, just like his dad.”
She was smooth. I slowed, shuffling in place behind them, and trying not to bring attention to myself, but Caine turned his head.
“His mother thinks so as well.” Caine curled his arm around my shoulder, tucking me into his side. His Alpha scent overwhelmed my nose.
I clamped my lips into a thin line. Butterflies took flight in my belly with reluctant excitement. Stupidly, since I knew this was just to get her away from him.
I can play along.
The woman, a few years older than me, closer to Caine’s age, raised her eyebrows. Her gaze jumped from me to the boy’s pale complexion. He didn’t look even a tiny bit like me, but I smiled, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
“Right,” she muttered. With a tight smile, waved, and returned to join her group on the other end of the cave.
“You can let me go now,” I whispered. His arm slid lower until it settled at my back and his hand squeezed my hip.
“No.” His lips grazed the shell of my ear. A shiver coasted down my spine. “Dalton, let’s go to that shop.”
He turned with wide eyes and nodded so hard his blond hair flopped. He hurried off, and I tried to slip away from Caine, but his hand squeezed.
“Wait a moment,” he murmured.
My body reacted, and I was too warm all of the sudden. Damn him for turning me on so easily. I sighed and sank into his side.