Chapter 13
Kia
My eyelashes flutter open, and for a few disorienting seconds, I have no idea where I am.
Even the ceiling above me is unfamiliar.
The light filtering in through the curtains is softer than the harsh glare I’m used to waking up with.
The air here smells different too. And the shirt I’m wearing definitely doesn’t belong to me.
That’s all it takes for reality to snap into place.
Laiken’s penthouse.
The guest room.
I’m wearing his T-shirt.
Warmth slides through me as I shift beneath the covers. The shirt hangs low on my thighs, the hem brushing against bare skin. It’s soft and worn, stretched just enough to make it comfortable. It’s familiar in a way that doesn’t make sense.
Without thinking, I lift the collar to my nose and inhale. The scent is a mix of cotton and soap. There’s something deeper beneath it that’s woodsy, smoky, and unmistakably him.
My stomach flips.
God help me, the way he smells is more like a drug.
The realization hits hard as a wave of nausea rolls through me. I squeeze my eyes shut, pressing my palm against my stomach and slowly drawing air into my lungs until it passes.
Mostly.
This is the trickiest part of the day because mornings can be unpredictable. Some days are fine, while others feel like my body is dead set on reminding me that no matter how hard I try to pretend otherwise, something monumental is happening beneath the surface.
I swing my legs over the side of the bed and sit for a moment, attempting to steady the roiling within me.
You can do this. Act normal. Just get through the day.
One step at a time.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I freeze, a split-second of fear that it’s Collin, determined to dog my every step. Instead of ignoring it, I straighten my shoulders and reach for the device, blinking against the sudden light as my brother’s name flashes across the screen.
I’d texted last night, explaining the nanny position had become more permanent.
Ollie:
Are you sure this is what you want? Just know that if it doesn’t work out, you can move back here. My door’s always open.
Emotion rises swiftly within me. My brothers have always been like that. Loud. Protective. Steady. Even when I’ve screwed up, they’ve never made me feel like I didn’t belong.
It takes a moment for me to type back, as I choose my words carefully.
Me:
I’m okay. For now, the arrangement works. It gives me time to figure things out. Love you.
Ollie:
Love you too, kid.
With a smile, I set the phone down as the warmth of our exchange lingers before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. Once done, I pull on my jeans and sweater from yesterday, folding Laiken’s T-shirt neatly on the bed.
I hesitate, eyeing the cotton.
Don’t do it. Do not, under any circumstances, smell his shirt. It’s weird and—
Damn.
Unable to resist, I lift the material again and breathe it in one final time.
I seriously can’t believe I just did that. This is ridiculous. I force myself to set it down and head toward the kitchen, determined to get a jumpstart on the day.
Elody’s boisterous voice greets me first.
“Kia!”
She barrels straight into my legs, wrapping her arms around me with all the enthusiasm of a puppy.
“Good morning to you too,” I say on a laugh, brushing my fingers through her curls.
“You stayed over!”
“I did.”
From across the kitchen, Laiken watches us. He’s standing at the stove, spatula in hand, shoulders relaxed in a way that makes him look more approachable. The league fears him, yet his four-year-old daughter can turn him into a pile of mush. It’s unexpectedly sweet.
“Would you like some eggs?” he asks. “I was just making breakfast.”
The word eggs is all it takes to make my stomach roll hard enough that I have to steady myself against the counter.
I shake my head, suppressing a grimace. “No, thanks. I’ll just have a piece of toast.”
His eyes narrow a fraction. Not with suspicion, exactly. More like awareness. “Aren’t much of a breakfast person, huh?”
“Doesn’t seem like it lately,” I say, forcing a smile and reaching for the bread.
Thankfully, he doesn’t push the issue. With a nod, he turns back to the stove, but I still feel the quiet weight of his attention all the same. It’s not judgment. More like silent questions.
Elody climbs onto a stool. “Can I stay home with Kia today? Pleeeease?”
“Nope, not today, bug,” Laiken says. “Your friends would miss you.”
She pouts.
“How about Kia drops you off and picks you up from school,” he adds. “That way you still get plenty of time together.”
The suggestion earns an approving smile.
As I butter my toast and nibble at the edge, Laiken mutters something about socks, rubbing his forehead, as if physically pained by the idea.
“She hates socks,” he says when I continue staring.
I roll up my jeans and show Elody my patterned ones. “Do you have a pair that look like this? If so, we can match. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Her eyes widen. “I’ll check!”
She hops off the stool and scampers toward her bedroom. Less than two minutes later, she’s back, holding up a pair that aren’t quite the same but close enough to count.
“Daddy! Look!” she announces proudly. “Kia and I are gonna be sock twins today!”
His expression eases, something warm and unguarded passing across his face as his gaze bounces between us.
“Guess there’s no choice now,” he says. “You’ve gotta wear them. Wouldn’t want to miss out on being sock twins.” His attention cuts to me. “Impressive.”
I smile. It was an easy problem to solve, but it still feels good to get it right.
Once breakfast is done, we grab jackets and her small backpack before heading to the elevator, the three of us riding down to the garage.
Laiken clicks the locks on a shiny black Escalade before opening the door to the back seat and strapping Elody inside.
Then he kisses her forehead and opens the driver’s door for me.
I hesitate, eyeing the dashboard. It looks unnecessarily complicated, more like a cockpit than a car.
After settling onto the leather seat, Laiken reaches in and slides it forward, the quick adjustment bringing me closer to the steering wheel.
Then he reaches for the belt before I can do it myself.
His arm moves across my body, the seatbelt dragging over my chest before he secures it in place.
The sound echoes in the small space between us.
The gesture is simple. Practical. And yet, it feels intimate in a way that sends an unexpected jolt through me.
Our gazes catch and hold, neither of us pulling back right away.
For a suspended second, I’m aware of the warmth of his hand lingering near my shoulder and the steady calm in his expression.
Of the way he’s taking care of me. All of it is complicated by the reminder that he’s technically my employer and nothing more.
Except it doesn’t feel that simple.
“Go ahead,” he says. “Start it up.”
My fingers shake as I press the ignition and the engine roars to life. Laiken leans in again, pushing a few buttons on the screen until a map and address appear.
“That’s the route for school. It’ll give you turn by turn directions.” He glances at me. “I already called the school and let them know you’d be dropping her off.”
“All right. Should be easy enough,” I mutter, hoping that turns out to be the case.
He retreats a step before shoving his hands into his pockets. “Any questions?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Call if you need anything, okay?”
With a nod, I close the door before backing up and pulling out of the structure.
The drive to school is filled with Elody’s excited chatter.
She talks about her doll, stuffed rabbit, and what we’re going to do after I pick her up from school.
That would be braiding Penny’s hair, coloring, and playing with her dollhouse.
Even though traffic is heavy, we reach school with a few minutes to spare. Elody slips her fingers into mine as we walk toward the brick building and then step inside. She pulls me toward a classroom door where a woman with a polite smile waits for us.
“Did you bring a special guest with you today?” she asks Elody, her tone bright and practiced.
“This is Kia,” the little girl announces. “She lives with us!”
Her teacher’s smile falters for half a second before snapping back into place. “Wow,” she says lightly. “That’s exciting.”
For just a moment, I consider clarifying the situation, but the way her curious gaze lingers has me deciding against it. My relationship with Laiken isn’t any of her business, and if he wants to address it, he will.
“I’ll be back at one,” I promise, crouching to hug Elody goodbye.
She squeezes me tight until I laugh. “Promise?”
“I absolutely promise.”
“Okay.” With that, she skips into the classroom without a backward glance.
As I straighten and watch her go, the weight of my new responsibility settles in.
Strangely, it isn’t heavy or suffocating the way I expected.
Instead, it’s steadying. Almost reassuring.
Like I’ve landed exactly where I’m meant to be for the time being, even if I don’t quite understand how I got here.
That sense of rightness is unfamiliar enough to make me wary.
I remind myself that this is a temporary situation and I’m living with a borrowed family.
The real challenge won’t be finding my footing, it’ll be learning how to live with this little girl and her father without letting myself grow too attached.
As I step toward the entrance, Elody’s teacher calls after me, “Please tell Laiken I said hello.”
I force a polite smile. “I’ll be sure to do that.”
And just like that, my day begins.