Chapter One #2
Bailey pouts, pushing out her bottom lip. “But… but…”
“But what?” I place my fork down and meet my daughter’s gaze. It is that quivering of her bottom lip that does me in even before she replies.
“But Lisa’s mom and dad are taking her. And I don’t want to be the one without a mommy.”
I curse my ex with everything I have in me but keep my expression warm for my daughter.
“C’mere.”
She scrambles to her feet, and I pull her into me with one arm. Mia, I notice, discreetly rises from the table and makes herself busy by the sink.
“I know it’s hard for you, not having your mom around, but you know how much I love you, right?” I ask.
Bailey sniffs and nods, those big brown, damp eyes my undoing. “You and me ’gainst the world.”
“Exactly.” I squeeze her tighter. “But if you want Mia to come with us tomorrow, it’s okay with me.”
“Yay!” She throws her arms around my neck and a lump rises to my throat. I’d do anything for her. Anything.
“Thank you, Daddy! See? You can come with us!” She pushes off me and runs to Mia, barreling into her and wrapping her little arms around Mia’s waist.
Mia meets my gaze, green eyes the color of a grassy field locking onto me, a smile on her beautiful face.
“Will you come?” Bailey asks.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she promises my daughter.
I close my eyes and recommit myself to viewing her as a caregiver and not a sexy woman with just enough curves to make my mouth water and green eyes I could drown in.
* * *
Mia
I walk into the elementary school with a cobblestone facade alongside Austin and Bailey.
The little girl hops her way inside, excited to meet her teacher and be with her friends.
Though it breaks my heart the way she is afraid she’ll be the only girl without a mom there, once Austin agreed to me going along, she seemed to put all sad thoughts out of her head.
I wished I had a father who cared as much about me as Bailey’s does. Though I was in good foster homes, it wasn’t the same thing as a parent who loved you.
I center myself, my attention back on Bailey, where it belongs. As I enter the room, I am immediately struck by the brightly decorated walls. Letters and pictures are scattered around, welcoming to all the children.
After we settle Bailey into her desk and warn her not to glare at Josh, who is, in fact, sitting in front of her, Austin kneels down, makes certain his daughter is comfortable and happy before kissing her good-bye.
I glance at Bailey. “So I’ll be outside when school is over to pick you up,” I remind her, not for the first time. I don’t want the little girl to worry about who will be waiting for her when the day ends.
“I know.” Bailey looks around the room, already eager for her class to get started.
Austin tips his head toward the door, indicating it is time for us to leave.
I follow him into the hall. I don’t miss the way some of the other mothers glance at Austin appreciatively, eyeing both his handsome face and, yes, his spectacular ass. Which I, as his employee, should not be ogling. Or noticing. Or allowing myself to think about. But I do. Often.
The question I often ask myself is, does he think about me the same way?
He is respectful, always, but I sometimes catch him studying me in that inscrutable way he has.
As a bodyguard, he is probably trained not to let his emotions show and he doesn’t.
Yet I can’t help but wonder if the attraction is mutual.
“Mia?” he asks.
“Yes?” I jerk my gaze away and look to the floor, hoping he didn’t catch me staring or thinking inappropriate thoughts.
“Can I talk to you outside?” he asks.
I nod. “Sure.” I follow him through the double doors, and we pause on the walkway on the side of the building where we exited. We walk toward their vehicles, which are parked side by side so he can go straight to work.
He pauses by the SUV I use to drive Bailey around and do errands. “Is everything okay?” I ask.
He meets my gaze, his chocolate gaze warm on me. At that intense look, my nipples stand at attention, making me grateful for the sweater I wear that covers the evidence.
“I just wanted to thank you,” he begins. “Not for doing your job, which I’m extremely pleased with, by the way, but for being there for Bailey on a whole different level.”
The compliment on my work makes me happy. I love children, and I really don’t have to try very hard in order to work at my job. Bailey, especially, makes it easy. “She’s a special little girl.”
“Yes, well, I think so, obviously,” he says with a chuckle.
“But most people would do the bare minimum required of them and I can tell you care about her. That’s worth everything to me.
To know the person who’s with my child all day really puts thought and care into her feelings, not just her basic welfare and needs. ”
He rubs the back of his neck as he speaks, clearly uncomfortable with our serious conversation, but I appreciate him expressing the sentiments.
“Thank you. She’s a joy.”
Our gazes meet again, locking for a moment in what feels like a heated caress, not just a casual glance. His gaze drifts to my lips before he clears his throat and looks away.
This is one of those times where I wonder if he is thinking about me, because I am definitely lost in thought about him. Specifically about kissing those full lips, wondering if his kiss would be hard and demanding or whisper soft. Either would work for me.
“I need to get to work,” he says gruffly, breaking into my naughty thoughts.
My cheeks burn as I dig for my keys in her purse.
“See you when you get home,” I murmur without looking his way.
I head to the driver’s-side door, away from Austin, just as a group of women walk by, their voices carrying. “She’s not the only nanny here, but she’s the youngest,” one of the women says in an indiscreet loud voice.
“And he’s pretty hot himself,” another says. “And single.”
“Think they’re having an affair?”
I cringe at their insinuation, especially given where my mind was seconds before. Still, women can be nasty, and this group is pretty gossipy and rude. Can’t I just have a job without being accused of screwing my boss?
Ignoring them, I climb into the seat and slam the door shut, closing myself inside before I can hear the conclusion the women draw. Especially since it probably matches my deepest, darkest hidden desire for Austin Rhodes.
* * *
Austin
I wait for Mia to pull the SUV out of the parking spot in the school parking lot and head home before doing the same, turning my car toward the highway.
I drive to the Alpha Security office, my mind on my daughter’s first full day of elementary school.
Kindergarten was half a day, and I hope she is up to a complete seven hours in first grade, but I reassure myself that Bailey is my Energizer Bunny.
She will rise to the challenge and even dance her way through it.
I grin at the thought. She always makes me smile.
Yesterday’s assignment and my daughter’s need to have me around cements the fact that I want to change up what I do for Alpha Security, and I have an appointment to talk to Dan this morning.
Before I can continue along that train of thought, my cell rings and my mother’s name pops up on the dashboard screen.
I answer the call on speaker as I drive. “Hey, Mom.”
“How did my baby do going into school today?” my mother asks.
“Went in like a champ.” I smile, proud of his kid. “Of course, it helped that Mia joined us,” I say, giving credit where it is due. “Unfortunately, Bailey had a little breakdown over the fact that her friends had their mothers bringing them into school, too.”
My mom sighs. “We knew you’d have to deal with that one day.”
“I did. But it was amazing how agreeing to let Mia join us changed her whole mood. She really likes her and Mia is amazing with Bailey. She’s patient and loving. It’s not just a job for her,” I say, basically repeating what I said to Mia a few minutes earlier.
Mia, who stared at me with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, and put dirty thoughts in my head just by looking at me for a few seconds too long.
I used those seconds to stare at her luscious mouth and wonder whether she tastes sweet like the sugar she puts in her tea at night and coffee in the morning.
Yes, I fucking study her personal habits and memorize what she likes.
“Not to mention she’s young and pretty?” Mom asks as if reading my mind about Mia.
“Mom!” I say, horrified she even went there. I feel guilty enough for my inappropriate thoughts. Now I have to worry about whether I sent out inadvertent signals about my interest in Mia that my mother picked up on.
“What? I’m just pointing out that you’re a healthy man with… appetites and she’s a sweet, good-looking woman,” my mother says, not backing down.
Jesus. I pull behind a car driving below the speed limit, glance in the mirror, and swerve into the left lane to drive around it.
“She’s my daughter’s nanny,” I remind my mother as well as myself, because I clearly need a good talking to. “And I just said Mia was fantastic. I’m not going to mess up a good situation for Bailey.”
Not to mention, I know better than to get involved with a woman right now. I was screwed by my ex, and I have no desire to deal with the opposite sex on any level but professional.
Liar.
“Shut the fuck up,” I mutter aloud to my inner voice.
“What did you say?” my mother asks. “I couldn’t hear you.”
I shake my head, grateful she missed those words, and swallow hard. “I said this wasn’t a conversation I want to have.”
“I think you protest too much.” My mother clicks her tongue like she did when I was a child. “It’s not healthy to be without companionship. I don’t want to know what you’re doing about your sex life but—”
“Mom!” This time I yell, feeling my face flush and having a hard time keeping an eye on the road. “This conversation is over.” It reminds me of the time she gave me the sex talk while driving on a highway and I couldn’t escape. “I love you, but we’re done. I’ll talk to you later.”