Tonight, His Forbidden Nanny

Chapter One

LINC

Delta Force trained me for everything—except a tiny troublemaker in princess pajamas.

“Grace, you can’t bite people.”

She bares her little teeth at me and growls, blonde hair shining in the light from the lamp beside her bed. At four years old, she’s like a little lion cub, testing out her strength.

I sink onto the edge of her bed and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Hopefully, the nanny won’t need stitches. I knew my daughter was struggling with the revolving door of nannies while we tried to find one that would work long term. I didn’t know she’d become feral.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to call Miss Kelly so you can apologize.”

“No, daddy. I don’t want to. She was mean.” She crosses her arms, eyebrows lowered over her sky-blue eyes, looking exactly like her mom when she was mad.

The resemblance guts me. I miss Brooke every day, and I know Grace does, too. Unfortunately, this is how she’s showing it. “Doesn’t matter. When you do something wrong, you apologize. After you’re done, we’ll try to find someone else, okay?”

She looks mutinous for a moment longer, then finally nods. “Find someone nice, daddy. Like momma and grandma.”

Yeah, if only it was that easy. Twice, I thought I’d found the right nanny and both times, the woman eventually quit.

One to retire and the other to get married and start her own family.

In between, I’ve fired more than I can count for everything from ignoring Grace to sneaking their boyfriends in.

It’s been a long fourteen months since Brooke died.

Some days, I think combat is easier than parenting.

“Grandma will watch you until we find someone else, okay?” Gracie nods and I tuck her into bed. Normally, I’d read her a story, but I can’t reward her when she bites the nanny. Jesus. What a day.

I close Gracie’s door and go find my mom. She’s in her craft room, digging through a bin of yarn.

“Hey, Ma.”

“Lincoln! What are you… uh oh. Is it Gracie again?”

I scrub a hand down my face. “Yeah. Kelly wouldn’t give her the snack she wanted, so Gracie bit her.

At least, that’s Kelly’s version.” I don’t doubt the bite.

I saw it for myself. What I’m less certain of is why Gracie went to such extremes.

She’s four. She doesn’t get hangry enough to take a chunk out of someone.

Mom chokes on a laugh, which throws her into a coughing fit. She’s only in her seventies, but her health has declined from years of smoking. It’s difficult for her to keep up with a rambunctious four-year-old, which is why I don’t ask her for help unless it’s necessary.

“It’s not funny. Kelly went to the hospital to get checked out.”

“At least she won’t need a rabies shot.”

I drop onto the over-stuffed chair next to her and tilt my head back against the cushion, rolling my shoulders to ease the headache taking root. “Gracie might.”

That makes her belly laugh. The happy, familiar tone tugs a smile from me. I haven’t heard enough of those since Brooke died. My anger at Gracie dims a little. If an incident like this makes Ma smile more, maybe it’s worth the inevitable hospital bills.

She clears her throat and drags in a deep breath to settle her coughing. “I know it’s wrong. Gracie knows it’s wrong. She’s testing her boundaries with these nannies, as all children do.”

“She wants someone to replace her mom, even if she doesn’t know it.

” I tried to get Gracie into counseling, but she wouldn’t speak to the therapist. Three trips and she spent the entire session in silence.

My daughter is never quiet. She talks more than four adults put together.

I couldn’t keep dragging her there, making her miserable.

All I can do at this point is listen to her, gently guide her, and find a nanny to be there when I can’t.

There has to be someone out there who can manage a single little girl still grieving for her mother.

“She’ll get through this. So will you. I know it hasn’t been easy…”

“Not for any of us.” Suddenly becoming a single parent never is. But especially not for a man who never expected to have a family.

“You’re doing a good job, Lincoln. I’ll take care of Gracie in the morning.”

Her encouragement means everything to me. I feel like I’m drowning, trying to keep a little girl from sinking into the darkness while keeping my own head above water, and failing at both. “Thanks, Ma. I’ll start looking for a new nanny tomorrow.”

“You’ll find the right woman soon. I feel it in my gut. Someone you both need in your lives.”

“That’s not a gut feeling. That’s indigestion.” I’m strung tight between raising Gracie, working at Arcane Brew Coffee, and Citadel Securities. I don’t have the time or inclination to add a woman’s wants and needs to the mix.

An image of a gorgeous redhead pops into my head, even as my mother chuckles.

No. Shit, no. I can’t think of her right now, with her wide, sky-blue eyes, the freckles dusting her nose, and an hourglass figure that stars in my fantasies.

I need to stay as far away from Darcy Graham as I can.

Hard to fucking do when she’s my employee.

From the moment I saw her, she’s been my secret obsession.

I walked into Arcane Brew one day and discovered she’d been hired as a new barista.

She offered me a shy smile, her hands trembling as she put away a stack of paper cups, and I almost dropped to my knees.

It took me entirely too long to pull myself together.

Nothing’s been the same since, and I hate it.

“You’ll see!” My mother singsongs, bringing me back to the conversation.

The headache I tried to avoid begins to throb at my temples. I stand and kiss her cheek. “Night, Ma. See you in the morning.”

I leave her to her knitting and drag myself into the shower, hoping it will relax me so I can sleep.

As I stand beneath the hot spray, it’s not the water that finally relieves my tension.

It’s the thought of Darcy joining me, water running down her back as she sinks to her knees to take me in her mouth.

Half an hour later, I climb into bed feeling both sated and like shit. I shouldn’t fantasize about her, yet I can’t remember the last time I came that hard. My headache roars back full force from the mixture of guilt and relief. Somehow, I finally find sleep.

The next morning, I stalk into work, chest tight with anger.

Gracie sucked it up and called Kelly to apologize, only to be lectured by the nanny on being a bad little girl.

I had to cut in before she brought my daughter to tears.

Yes, she had to be seen by a doctor, but the woman didn’t need stitches.

Just a little antiseptic and a pain killer.

She acted like she lost the limb, for fuck’s sake.

And then to suggest she and I get together for dinner to discuss when she could come back?

Hell no. Gracie needs someone who can calmly tame her, and I don’t need a lawsuit.

Or a date. The fuck is wrong with people?

The cool air feels good on my overheated skin as I enter Arcane Brew.

The tabletops are almost full, and a line of businesspeople and tourists wait to be served, the jumble of voices loud in the small space.

The coffee shop has the perfect vibe for the French Quarter: slick black couches, a black and white checkered floor, mercury glass lighting, and gargoyle corbels on the posts.

It’s gothic, a little creepy, and serves some of the best beignets in the city.

It’s one of three businesses my former teammates and I started when we moved to New Orleans over two years ago when we cycled out of the service.

The five of us set up Citadel Securities to continue using our skills for protection, extraction, and even the retrieval of kidnapped individuals.

All the things we excelled at in special ops.

As the business built, there was too much downtime, so we added Arcane Brew and Double Tap Bar to keep ourselves busy.

I don’t do much with Double Tap. Now that I have Gracie, the night hours don’t work for me.

During the day, she has preschool, so the coffee shop hours are better.

This way I can spend the evenings with her, giving her one parent and a little more stability.

“Hey boss!” Clara calls out from behind the counter when she spots me.

She dances to some song only she can hear and scrawls a customer’s name on a cup with a flourish.

With bright purple hair, full sleeve tats, and a love for black clothes, she fits the Arcane Brew vibe perfectly.

Clara has a smile for everyone, and she’s a great barista.

Beside her, the new girl, Darcy, gives a little wave.

A pretty pink flush spreads over her cheeks when I don’t immediately look away.

I can’t. She’s gorgeous. Like a siren calling to me.

It doesn’t matter that she’s too young, or my employee.

Every day, her shy smiles and light laugh wrap me deeper in their magic.

She turns back to her customer and tucks a shiny red lock behind her ear.

Just as well. I’m not prepared for her sultry voice or the way every nerve ending in my body is attuned to her.

Like her slim fingers as she boxes up beignets, the graceful line of her neck as she reaches up for a mug, or the way her black apron highlights her waist.

I’m sure as fuck not thinking about my shower last night, either. This fascination, this obsession, has to stop. Gracie needs me far more than I need to give into my desire.

Dragging my gaze off Darcy, I nod to Clara, and head to my office, shutting the door on the clank of metal against ceramic and the murmur of voices.

I need to lose myself in invoices and a supply order until I calm down enough to look for another nanny.

Except the second I sink into my desk chair, there’s a loud crash on the other side of the door.

I’m back on my feet, throwing open the door in seconds.

Just in time to see Darcy crouched in front of several shattered mugs, plates, and soggy beignets on the floor.

Clara tosses me a towel from behind the counter, and I kneel to help clean up. Darcy’s eyes are lowered and her bottom lip trembles. She looks miserable. Shit, all I want to do is pull her into my arms and offer comfort.

Not appropriate, Wolf.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Wolf,” she whispers. “I turned to avoid hitting someone with the tray, only to bang it against the column. The entire thing fell out of my hands!”

“It’s fine.” As fucked up as it sounds, I’d rather Darcy break every cup and saucer in this place if it meant she stays at Arcane. I tell myself it’s because I can’t deal with hiring anyone else right now. I’ve got a nanny to find.

Darcy shakes her head hard. “No, it isn’t. Maybe if it was the first time, but after last week…” She grabs a broken piece of a plate and hisses. A bead of red blooms on her skin.

My shoulders tense and my heartbeat thumps in my ears, drowning out the surrounding voices.

The blood on her skin is like fire set to the tinder of my frustration.

She’s bleeding and instead of taking care of it, she’s apologizing to me.

The protective feeling that roars to life inside me at that smear of blood blindsides me with its intensity.

Her pale silky skin should never see even the slightest nick.

“Enough!” Taking her bicep, I gently draw her to her feet.

The cut across her palm doesn’t look deep, but I’m not taking any chances.

I spot Winter coming through the cafe door and wave her over.

Winter works at Double Tap and is married to my buddy Keane.

She doesn’t work for Arcane, but right now, I don’t give a damn.

“Hey, Linc,” Winter says as she approaches us. She takes in the mess on the floor, then bites back a grin. “Looks like you better stick to being the boss. Waiting tables isn’t your thing.”

Darcy opens her mouth to respond, but I give her arm a gentle squeeze. “Should have told me that five minutes ago.” Winter laughs and winks at Darcy. I don’t have any right to ask the woman since she isn’t my employee, but Clara is still swamped with customers. “Could you?—?”

“Go take care of your girl. I’ll get this cleaned up.”

My girl? Darcy isn’t. She can’t be, but damn if those two words don’t give me pause. “Thanks, Winter. I owe you one.”

“You know it,” she quips.

I shake my head and steer Darcy toward the break room. She’s still bleeding, and that’s unacceptable.