Chapter Three
LINC
Jesus, I almost kissed her. Standing in front of Darcy, her blue eyes smokey with a mix of innocence and curiosity as she waited for me to say whatever the hell it was I meant to say…
so trusting as she gave herself over to my care.
It was almost my undoing. I nearly crossed a line back there, and not just the line between boss and employee.
A personal line of honor I hold myself to that says I don’t take advantage of vulnerable women or anyone whom I hold the balance of power over.
Only the dark part of my soul urging me to take what I wanted pulled me back from the brink.
Giving into that side of me only leads to darkness and death. Darcy has no part of that.
I’ve been attracted to her since the day I walked in and discovered Derek had hired her while I was away for a few days on a mission.
Fucker did it on purpose, knowing my weakness for redheads.
Yeah, I have a type, but normally I can control those needs, especially now that I have Gracie.
My daughter comes first, always. It’s been almost a year and a half since I’ve even been out with a woman, much less taken one to my bed, and I haven’t been tempted once… until Darcy.
She’s too young for me. I’d guess there are at least ten years between us, not to mention about five hundred years of life experience.
One look in those pretty, innocent blue eyes and I feel every bit of the darkness staining my soul.
You can’t escape it, not having seen what I’ve seen, and yeah, done the things I’ve done.
It’s hard enough shielding that side of myself from Gracie.
I can’t let it taint a beautiful woman like Darcy, no matter what Derek thinks.
He knew exactly what he was doing when he hired her.
He knows I have Gracie, and my attention needs to be there, but he put this sweet little barista in my path, anyway.
No doubt just to fuck with me. The need to kick his ass for putting me in this situation rises, and the longer it lingers, the better of an idea it seems.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m out of my office, gym bag in hand, and entering the access code to the back door into Double Tap. Derek’s office is at the back.
“You fucker,” I greet him, tossing my bag down on a chair when I enter his office. It’s small, with barely enough room for his desk and a couple of chairs. A set of French doors are open to the courtyard, letting the cool October breeze in.
Derek Fletcher looks up from his computer and reaches for his coffee. “Problem?”
“No. Yes. Grab your gear. You owe me a sparring match.”
His lips twitch, and he threads his tattooed fingers and puts his hands behind his head, leaning back in his chair. He outweighs me by thirty pounds of muscle, but we’re pretty even on the mats.
“What’s got your panties so twisted, Wolf? Problems at work? Wouldn’t be a little red head, would it?”
I’m ready to wipe that smug smirk off his face. “Grab your gear, asshole.”
Derek laughs and stands. “Fine. If you need a beating, I’ll accommodate you. Just remember you asked for it.”
“Fuck you.” The words aren’t heated. I grab my bag, and we head upstairs to the Citadel Securities office. There’s a small reception area and Gideon’s office on this floor, but the rest of the space is used for storage and a workout area.
Keane is lifting weights when we enter. He nods at us as he finishes his set.
Derek and I step into the back to change, and by the time we’re back out, he’s already talking trash.
“Alright, Wolf, let’s get this started so I can whip your puppy ass and get back to work.” Derek grins at me, wrapping the stretchy boxing tape around his hands.
Keane snorts, but I ignore him. “Not this time, Fletcher.” I wrap my hands and stretch.
Truthfully, I need this. Between the frustrations of Gracie and her nanny issues, and now the intense feelings swamping me when Darcy cut herself, I need to work it out, and pounding on Derek feels like just the thing to help.
When we’re both warmed up, we square off on the mat. Derek throws a couple of grandma punches, testing me. “Your mom hits better than that.”
“Sure as shit she does. She can kick your ass, too.” Derek grins, and then the real sparring begins.
My body loosens as we fight. Each hit he lands, I return, until we’re sweating and bruised, and I feel better than I have in days.
Derek lands a punch to my side, then sweeps his leg, knocking me down.
I roll as I hit the mat and come right back up to land a kick.
He drops to one knee, and I slam into him, taking us both to the mat.
We roll a few more times until I finally pin him.
Derek is breathing hard when he slaps the mat, indicating he’s done.
I roll onto my back and drag in a deep breath. “You let me win.”
“I could see you were tiring and didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re so full of shit.” He’s puffing as hard as I am.
Derek laughs. “Prove it.”
A shadow falls over us. Keane crouches down and offers us both a bottle of water. He shakes his head, his dark hair tied up in a man bun and tosses a towel at me. “Don’t poke the bear, Wolf. You know what he’s like if he thinks he’s got something to prove.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Derek mutters.
I do. He’s the most competitive of us. That’s part of the reason he and Gideon share most of the leadership responsibility when it comes to our joint venture here in New Orleans.
Derek doesn’t know how to sit back and relax.
Not really. Give him a fight and he’s all in.
I sit up and wipe the sweat from my face with the towel, then take a long drink.
“What brought this on?” Keane asks.
“Wolf has a hard on for his employee. Since he hasn’t fucked her, he needed another outlet.”
I punch Derek’s shoulder. “Don’t talk about her.”
“Alright, then you talk about her,” he grumbles.
“I can’t. She’s… she’s sweet. She accidentally cut her hand today, and it fucking made me see red. I don’t have time for that bullshit. Not with the problems with Gracie.”
“What’s up with the munchkin now?” Keane asks.
I run a hand down my face and then massage the stiffness that’s tightening my neck. “I had to fire another nanny last night.”
“How many is that this year? Seven?” Derek asks.
“What for this time?” Keane adds.
I swear to God I’ve lost count. “Too many. Grace bit this one because the woman denied her a snack.”
“The wolf pup is showing her teeth,” Derek says, voice laced with pride.
“That doesn’t sound like Gracie. Is she still struggling with the loss of her mom?” Keane asks.
“Yeah, and now I need to find another nanny. Someone she won’t bite. I swear I’ve exhausted the local list of nanny groups and agencies. I called one this morning and they wouldn’t take my call. They knew me by name.”
Derek snorts. “Maybe you don’t like the option, but it’s not like you have to look that far.”
“What do you mean?”
He stares at me a beat, then flops back down onto his back. “You’re an idiot. I must have hit you too hard.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
He levels me with a “you’re stupid” look. “Did you even read Darcy’s application or just file it?”
“I looked at it.” Long enough to file it.
“She spent the last four years as an au pair.”
“What’s that?” Keane asks.
Derek sits back up. “An exchange program where students work as nannies in foreign countries while taking college classes. Linc’s literally got a trained nanny already working for him and doesn’t even know it.”
I wrack my brain, trying to remember Darcy’s application, but draw a blank. Derek’s right. I didn’t read it. I also don’t doubt his word.
“Maybe that’s your answer, Linc,” Keane says.
My answer and my problem. I already can’t stay away from her at work. How the hell will I keep my distance if she’s in my house? But I have to find someone soon. “I’ll consider it.”
Derek climbs to his feet and offers me a hand. I take it and rise. I feel better for our sparring match, but work calls. The three of us head to the showers.
“While you’re both here, we need to talk about Los Cazadores,” Derek says. The humor is gone from his voice. He’s been working to locate and shut down the gang for months after we learned they were trafficking. “I got a tip about their operation. We need to check it out.”
Keane swears. “The moment we take one branch another springs up.”
“You think the tip is solid?” I ask. Too many anonymous tips in a row sets my internal radar off. It seems too convenient.
Derek shrugs as he unwraps his hands. “I have reservations, but we can’t afford to ignore it if it is valid. Let’s bring in Gideon and Sol, then make a plan.”
An hour later, I finally make my way downstairs to Arcane Brew. Creepy Halloween music plays from hidden speakers, and the scents of sugary beignets and earthy coffee fill the air. It pulls me in, and I turn toward the counter instead of my office. Another cup would be heavenly right now.
The morning rush is over, and the coffee shop is in that lull between breakfast and lunch.
A few college students linger, working on laptops, and a couple of tourists are digging through the Arcane merchandise.
Anything voodoo or black magic is like catnip to the people who visit New Orleans, and I am happy to play that up.
A baby gurgles, and behind them, I spot a woman with a stroller.
She shakes a little rattle at the baby, held in someone’s arms.
The tourists shift to the side, giving me a clear view.
The baby is resting its head on Darcy’s shoulder, one little fist holding tight to strands of her red hair.
Darcy is smiling brighter than I’ve ever seen, giving the baby an occasional bounce as she talks.
Sunlight catches the auburn lights in her hair, making it glow, and in that moment, she looks like a goddess.
I watch transfixed for a few more minutes.
She looks like a natural mother, the way she holds the baby and plays with it.
Maybe Derek was right. She might be exactly what Gracie needs.
Abandoning my quest for coffee, I change direction and head for Darcy.
Gracie’s well-being is what matters right now.
I’ll put aside whatever attraction I have for this woman to make my little girl happy.
After all she’s been through, she deserves it.
“Darcy.” She turns at the sound of my voice, spots me, and quickly hands the baby back to its mother.
“Yes, sir?”
My cock twitches. Shit. “Don’t…” I clear my throat. “Can I see you for a moment?” I gesture toward my office.
“Yes. Of course. Did I do something wrong? It was slow, and that customer had the cutest baby. The woman said it was okay if I held her?—”
I cut her off mid-ramble, hating that I made her nervous. I never want her to fear me. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Darcy. It’s clear you like children. That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
My office is fairly small with a desk and a couple of file cabinets.
There’s room for only a single chair opposite my own.
I guide her toward it and close the door behind us.
Darcy sinks into the chair, fingers clutched in her lap.
Trying for a casual approach, I lean against my desk.
“Derek informed me you previously worked as an au pair.”
She blinks and slowly relaxes back into the chair. “Yes. I did. Why?”
“I need a nanny for my daughter. I had to let another go last night, and my mother can only help for short periods of time. You don’t have to accept of course. You can retain your position here if you prefer.”
“You let another go? How many have there been?”
I rub the back of my neck. “A few. Gracie is struggling with the loss of her mother. Christ, she’s only four. She doesn’t know how to deal with her emotions. It’s caused… problems.”
Her eyes soften and she nods. “She’s acting out.”
“I need someone who can be patient with her. Be there for her when I can’t.
Someone I can trust to spend time with her, not just turn on the television and surf social media.
” Some of the bitterness from past nanny experiences must have bled through my words, because Darcy leans forward and takes my hand in hers.
Her soft touch startles me. I instinctively wrap my hand around hers, soaking up that small bit of tenderness.
It soothes something inside me that I’m afraid to define. I should let her go, but I don’t.
“I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you both.”
She has no idea. “You would take her to preschool and pick her up. Play with her, show her the attention she needs right now. Again, you can decline. You obviously chose to be a barista instead of another nanny. If this isn’t something you’re interested in?—”
“I’ll do it.”
“You’ll meet her?”
Darcy smiles, and it lights her whole face. “I’d love to. But what about Arcane Brew?”
“Trust me. Finding another barista is far easier than finding a new nanny.” I stand and turn toward the door, when another thought hits me. It’s personal, but I need to know. For strictly professional reasons. “Darcy, do you have a boyfriend?”
A light flush dusts her cheeks, highlighting those lovely freckles.
“If so, I must insist that they never come to the house. Because of Gracie,” I hasten to add. I’m botching this whole request. No way in hell should I be prying into her personal life, and yet I’m holding my breath, waiting for her answer.
“Uh, no. No boyfriend to worry about. I’d never compromise a child’s safety or my job like that even if I did.” She stands and closes the distance.
The wave of relief I feel threatens to send me to my knees. Jesus, I have to get it together. I’m hiring this woman, not asking her out.
“When can I meet her?” Darcy asks.
“How about tomorrow afternoon around four?” That will give me a chance to find a potential replacement for her job here, in the event Gracie and Darcy seem to get along.
“Perfect.”
“If you give me your phone number, I will text you my address.” I hand her my phone, open to a new contact.
Darcy takes it and enters her number. “Thanks, Mr. Wolf. I will do my best.”
“Linc,” I murmur. “Call me Linc.”
She smiles. “Alright, Linc. Oh, what’s Gracie’s favorite candy?”