Nanny with Benefits

He looked gorgeous in his turquoise sweater, freshly showered and with those sparkling, magnetized eyes. I loved him. We were meant for each other. No other man had ever looked at me like he did, and it made me feel wanted and loved. He was the purest, kindest gentleman and a total bad boy in the bedroom. I’d been hooked the moment he’d first kissed me, and I would tell him soon about the baby.

“Sarah’s staying at my place tonight. I’ll be here in the morning like clockwork.”

“Okay. I understand,” he said, giving me the space he knew I needed.

Alexis went to bed easily after a short story about a fish who tricked a fisherman. She held Clara as she drifted off, and she was the happiest I’d ever seen her. Her time at kindergarten had been a huge part of that growth. Meeting Riley had also been a lot of fun for her.

“Good night, sweetie,” Damon said, tucking her in. But she was already asleep when he said the words.

Damon walked me to the door and pulled me in close. His lips pressed into mine like we were in a beautiful, old-fashioned movie. My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach danced with butterflies like it always did.

“Good night. See you in the morning,” I said with a wide smile. He could tell something was up, but he stayed strong regardless. I guessed he knew it would come out sooner or later.

“See you tomorrow, beautiful woman,” he said, letting me go off into the night. The security guard would walk me to my car because Damon had already prearranged it.

Chapter 25

Damon

Karly showed up fifteen minutes early. It was a relief for me because I’d thought she might end up packing it in like the last nanny had. Although this time it would have hurt way more because I was definitely in love with Karly.

I struggled with my anger about the way she’d been acting. I’d always showed my true feelings the whole way through our relationship. I’d been strong with the press and completely honest, demonstrating my integrity. I didn’t know what it could be now. I mean, Keith was taken care of and had lost his might. The press was happily looking for other stories to chase. Everything should have been running smoothly. I needed to find out what the fuck was going on. I hated being distant, and it wasn’t fair that she was holding her feelings inside. All relationships involved communication, and I needed her to tell me what the fuck was going on. If I didn’t know what was wrong, I couldn’t help her or us or whatever the fuck this was.

As Alexis ran off to brush her teeth with Clara, I used the time alone with Karly as an opportunity to make some headway. “I want us to go to dinner tonight. I’ve already asked Mom to babysit for me.”

She looked into my eyes, and there was something hidden behind hers this time. I couldn’t make sense of what it might have been.

“I can’t. I need to see Sarah tonight.”

My aner rose. I wasn’t an angry man, but I knew when something was off. It’d been a skill I’d mastered well, something I’d been able to feel, especially in my business life.

“Bullshit,” I said. “You need to speak to me. I know something’s going on.” I didn’t raise my voice, but I did use an assertive tone.

Alexis walked out with a happy smile. She sat in front of the TV to watch cartoons while her curling iron heated up. “Okay, I’ll meet you tonight. What time?” Karly asked.

“Chelsea’s at seven. I’ll pick up Alexis today. I’m only working this morning.”

“Okay.”

I felt like she only agreed because Alexis had come down and interrupted our talk. I hoped she would actually meet me. I needed to get this sorted out.

I left, giving a big kiss to Alexis. I had been more than forward, but I needed clarity now. I was sick of wondering what the fuck was going on. I didn’t want to play guessing games, and I didn’t want to feel the distance that had hung around since the damned press conference either.

The drive to work was short and uneventful. Nothing major occurred, just cabbies driving their own kind of crazy. My mind was on Karly. I’d spent enough time on my own, and I wanted to make it right between us. I didn’t care what it was as long as she just told me. I could cope with anything she threw my way except for a breakup. That would be a bitter pill to swallow. I hoped it wasn’t going to be that. Fuck, that would really suck.

My mind buzzed like a cyclone pressing down in a whirlwind of unrelenting chaos. I couldn’t concentrate on work, and I got a few sighs when I called Rhonda by the nickname Ronnie. She hated that.