“I didn’t let that stop me when I was Joshua’s employee.” She shoves her hands in the pockets of her coat. “I won’t tell you what to do. Cristian is right; it’s no one’s business but your own, but I will say this. Don’t hurt him, and don’t mess him around.”
Before I can even try to form a response, she points to a path on the left. “Follow that trail. He’ll be in the gazebo at the end.” Gia spins on her heel and walks off, leaving me drowning in a pool of guilt and pain.
It takes a few minutes to compose myself before I set off in the direction of the gazebo. Lights border the stone path all the way, helping to guide me. Giant evergreens form a forested arch overhead, and mottled fallen leaves crunch under my feet as I walk, surrounded by nocturnal sounds of the woods. I’m lost in thought, plotting different strategies and wondering which angle is the best to play.
“You shouldn’t be out here,” Cristian says from behind me, and I almost have a coronary on the spot.
My heart jumps into my mouth, and a scream tears from my lips. I stumble on my feet as my knees buckle. Warmth seeps through my coat, heating me all over, when Cristian slides his arm around my waist and pulls me up against him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Holy fuck.” I slap a hand over my chest, rubbing at the anxiety mushrooming there. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that!”
“Come sit down.” Keeping me tucked into his side, with his arm firmly holding me upright, he guides me over to the gazebo and down onto the couch inside.
The cushion dips when he sits beside me, and I feel his intense gaze on me as I examine our surroundings. String lights creep up the four wooden posts, helping to illuminate the space alongside the spotlights embedded in the circular stone patio the gazebo is positioned on. The long rectangular coffee table plays host to a myriad of candles and diffusers. Various flower beds with different shrubs, flowers, and stone decorations border the structure on all sides. “It’s pretty out here.”
“You should see it in June or July. It’s magnificent during the day with an abundance of colorful flowers, but at night, it’s magical when the fireflies come out to play. I like to come here when I visit to think.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you preferred to be alone. I only wanted to check you were all right.” I stand, praying he stops me.
I look down at him, watching some inner battle wage upon his face. “Stay.”
His dulcet tone invades every nook and cranny of my being, lighting me up from the inside. I let my tongue peek out, wetting my lips, watching him trace the movement with his eyes, and I settle on a game plan. It’s risky, but I don’t have months to seduce him.Momdoesn’t have months. I have to work with what I’ve got. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining the looks he throws my way when he thinks I’m not watching, but Gia just confirmed it. “How long are we going to ignore this thing between us, Cristian?” I deliberately lower my voice, piercing him with a sultry look as I wait for his reply.
He stares at me for what feels like an eternity. This time, I can only guess at the inner battle taking place because he’s wearing a carefully constructed neutral expression on his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I stare him straight in the eyes. “Don’t embarrass me, Cristian. At least have the balls to face up to it.”
He holds himself rigidly still, and he doesn’t break eye contact as he replies. “Having this conversation is not in either of our best interests.”
“Your friends don’t seem to think so.” I sit back down, deliberately letting my knee brush against his leg. “Unless I’ve mistaken what that was all about back at the house.”
“My friends spoke out of turn, and you’d do well to forget it.”
Tentatively, I reach out and touch his arm. “Tell me I’m wrong. That I’m imagining the way you look at me.” My fingers trail up his arm, and he doesn’t move a muscle to stop me. His gaze is fixed on my face, and electricity crackles in the air. “That you don’t feel the same electric pull between us. That your heart doesn’t speed up when I enter a room like mine does with you.” My hand touches bare skin at his neck. His pulse thuds steadily under my fingertips, and his Adam’s apple jumps in his throat as I slowly caress his neck and his jawline. I move a little closer, letting my thigh snuggle against his. Fire burns in his eyes, and his nostrils flare as his hungry gaze dips to my mouth. “That you don’t imagine what it’d be like to kiss me when your eyes linger on my mouth like they are now.”
My fingers trail a path over his lush lips. My heart is pounding behind my chest, and butterflies are running amok in heady anticipation. My mouth waters as I fixate on his mouth, silently pleading with him to kiss me. “I know you want to kiss me, like I know you’re longing to touch me the way I’m touching you right now.” I press a kiss to the underside of his jawline, my nose touching the silky layer of stubble residing there.
Cristian hops up, and I almost face-plant the couch. “It doesn’t matter what we feel. Nothing can happen, Sloane. You’re my son’s nanny. We can’t let anything get in the way of that.”
“I can be Elio’s nanny and mean something to you too,” I say, though I know it’s a lost cause from the expression on his face. He looks tortured, like he’s writhing in pain. I rise to my feet. “I’ve never felt such a strong connection to any man before, Cristian. Maybe it’s not the same for you, but something that feels like this can’t be wrong.”
“To cross that line would not be right, Sloane, and let’s face it. I’m way too old for you.”
“How old are you?” I ask, leaning against one of the gazebo posts.
“I’m thirty-two and already far too jaded. You should be with someone your own age.”
I push off the post and close the distance between us, pressing my hands to the front of his jacket. “Guys my age are immature and self-obsessed. None of them could compare to you. Your age doesn’t matter a bit to me, Cristian.” I place my hand over his heart. “All that matters is what’s in here.” I peer deep into his conflicted eyes. “You’re a good person, Cristian. The most incredible father. I can’t help how I feel, and?—”
He steps back, letting my hand fall to my side. “No, Sloane.” His tone is authoritative, brooking no argument. “This cannot and will not happen. You are Elio’s nanny, and he is your sole priority. If you can’t put your feelings aside, we may have to reconsider your position. I don’t want to do that, but this isn’t happening. Do you hear me?”
Fuck. I’ve overplayed it, and now all seems lost. “Yes, Cristian. I hear you loud and clear.” My voice cracks, and it wasn’t intentional.
His features soften, and his voice is gentler when he speaks. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you’ve got to let this go. We can forget about it and start over.”
“Forgive me. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I blame my friends, not you, okay?”
