My journey lands me close to him, desperate to reach out and touch his chest. I loll my head to the side, ready to soak in this tension between us, except it isn’t tension… it’s a game where we’re on par in our equal level of flirtation.
“Where might that be?” My voice is a soft husk.
He leans down because I’m shorter. “Congratulations, Lexi. The guest room near the laundry room is calling your name,” he whispers.
I feared something like this was coming. “Lucky for us we have your kids as the perfect middle line to keep us on good behavior.”
A sound escapes his throat. “Is that a ‘yes, Holden. What a great idea. Please can you get my suitcase?’”
My mouth seems to dance around his but not enough to graze. “It’s a ‘yes, Holden. Get me…’” I pull back, and my voice grits out, “A hell of a lot of wine.”
We both create space, and his hand combs through his hair, and I notice that he frowns. “There wasn’t a please,” he teases.
I laugh to myself. “Just move me in because logic doesn’t exist around me anymore, unless it’s related to paint colors and shellac walls.”
He reaches for his cell phone on the counter. “Good that you stay focused on the Dizzy Duck. Now, do you take extra cheese on your pizza?” Now he is ordering pizza for everyone as if the last five minutes didn’t happen.
Throwing up my hands, I figure I might as well eat. “Get me whatever. I have a feeling your kids won’t be happy about this.”
Holden’s demeanor completely changes to a sort of fondness, but it isn’t for me, it’s for his children. “They’ll be okay. You’re not actually a nanny, so that’s a positive step in their book. Lori will be feisty, but that’s with everyone. Harry is actually quite innocent. Having you around will be better than me running around like a headless chicken anyhow. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got my shit together, butlately…” He winces. “I could just use even the smallest of favors to relieve some pressure.”
His jaw slants to the side and holds as he registers what I’m completely interpreting his sentence to mean.
“Relieve pressure… huh.” My nails tap against my hips.
He returns his focus to the screen of his phone. “I can be tame if I choose to be. It might be good for me to have a breath of fresh air in the house that doesn’t involve a disgruntled nanny.”
“I’m not a breath of fresh air,” I point out.He looks up at me. “I’m a hurricane that’s about to turn your life upside down.”
He laughs. “I can handle you. After all, in the span of 48 hours, you’ve called me Master and Sir.”
“Wine, Holden. Get me that wine faster,” I answer dryly.
“Say please and I will.”
I shake my head ruefully.
Most fires only start if you light it.
I should probably hide the matches.
4
HOLDEN
My daughter flops her piece of pizza onto her plate, her frown never fading. “So, she’s just going to stay here?”
I set another piece of pizza onto Harry’s plate while Lexi observes everyone, not saying much. Fair enough, I’ve dragged us down a hole.
Something snapped when she showed up yesterday at my office. An immediate inkling to push her limits, and there is nothing to rein me in. I didn’t lie, I’m desperate for a little help when it comes to Lori and Harry. Losing another nanny created a total shuffle of my schedule, and I’m struggling to figure out the little things, such as what the hell goes into a lunchbox, because that was a lie when I told Lexi that of course I know how to. But, truthfully, lunch-making is my nemesis, and it’s such a simple task too.
“Lexi will stay here for a little bit. She has to work on the Dizzy Duck, but we’re short on rooms there, and now the water in the guesthouse is off. We’re lucky enough she can give us a hand or two, and she isn’t a stranger to us.”
“But I’m not a nanny,” Lexi chirps, then sinks into her seat in case she’s out of line.
Lori and Harry shoot her a stare as if they forgot she was here even though we’ve been talking about her.
“It’s cool. She seems nice.” Harry isn’t fazed as he enjoys his pizza. My son has a kind heart, and even if he pulls a prank, it’s because he wants to make someone laugh and not out of vengeance… but if it pushes a nanny away, then he doesn’t mind that either. He has a softer personality than I ever had. Sports don’t really seem to be his thing, and sometimes I’m not entirely sure if I’m getting it right in trying to relate to one another.
