Page 3 of Tempt Me-

“Exactly.”I squeeze her tighter.“But if you want Mia to come with us tomorrow, it’s okay with me.”

“Yay!”She throws her arms around my neck and a lump rises to my throat.I’d do anything for her.Anything.

“Thank you, Daddy!See?You can come with us!”She pushes off me and runs to Mia, barreling into her and wrapping her little arms around Mia’s waist.

Mia meets my gaze, green eyes the color of a grassy field locking onto me, a smile on her beautiful face.

“Will you come?”Bailey asks.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” she promises my daughter.

I close my eyes and recommit myself to viewing her as a caregiver and not a sexy woman with just enough curves to make my mouth water and green eyes I could drown in.

***

Mia

I walk intothe elementary school with a cobblestone façade alongside Austin and Bailey.The little girl hops her way inside, excited to meet her teacher and be with her friends.Though it breaks my heart the way she is afraid she’ll be the only girl without a mom there, once Austin agreed to me going along, she seemed to put all sad thoughts out of her head.

I wished I had a father who cared as much about me as Bailey’s does.Though I was in good foster homes, it wasn’t the same thing as a parent who loved you.

I center myself, my attention back on Bailey, where it belongs.As I enter the room, I am immediately struck by the brightly decorated walls.Letters and pictures are scattered around, welcoming to all the children.

After we settle Bailey into her desk and warn her not to glare at Josh, who is, in fact, sitting in front of her, Austin kneels down, makes certain his daughter is comfortable and happy before kissing her good-bye.

I glance at Bailey.“So I’ll be outside when school is over to pick you up,” I remind her, not for the first time.I don’t want the little girl to worry about who will be waiting for her when the day ends.

“I know.”Bailey looks around the room, already eager for her class to get started.

Austin tips his head toward the door, indicating it is time for us to leave.

I follow him into the hall.I don’t miss the way some of the other mothers glance at Austin appreciatively, eyeing both his handsome face and, yes, his spectacular ass.Which I, as his employee, should not be ogling.Or noticing.Or allowing myself to think about.But I do.Often.

The question I often ask myself is, does he think about me the same way?He is respectful, always, but I sometimes catch him studying me in that inscrutable way he has.As a bodyguard, he is probably trained not to let his emotions show and he doesn’t.Yet I can’t help but wonder if the attraction is mutual.

“Mia?”he asks.

“Yes?”I jerk my gaze away and look to the floor, hoping he didn’t catch me staring or thinking inappropriate thoughts.

“Can I talk to you outside?”he asks.

I nod.“Sure.”I follow him through the double doors, and we pause on the walkway on the side of the building where we exited.We walk toward their vehicles, which are parked side by side so he can go straight to work.

He pauses by the SUV I use to drive Bailey around and do errands.“Is everything okay?”I ask.

He meets my gaze, his chocolate gaze warm on me.At that intense look, my nipples stand at attention, making me grateful for the sweater I wear that covers the evidence.

“I just wanted to thank you,” he begins.“Not for doing your job, which I’m extremely pleased with, by the way, but for being there for Bailey on a whole different level.”

The compliment on my work makes me happy.I love children, and I really don’t have to try very hard in order to work at my job.Bailey, especially, makes it easy.“She’s a special little girl.”

“Yes, well, I think so, obviously,” he says with a chuckle.“But most people would do the bare minimum required of them and I can tell you care about her.That’s worth everything to me.To know the person who’s with my child all day really puts thought and care into her feelings, not just her basic welfare and needs.”

He rubs the back of his neck as he speaks, clearly uncomfortable with our serious conversation, but I appreciate him expressing the sentiments.

“Thank you.She’s a joy.”

Our gazes meet again, locking for a moment in what feels like a heated caress, not just a casual glance.His gaze drifts to my lips before he clears his throat and looks away.