The Nanny Proposal. Joss Wood

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СКАЧАТЬ he abruptly stepped back, holding up his hands, broad palms facing her, his chest heaving.

      “Kasey.” Her name was both a warning and a plea. As her boss he wouldn’t initiate anything but she could, she had to. Kasey placed her fingers on his jaw and reached up to touch her mouth to his.

      They both needed this connection...

      Aaron made an appreciative sound in the back of his throat as his tongue slipped past her teeth to slide against hers, long, sexy strokes that heated her skin and made her head swim.

      She’d missed this. She’d missed being the object of a man’s desire, of being held and kissed, of feeling feminine and powerful and so, so sexy. Despite only sharing a few, pleasure-saturated hours with him, she’d missed Aaron. When she thought of pleasure and sex and desire, his was the face that came to mind, his hands, his kisses, his touch. And hadn’t that been the point of that night so long ago?

      She shouldn’t be enjoying his kiss so much, her hands shouldn’t be exploring the hard muscles under his bare skin. She shouldn’t be pressing her breasts into his chest. And she most certainly should not be twisting her tongue around his, making those sounds of appreciation low in her throat.

      My God. What was she thinking? Rationality filtered in as she remembered that he was her boss. What they’d had was a onetime thing. She was moving into his house to avoid Michelle, to help him with his niece, not to warm his bed. Pull away, Kasey. Now.

      Just five minutes more...

      Aaron jerked his mouth off hers, his fingers digging into her hips. He rested his forehead against hers and she was pleased to see that his face was flushed, that he, also, was short of breath. That they were both struggling for control. At least she wasn’t alone in this madness.

      “Kase—”

      Kasey yanked her hands out from underneath his shirt and pushed the heels of her hands in her eye sockets. This man had the ability to shut down her synapses, to trip the power supply to her brain.

      Kasey looked down at her bare toes, noticed a small chip in the nail polish on her middle toe. She didn’t want to have this conversation but she needed to make sure of what she was walking into. “I’m going to be living and working in your house, Aaron. For a couple of nights at the very least.”

      She lifted her head to see Aaron’s “Yeah, so?” look.

      Man, this was embarrassing, but because her entire marriage had been based on lies, Kasey chose honesty over embarrassment. “Are you expecting more when I move in with you? Because that’s not going to happen.”

      Irritation flickered in his eyes. “I never, for one moment, thought it would. You’re still my employee and I’m still your boss.”

      “I initiated that kiss but you were as into it as I was, Aaron.”

      Irritation morphed into frustration and his muttered curse bounced off the walls of her bedroom. “I know. But we had an agreement and that agreement still stands.”

      “Then why didn’t we stop?” Why was she pushing him on this? What did she want from him? Kasey didn’t know. What she should be doing is laughing it off, ignoring buzz of sexual attraction between them. This was akin to poking a bear with a stick...

      “I don’t know what your excuse is but I had five feet plus of pure perfection pressed up against me. When you haven’t been laid for eight long months, temptation is hard to resist!”

      Kasey stared at him, trying to process his words. He thought she was perfect? He hadn’t had sex since her? He was gorgeous and ripped, and she knew that when he walked down the street women stared at him, lust and appreciation in their eyes.

      Aaron cursed again and started to walk away. At the door, he turned and those piercing green eyes pinned her to the floor. “My life is a mess, Kasey, and I don’t need any more complications.”

      Kasey and reality collided with a hard thump and she nodded, embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

      Aaron looked down at his tented pants and lifted an eyebrow. “In more ways than one.” He then released a heavy sigh. “You started it but I got into it so we’re both, equally, at fault and I apologize.”

      Aaron placed his hands on his hips. “Can we keep it simple? You’re my assistant and temporary nanny, that’s it.”

      Yeah, that was it. That was all it could be. It didn’t matter that they had enough sexual chemistry to ignite the room, they needed to keep their distance. She respected Aaron’s big brain—and, because she was still a woman, she also appreciated his very excellent body—but she was not prepared to jeopardize her job or to allow her heart to hope.

      “So you’re with me on this? From this moment on, our relationship stays strictly professional?” Aaron was giving her that steely eyed, hard-ass look he frequently used when dealing with a complicated work issue.

      He was right. It was essential that they didn’t make this situation any more complicated than it needed to be. Kasey capitulated to common sense. “It’s a deal.”

       Two

      From the balcony off his office on the second floor of his house, Aaron watched Kasey pull to a stop at the back entrance. Jumping out of her SUV, Kasey shoved her sunglasses to the top of her head and opened the back door. Aaron watched his niece leave the vehicle, all dark hair, sad eyes and long legs. So young, she’d experienced more upheaval than most people would in a lifetime. Aaron felt his stomach cramp and closed his eyes. Crap, Jay, where the hell are you? What more can I do to find you?

      Look after Savvie, bro, he heard Jason’s voice say in his head. If you want to do right by me, look after my precious, precious daughter.

       I am. She’s in my care until you come home, just as you wanted.

      “I left a snack on the kitchen counter for you, Savannah.” Kasey’s voice floated up to him and Aaron opened his eyes to see her place her hand on Savannah’s shoulder. “Then you can have a quick swim before your ballet lessons. That work?”

      It was Wednesday and Kasey, without further discussion, was still here and doing a fabulous job with his niece. Her natural warmth and her non-pushy attitude endeared her to Savannah. They’d clicked the moment they’d met.

      He tended to avoid talking to Savannah about Jason but Kasey faced that issue head-on, allowing the little girl to express her fears, holding her when she cried and answering her many questions about where her dad could be. Kasey answered Savannah as honestly as she could, never giving the child false hope or making any promises that no one could fulfill.

      Savannah wasn’t happy, far from it, but when she was around Kasey, she was more cheerful than he’d seen her in weeks. Both Savannah and Kasey were now living with him on a full-time basis. Sure, Savvie had been a frequent visitor to his house but it still felt strange to share his space with a woman and a girl, to find hair ties on his kitchen table and dolls on the floor. Kasey’s perfume floated through the house and there were flowers on the dining table and on the desk she used in the corner of his office. Music filled his house and his fridge was filled with girlie СКАЧАТЬ