Single Dads Collection. Lynne Marshall

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ said she’d visit for my birthday.’

      He nodded as he started the car and turned it in the direction of the homestead. Dee was going to do her best to bring the boys back for a couple of days then too. He hoped he’d be able to return the favour and take Ella and Holly to visit for the twins’ birthdays later in the year.

      ‘Nic, can you come back for my birthday?’

      Nicola stiffened. If he hadn’t been so finely attuned to her every movement he’d have missed it, it was so fleeting. But he was attuned. And he didn’t miss it.

      He glanced at her sharply, but she barely met his gaze as she turned to talk to Ella in the back seat. ‘When’s your birthday, sweetie?’

      ‘Um … Daddy?’

      ‘The eleventh of March.’

      Nicola shook her head. ‘That’s in term time so I won’t be able to make it.’

      In the rear-vision mirror he watched the joy leach from Ella’s face.

      ‘But it doesn’t mean I can’t come to visit in holiday time … or that I can’t send you a present,’ she added on a teasing note.

      Both assurances made Ella brighten, but they didn’t satisfy him. ‘What about Easter?’ he found himself demanding. ‘Could you come then?’

      She met his gaze but he couldn’t read her expression and he had to drag his attention back to the dusty track before he drove over a mulga bush or fallen log or large rock and ripped a hole in the fuel tank or tore the muffler from the car.

      ‘I’m afraid not.’

      ‘You have plans?’ He couldn’t let it go.

      ‘I do.’

      There was nothing left to say after that.

      Something dragged Cade from the depths of sleep. He sat up in bed and tried to shake the fog from his brain so he could identify what had woken him.

      Crying … Holly …

      He was on his feet in an instant and stumbling in the direction of the nursery.

      He paused in the doorway. Nicola was already there. She had Holly in her arms and was walking her up and down singing a low lullaby. He noticed the bottle of baby medicine on the nightstand.

      When she turned to walk back towards the doorway and saw him, she shot him a smile that reassured him there was nothing seriously wrong with his youngest daughter. In time and tune to her lullaby, she sang, ‘We’re teething, Daddy, and it’s not very comfortable.’

      Holly’s cries were starting to ease. Poor little tyke. He wanted to reach out and cradle her head, only he didn’t want to disturb her now she was starting to settle again.

      Nicola sang that he should go back to bed.

      He should. He needed to be up early in the morning—as usual—but he found he didn’t want to. He found the sight of Nicola in her nightie, rocking his child to sleep, amazingly comforting … and undeniably erotic. It struck him as unbelievably tantalising when he realised how thin her nightdress was, and how he could almost make out her entire shape beneath it.

      His nanny was all woman and pure temptation. When she leant over the cot his breath caught at the free sway of her breasts. He could imagine the weight of them in his hands, he could imagine burying his face in them and the way she would arch against him and—

      ‘Cade, go to bed. Holly is sleeping now. I’m sorry we woke you.’

      She’d settled Holly with a minimum of fuss. She was great with her. She was great with both his daughters.

      ‘Can we talk?’ The question shot out of him before he realised he’d meant to ask it. But after a moment’s thought he didn’t regret it. Not one little bit. He pushed his shoulders back.

      ‘Cade, it’s one o’clock in the morning.’

      ‘But—’

      ‘This is not a good time for us to talk.’ She swallowed. ‘It’s not a good time for us to be alone.’

      When she went to ease past him, he used his body to trap her against the doorframe. His chest touched her chest and he could feel the way her breath caught and her nipples peaked. His groin hardened in instant response. He prayed she’d stay.

      With a shuddering breath, she pushed him away. ‘In the morning, Cade. We’ll talk then,’ she choked out, and then she fled down the hallway to her own room.

      His hand curled to a fist. He rested his forehead against the doorframe and bit back a curse. That hadn’t been the smartest move he’d ever made. He’d promised he would just be a good friend, but …

      But the moment he saw her all good intentions flew out of his head. He’d better get his damn hormones back under control by morning, though, because he and Nicola were going to have a talk. And he meant to keep it completely professional.

      He pushed away from the door and headed for his en suite bathroom. He needed a cold shower.

      Breakfast the next morning was hell. Every time Nicola’s mouth closed about her toast or touched the rim of her mug, his body reacted with the memory of those lips on his flesh and the fire they could send shooting through his veins.

      When she reached for the strawberry jam, he shot to his feet. ‘When you’re done here, could you come to my study?’

      She blinked at his abruptness. ‘Yes, of course.’

      Professional, level-headed, he schooled himself as he strode away. He wanted Nicola to stay at Waminda Downs permanently and he had to outline to her in as attractive a way as possible all the reasons why that was a good idea. Hormones would not help him there.

      Less than ten minutes later she appeared in his study doorway. He motioned for her to take the seat across the desk from him. He did his best not to notice the soft plumpness of her lips and to close his mind to the scent of strawberry jam. It wasn’t easy, especially as some time during the last few weeks she’d started wearing clothes that accentuated her stunning figure rather than hide it, clothes that highlighted the colour of her hair and eyes and made her skin glow. He gritted his teeth.

      ‘You wanted to talk to me?’ she prompted.

      He kicked himself into gear. ‘Nicola, I want you to consider taking on the role of Ella and Holly’s nanny full-time. Both of them adore you and you’ve fitted in so well at Waminda Downs. Having you here has made me realise that we do, in fact, need a full-time nanny.’

      It wasn’t fair to ask Harry to take on so much of the child-minding duties on top of all her other chores. Having Nicola here had freed up both him and Harry. He couldn’t deny he’d enjoyed the opportunity to work around the station more these last few weeks—had rediscovered his love for a good day’s work.

      ‘I believe you’re right and you do need a full-time nanny, but, Cade, although I’m touched you asked me first, the answer is no.’

      His СКАЧАТЬ