Mr. Freeman held his hand up and lowered his brows at the nun. “What’s wrong with how she looks, Sister Mary Ann?” I had my mouth open and ready for a response but I closed it once he started talking. I wanted to hear what he had to say. I was so used to taking up for myself that I never let anyone else do it. Well, Navy took up for me sometimes but she was my big sister.
“I mean she’s dressed like…” She swallowed trying to find words that wouldn’t piss me off. “She’s at a photoshoot. It’s unnecessary for picking up a child.”
“And what exactly should I wear, sister?” I asked, clipping my words into short blades. Mr. Freeman looked at me over his shoulder and held his hand up, signaling for me to shut up. I blinked at the stern gesture, unsure of what else to do. I wasn’t used to anyone telling me what to do.
“Quiet.”
And one-word commands too? Who the hell did he think he was talking to? And why was it making me tingle all over?
“What she chooses to wear has no bearing on her ability to do her job. I hired her based on sound judgment and her amazing ability to connect with Frankie. I hope you haven’t been subjecting Miss Lucas to snap judgments before you even got a chance to properly meet her. That would be unfortunate, sister.”
“Yes, you’re right. I apologize, Senator. I also apologize to you, Miss Lucas. As long as we have the correct signatures going forward, you won’t have any more issues with car line.” I pursed my lips together and grunted at her. She was only apologizing because Mr. Freeman came down on her.
“Dad, can I ride home with Xari?” Frankie tugged on her father’s arm as we left the school.
“Sure. I’m going back to the office and I’ll see you both when I get home.” He dropped a kiss to Frankie’s hair then waved at me before getting in the car. Apollo got in after him.
“Are we still budgeting tonight?” I asked him before he rolled up the window.
“We’re still on. Come to the den after Frankie is in bed.” Bursts of excitement popped all around me like carbonated bubbles dotting the air. I couldn’t wait for Frankie to go to bed tonight.
…
EIGHT
My decanter of Jameson was half empty and sitting on the bar ten feet away from my desk in the den. I rubbed my face and stared at the words on my laptop. I was already on to my next book. After I finished the previous one, which I titled Freebird, I sent it to Apollo to read. Right after that, another plot blinked into my head. I had to write it.
The characters leaped off the pages in my mind. I saw the beginning scene as clearly as any movie I’d ever seen. How could I ignore such a magnetic pull?
When I first got home, I spent time with Frankie, changed out of my suit, put on a Method Man playlist, poured a glass of whiskey then got to work. As usual, when I dove headfirst into my words, everything else disappeared. The only things that existed were the worlds I spun from my fingertips.
“Oh, shit. Look at you.” Miss Lucas sauntered into the den wearing a metallic gray silk pajama set. The shirt was only partially buttoned down the middle giving me a glimpse of her perfect honey brown stomach. Wide-leg silk pants only left the painted white tips of her toes exposed. Other than that, she was barefaced with her wild mane of curls falling in thick clouds around her shoulders.
Something so simple, made me forget what words were. She was dressed down to the bare minimum and I was rendered speechless. It was distracting how fucking beautiful she was.
Those wide cognac brown eyes, plush pink lips, and queenly slashes of cheekbone.
And of course, those goddamn dimples.
“Ah, Miss Lucas.” I tried to sound professional and not like I’d been sucking down whiskey since I secluded myself in the den. “Can I help you? Also, why the fuck are you wearing pajamas?” I’d hired her for one month and she would be living under my roof but she wasn’t scheduled to move in yet.
“Ooh, an f-bomb. I like you a little bit more every day,” she laughed. Why did she refuse to sit the hell down? She insisted on standing right in front of me, giving me a perfect view of her tight healthy curves beneath the sheath of gray silk.
“Frankie begged me to stay the night. She wants me to sleep in her room while I’m having my things moved in. I told her it was fine. Plus, it means I’m already here for the morning. I can make sure she eats and get her off to school on time.” I must have been much drunker than I thought. Miss Lucas sounded responsible. If I thought she was irresponsible I wouldn’t have hired her at all but she definitely was not on top of things like Navy.
Navy didn’t make my dick hard though…
I shoved the acknowledgment of my erection in the back of my mind. I had to focus. She was Frankie’s nanny. Not eye candy.
“I take it you’re not a fan of my pajamas? I thought they were very TLC Creep chic.” She shrugged and ran her hands along her curves.
“And what does your young ass know about TLC?” A deep laugh rolled from me easily. Miss Lucas shot me a glare then leaned over my desk giving me a clear shot down her shirt. It was war of the fucking worlds trying
