Page 57 of Heartbreak & Cupcakes
I couldn’t believe that I’d almost just called him Mr. Smolder to my father. I was just going to go ahead and chalk that one up to shock.
“What are you talking about? When? When did he offer you this job?”
“Um, a couple minutes ago. He was running by and saw the fire.”
My father’s bushy brows pulled together, and I could see the suspicion in his stare. It wasn’t his fault. Forty plus years in law enforcement had sort of infused it into his DNA.He always said that he saw the best and worst mankind had to offer. I was pretty sure most days the ratio weighed heavily to the worst. “He was running by, saw the fire, and now he just happens to offer you a job, living at his house. That’s convenient.” He shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. Under no circumstances are you going t—"
“Dad, it’s not like that. I promise.” He had no idea how ridiculous what he was saying was...
“Oh, it’s not, is it? Well, I’d like to have a talk with this guy who was just out for a run and asks you to move in and take care of his kid.”
“Mr. Burke, I’m Alex Vaughn.” A deep voice sounded behind me. Close behind me. And I saw that Alex’s face was now in the frame on the screen.
Chills ran down my arms and spine. I was torn between the humiliation that was flooding through me and the arousal of having Alex standing so close and feeling the heat of his breath on my neck.
My dad squinted and looked closer at the screen. “What are you, some sort of male model?”
I almost started laughing. This entire interaction felt completely surreal. Just like this entire morning.
“No, sir. I’m in construction.”
“Construction? And you can afford a live-in nanny in San Francisco?”
“Dad!” I wanted to crawl under a rock and hide.
“What?!” my father snapped back at me as if I was the one being ridiculous.
“I started my own business, Vaughn Holdings and—"
“No!” I held up my hand cutting Alex off. He didn’t owe my dad any explanation about his business or anything else. “Dad, I’m going to call you back.”
“Sadie, don’t you dare—”
“I’ll call you back. I love you.” I disconnected the phone and turned around so I was facing Alex. “I’m so sorry about that.”
The corners of his lips twitched as his mouth pulled into a smile. “He has every right to ask any questions he wants. I wasn’t offended. I’d be the same way with Lexi. Please, feel free to give him my number. He can call me anytime and I’ll answer any questions he has.”
A warmth spread through me at his understanding. Every guy I’d ever dated had been irritated by how overprotective my father was. It had caused issues. But I guess it made sense that Alex would be different because I’d never dated anyone with kids before.
Not that we were dating!I quickly clarified in my head.
This entire situation had my head spinning.
When I looked up, I’d seen Alex standing in front of me looking like a knight in shining running shorts. I’d been nearly certain that I was hallucinating. I’d thought it might’ve been a side effect of the oxygen that the paramedics had insisted I have. I figured that Alex must be one ofthem.
Now, as I stared up at the most symmetrical, chiseled face in the history of symmetrical chiseled faces—that had just offered to let me live in his home and give me a job—I wascertainI must be hallucinating.
“Are you okay?” he asked, with genuine concern brimming in his light stare.
I wasn’t sure, but I nodded anyway.
He grinned down at me. “They are finishing up here but you’re free to go. I’m going to call my car to come pick us up.”
As he pulled out his phone, I heard wheels screeching down the street. I gasped in surprise when I saw Charli’s Prius come to an abrupt stop just feet away from me. Before I had a chance to get my bearings, my bestie jumped out, ran toward me, and threw her arms around me.
It looked like I wasn’t going to have to call her after all.
