Page 21 of Falling for Her

I grip the steering wheel. “Who the fuck told you that?” I don’t give him a chance to answer me. “Forget it, I don’t want to know, and no, you can’t fuck my nanny.”

Since he got his heart broken by his high school love, McKenna, when she left for college, he’s been with no one serious. He’s been playing the field ever since.

He laughs. “I wasn’t going to fuck your nanny.”

“Oh, I know you aren’t. I’ll kick your ass,” I warn him. “I’m almost home. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, and we can have lunch or something.”

“Give my nephew a kiss for me.” Even if he isn’t a blood relative, he’s Uncle Hudson to Asa. “Last time I kissed him, he wiped it off his face.”

“I’ll give him a high five, then.” I chuckle. “Later.”

I disconnect as I pass the town line, thinking about texting Finley to tell her I’ll be home in a bit, but something stops me. I pull into the driveway at 8:45 p.m., later than I said I was going to be home. The porch lights are on, but the inside lights are off. I grab my phone and walk up the steps, thinking about how badly I want a fucking shower as I unlock the door.

I kick off my boots. The only light comes from the side table lamps in the family room and the television, dimly illuminating Finley on the love seat where she sat when I interviewed her. She smiles when she sees me, but my eyes go to Asa, who is on the couch sleeping, a blanket over his legs and his chest bare. His arm is over his head, and the remote control is beside him.

“Why is he sleeping on the couch and not in his bed?” I put my hands on my hips and turn back to her.

The smile is gone from her face, and her eyes are big. She gets up. “He fell asleep waiting for you.” I can tell she’s lying when she avoids looking at me.

“You can go now,” I snap. “I’ve got it covered.”

“See you later,” she practically growls, walking past me to the mudroom.

“Why are you angry?” I want to bite my own fucking tongue. I should just let her go and be pissed by herself.

“I’m not angry.” She continues on her way out.

“Stop.” I glance over to see if I woke Asa. I didn’t. He could sleep through a tornado.

“What?” She turns and folds her arms over her chest. She’s still wearing the same clothes she wore this morning when she got here, a pair of light-brown linen shorts with a black sleeveless top that molds to her body.

“Why are you angry?” I ask her, and she just stares at me. “I know you’re angry, so you might as well just tell me.”

“Fine, I’m angry,” she admits. “Is that all you want from me?”

“No. I asked why you are angry.”

“Why am I angry?” Her voice is a lot calmer than mine would be if the roles were reversed and I was pissed at her. “Why do you think I’m angry, Lincoln?” My sister is the only person who calls me Lincoln. I didn’t know how much I’d like hearing it.

“If I knew why you’re angry, I wouldn’t be asking, would I?” I walk over to the kitchen and put my hands on the island separating us, stretching them out to the sides.

“You were gone all day. You came home and didn’t even ask me how our first day was. You just started picking on me.”

“I did not start picking on you. I just asked why he was on the couch.” I suddenly feel guilty that I didn’t ask her how their day was. She’s right, I just snapped.

“Same thing.” She shakes her head and turns to walk out of the room. “I’ll be here tomorrow, bright and early.” This time, she walks to the back door instead of the side door.

“I have to be in at eight,” I tell her.

“I will be here at seven thirty.” She doesn’t even glance back at me.

I grip the counter. “See you then.” I’m expecting her to slam the door, but instead she closes it softly, probably so as not to wake up Asa.

All I can think is: Fuck, she’s hot, way too hot to be a fucking nanny. My cock stirs in my pants, and I look down. “Simmer down, man, she’s off-limits.” And I’m pretty sure, after tonight, she wouldn’t save me if I were bleeding on the side of the road.

I follow her outside, and she stops right before she gets to her door. “What?” she snaps, her voice louder now that she’s away from Asa.

“Nothing.” I put my hands in my pockets to hide the semi hard-on I have for her. “I was just making sure you made it to your place safely.”