Spellbound By The Single Dad

She touched the tip of her tongue to her top lip, obviously debating whether she’d share what was on her mind. Then she winced and said, “Your mother thinks there’s something going on between us.”

“Does she?” He frowned and glanced toward the doorway that led to the hall. “What makes you think that?”

Jenna shrugged one shoulder. “There’s a look in her eyes.”

Perhaps he should have been paying more attention to his mother rather than watching Jenna. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Well, I suppose she’s right. There is something between us. It’s just something we’ve agreed we won’t explore.”

Her gaze flicked to his as she moistened her lips with her tongue, and all the blood in his body headed south.

“Jenna,” he said, aware it sounded more like a growl than a word. “Since we both agreed it’s not what we want, it would help if you didn’t look at me that way.”

Her eyes widened and she spun away to open random cupboard doors. “Your parents seem to have hit it off with Bonnie,” she said in a rush.

“Yeah.” He smiled, thinking of his daughter out there with her grandparents. “They’ve been hinting about grandchildren for a while. Probably since they retired and sold me this house.”

“You know,” she said slowly, turning back to him, “I think they regret that.”

“Retirement?” He rubbed a hand over his chin. That didn’t seem right—they’d been looking forward to retirement and the things they’d be able to do.

“I’m not sure about retiring, but I think they regret moving away from the farm.”

He thought back over all the family conversations about his parents stepping down from the business and moving to an apartment. “That doesn’t make sense. They’d been looking forward to a life of no daily responsibilities. A nice apartment in L.A. where they could walk to places and let the farm go.”

“Maybe it hasn’t lived up to expectations?” She took one of Bonnie’s bottles from the cupboard and went to the pantry for the formula. “I don’t know. It might be worth talking to them about it.”

He narrowed his gaze as he tried to ascertain what she was getting at. “You think I should sell them the house back? Leave here?”

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean that,” she said, frowning. “It’s your home now. Besides, maybe I’m wrong. Or maybe there’s some other solution.”

He leaned back on the counter and crossed his arms. Could his parents be having second thoughts? And if they were, why had it taken an outsider to pick up on it? Jenna had only just met them.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” he said, surveying his nanny. This woman was constantly surprising him. And he wasn’t at all sure how he felt about that.

* * *

It was just after seven that evening when Liam arrived home. Jenna had bathed both babies and gotten them ready for bed, and Katherine had helped her carry them down to the living room so she could get Bonnie’s bottle and let the girls say goodnight to Liam. To Jenna’s surprise, Katherine had taken to helping out if Jenna was struggling, which often happened if one of the babies wanted some attention while the other was having her bath. Jenna generally tried to bathe Meg when Bonnie was napping, but it didn’t always work out.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Liam said as he came through the back door.

Jenna threw him a smile. “You don’t answer to us, Liam. Besides, most nights you’ve been pretty close to the four o’clock finish time you said you’d aim for.”

Katherine stood and hoisted Meg onto her hip. “Since we’re doing apologies, I have one of my own.”

The pronouncement seemed so out of character, Jenna was momentarily stunned.

“Katherine?” Liam said.

The housekeeper stood in front of them, expression as grim as ever, chin raised. “I haven’t made anything for dinner tonight.”

Jenna frowned. She’d ducked into the kitchen earlier to get a snack for Meg and seen a pot of pasta sauce bubbling away on the stove.

“But I saw—”

“As I said,” Katherine said, cutting Jenna off, “I’m sorry. To make amends, I’ll look after the babies, Mr. Hawke, while you take Ms. Peters out somewhere to eat. I’ll keep Bonnie down in my room with me tonight and put the baby monitor in Meg’s room, so don’t you two be worried about how late you stay out.”

Liam rubbed a hand over his chin. “I’m sure we’ll make do. You don’t have to—”

Katherine’s spine stiffened and she fixed Liam with a glare. “Ms. Peters has been working herself ragged, between night feedings, painting the nursery and running around after these two. It’s about time she had a night off and did something nice. We’ll be fine here, won’t we, girls?”

Jenna wouldn’t have been more surprised if a bird had landed on the windowsill and given that same speech. Katherine had just come out on her side. Katherine, who seemingly still begrudged her presence in this house. Katherine, who’d not said a nice thing to her since she and Meg had arrived.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I have eyes. I’ve watched you work. Now, go,” she said, making shooing gestures. “Go out for dinner somewhere nice.”

Jenna still didn’t move. Was Katherine trying to set this up as a date?

Liam grinned indulgently, then turned to Jenna. “Katherine makes a good point. How about it? I’ll have a quick shower and throw on some clothes.”

Katherine nodded, satisfied. “While you do that, I’ll make you a reservation at George’s place.”

Jenna knew her mouth was gaping but was helpless to do much about it. One minute she was getting babies ready for bed, and the next, people were making plans around her.

Liam turned to Jenna, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Wear something nice. Katherine’s brother is the chef at the hottest restaurant in L.A.”

“That’s assuming he can find you a table,” Katherine said, clearly not willing to appear too kind all at once.

Liam gave Bonnie a kiss and then left, taking the stairs two at a time, and Katherine picked up the phone, leaving Jenna standing as if in the middle of a whirlwind, unsure of how her night had so drastically changed.

She was going out to dinner with Liam.

To the hottest restaurant in L.A.

Most worryingly, even though Katherine had planned it, why did that sound like a date?

* * *

Liam sipped his wine and looked around the restaurant, with its trademark high ceilings and pink marble and chrome interior, bustling with waiters and patrons. Katherine must have twisted her brother’s arm to get this table—Liam knew they were normally booked out months in advance. And with good reason. His meal had been delicious, and if he wasn’t used to Katherine’s excellent cooking skills, he’d have been even more impressed.

A waiter cleared their plates and left the dessert menus.

“Would you like dessert?” he asked Jenna. Their conversation during dinner had been interesting. She was well informed on world affairs and they had discussed several scientific discoveries made in other countries.

Yet even while discussing topics as impersonal as science and world affairs, the insistent pull of attraction for her had lurked, and he’d had to be careful not to let his guard down and say something stupid. Something like, Come back to my room tonight. I want to peel that pink silk blouse off you with my teeth. His blood heated at the thought, and he tried to distract himself by studying the menu.

“I can never go past a cheese platter,” Jenna said. “Would you like to share?”

“Sure.” He indicated to the waiter that they were ready and placed their coffee and dessert order.

“You know,” she said, looking around the restaurant with an expression of happy bewilderment, “I think this is the first night I’ve been out without Meg since she was born.”

He cocked his head to the side, trying to imagine that. “Not once?”

She shrugged as if it were no big deal. Perhaps it wasn’t to the many single mothers across the country. And probably half the married ones too.

“When I worked for Dylan, I took trips for groceries and errands while Meg was in day care, but nothing social. I never went out in the evening.”

He didn’t know how she did it. She seemed so calm and confident about being solely responsible for her daughter whereas he was filled with horror at all the perils that lay waiting for his baby girl out in the world.

He swirled the last of the wine in his glass as he asked a question that had been preying on his mind. “Do you think much about the future with Meg? About how you’ll handle it on your own?”

She was silent for a moment before replying, and he became more aware of the background noise of glasses clinking and the dull murmur of a room full of people. Then she said, “Sometimes. Do you?”

He nodded. “And it scares the hell out of me.”

The waiter returned with their cheese platter and drinks. Jenna spooned sugar into her black coffee and stirred slowly as she regarded him. “I’m sure you’ll find someone to share the parenting with, a stepmother for Bonnie.”

She popped a piece of pear in her mouth and chewed. Liam put a finger in the restrictive collar of his shirt and tried to look anywhere but at her mouth.

“I’m not so sure,” he said, wincing at both his reaction to her and his admission of the truth.

She threw him an ironic glance. “You’re attractive and wealthy. Don’t try to tell me you have trouble getting dates.”

“Getting dates is one thing.” He helped himself to a piece of blue cheese. “Finding a woman I’d be happy to have as Bonnie’s mother is another thing entirely.”

She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth and frowned. “She might not be the next person you date, but surely at some stage you’ll find someone who would be a good fit.”

“I tend to meet rich women, many of them professional socialites.” He cut a piece of triple brie and put it on a cracker. “Or women who want to be,” he said dryly.

“I hate to break it to you,” she said, unable to hide her amusement, “but you’re kinda rich too.”

She was right. But he hadn’t started that way. Maybe to Jenna, the difference wasn’t obvious, but to him it was everything.

He took a sip of his coffee. “I grew up without much—some of the time my parents really struggled—and my brothers and I still have our working-class values. Any woman I’d consider as Bonnie’s mother would have to have those same values, no question.”

She arched an eyebrow. “There are a number of assumptions in your argument.”

He knew that. He didn’t doubt that it was possible for someone to grow up with wealth and privilege and still remain grounded, but he just hadn’t met a woman like that yet. And if he hadn’t met one so far, what were the chances of it happening in the near future, let alone that they’d hit it off and get married?

“Perhaps,” he admitted, “but I’m sure you’ve seen the women Dylan dates. Glamorous and high profile. He attends red carpet events and knows who’s who in the world of the rich and famous.”

Jenna flinched. It was so quick that he would have missed it if he hadn’t been watching her so intently. Then she composed her face into the dignified mask she usually wore for everyone except the babies.

“It’s not a world you want to be a part of.” It was a statement, not a question. She understood.

“I can think of nothing worse than attending events and having to smile and make small talk. Yet, like Dylan, that’s how I meet women socially.” He speared a piece of pear. “I think Bonnie and I will just have to make do on our own. And in the meantime, we have you, so all isn’t lost.”

“Yes,” she said, her voice free of inflection. “All isn’t lost.”

But his gut felt hollow. Jenna was an employee; she wouldn’t stay with them forever. He looked at her again and had an idea. Katherine had been with his family for years, and she seemed settled. Happy. What if he could make Jenna’s working conditions so good, she stayed just as long? Starting with a raise. She’d certainly earned it.

The heaviness that had been sitting on his shoulders eased a fraction. Of course the flaw in the plan was that employees were off-limits, especially ones he was trying to retain in the long term. His plan presumed he could live with her down the hall for years and not kiss her again. Not touch her.

And he wasn’t even sure he was going to make it through this dinner without doing that.

* * *

As they pulled up in Liam’s Jeep in front of the house, Jenna tried to stave off her disappointment that the night was ending. It wasn’t a real date. She couldn’t let herself think that, and the sooner she was tucked up in her bed—alone—the better. Safe from fantasies that Liam had actually invited her out and that she was free to follow her attraction in whatever direction it led...

Then Liam leaned across and stroked her cheek with a feather-light caress, and all her attempts at being reasonable went up in smoke. She felt herself tremble under the touch but she didn’t dare move, hope and doubts and anticipation warring inside her.

“Thank you for a lovely evening,” he said and let his hand fall. That didn’t seem to break the connection, though—it was as if the very air in the Jeep crackled.

There was no use denying she wanted him to kiss her, had never wanted anything more. And it didn’t seem as if he was bothering with denial anymore either. His eyes darkened as he focused on her mouth. Her lips parted and she drew in a shaky breath, but he didn’t come closer. The moment felt suspended in time, neither of them moving. Then his eyes changed, became pained, and his head swung away.

“We’d better go inside and check on the babies,” he said and opened his door.

Suddenly cold, she blinked. The babies. Of course. She was the nanny, after all, not someone he was dating. But her traitorous body wasn’t as easily convinced.

She pulled herself together and went with him into the house. Katherine had left a note on the hallstand saying that everything was fine, and Bonnie was sleeping soundly with her. They crept up to check on Meg, who was also fast asleep.

Jenna gave her daughter a soft kiss on her round head, then hesitated in the hall, unsure of how to end the night. There was so much unfinished between them that she had no idea of what to do, and Liam didn’t seem to be in a rush.

Perhaps simplest was best. “Well, good night, then,” she said.

“I always walk a date to her door.” He waved an arm toward her room.

“Okay,” she said, not really sure how to take that.

They took the few steps to reach her room, then she turned to look up at him. He propped a shoulder against the doorframe, his gaze smoldering. A wave of heat rushed over her skin, and suddenly she didn’t want to do the safe thing anymore. Taking a risk was by far the more interesting option. She moistened her lips and hoped her voice sounded steady. “Isn’t a kiss at the door part of that tradition?”

Liam stilled, studying her face. “You want me to kiss you, Jenna?” His voice was low and rough.

“Oh, yes,” she said on a soft breath.

He groaned and his eyes closed for a heartbeat, and she thought she might never breathe again. Finally, his head came closer until his lips met hers in a kiss that was sweeter than any they’d shared before. Their other kisses had been stolen and had been all about attraction. This was more of an exploration, and more intense for it.

His hands found hers and their fingers entwined. When her knees wobbled, she leaned back against the door, and Liam pressed against her, not letting her fall. His body was scorching hot through her clothes and she wanted more, wanted everything.

Liam wrenched his head away, gulping for air, but his gaze didn’t leave her. She’d never wanted anyone more in her life; her entire body vibrated with need. It was time for another risk.

“Can I invite you in for a coffee?” she asked as casually as she could manage, resting her hand on the doorknob.

His green eyes darkened, but the corners of his mouth twitched. “Thing is, because this is my house, I happen to know you don’t have coffee-making facilities in that room.”

“That’s true, though I could probably rustle up a chocolate bar and a bottle of room-temperature water.” She turned the knob and pushed the door open behind them.

“As it so happens, scrounged chocolate bars and room-temperature water are my favorite things in the world,” he said, wrapping a piece of her blond hair around his finger. “But in all seriousness, Jenna, do you honestly want me to come in? Say the word and I’ll see myself to my own room. It’s your call.”

She let out a long breath. “Liam, I can give you about five good reasons why we should say goodnight out here in the hall. And I suspect you have a list about the same length.”

He raised a hopeful eyebrow. “But...?”

“I don’t want to,” she said simply. She’d been denying and fighting this attraction long enough.

His Adam’s apple descended slowly, then came up again. “So what do we do?”

Good question. They couldn’t go forward and they couldn’t not go forward. There had to be another way. “What if we give ourselves a free pass for tonight?”

Heat flared in his eyes. “The reasons we shouldn’t do this aren’t going anywhere,” he said, tracing a fingertip down her throat. “We could park them in this hall and they’ll be waiting here patiently to be picked up again in the morning.”

“We wouldn’t be doing anything wrong, because—”

He cut her words off with a kiss full of the passion they’d been holding back. She raised her hands to grip his shoulders, and his body shuddered.

“Because we’re not brushing those reasons aside,” he said against her mouth. “We’re just—”

“Parking them for a few hours,” she finished, her fingers tightening on his shoulders.

“Well, if we’re parking them, it will be just as easy to park them in the hall in front of my room as yours. And my room has a bigger bed.” He tugged on her hand and she followed him down the hall, anticipation bubbling in her belly.

When they reached his room, he drew her inside, then closed the door, pushed her back against it and kissed her again. “Maybe your room would have been better,” he eventually said, leaning his forehead against hers. “That was a long wait between kisses.”

With nimble fingers, he undid the buttons of her blouse. As he moved the fabric aside, his fingers skimmed and swirled from her stomach up over her bra, to reach the column of her throat. Her heart rate went soaring, her senses on overload.

“Jenna,” he said, his voice uneven. “I’ve wanted you since the day you moved in.”

“Only that long?” She gave him a crooked smile. “I feel as if I’ve wanted you forever.”

He groaned and slipped his hands behind her to unhook her bra, then tossed it to the side. The air was cool on her breasts, but he soon cupped them, bringing all his warmth and the delicious friction from his work-roughened palms.

She slipped her hands under his shirt, feeling the play of muscles across his chest as he tensed in reaction to her touch. It wasn’t enough. Trembling, she pushed the shirt from his shoulders and it dropped to the floor, then she leaned in and placed a kiss on his chest, thrilled when he sucked in a breath and held it. As her hands became bolder, roaming, exploring, he groaned and buried his fingers in her hair.

Part of her still couldn’t believe she was here with Liam, the man she’d been watching, wanting for so long. But he whispered her name and she knew she wasn’t dreaming. This was him, and it was even more perfect than she’d imagined.

He skimmed his hands up her thighs, bringing the skirt as he went, then hooked his fingers in the top of her panties and pulled down until she could step out of them, then out of her shoes. She was naked before him and he stared down at her with such longing that she felt as if she were floating.

He toed off his shoes, pushed his trousers and boxers off in one smooth motion, and then came back to her, kissing her until her head was spinning. She let her hands roam, wanting to touch him everywhere she could reach, from his biceps, up to his shoulders, and down the smooth skin of his back. While her hands explored, she kissed a trail down his body, loving that the muscles in his chest and abdomen tensed when her mouth made contact. And when she flicked her tongue out to taste the skin, he moaned her name.

He pulled her back up by the shoulders and held her in place with a kiss as his hands began their own journey, slowly moving down her sides, skimming the slope of her breasts, across her rounded stomach, and down farther. He broke off the kiss and dipped his head to take the peak of a breast into his mouth, just as his fingers found the apex of her thighs. She gasped, and he retreated, teasing, promising.

Just when she thought she could stand no more, he gently pressed her back on the bed and prowled over her, kissing and licking and nipping wherever he could reach. Then his mouth reached the core of her. At the first touch of his tongue, she moaned deep in her throat. His fingers joined the assault, and she could barely contain herself, as if she’d grown too big for her skin.

She clutched the sheets, helplessly giving herself over to sensation. Her hips flexed of their own accord, but his hands and mouth continued, slowly driving her out of her mind with the sweet torture, until all feeling coalesced and peaked at a point higher than she’d known existed and then shattered into a thousand shiny fragments.

She heard him opening a drawer in the nightstand. He retrieved a condom and quickly sheathed himself. But instead of coming straight back to her, he hovered, his weight resting on his hands on either side of her shoulders, his gaze locked on hers. The clarity of the look—no masks, nothing to hide behind—made something move inside her chest. It was if she was seeing into his soul. She reached up and ran her fingertips down his cheek, along his jaw, and when they reached his mouth, he tenderly kissed them.

Then he leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss that was pure heat and desire and urgency. Without breaking the kiss, he positioned himself between her thighs, and she moaned deep in her throat. He entered her slowly, giving her time to adjust, but she wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him on, reveling in the warm rush of sensation as he began to move.

He rocked in a rhythm that she wanted to last forever and her body strained for his, wanting more, meeting every thrust of his hips.

She struggled for air, shifting restlessly on the sheets as the world pulsated around her. She gasped his name, over and over, could think of nothing else. Her body tightened around him. She was on the edge of something so intense, she wasn’t sure she could handle it when it came, but if they stopped now she’d lose her mind.

And then he changed the angle and she fell over the edge of the world, falling, falling, soaring up, soaring as the world exploded around her, and she heard his words of release as he joined her.

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