Nanny Next Door (14 page)

She wasn’t just ready. She
needed
it. Maybe taking things slow had been a good idea two days ago, but everything was different now. Sometime over the past week and a half, she had stopped being afraid.

Daniel, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be in a hurry. He was still holding back from taking that next step, so she took it for him.

She pulled her top up over her head and dropped it on the floor, and the rumbling sound Daniel made in his chest said he wasn’t going to stop her. He wrapped his hands around her sides, running them upward, over her rib cage to hold her breasts, using his thumbs to tease her through the lace cups. She moaned and closed her eyes, convinced that every time he touched her it felt better and better.

“Your breasts are so beautiful,” he said. He kissed the swell of one, then the other, and though it was pure bliss, it wasn’t enough. She reached behind her to unfasten her bra, then tossed it on the floor.

“Even better,” he said. He seemed content to just look for a while, but she wanted to be touched. She hooked a hand behind his neck and pulled him to her breast, and just before he took her nipple in his mouth, she could swear he mumbled something in Spanish, but it was drowned out by the sound of her own moans.

“Did you just speak Spanish?”

“Yes,” he said, kissing his way to her other breast. She moaned and arched as he took that one in his mouth, too.

“What did you say?”

He gazed up at her and grinned. “You don’t want to know.”

“Yes, I do.”

“It was a curse word. And not a very nice one.”

“Can you say anything else?”

“A few words,” he said, doing amazing things to her with his mouth. “Mostly I just know how to swear.”

“Do you know how to say that you want to make love?”

“No, but…” He trailed off as the meaning of her question sank in, and his gaze shot up to hers. “Do you mean…?”

“Yes, I do. I want to make love.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so sure of anything in my life.” All of her apprehension, all of her fears, were just gone, as if they’d never even been there.

And her certainty must have shown in her face, because he didn’t question her. “Bedroom?” he asked, but she shook her head.

“Here, like this.” She fisted his shirt and tugged it over his head, but when she tried to get at his fly, her skirt got in the way.

“Take it off,” he said, lifting her off his lap, and in the time it took to yank her skirt and panties down, his jeans and boxers were on the floor. And he was…perfect. Beautiful all over.

He sat up and tugged her closer, leaning in to press a kiss to her stomach, then another. He started working his way down, and when his tongue darted out to taste her, her legs nearly buckled. It felt so good, she didn’t want him to stop, but she was so close already. This time when it happened, she wanted him inside her.

She pushed him back against the cushions and climbed over him, straddling his legs, trembling with anticipation. She centered herself over him and sank slowly down, taking him in. He gasped and dug his fingers into her hips. She rose up and sank back down. Again and again. And it was so perfect she wanted to weep. This was how it was supposed to feel. This was what making love was supposed to be. And she did love him. She could feel it deep in her soul.

“Syd…” Daniel rasped. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling her muscles begin to tighten. Daniel cursed again, in English this time, and for some reason that pushed her over the edge. Pleasure gripped her like a vise, fast and hard, and when he groaned and rocked against her, she knew she’d taken him over with her.

She went limp against him and Daniel dropped his head on her shoulder, breathing hard.

“Tell me we didn’t just have unprotected sex.”

She sat back to look at him. “Of course not. I’m on the pill.”

He blew out a relieved breath and let his head fall back against the cushions. “Thank God.”

“I guess I should have mentioned that earlier.”

“Yeah, because I think I just lost ten years off my life. I figured since you weren’t sexually active, there was no reason for you to be on it.”

“I take them to regulate my cycle.”

“Good to know. And in case you’re wondering, I got tested recently. I’m disease-free.”

Which she should have considered before they made love. She’d just been so…swept away. She wasn’t normally so irresponsible. In fact, Jeff’s promiscuity was what had motivated her decision to stop sleeping with him.

“I hope I didn’t ruin it for you,” she said.

“Oh, no, not at all,” he said. “I was so turned on watching you that it took me a minute to realize I’d even forgotten. And for the record, I usually last longer than forty-five seconds.”

“You know what’s really cool?” she asked him.

“What?”

“You get to spend all night proving it to me.”

“It’s only two days and we could both use a vacation.”

“I’ll stay home by myself,” Lacey insisted. “I’m old enough.”

“Nice try. You’re coming with us, unless of course you want to stay with your dad and the bim…Kimberly.”

Lacey narrowed her eyes. “I’d rather poke my eyes out with a fork.”

“Then I guess you’re coming with us.”

Lacey got up and stomped her foot, something she hadn’t done since she was six. “I want to stay here!”

“And people in Hell want ice water. Be ready,
or else.
”

“This sucks,” Lacey shouted after her as Sydney returned to her bedroom to pack the last of her things. She had no idea why Lacey was so against going to Jason’s. Especially since Angie’s son, Jordan, would be there. What teenage girl wouldn’t want to hang out at the ocean on the beach for two days sunning herself with a cute boy?

And Sydney had seen him. He was really cute.

At Lacey’s age, Sydney would have been thrilled. Of course, growing up in Michigan, they didn’t exactly have access to the ocean. Lots of lakes, though. Not that her mother had ever taken her to one. Maybe when she was little, when her father was still around. She honestly didn’t remember. It was the reason she had always tried to do those sorts of things with Lacey. Why she figured Lacey would enjoy this trip.

So much for
that
brilliant plan.

April was in her bouncy seat on Sydney’s bedroom floor and she squealed happily when Sydney walked back in. “At least you’re happy to see me,” she mumbled, opening her lingerie drawer. She paused when she realized her silk camisole wasn’t there.

“Lacey!” she called and Lacey stuck her head in the bedroom door a second later, scowling. “What.”

“Did you borrow my white silk camisole?”

“No.”

“Have you seen it anywhere? Did it maybe get mixed in with your clothes?”

She huffed. “
No.
You probably left it at Daniel’s house.”

Sydney shot her daughter a warning look.

“
What?
I’m just sayin’.”

Even if she’d been trying to hide their relationship from Lacey, they had blown that when she’d walked in on them kissing in the kitchen the other day. Sydney thought she might be upset, but all Lacey did was say, “Ew, Mom, get a room,” and go back to her bedroom.

The truth is, it was a small miracle that Lacey hadn’t seen anything earlier. Ever since Saturday night when she and Daniel had made love, Sydney hadn’t been able to keep her hands off him. It was embarrassing, really, how completely under his spell she had slipped. Maybe it was hormonal, or her body was making up for lost time, but she couldn’t seem to get enough of him. They made love in the evenings after April went to bed, and she’d started coming over an hour early in the mornings, after Lacey went to work, waking Daniel in some very creative ways. She’d even started scheduling April’s nap when she knew he would be on break and stopping by the house. It was amazing what they could accomplish in fifteen minutes when properly motivated.

She’d begun to worry that she might wear the poor guy out, but so far he hadn’t complained. The fact that she’d been so nervous about not being able to please him now seemed utterly ridiculous.

And while she had spent a lot of time naked at Daniel’s house, she always wore her undergarments home.

“I did not leave it at Daniel’s,” she told Lacey.

Lacey shrugged.
“Whatever,”
she said on her way to her room. She was back a few minutes later, the camisole in her hand, looking a little less cocky. “I guess it did get stuck in my laundry.”

When Sydney was finished packing she carried her suitcase and April to the kitchen. She heard raised voices out the side door and looked out. Daniel and Angie were standing in the driveway, by the rear of Sydney’s van, arguing.

“This is not my fault!” Angie was saying.

“Well, if they don’t have to go, I shouldn’t have to go,” Daniel said.

“Come on, Danny. Don’t be like that.”

Uh-oh. Maybe she’d just strong-armed Lacey into packing for no reason.

Leaving April securely in her seat, Sydney stepped outside. Daniel and his sister appeared to be at a standoff, and Angie was obviously on the verge of tears.

“Sydney,” Angie said, clearly relieved to see her. “Would you please talk some sense into him?”

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“He’s being a jerk, that’s what!”

Daniel turned to her. “Dee’s boyfriend dumped her. So she isn’t going. And now Beth isn’t going because she doesn’t want to leave Dee alone. And the
only
reason I agreed to go is because
they
were going.”

And Sydney could see he was pretty dead set against going. He was going to need some serious incentive.

“Angie, could you excuse us a minute?” Sydney said, and gestured Daniel into the house. When they were inside she said, “Why don’t you want to go?”

“Look, it’s no secret that I don’t like Jason. I didn’t want to go on this trip, but Angie guilted me into it. She made it sound like some big family thing because Beth and Dee were going to be there. But if they don’t have to go, I don’t think I should have to, either.”

“It obviously means a lot to Angie.”

“She’ll get over it.”

“You don’t care that you’re hurting her feelings? She’s almost in tears. She doesn’t strike me as the type to cry unless she’s really upset.”

Daniel frowned and folded his arms across his chest.

“You can make an exception, just this once.”

“Once? I’m
constantly
humoring her.”

Sydney doubted that. “Then do it for me,” she said, unfolding his arms and stepping into them, pressing against him in a way that she knew would drive him crazy. “Think how much fun we could have.”

His arms closed around her and something warm and sexy sparked in his eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

“I think we could get creative. And fewer people there means more time alone.”

She could see she was getting to him. “Keep talking.”

“I’ve really been looking forward to this,” she said, rising up on her toes to give his lips a soft nibble. “Pretty please?”

“Ugh, gross.” Lacey said from behind them. Sydney turned to see her standing in the kitchen doorway, her stuffed duffel bag on the floor beside her. “So, are we going or not?”

She had obviously heard at least part of the discussion. Sydney looked up at Daniel. “Are we going?”

He sighed and shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “Yes, we’re going.”

“Dude,” Lacey said, shaking her head sadly, “you are so whipped.”

“Go put your duffel in the van,” Sydney told her. “And strap April into her car seat.”

Lacey plucked April out of her bouncy seat and headed outside.

“She’s right,” Daniel said. “You owe me big-time.”

It was a debt she looked forward to paying in full.

“I don’t know,” she whispered back, although she doubted they could hear her. They probably wouldn’t hear a nuclear explosion. “Do they not like each other?”

Angie shrugged. “I have no idea. They work together every day and Jordan hasn’t mentioned them not getting along. Of course, Jordan doesn’t say much about anything. He had a girlfriend for three months before I heard a word about it.”

“Of course they like each other,” Daniel said from the driver’s seat, not even bothering to lower his voice. “That’s why they’re acting like they don’t. I don’t even have kids and I know that.”

“Maybe if they were twelve,” Sydney said.

“She’s right,” Angie told him. “Kids their age should’ve grown out of that.”

Daniel shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Angie gave his shoulder a playful shove. “Trust us on this. We’re mothers, we know our kids.”

They passed the sign marking their arrival to Stillwater.

“Where to now?” Daniel asked.

“Follow this road through the city,” Angie said. “Jason’s place is south of town.”

Daniel drove through the congested streets of what looked like a trendy tourist town, until they reached the cove. Though it was nearly eight o’clock, people still occupied a long expanse of white, sandy, private beach. An assortment of canoes and sailboats dotted the clear blue water. The only thing bluer than the water was the pallet of cloudless sky. They couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day to begin their vacation.

Reaching the end of town, they followed the road south, driving parallel to the shoreline for several minutes then turned off on a narrow residential road.

“It’s the last house on the right,” Angie said. They passed several mid-size homes and a row of luxury condos, but when Sydney saw the sprawling white, Cape Cod-style home set off by itself at the end of the road, her jaw nearly landed in her lap.

“This is a
vacation
home?” Sydney asked.

“I know. Isn’t it beautiful? It belongs to Jason’s parents. It’s been in their family since before Jason was born.”

“How big is it?”

“Thirty-five hundred square feet. Six bedrooms, three baths. And what I love is that they don’t have a single television in the house.”

Daniel glanced in the rearview mirror at the kids. “That should go over really well.”

He pulled up the long dirt drive and around to the front of the house, pulling up in front of a porch that spanned the entire length of the house. Beyond the house the landscape dipped to a wide strip of private beach with a breathtaking view of the entire cove.

The door opened and a tall, slender man, who Sydney assumed was Jason, stepped out on the porch. Angie’s eyes lit up and she hopped out of the van. Jason’s smile said he was just as happy to see her. They met at the bottom of the porch steps and Angie launched herself in his arms. They were clearly crazy about each other, which didn’t seem to go over well with Daniel, if the scowl he wore was any indication. Sydney hoped he would at least be civilized.

“I’ll get April,” he grumbled, and Sydney got out to stretch her legs, breathing in the salty ocean air.

Jordan and Lacey climbed out as Angie and Jason walked over to the van.

“Hey, Jason,” Jordan said, speaking for the first time since they’d left the house. Jason greeted him with some complicated handshake and Jordan actually smiled. “Not bad.”

“Told you I would get it,” Jason said.

“Sydney, this is Jason,” Angie said, practically glowing she looked so happy.

“Sydney,” he said with a warm smile, reaching out to shake her hand. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

He was very attractive, but older than Sydney expected, or maybe it was the salt-and-pepper hair aging him. “You, too. You have a beautiful home.”

“And this is Lacey,” Angie told him.

If Jason was shocked by her appearance, he didn’t let it show. “Hi, Lacey. Nice to meet you. I have twin daughters who are right around your age. Fifteen, right?”

Lacey nodded. “Are they here?”

“Unfortunately not. They live in Los Angeles with their mom. We’ll have to all get together some time when they’re visiting.”

Lacey nodded. “Cool.”

Daniel emerged from the van holding April.

“Hey, Daniel,” Jason said.

Daniel politely shook his hand, but there was obvious tension between them.

“And this must be April,” Jason said, taking her sticky fist and shaking it, too, which made her gurgle excitedly in Daniel’s arms. “She’s a cutie. It seems like yesterday mine were this small.”

He seemed so nice, Sydney couldn’t help wondering what Daniel didn’t like about him. It was clear from in the way Jason looked at Angie that he adored her.

“I wasn’t sure if anyone would be hungry so I took some hot dogs out,” Jason said. “I thought we could build a bonfire.”

Sydney hadn’t roasted hotdogs over a fire since summer camp when she was eight.

“That sounds like fun,” Angie said, smiling up at him.

“Can I help with the bags?” he asked Daniel.

“Sure,” Daniel said, handing April to Sydney.

Angie looped one arm through Sydney’s and the other through Lacey’s, who surprisingly didn’t object. “Come on, I’ll give you guys a tour of the house.”

Though it was enormous, the house had a distinctly cozy and lived-in feel. Decorated in a mishmash of furniture styles from a dozen different eras, it possessed a slightly jumbled but appealing quality. Comfortable, yet functional. Just what she would expect from a summer home.

“This is really nice,” Sydney told her.

“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping,” Angie said leading them up a slightly creaky staircase to the second level.

“Only the master on the main floor has its own bath, so everyone up here will have to share.” She gestured into a bedroom the was distinctly feminine and told Lacey, “This will be your room. It’s where the girls usually stay. Sydney, you and Daniel have the bedroom at the end of the hall.”

Her and Daniel? “Daniel and I are sharing a room?”

Angie blinked. “Yeah, I thought…”

They were sleeping together? Yeah, but not with her daughter down the hall.

Lacey, however, seemed to know exactly what was going on. “Mom, it’s okay,” she said. “I don’t care if you guys share a room.”

“Lacey—”

“You think I don’t know what goes on at Daniel’s house every night?”

Naively, she had hoped not. If her own mother had shared a room with a man after the divorce, Sydney would have been horrified. Of course, her mom hadn’t been stable enough to date. Most days, she didn’t even get out of bed.

But Sydney didn’t want Lacey to feel she had to accept it if it made her uncomfortable. “Honey, are you positive it’s okay? Because I won’t be upset if it’s not.”

“It’s totally cool,” Lacey said. “I’m gonna go down and grab my bag.”

“I’m really sorry about that,” Angie said when she was back downstairs. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay.”

“She’s a great kid.”

Sydney smiled. “She definitely has her moments.”

Angie showed her to the room she and Daniel would be sharing. It was small but cozy, with antique furniture and French doors that led to a balcony overlooking the ocean. There was even an old portable crib with a mobile set up in the corner for April.

“This is beautiful,” Sydney told her. She laid April in the crib and the baby squealed excitedly when she saw the mobile, kicking her legs, before rolling over onto her belly and pushing herself up on her arms.

“Hey! Look at that,” Angie said.

“She started doing that last week. You should have seen how excited Daniel was the first time he saw her. You would have thought she was the first baby in history to roll over by herself.”

Angie crouched down beside the crib. “He seems to love her. It’s hard to imagine that he could give her up at this point.”

“I know.” But as far as Sydney knew he was still looking for April’s family. What she really hoped was that someday she and Lacey and Daniel and April could be a family. But she knew it would be a long time before he was ready for that. She could wait. This time, she was determined not to rush things.

“So what did you think of Jason?” Angie asked, pulling herself to her feet.

“He seems really nice. And it’s obvious he’s crazy about you.”

“I’ve been divorced for seventeen years and Jason is the first man I’ve ever seriously considered spending the rest of my life with. The truth is, I’ve always been kind of a jerk magnet. And Danny knows that. But Jason is different. He’s…
amazing.
I just wish Danny could see it.”

“I’m sure he will once he gets to know him.”

“I hope this weekend wasn’t a bad idea. Oh, by the way.” She gave Sydney a quick, firm hug. “Thank you for talking him into coming. I don’t know what you had to promise him as leverage, but I hope it isn’t too much of a hardship.”

Sydney couldn’t fight the smile curling her lips. “Oh, it won’t be.”

Angie laughed. “Why do I get the feeling that if I’d put you in separate rooms, you would have wound up together anyway?”

“What’s this about separate rooms?” Daniel asked, appearing in the doorway with their luggage.

“I was just saying,” Angie started, then she looked from Daniel to Sydney and shook her head. “Never mind. I’m going to go find Jason.”

When she was gone Daniel set the bags on the floor by the closet and said, “So, we’re sharing a room?”

“If that’s okay.”

“You know it’s okay with me, but how will Lacey feel about it?”

She loved that he cared enough to worry about her daughter’s feelings. “She says she’s fine with it.”

“Good.” A sly smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he shut the bedroom door. “I’ve been looking forward to spending the night with you again.”

“Me, too.” They’d only spent the night together that one time, but it had been so nice sleeping curled up against him and waking in his arms.

He started toward her, giving her the look he usually had just before their clothes started flying. “So, what do you want to do?”

She stopped him with a hand on his chest. “I think we’re supposed to be downstairs for a bonfire.”

He sighed and flopped down on the bed, which made a loud creak. “No way,” he said, bouncing a few times. The bed groaned under his weight. “Is this a cruel joke?”

“It is a little loud. I’m sure we can figure something out.”

There was a soft knock at the door and Daniel got up to open it. Lacey stood on the other side, looking wary, as if she was afraid she might see something gross. “Angie said to tell you to come downstairs. They’re starting the fire. And she said bring a sweater because it gets chilly after dark.”

“Tell her we’ll be right down. I just have to change April,” Sydney said.

Lacey left and Sydney scooped April out of the playpen and laid her on the bed to change her.

“By the way,” Daniel said, “when we were bringing the bags in I asked Jordan what the deal was with him and Lacey.”

“What did he say?”

“He shrugged and said, ‘Nothing.’”

“So they
don’t
like each other.”

“No, that means they
do.
”

She frowned. “That makes no sense.”

“It makes perfect sense.”

“And you’re the relationship expert?”

He just smiled. “You’ll see.”