“Do you?”
I pull her back to stand in front of me, my hands resting on her waist as she places her palms on my chest.
“I know there’s a lot of complications between us. I’m your boss and you are quite a bit younger than me. I know that things could always go south and you worry how that will be, living in my home, taking care of my daughter. And most likely, people will talk when it gets out I’m in a relationship with my nanny.”
“A relationship?” Her eyes dart to mine, searching them. I can’t tell if it’s fear in her eyes or if she wants reassurance. I squeeze her waist a little tighter as I back her against the counter.
“I’ve tried to talk myself out of wanting you. All those reasons I just mentioned play on a loop in my head but no matter how hard I try”—I lean in and place a soft kiss on her neck—“I can’t stop myself.”
Her head lulls to one side, her fingers curling against my shirt.
“I don’t want to stop myself anymore.”
I run my tongue up the length of her neck, stopping only to kiss the same trail. I nip her earlobe. “I know you deserve better.”
I suck her earlobe into my mouth, eliciting a small moan from her.
“But I can’t stop and now that I’ve had you, Margot, now that I’ve tasted you, felt your body against mine, filled you so completely—there’s nothing that will stop me. Nothing will stop me from making you mine.”
I whisper the words against her ear as her hands dig into my chest. I don’t give a fuck if she’s wrinkled my shirt. I slide my hand up her neck, then the other hand, and I hold her head still as I tilt my own to lean in and kiss her. I’m a breath away when I hear Miss Perry’s telltale heels clicking rapidly across the marble.
I step back, the moment dissipating as I reach for my coffee and put several feet between us just as Fiona enters the kitchen.
“Good morning,” she says, eyeing us both suspiciously. “A little early for you, isn’t it, Miss Silver?”
Gone is the heated gaze from Margot’s eyes. Instead, she looks sad. I see her glance from me back to Miss Perry. “Time to get Eleanor up and ready for her ballet class.” She exits the kitchen and I turn to face Fiona.
“Try playing nice, please,” I remind her.
“I was perfectly pleasant.”
I try to focus on work but the image of Margot’s face after I jumped back from her this morning has me worried. I had just given her a speech about how much she meant to me, how I couldn’t care less about all the reasons we shouldn’t be together, and then I acted like a complete ass when Miss Perry walked in.
It’s not that I don’t want Miss Perry to know about us; I don’t care. I try telling myself it’s because I don’t want to make any of the household staff feel uncomfortable with any private moments or physical touching between Margot and me. But that thought didn’t seem to stop me one bit the other night coming home from the bar when I had Margot coming all over me and the back seat. Poor Phil.
The reality is, I know I need to tell Margot about the one night—the mistake—I had with Fiona. Then again, why would I need to tell her that? She didn’t know either of us back then and there’s never been one ounce of feelings involved when it comes to Miss Perry.
I play this game in my head back and forth for hours, convincing myself that I’m making the right choice and then second-guessing it all an hour later.
I pull up Google and decide to plan our second date. I want to prove to Margot that she’s more than just a hot fuck to me. I start researching bowling alleys and arcades, trying to find the perfect ice cream place to recreate the memory she shared with me last night.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Well, how should I dress?”
“Casual.”
Margot hooks an eyebrow upward. “Do you even own casual clothes?”
“No, I was actually born in a suit; hell, I even sleep in one.” She rolls her eyes and walks toward her bedroom. “Yes, I own casual clothes. I’m going to go change; you do the same. I’ll be back down here in”—I look at my watch—“fifteen minutes.”
I swat her ass and push her toward her door before bounding up the stairs to the third floor. My excitement is through the roof.
It’s been two days since our first night together. I haven’t pushed Margot to stay in my bed again. We also haven’t slept together again. I figured some space might be good for her.
I sent Eleanor to her grandmother’s house tonight. She’s spending the night there so Margot and I can have a date night. When I told my mother that bit of information, she pointed her manicured finger in my face and threatened to take me off the face of the earth if I hurt Margot or break her heart.
Apparently the two of them have grown quite fond of each other, something I find both endearing and a little worrisome should they decide to gang up on me. Meredith and my mother got along very well, but I wouldn’t say they were close. Meredith was very busy early on and she missed out on a lot of family stuff. After we were married, they both spent some time together, but they were too alike, both very type A, had to be in control women who didn’t like to relinquish power. It never made for anything uncomfortable but there wasn’t a kindredness between them like there is with her and Margot.
I think my mom wanted to mother Meredith, but Meredith was already grown and kicking ass by the time she was ten years old. Her own mother once said that she never felt like she raised so much as grew up alongside her.
Margot, on the other hand, doesn’t have her parents and my mom never had a daughter.
I change out of my suit and pull on a pair of dark jeans, a plaid button-down, and matching brown boots and a belt. I splash on a little more cologne and give myself a once-over in the mirror.
I’m nervous. Actually nervous. I don’t think I’ve felt this way since I had to perform a solo in the church choir when I was nine. I let out a deep breath and make my way back to Margot’s room, seven minutes ahead of schedule.
“Oh my God.” She smiles as I knock and enter her room. “I can’t believe you’re in jeans.” She walks over to me, completely circling me like she’s sizing me up.
“That a bad thing?”
“No, no. Trust me, this is a very good look.” Her eyes rake down my body and back up, instantly putting ideas in my head.
“So is this.” I reach out and grab the bottom of her ass cheek peeking out from the tiny shorts she’s wearing. “I know I said casual, but goddamn, baby.” I grab a handful this time, pulling her body against my firming erection.
“No, of course not.” She swats my hand away, but I tug her harder against me. “You said fifteen minutes.”
“I couldn’t wait,” I pant as I jerk her shorts and panties down her thighs. “I need a taste.” I drop down to my knees, burying my nose in her mound.
“Ahh, we’ll be late.” Her plea doesn’t sound very convincing.
“You want me to stop?” I ask as I look up at her, rubbing the pad of my thumb in little circles over her glistening clit.
She looks behind her, the bed only a few inches away. She falls back on it, kicking her shorts and panties to the side to give me better access.