I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

My body remembered how his lips and tongue felt on my breasts last night. Why had he really stopped? Was it really because of business?

I turned over in my bed and saw the time on the clock. It was almost seven o’clock and my eyes felt swollen, puffy, and nasty.

I had barely slept all night. Every time I closed my eyes I felt him. I wanted more, my panties were wet and everything was…it was right there. We could’ve had sex, but…ugh.

I was over thinking it now and Ariel needed me. Ariel and Sam.

So I got my big girl panties on, got out of the bed and put some warm water over my eyes followed by a splash of cold water to wake me up some more.

At least I’d been able to get a few things from home, so I had clean clothese to wear. Nothing sexy. Just a lavender turtleneck and black skinny jeans.

I did some final touches on my hair and face and rolled out of the room.

Stopping over by Ariel’s room, I knocked to see if she was awake.

“Ariel, it’s Willow,” I said.

No answer.

I opened her door and peeked in. She wasn’t there.

So I ran down the stairs to the main floor. Dipping into the kitchen, I saw Ariel and Darien eating breakfast.

“Hey, no one woke me up?” I chuckled, folding my arms.

The breakfast smelled absolutely amazing. Thick bacon, eggs both scrambled and fried, and a few pitchers of all sorts of juices.

“I didn’t want to disturb you since you didn’t go to bed very early,” Darien explained, looking up from his morning paper.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll be fine.”

I moved over by Ariel and pinched the round cheeks on her cute little face. “Plus, I’m supposed to be up earlier than Ariel!” I teased.

Darien smiled and took a sip of his coffee. I saw his eyes lingering on me. That slick glint in them told me he still wanted me, and I was damn sure I still wanted him.

Darien glanced at his clock and sighed. “Since you’re up, I’ll let you take Ariel to school.”

He shuffled his papers and scooted out of his chair.

“It starts at eight, so you should be fine if you leave between seven thirty and seven forty. I moved the car seat into the Audi—and Willow, you can drive the Audi any time, whether Ariel is with you or not.”

He gave me a stern look, and it made me want to giggle. He was so cute when he was trying to be bossy. “Ariel, be extra good for Willow today. She’s our live-in nanny now. I expect good behavior.”

“Yes, Daddy!” she said angelically.

“Oh, and Willow,” Darien began, patting his pockets down for his keys, “the phone people will be here today. The land lines are down, but should be up within two more hours or so.”

“Okay, thank you for telling me.”

Darien shot me another look, and I froze. If only I could hear what he was thinking.

Darien pulled out of his driveway and sped off toward work. Ariel kept waving until his car was out of sight.

I couldn’t wait to tell Sam about all of this. He’d probably even tease me about having a sugar daddy.

Not that having one was bad. And I sure wasn’t trading what sugar-daddies usually demanded in return.

It was how he’d be able to stay alive. That should make him understand.

Since we had a few minutes before we had to leave for Ariel’s school, I took her back into the garden again, where she begged me to show her more stunts.

She was young, but just as limber as I was.

“Ariel!” screamed a woman from the top of the terrace. She came running toward us, and I stepped in front of Ariel.

Who was this? Darien didn’t say anything about anyone coming for Ariel.

Because he was such a good father, he’d be anal about any detail when it came to Ariel’s safety.

“Who are you?” the woman asked. She snarled and looked at me as if I were the devil incarnate. “You’re one of Darien’s whores aren’t you? I knew it!”

“Excuse me? I’m Ariel’s nanny. And who are you?”

She raised her chin. “I’m her mother and Darien’s wife.”

It was as clear as day that this beautiful crazy woman had never loved Darien. Money hungry, I could see it in her eyes. Her eyes were green with envy and greed.

Ariel held onto my arm and shook.

A weird smell came off of this woman…

The name of it was on the tip of my tongue.

“I’m here to get my daughter. I don’t want any strange people around her.”

“I’m her nanny. I assure you, Mr. Thrilling has checked my─”

Ariel gripped my arm. “I’m not leaving!”

“Yes you—”

Her mom started in, but I interrupted her.

“No she’s not. Now leave or else I’ll have to call the police. Ariel has to get to school”

“Stop it, Mommy!” Ariel said, her voice quivering with fear.

“Her father would’ve told me if her mother was coming, and I happen to know this is his custody day,” I told her. “You need to go, because he’s my employer and Ariel’s legal guardian, and I’m letting not her go anywhere until I hear it from him.”

There was no way this wired up woman was laying a hand on— hey!

“Get off of me!”

Ariel screamed and tried to kick her mother. “Let Willow go!” she cried.

Ariel’s mother knocked me on the ground and slapped me.

Shit. I wasn’t a punk, so I got a few licks in before she hopped off of me and dragged Ariel off.

I ran after her, the adrenaline in my veins pumping.

Did people think they could come crash into other people’s lives and take people they loved away from them?

Sam. Ariel. Darien…

They didn’t deserve the bullshit that life was throwing them right now.

“Hey! I said let her go!”

Ariel’s mother, or whatever she was called, reached into her purse and pulled something out.

I didn’t know what it was until I heard that electric crackle and felt that paralyzing shock to my torso.

A taser.

I fell down, unable to move. The only thing I could do was lie there and hear Ariel cry as she was dragged off by that crazy bitch.

Minutes passed before I could get up and stagger back to the house. The phones were still down and my cell phone was nowhere around.

I went to my bedroom to get my phone only to discover that it was out of charge.

Fuck.

I couldn’t even call 911 if I wanted to.

There was only one option left, and that was to go to Darien’s office.

And I didn’t know where it was located.

Still, I had to get out and find it.

I was beginning to be able to walk better and went into the garage.

He said he’d help me get a car, and I was sure he wouldn’t mind me borrowing his… hmm, damn it.

Had I gone to the wrong garage? There was only one other car in here, and it was another Lamborghini.

Sighing, I managed to find the car keys hanging up on the wall across from the car. There just wasn’t time to do anything else.

I opened it up, slid inside and prayed that it wasn’t a stick shift.

Yep, automatic. Though it did come with e-gear, which was pretty awesome.

The car roared to life when I pushed the on button and I was ready to go.

I had to be careful. This car was one of those close to the road ones, not meant for the big city with its inclines, declines and horrific soul sucking pot holes.

That was when it hit me.

A car like this? It had to have navigation.

After I pulled out of the driveway with a surgeon’s precision, I messed around on the touch screen in front of me.

I found the GPS and punched in the name of Darien’s company.

Three seconds later I had real time directions.

“Take a right, then travel five miles…” the voice said as I began to drive.

Zooming around the twists and bends of the road should have been fun in a Lamborghini. Sam would've loved this. When things calmed down, I’d have to make sure to tell him I’d driven a six-figure car!

And hopefully I’d get to add on that I gave that woman who took Ariel away an epic beat down.

Bitch, tasing me like that…

In twenty minutes, I was nearing the address and threw the Lambo in the garage.

“Excuse me, miss, you need to sign in,” called a security guard.

“Oh, sorry!” I ran over and scribbled my name and details down. “Do you know where Darien Thrilling’s office is? It’s an emergency.”

“It’s on the twentieth floor.”