“Did they train you to sneak up on people in medical school—or was it your current employer?” Thea asked before flipping the pancakes she was making, one after the other.

Hm. She’s was starting the day in her feisty mode, and that was fine with me. We had some important things to discuss before I left, and I’d rather she be engaged versus shutdown. “I’d like to think it has more to do with my natural athletic prowess rather than my attempt to sneak up on you.”

She chuckled. “And humble, too.”

I laughed. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a rock.”

I wanted her to turn around so I could see her eyes, I wanted to ask about her headaches, but that would only put her on the defensive and I needed her as open as possible for this conversation. If I played it right, she’d be here for a long time to come, and I’d have plenty of time to learn all about her. My heart raced at the thought.

I’d spent all night thinking about her—about the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, the kindness and care she showed toward Mackenzie, her spunk, and independence. I also couldn’t deny—her drop-dead gorgeous body seemed to draw me like a magnet.

I even compared my love for Allessandra with what I felt for Thea—they were completely different from one another. But then again, Allessandra had been my college sweetheart, and we’d been together for a long time.

Last night I realized I was starting to fall in love with Thea; I felt like I’d been falling in love with her almost from the moment we’d met, and maybe even when I was researching her for the nanny position.

She was young, and that was a concern, but she had a wisdom that surpassed her years and an intelligence that easily matched mine. It was sexy—she was sexy.

“Penny for your thoughts,” I said as I turned to face Gabriel, but then my eyes widened as I glimpsed—was that desire in his eyes?

His eyebrows rose, and he smiled. It was one of those I’d love to tell you but I’m not sure you really want to know kind of smiles. I felt my knees go weak and placed my hands on either side of the island for support. His ever-present intensity got to me every time, and it was becoming harder and harder to deny the feelings I was starting to develop for him.

The last thing I wanted to think about was my attraction to him when he was sitting a mere foot in front of me, although if someone could let the rest of my body in on that fact, I’d appreciate it. I crossed my legs behind the island, desperate to alleviate the pressure growing between them.

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked as I paused before moving to the other side of the kitchen to pour us both a cup of coffee. Distance was safer.

He pulled the bar stool out beside him, gesturing toward it. I hesitated for a second, or two. I preferred being across the island from him, but he might think I was being evasive if I ignored his invitation.

Well, I wanted to be, but I walked past him and handed him his coffee while setting mine down on the island.

I pulled the bar stool back by about a foot, sat in it and swiveled it around until I was sideways to the island and facing him. I looked at him expectantly.

The corner of his mouth turned up, but I ignored it.

“First of all, I want you to know how much I appreciate the care and love you give Mackenzie.”

I nodded, and my eyes jolted to his as I tried to read what was coming next. This seemed so unlike him and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Second, I need to leave town again.” His eyes bored into mine, but I accepted the news without objection. “I’ll do my best to be gone for only a few days.”

I lifted an eyebrow sardonically, but the truth was, I was relieved to be getting a break from him.

“I know, I realize I said that the last time, and it ended up being longer than expected. But I want you to know that I don’t want to be away from Mackenzie—or you—any more than I have to be.”

My head cocked slightly to the side as I regarded him, my thoughts racing, my nipples responding instantly. Had I heard that right?

“Yes, you heard that right, and no, I’m not a mind reader.” He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes internally. Clearly, he was a mind reader and a causer of all things hot and sexy to my body.

“This is different from the last time you left. Something’s different,” I challenged. Worry picked at the back of my mind, and I thought about the odd sense I’d had at Mackenzie’s school the other day—the sense that someone was watching me.

Gabriel was quiet—he seemed worried, too.

“Yes, Thea, this is different. The third thing I want to mention is that—” But before he could say another word, Zee raced into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw us together. Then a huge smile spread across her face and she ran to her father first to hug him, then ran to me.

“I’m a hungry bear,” she growled and then raised her hands above her head, pulling her fingers down into half-fists, mimicking bear claws.

“Really? I’ve always heard that hungry bears are grumpy bears, but you don’t look grumpy at all.” I laughed as I moved from the stool back to the oven where the pancakes were staying warm.

Zee scampered up onto the stool beside her dad, grabbed the knife and fork, and held them straight up with their base on the island. The picture was so adorable it made me laugh out loud, but when I glanced at Gabriel, desire flared in his eyes and I stopped short of yelping.

Zee looked at her dad, confused. “What is it, Thea?”

“Oh, nothing, Zee. Would you like a chocolate chip smile or a blueberry smile on your pancakes this morning?”

“Chocolate, please.”

“Gabriel, could you get juice for us, please?” I asked, desperate to give him something to do besides stare at me. Pretty soon I would be dancing a weird jig while trying to stop my pussy from pulsing.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think this guy could make me cum just from the heat of the desire in his eyes raking over my body. Not kidding.

“With pleasure,” he replied, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

Heat spread up mine, and I was very grateful Mackenzie didn’t understand what that meant.

I turned back to the stove as Gabriel walked around the island behind me and placed his hands on my hips. He could just have easily walked behind Zee to get to the refrigerator—but no, he decided to crowd me against the counter.

My skin ignited where his hands had just been, and my eyes narrowed. What was he playing at?

“I’ll grab a third plate for you, Thea. You are eating with us, right?”

“Um. Sure. Thanks.”

“Beside me, Daddy! I want Thea to sit beside me.”

“What if we put Thea between us, and then she can sit next to both of us?”

“Sure!” Mackenzie squealed with glee.

There was no way of getting out of sitting next to him, so I played along but glared at him when I realized he’d allotted very little space between us.

His eyebrows rose as he feigned innocence, but I knew exactly what he was trying to do and debated if I should play along. Give him some of his own medicine.

But I decided against it because the last thing I wanted to do was create false hope for Zee, or more confusion for her.

One thing I knew for certain, Gabriel and I were going to have a serious conversation before he left on this trip. The challenge would be figuring out what to do with Zee so we could have privacy.

“Guess what I have planned for you today, Zee.”

“What, Daddy?”

“I have a friend coming to the house this morning. Her name is Fran Kelley, and she’s a master at Tai Chi. Do you remember what that is?”

“Is that like the Karate Kid?” she asked with eyes wide.

“Very good! It is very much like the Karate Kid. Would you like to learn self-defense like he did?”

“Really, Daddy? Yes, oh yes, I would! I would!” Her eyes shone eagerly with excitement.

I looked at Gabriel with questions in my eyes. When had he planned this? Had he simply forgotten to tell me?

“Good, because she’ll be coming by every day for lessons, and in fact should be arriving in minutes for the first one. A Tai Chi teacher is called a Sifu, Zee, so you will call her Sifu Fran.”

“Sifu Fran,” she repeated. “I like it.” Then she jumped off the bar stool and raced for the door.

He laughed, “Wait, Zee. I have a few more things I need to tell you.”

Zee swung back around and walked over to her dad, putting her elbows on his knee, her chin resting in her hands, face tilted toward his in anticipation.

My heart melted. I was in such trouble—how had I managed to fall in love with this little girl and her father in such a short period of time?

He was such a good dad. A few weeks ago I’d debated if I could ever be a nanny—truthfully—I’d never really been drawn to children or felt like I cared one way or the other if ever had any of my own.

I’d had no desire to marry or be tied down to any man, or his life.

I was young. I looked forward to leading my own life and the freedom to pursue my goals without attachments—or anything to hold me back.

I’d taken the job because of the extra time it would afford me to do what I really wanted. Yet, here I was, feeling an intense desire for a man who was technically my employer, a man I found incredibly frustrating, a man encumbered with a child and a career that took him away for days at a time.

Guilt ripped through my chest as I realized I’d just thought of Mackenzie as a burden—she wasn’t—yet the fact remained, children demanded time, attention, care, love, energy, focus, and you can’t play with their lives or hearts. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with loving a child, things I had no idea about even a few weeks ago.

How life had changed.

“I have to go away for business for a few days, Zee,” Gabriel said matter-of-factly. He carefully moved one of his daughter’s wayward blonde curls behind her ear and placed his hands lovingly under her chin, his eyes locked with hers, tender and sweet.

A pout appeared on her face.

“I know, I do, I don’t want to leave you either, but I need to go to Washington to help Hugh with a case we’re working on.”

“Why can’t Hugh come here, Daddy? I like him, and we have lots of room in our house,” she stated just as matter-of-factly.

“I like the way you think, Zee,” he affirmed. “It’s just that in this case, I need to be with Hugh at his office where we have many, many files and all the computers we need to solve this case.”

Zee sighed heavily.

“I want you to be good for Thea, okay, Zee? You must do everything she asks you to do. She will pick you up from school and take you to all your activities rather than carpooling with your friend’s moms as we typically do.”

Zee started to protest, but he interrupted her. “It’s just for this week, Zee. Once I’m back we can talk about it, okay?”

She nodded, and then the doorbell rang. Excitement lit up her face and Gabriel bent down to kiss her forehead before asking her to run and change into the uniform he had put on her dresser.

He glanced at me, an apology on his face, “We’ll talk about all of this once I get Zee settled into her lesson. Come meet Fran.”

My gut twisted—something’s wrong. I realized then that before Gabriel left on his trip, I needed to tell him about the sensation I’d had that I was being watched. “I’ll be there in a minute. Let me finish putting the dishes away,” and maybe change my underwear, “then I’ll join you.”

“Join us in my office, but don’t be long.” With that he walked out of the kitchen to answer the doorbell as it rang a second time.