My days and nights were filled with thoughts of Killian. It wasn’t very easy to stop thinking about him when Rhys kept bringing him up.

“Hey, Rachel, you’re all set for babysitting tonight?” Rhys said, as he left the office.

“Yes, everything is arranged, Rhys. I’ll be there early to help Mel get ready for the gala. What time should I come by?”

“Whatever time you need to come by to work your magic. I have no idea what you ladies get up to getting ready for these things. You hung the dress in the closet?”

“It’s still in the bag. Did she like it?”

“I don’t know if she’s seen it. But she’ll love it. Okay, I’m heading out for a bit and I’ll meet you at the apartment.” He opened the door to his office. “And how is your work on Killian going?” he asked, turning back to me. My stomach dropped and I wrung my hands in front of me. It took everything in me not to stare down at my shoes like a chastised school girl.

“Things are going okay. I haven’t been able to find out too much. He’s very private, so there isn’t that much information out there about him. But I think this all might have something to do with his dad,” I offered. Rhys squeezed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

“What a mess. We used to be friends. How crazy is that? We were best friends back in high school. If I’d known then what I know now there are so many things I would have done differently. Not much I can do now though,” he said, dropping his head. “I’ll see you tonight, Rachel.” The thud of the door closing behind him felt like the walls closing in on me.

I’d done nothing Rhys needed me to do. I hadn’t helped avert the impending disaster. I didn’t get why Killian wanted to ruin Rhys’s reputation. I didn’t understand why something Rhys’s parents had done should be taken out on Rhys.

And most of all, I didn’t know why I kept answering Killian’s texts. The information I got from him was minimal and couldn’t help Rhys. Couldn’t help all the people who would lose out if Rhys was replaced. But every time a message popped up and I replied, I said it was was the last text.

I promised myself I wasn’t going to launch up from my chair when my screen lit up, but every time that was exactly what I did. I actually laughed out loud at his messages. He was much funnier in text than in person. When I was around him, my body went haywire and I could barely string a thought together, let alone a sentence.

He said he was busy with work and we wouldn’t be able to see each other for another few days. I hummed in anticipation of that night. I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for me. No matter how hard it was, or how much I wanted to, I hadn’t broken his rules. Especially not the one that would have made my life so much easier.

My dreams had become a lot more vivid over the last couple of months. I couldn’t wait to see him again. And that brought the gnawing guilt back. I wasn’t supposed to be more excited to see him than I’d been for anything in a long time. I wasn’t supposed to be so wrapped up in this man, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t shake how he made me feel and I didn’t want to.

* * *

“You look amazing, Mel,” I said, walking into the room as Mel was whirled around in the chair. Her stylist team was worth every penny. Not that Mel needed any help in the gorgeous area.

“Yeah?” she asked, looking unsure.

“Yeah,” I said, checking the time. “Let’s get you ready for your ball, Cinderella.” I walked with her out to the foyer where Rhys appeared. From the way he looked at her, I had no doubt things were going to change for those two tonight.

Babysitting duty was easy. Esme, Rhys’s daughter, was a good kid. Disney movies, books, and popcorn. It couldn’t get any easier than that.

“Hey Esme, do you want another story?” I asked. Esme nodded. It had been an eventful afternoon. Getting Mel dressed and ready for the gala felt like I was in a real-life version of Pretty Woman—without the prostitution bit. She looked gorgeous in the gown Rhys had me scouring the city to find. He wouldn’t be the first guy to fall for the nanny. He’d been widowed for years now and Mel was amazing, so there wouldn’t be any complaints from me.

Killian: Where are you tonight?

Not that I had any room to talk when it came to inappropriate relationships. My screen lit up.

Me: Babysitting. I told you before. I’m reading my twentieth bedtime story and then I’m going to get some work done.

Killian: I want to see you tonight

Me: I just told you I’m babysitting

Killian: When you’re finished

Me: It might be late

Killian: I don’t care. I want to see you. You belong to me after work hours, until sunrise, remember?

Excitement bounced in my chest as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. The thing I’d been waiting for since I last saw him was finally here. I hadn’t been this excited since Christmas morning when I was eight and I finally got the tree house I’d begged for all year.

Leave it to my parents to make sure I was the only kid with a weather sealed treehouse with temperature control and running water. It became my perfect escape over the years. My home away from home. I filled it with books and pillows to go along with the miniature furniture they had up there.

I missed it. That was probably the thing I missed most from home. Well, that and my parents, of course. They, well more my mom, were always trying to meddle in my life. But I wouldn’t blame them now, what was happening was my own doing.

Me: Should I come to the apartment?

The little bubble popped up, which told me he was typing. As I waited for his message, Esme rummaged through the books, probably trying to find one that was at least double the length of the last one we read. The bubble popped up and disappeared at least four times before a message finally came through.

Killian: Yes

How hard was that? I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d worried maybe he was going to say ‘no’. Maybe he was going to call the whole thing off. Part of me wished he would. Wished he’d put me out of my misery and take the decision out of my hands because I didn’t have the strength to tell him no.

“Rachel, how about this one?” Esme said, holding up a book so big it looked like it was going to tip her over at any minute.

“Not on your life, Esme. How about this one?” I said, picking up a nice pop-up book. “It’s the last one before bed,” I said, waving it at her. She trudged over to me and I handed it to her. She settled into the bed and I sat beside her. I checked the time on my phone. Only a few more hours until I found out what was in store for me tonight. And I couldn’t wait.