Max

I rounded my truck and gazed into the bed, wiping a bead of sweat from my face.

“Shit,” I murmured. I’d forgotten Zach’s favorite beer, and given his reputation for being picky, he wasn’t likely to forgive me for it. Quickly, I pulled my phone from my pocket and texted Matt to bring some with him, then loaded the grocery bags and boxes into my arms and made for my front door.

I couldn’t deny that a certain amount of guilt was settling in the pit of my stomach—not that it was my fault. I probably should have told Addison that the guys were coming over for the first football game of the season, but I hadn’t wanted to bother her while she was with her friend yesterday. Then, by the time I saw her this morning, she was so harried with cleaning and caring for Dylan that it completely slipped my mind.

Now, though, I was going to have to give her a heads-up barely five minutes before the guys were due to walk through the door.

When I got to the kitchen, I called for Dylan and Addison, then settled my bags onto the counter and looked around. The house was quiet, and I was on the brink of heading upstairs to look for them when I heard a shrill laugh through the back window.

Turning on my heel, I headed for the back door and opened it to find Dylan sitting in a little two-piece pink bikini with white polka dots, her chubby belly jiggling with peals of laughter as a sprinkler moved back and forth, spraying water over her head.

Standing above her, trying to convince her to toddle over the sprinkler, was Addison. Who, as it happened, was also wearing a bikini.

And it was nearly as small as Dylan’s.

My cock thickened and I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the long, trim length of her legs and the golden skin exposed by her dark blue suit. My eyes must have been bugging out of my head, and I blinked before I heard the front door open behind me.

Shit.

“Hey, where are you?” Matt’s voice echoed through the house as he walked through to the kitchen, swiftly followed by Zach. “I didn’t stop. I just told Zach he was going to have to suck it up and drink real beer for a change.”

“Just because I like lime in my beer—” Zach started, then he stopped when he found me, still frozen in the doorway.

“I hope you don’t mind.” Addison grinned at me. “It was such a beautiful day, and I thought we’d soak up the last of the summer sun, you know?”

Heat pricked at the back of my neck, and I was all too aware that Addison was in full view of both Zach and Matt. They could see, just like I could, all the curves and planes of her body.

“Why don’t you go put some clothes on?” I asked, my voice curt as I turned back to my friends. “Give me a minute here, guys. Turn on the game in the living room, and I’ll be right in.”

Zach said, “Fine, I’ll drink your disgusting beer, but I swear to God, if we don’t have hot wings, somebody is gonna get hit.”

“Save it,” Matt muttered, and nodded at me before he led Zach back through the kitchen.

Quickly, I crossed the yard and scooped Dylan up from the ground, groaning as her wet swimsuit dampened the front of my shirt.

“I could have done that,” Addison said, but I ignored her.

“You could have brought out a towel too,” I grumbled under my breath.

Instead, though, she was going to traipse through the living room under my friends’ watchful eyes, letting her luscious ass hang out for everyone to see.

This wasn’t me. Jealousy, macho asshole anger? Just not my bag, but there was no question my blood ran hot with fury at the thought, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it.

Gritting my teeth, I carried Dylan up to her room and dressed her in a pair of pajamas, then carried her right back down and sat her on the carpet in front of the TV. Handing her some plastic keys to play with, I sat back with my friends and tried to focus on the game.

“The place looks different,” Matt said.

“Clean,” Zach agreed, and I nodded.

“Addison does a lot around the house,” I said, then glanced at the steps. She’d probably come back down here at any minute, and when she did, I’d have to introduce her to everyone.

No matter what she changed into, though, I knew my friends would see her as I still did in my mind’s eye—all creamy skin and luscious curves. Her bikini top had been too small for her, and her modest cleavage had been enhanced to the point that all I could think about was thrusting my cock in that tight vee and sliding it up and down . . .

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and leaned back into the couch.

“Do she and Dylan play in the sprinklers a lot?” Zach asked, his face the picture of innocence. Dylan turned, gurgling at the sound of her name. “And if so, what times of day? Asking for a friend.”

Matt barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I could probably use some cooling off myself.”

“That’s enough,” I snapped, and Zach flipped me the bird before focusing back on the game.

Something was happening on the screen—someone had been fouled or had fouled someone else—but my mind was too busy reeling to keep track. All I could do was think about those damn long legs and how they would feel wrapped around my waist. Her soft brown hair pulled into a high ponytail, and how that ponytail would look bouncing as she sucked my cock.

This was so not going to work.

“Actually, I think I better put Dylan down for a nap,” I muttered, then scooped up the baby and hauled her upstairs like I was sprinting for my own touchdown. She babbled a little and I heard my friends cheer from downstairs, but I kissed the top of her head and laid her in the crib all the same.

Damn, I seriously hadn’t thought anything through today. It was close to her naptime, but even if she slept, they would wake her in a matter of minutes. Football and babies might not mix. We were going to have to move the Sunday game ritual to a new location.

One that didn’t include my boys seeing my smoking-hot nanny in her bathing suit.

As an image of that tight little ass filled my mind again, I groaned, wishing I hadn’t seen her either. What the fuck was I going to do about Addison?

I had a few ideas, of course, but most of those involved restraints and scented massage oils.

In the hall, I heard her bedroom door click shut and I waited for a long moment, weighing my options. But how many times could I do this—over and over again and still coming to the same result? It wasn’t working. None of this was working.

I marched to her door and knocked hard.

After a slight pause, she called, “Come in.”

When I walked inside, she was wearing a fluffy pink robe that stopped just above her knees. Her swimsuit was on the floor in front of her, and my mind was momentarily sidetracked by the fact that I knew she was naked beneath her robe.

All I would have to do was walk toward her and open that belt, let the fabric slide to the floor, and then . . .

An ache of need rushed to my groin, and my jaw ticked. “This isn’t going to work,” I said, clenching my hands at my side. This was a shit thing to do. I knew it, but damned if I could stop myself.

“I . . . I don’t know what you mean.” She shook her head. “I just—”

“This. You working here. It just isn’t going to work.”

“Wait, I don’t understand.” She searched my face, her wide eyes glassy with a rush of tears. “Did I do something wrong?”

What could I possibly say? No. I just can’t control the insatiable desire to fuck your brains out.

I stared at her, my blood still pumping as I tried to frame a coherent response.

“If you’re still mad that I took Dylan out the other night without texting, I told you, I’d—”

“Not Dylan,” I cut in, spearing my fingers through my hair in agitation. “You’re great with her. It’s just . . .”

With the groan of a man on the edge, I lunged at her, sweeping her into my arms and crushing my mouth to hers. It was the space of an instant, but it didn’t matter. Feeling her lips on mine, the sweet mint of her breath, the heat of her skin, it was all complete perfection.

She froze, and for a second, I wondered if she would pull away. It would be for the best, and I’d been such an asshole to her, I more than deserved her rejection. But just as I was about to release her, her lips parted and she molded her body to mine. If we went even one step further, I would be completely lost. We needed to talk first, and then?

Well, I’d see how things played out. I pulled away, the breath sawing in and out of my lungs even as my cock pulsed with need.

“It’s not your fault, Addison. It’s mine. I’m attracted to you in a way I’ve never felt before. Hell, I can’t even think about seeing you in that bikini without wanting to fuck you senseless.”

Her breath caught. I was still holding her, feeling the rise and fall of her breasts against my chest, and though her eyes widened, she made no move to step away.

“And then, after you told me the story about your ex and how he shook your confidence—” I shook my head, trying to loosen the words sticking to the insides of my brain. “All I can seem to think about is showing you exactly how much I want you.”

She blinked up at me once, then twice, and I traced my thumb along the side of her cheek, willing her to keep looking at me, to give in, to confess what she wanted.

Electricity crackled between us and I held my breath, waiting for it to ignite a fire. Instead, Addison disentangled herself from me and tightened the knot of her robe.

“But you’re my boss, Max. I know I haven’t been here long, but I love your daughter and I don’t want to lose this job if things get . . . sticky. So, where does that leave us?” She was practically breathless, her cheeks flushed, and she glanced down at the floor rather than look at me.

But I was done with that—done with playing cat and mouse.

I took another step toward her and tucked my fingers under her chin, turning her gaze to me. “I’m your boss Monday through Friday from nine to five. The rest of the time, we’re a man and a woman.”

She sniffed, pulling her chin away. “You’re not serious.”

“I am. At night, on the weekends? I’m not paying you for that time. Whatever happens then happens between two people, not a boss and an employee.”

“And you think it’s that easy to separate it all?” She raised her eyebrows.

“I don’t see why it can’t be,” I shot back. “We both want this. And it only gets tricky if we let it. We like each other. We respect each other. We’re friends who also want to sleep together. So long as we know that’s what it is, surely we can manage to keep it casual.”

“Casual,” she repeated thoughtfully.

“I know what your ex did to you, and I know you’re probably gun-shy after that, but I would never hurt you or make you feel like you weren’t sexy or desirable. Maybe this—” I searched for the right word. “Maybe this arrangement between us would help you feel better about all that. I still meant what I said before.”

“Max,” Addison said on a sigh.

“Don’t overthink it. We’re two adults, and there’s no reason why we can’t enjoy each other’s company without it turning weird. Besides, living like this is hardly less weird, right? Tiptoeing around each other like a couple of teenagers with a crush?”

She pursed her lips, then ran the pink tip of her tongue over her full bottom lip. “Maybe.”

“More than maybe,” I argued, and I closed the space between us again, circling her waist with my arms. Lowering my face to hers, I kissed her again, slower and deeper this time.

Fuck, she tasted good.

She met my lips gently at first, shyly, but when I swept my tongue out, she opened her mouth for me, pushing and pulling along with me as our tongues danced together and our breath became quicker and shorter. My cock pulsed, growing impossibly hard, and I pressed myself against her, wanting her to feel exactly how much I wanted her, how I needed her.

“I have to think about it,” she whispered as she broke away, gasping. “Dylan has to come first.”

“I agree. Dylan comes first.” I nodded.

“So . . . can I think about it? Just for a day. I’ll tell you tomorrow, I promise.” She disengaged from my arms again, her eyes hooded in what I could only hope was lust. “I just don’t want to make a rash decision.”

“I can respect that. So . . . tomorrow, then.”

“Tomorrow.” She nodded.

I backed away, my whole body tense with need, somewhat mollified that she looked as desperate as I felt. If this was what it took, waiting twenty-four hours for a chance to finally touch her the way I’d dreamed of? I’d dig deep and find the patience to wait.

I made for the door and descended the stairs, careful not to make eye contact with my friends. Somehow, I felt like if I looked them in the eye, they’d know what I was up to and try to talk me out of it, and that was the last thing I wanted.

If all went well, tomorrow I would finally get to see Addison naked in my bed.

A rush of need surged to my groin and I crossed my legs at the ankle, desperate to think of something else. Instead, my mind was humming with thoughts of Addison.

How long had it been since she’d actually been with a man who wanted her? I considered this, but the idea of her being with another man at all had me balling up my fists and trying to change the subject inside my mind yet again.

I was so caught up that I flinched when Zach and Matt jumped up, cheering as our team rushed into the end zone. I leaped up to join them but my heart wasn’t in it. When we sat again, Zach turned his attention to me.

“What’s going on with you, man?” he asked.

I frowned in his general direction. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’re acting weird.”

“I’m not,” I argued.

“You are,” Matt cut in. “What gives?”

“Just have a lot on my mind.” I tried to focus on the TV again, but both my friends continued to stare at me, quietly sipping their beers and watching me like I was the main attraction.

“I think you’ve got nanny on the brain,” Zach teased. “I can definitely understand that.”

“Shut up,” Matt barked at him. “She’ll hear you.”

“Exactly,” I said.

“It doesn’t mean he’s wrong, though,” Matt said. “You’ve clearly got the hots for her.”

“She’s attractive. So what?” I asked with a roll of my eyes.

“Other than the fact you live with her?” Matt asked.

“That’s the least of your problems,” Zach added. “Just look at her. She’s all wholesome and subtly sexy—perfect girl-next-door type. Spells trouble, bro.”

“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” I shot back.

Zach shrugged. “Listen, just, good luck with that, buddy.”

“No,” I argued. “Spit it out.”

Zach let out a little sigh. “Fine. All I’m saying is you have this gorgeous woman taking care of your house and your daughter. You don’t just want to fuck her. You’re growing dependent on her, and that means things can only get messy.”

“Maybe for you it would,” I said.

“For anyone,” Matt cut in.

I ignored them both and focused on the game. Soon, they stopped yammering and followed suit, but their words stuck with me, playing in my mind on a loop.

Addison had said it, and Zach and Matt had agreed as much. Things between us could get very sticky.

But as my cock throbbed again at the very thought of her soft mouth beneath mine, I knew it was too late for doubts.

Because if I had a chance to get sticky with Addison?

I was sure as fuck going to take it.