The SEAL’s Beautiful Nanny (The Admiral’s SEALs Book 2) Page 5

  Colin wore jeans and a sweatshirt and looked as though he hadn’t shaved. Unusual for him, and definitely not date-night worthy. His look was more “stay in and cuddle on the couch.” Her mind drifted in that direction for just a second, almost feeling the warmth and hardness of his body, before she yanked herself back from that cliff.

  “Of course.” Lily tilted her head to see Sofia’s face. “Bedtime, sweet pea?” She got a sleepy nod in reply.

  Lily could hear the shower running while she changed Sofia into pajamas. If she timed this right, she wouldn’t see Colin leave for his date. Unfortunately, Sofia was too tired to listen to even one story. Lily was lingering in the room, putting toys away, when Colin appeared in the door.

  She’d played this all wrong, she realized. She should have known he’d check on Sofia before he left for the night. When he bent over the crib to kiss Sofia, Lily slipped from the room, but where could she go? A face-to-face moment was unavoidable. She could control where it happened, though. The dimly lit hall that led to the bedrooms was not the place. She went down the stairs and flipped on the light inside the front door, telling herself that this was no different than sending one of her brothers off on a date.

  Check his outfit, tell him to have a good time and be safe. Easy.

  Until he came down the stairs. Clean shaven, groomed, and smelling of cologne. He wore a navy suit in a modern, stylish cut that accented his broad-shouldered, lean-hipped body. His shirt was light blue with a subtle white stripe. Navy tie. Too much blue, and a little too formal. That was her only criticism. He looked amazing and smelled better, making her regret that missed kiss opportunity again.

  “I don’t know how late I’ll be,” he said, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt.

  “Lose the tie,” she suggested.

  “Huh?” He met her eyes.

  “Here.” She stepped closer, dropping her attention to the tie that she quickly unknotted and slid from around his neck. She undid two shirt buttons, spreading the collar slightly. As she worked, her fingers brushed against the pulse point on his neck. Warm skin and steady heartbeat. Lily heard him drag in a breath, which she found incredible because she suddenly couldn’t breathe. Being this close to him…

  She stepped away. “There, you look more… approachable. More Saturday night date and less meeting in the boardroom.”

  There was a brief pause. Then, “Thanks, and thanks for watching Sofia for me tonight.”

  “Sure. Have fun.” She forced a smile that lasted until the door closed. When it did, she stood there, fighting to recover the attitude she’d had in her apartment. She wasn’t for him. But, God, she was curious about the woman he was meeting.

  Who was she? She’d be beautiful, of course. A man like Colin would attract well-dressed, sophisticated women. Lily looked at her yoga pants and comfy purple sweater, felt the tangle of her hair, and touched her own makeup-free face.

  “We don’t match,” she said aloud in the quiet house. “We could never be a match.” So why had she reacted so powerfully to him a moment ago? Everything in her had wanted his kiss. Again.

  She walked into the living room and sank onto the couch, fighting back the emotion she felt. She was jealous of this woman, jealous that she would sit across the table from Colin, share a bottle of wine and maybe a dessert. Would he kiss her good night?

  She groaned, imagining the intimate scene between Colin and the faceless woman. It shouldn’t matter to Lily. It didn’t matter to her.

  Damn it. It did.

  She reached for her laptop, looking for a distraction. The advice column she frequented was often entertaining. People posted all sorts of problems they faced, seeking others’ input. Lily sometimes gave her opinion. She scanned through the latest topics.

  Investment question. Not her gig.

  College student seeking advice on getting an internship. Not that, either.

  Girl with the hots for unattainable guy. Sounded familiar.

  Lily read on. I’ve been crushing on a guy I work with for months. He’s friendly to me, but in a little sister sort of way, which sucks. What sucks more is that he keeps dating people I know but has never once looked at me that way. He’s super cute, smart, ambitious. Everything I want in a guy if he would only NOTICE that I’m right next to him. What should I do? I haven’t dated in forever because I’ve been hoping he’ll see me. Is that silly? Should I risk revealing my feelings for him or move on?

  Lily stared at the unadorned white walls of Colin’s living room. What advice could she offer? The same that she was struggling to give herself? Maybe putting it into words… She started typing, working out her thoughts as she went.

  Let him go, Girl. There’s no good ending when you’re crushing on someone unavailable. Get over it by imagining him with all kinds of disgusting habits like he chews with his mouth open, burps loudly, leaves wet towels and dirty socks on the floor. Pretty soon you’ll be looking for Mr. Right someplace else. Or maybe you don’t need anyone at all. Go do what makes you happy.

  She clicked the Submit button, adding her opinion to the forum. It had been easy to give, but it was hard to take. She squinted up her eyes, trying to form an image of socks on the floor of Colin’s bedroom. No socks appeared, but the moment of their almost kiss there came into sharp focus.

  7

  “Hi, Mom, it’s good to see you.” Lily greeted her mother outside the country club her parents had belonged to as long as she could remember. They didn’t hug. They never hugged. It wasn’t in the family’s DNA, but she was genuinely happy to meet her mother for lunch.

  “Good to see you, too. You look well.” Veronica Rhodes was elegantly dressed in a powder blue suit and taupe heels.

  Lily had taken extra care with her wardrobe, hair, and makeup that morning. She wasn’t conforming to her parents’ wishes, but it was easier if she gave them something of what they wanted. Lily had ramped up the color, though, opting for a bubblegum-pink dress with a full skirt. On her feet she wore metallic gold ballet flats. She was finding her style, finding what she was comfortable in.

  “So do you,” Lily returned as they entered the club’s dining room. She’d eaten countless meals there and knew exactly what to expect on the menu and who might be seated at the other tables. They would be full of the ladies who lunch, shop, and play golf to fill their days. Not Lily’s idea of a good time.

  “I got something for Sofia while I was shopping.” Veronica pulled a doll from her oversized Coach purse. “I thought she might like it.”

  Lily accepted the soft-body doll that was perfectly sized for a toddler. “It’s lovely. I’m sure she’ll like it.” Her mother’s thoughtfulness was unexpected and made Lily glad she’d agreed to the lunch. In truth, she’d done it to avoid going to her family’s home and facing a dinner with her father sitting piously at the head of the table.

  They talked about her siblings, her mother filling her in on the latest news, until they’d begun eating their entrees. Lily could tell her mother was working up to something by her mannerisms.

  “Your father thought you might be interested in teaching again.” Veronica laid her fork down and blotted her lips with the napkin. “A position has opened up at Andrews, and he could put in a good word for you.”

  Andrews was an all-girls boarding school about thirty miles away. “Mom, I—”

  “It would just be until the end of the school year,” Veronica continued. “A teacher became ill, but if you do a good job, you might be able to work your way into a permanent position.”

  “I’m not interested, Mom. I like what I’m doing now.”

  In truth, she was intensely grateful to be Sofia’s nanny. The girl was adorable, the pay generous, and she was saving her money to invest in the future she wanted and avoiding having to ask her father for rent money. She dismissed any thoughts of the handsome man who paid her salary. They’d kept their interactions businesslike throughout the week. Colin had given no details about his date when he arrived home, and she hadn�
�t asked. For all she knew, he’d met the love of his life six days ago.

  “But it’s not a career,” her mother pointed out. “Teaching is a solid income, and you could become a school leader eventually.”

  Nothing sounded worse to Lily than being in charge of a school full of privileged kids like the ones at the Hartford Academy.

  “I don’t enjoy teaching. I never did. I only taught because it seemed like the thing to do, since you and Dad were in education. I need to find what I want to do.”

  Her mother sighed, and Lily steeled herself for what was coming. Was she going to get the ungrateful-daughter lecture?

  “I understand wanting to pursue your dreams,” Veronica said.

  “You do?” Lily couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.

  “I do.” Her mother smiled. “You’ve probably never heard this, but before I married your father, I was a dancer. Quite a good one, too. I had hopes of making it into an elite ballet company, but such things weren’t encouraged. My father labeled my desire to dance a pipe dream, and I gave it up to become a teacher and later a mother.”

  Interesting. That explained the occasional pirouette in the kitchen that Lily remembered as a little girl. When she thought about it, she could see that her mother had the grace and posture of a classically trained dancer. Lily couldn’t believe she’d never known this.

  “Sometimes… Sometimes, I still wonder, what if. What if I’d taken the chance and gone to the audition that my parents talked me out of attending? Who knows? But I can’t complain about my life.” Her mother’s wistful smile transformed and softened her face. “While you have the chance, you should explore your interests. Tell me about the art classes you’re taking.”

  “I’m enjoying them. Painting is fine. I like watercolors more than oils.” There was something wonderfully freeing about working with watercolors. “But the sculpting class is my favorite. I love that I can take a lump of clay and make it into something beautiful.”

  Over coffee and a crisp apple tart, Lily talked of her art classes and told stories about Sofia’s antics, making her mother laugh.

  “I miss having toddlers around the house. It was wild having eight children, but I loved the busyness and life it brought,” Veronica said when they rose to leave.

  As Lily drove across town to pick up Sofia, she felt she’d seen a different side of her mother, one hidden until today—or perhaps one that Lily hadn’t taken the time to see. Despite what she assumed would be her father’s displeasure at her life choices, it was comforting to have her mother on her side.

  Lily made a quick stop at Carolyn’s mother’s home to pick up Sofia. Faith was always willing to watch Sofia, especially on days when she also had Austin. She insisted the toddlers entertained each other, which was probably true. Exhausting, but true.

  By the time Lily strapped Sofia into her car and headed for Colin’s house, rain was coming down in heavy sheets, causing water to pool on the roadways. She drove cautiously, a habit when she had the girl in the car with her. It was quiet in the back seat, so Lily flipped the visor down, using the vanity mirror to check on Sofia. Her head was resting against the side of the car seat, and her eyes were drifting closed. She’d be asleep in no time.

  Lily turned her attention back to the road, trying to dodge the largest of the puddles. Bright lights in the rearview mirror grabbed her attention. A car was barreling down on her from behind.

  “Slow down, dude. It’s lousy out,” she muttered, her attention now divided between the mirror and the road ahead.

  The car kept coming fast. Lily gripped the wheel tighter as she sped up, trying to keep ahead of the vehicle, its headlights large in her mirrors.

  “Give me a break.” She flicked the windshield wipers on high, trying to see better, hoping for a place to pull off.

  The car was on her bumper. If she slowed even a little, she’d be rear-ended. She had to get off the road. Up ahead she saw a turn lane into a shopping center. She wrenched the wheel to the right, getting into the extra lane as fast as possible. The other car careened past, hit a huge puddle, and cascaded water over her subcompact.

  She pulled into a parking space for a minute and relaxed her hold on the wheel. Pivoting in her seat, she could see that Sofia was fine, sound asleep and unaware of what had happened. Lily felt shaky but put the car in gear and headed for home.

  Colin’s phone rang as he drove home that evening. He hit the button for his car system to pick up the call.

  “Vale,” he answered.

  Steve’s voice came through the speakers. “Hey, Colin. I’ve got some news for you on that gray Camry. It’s not great news and not terrible.”

  “How many hits?” Colin asked as he squinted through the rain-soaked windshield.

  “Thirty-four gray Camrys between three and seven years old registered to males within thirty miles of your address.”

  Not exactly a needle in a haystack, but it would take some time to run down all those possibilities.

  “Can you email me a list of names and addresses?” Maybe something would register if he had that.

  “Coming to you now. Anything else I can do?”

  “Nope, put it on my tab. I’ll settle up with you soon. Thanks, Steve.” Colin clicked off as he turned onto his street. Out of habit he scanned the vicinity, almost hoping to see the gray car again. He’d get the plate next time, and maybe a look at the driver. The only car that stood out to him was Lily’s yellow one. He was happy to see she and Sofia had made it safely home despite the weather.

  He let himself into the house through the front door and stopped when he saw Sofia and Lily napping on the living room floor. Sofia was half on top of Lily, pinning her down. They were beautiful together. His dark-haired girls. He’d started to think of them that way, and he had no right to. Sofia was his forever, but Lily never would be.

  He tore his eyes from them to take in the room. Animals cut out of colored pieces of foam were stuck to the windows. Toys were scattered all over, but there was a pattern. If he had to guess, he’d say they’d set up an obstacle course of some kind. They were napping under a makeshift jungle gym created from PVC pipe. More animals hung from the pipe on strings. They’d had a busy, messy day.

  Lily’s hazel eyes opened, meeting his. She raised a finger to her lips as if to shush him. The message he got was different. All his focus went to her mouth, the mouth he’d almost kissed and so desperately wanted to. He yanked his mind from that path, but his body was already too far gone. His groin tightened with desire, a desire that wasn’t going to be fulfilled.

  He walked closer and lifted Sofia from Lily, being careful not to touch Lily more than he had to. Even the slightest brush against her sent little shocks racing through him. He put Sofia on his shoulder and climbed the stairs with Lily right behind him. In the upstairs hall, she passed him to get Sofia’s bed ready. He was able to slip the sleeping child in without waking her. He stayed a minute to watch her before going downstairs.

  In the living room, Lily was gathering toys into a basket. He helped her clean up the floor, tossing items in the basket as well. When she went to peel the foam animals from the windows, he stopped her.

  “It’s okay to leave them. Maybe we can find a place to hang these.” He touched the animals dangling on strings. “Did you make them together?”

  “We did. Sofia slept on the way home from Faith’s house, but it wasn’t enough. She was bored and angsty. If we could have gone outside, it would have been all right.”

  “She likes to be outside,” he said. Sofia had been like that since he’d known her.

  “Children should get fresh air. It just makes it tough when we’re stuck indoors, so we did some art.”

  “It looks nice. We’ll leave it.”

  She turned wide eyes on him. “Colin, you don’t mean that.”

  “I can be flexible,” he said, “and if it makes Sofia happy, I can learn to live with animals on the windows.”

  “You’ll wince eve
ry time you look at them,” she teased. “And as much as I appreciate the fact that you’re willing to leave them, I think it’s best if we take them down. They’ll be more special if we get them out during playtime, and I don’t want to take the chance that Sofia will put them in her mouth.”

  “If you think that’s best. I’ll get a tub from the shed to store them in,” he said and headed through the kitchen.

  He paused as he approached the back door. It stood open a few inches. The storm door was closed but not locked. What was that about? He scanned the backyard. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but he was irked. All his protectiveness kicked in. He’d sworn to Sofia’s mother that he’d keep Sofia safe, and he loved his little girl as much as any father could—and she’d been put at risk that day.

  They’d been asleep in an unlocked house, completely vulnerable. How could Lily be so careless? In the yard, he spotted footprints in the wet soil. Not his, and too big to be Lily’s. Someone had been there. He took the path to Lily’s apartment and tried the door. Locked. That was good, at least, but he had some questions for her.

  Had she invited a guest over? How long had the door been open?

  He stalked across the yard to the shed and found a storage bin the right size. He took a minute to write Sofia’s Art on the label before returning to the house. He left the box in the kitchen and did a sweep of the house, looking for anything unusual, any sign of an intruder. Nothing turned up, but he couldn’t shake his concern.

  “Did you invite anyone over today?” he asked as soon as he re-entered the house.

  “No.” Surprise showed on her face. “Why?”

  “The back door was open, and footprints I don’t recognize were in the yard. Looked like a man’s.” He watched her face closely. He didn’t think she was involved with anyone, but he didn’t know that for certain.

  “I can’t explain the footprints, but I did run to my apartment to get some art supplies,” she said. She spoke slowly as if replaying the event in her mind. “I could swear I closed and locked the door—I always do. I’m sorry about that. I’ll be more cautious.”