I’d only had coffee for breakfast, but I was too nervous to be hungry. With Sam gone, it was just me and Carlton in the penthouse.“We’ll be working in my home office,” Carlton said as he left the kitchen. “Give me thirty minutes to get showered and changed. I’ll leave the door open for you, so just come right in.” “Okay.”I watched him go, and the moment he was out of sight, I slumped against the counter, putting a hand over my beating heart. Anyway, I had thirty minutes to waste. I didn’t feel right, cooking in someone else’s kitchen while the owner was around, so I just got more coffee and toasted a couple slices of bread. I found some jelly to spread over the toast, and ate at the counter, making sure not to drop any crumbs on the floor.My thoughts kept trying to go out of hand, but I brought myself back to reality each time. So, what if we were alone? Carlton didn’t seem bothered by it at all. It was ridiculous that I felt attracted to a guy who didn’t even have the slightest
I glanced at Lexi out the corner of my eye as she mulled over the notes she’d taken, occasionally glancing up at the laptop screen. She was biting down on her lip, and I wondered if she even knew she was doing it. Against my will, my eyes dropped to her mouth, and I had to bite back a groan.She looked sexy like that, with her determined expression. She released her lip, and I felt my breath hitch. Her lower lip had darkened a pretty pink, wet from her saliva. I really wanted to kiss her. After a while, she blinked and looked up.“Do we continue now?” She asked, totally innocent, impossibly sexy.I took in a deep breath, a little surprised when it shuddered through my body. “Actually, I think we can use a break.”I knew I definitely did. My thoughts were going down a route they shouldn’t, and I couldn’t remember now why it was so wrong before. For the past few hours, I’d been trying my best not to be so aware of her, but it was impossible with her sitting so close, her expression comp
I sat at the dining table, watching Carlton cook. He’d insisted on it, even though I’d offered, after we’d cleaned up and fixed our clothes. My face warmed just thinking about it, but my lips threatened to curl into a smile at the same time.Carlton glanced over his shoulder at me with a gentle smile. “I’m almost done. Just wait a little longer. It’s a lot later than I’d thought it would be…”I shrugged. “It’s fine. We were both pretty preoccupied.”My voice came out calm, but my face was burning. Carlton just chuckled and went back to his cooking.“To be honest, I was surprised when I realized you could cook,” I said after a minute. “Though I guess it should make sense, because you live on your own.”He hesitated before replying. “Honestly, though, I don’t get to cook for myself much. My previous babysitter would help me with cooking, and when she couldn’t, I had to get take out. I don’t get a lot of chances to cook with having to take care of Sam.”I wanted to ask about why he hesit
After the late lunch, we went back to study for a few more hours. Surprisingly, even with the close proximity, we were both able to focus and we made some headway. With the terrible timing, I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to help her, but if I could do anything for her at all, then I was going to do it.We broke off late and made dinner. I was starting to wonder when Mom would be coming back with Sam, when she called.“Hello?”“Sorry, Carlton. It’s late, but I just forgot to call. I’ll be keeping Sam with us for the night, okay. I’ll bring him back tomorrow night after you leave work, okay?”I glanced at Lexi, not as against the idea as I probably should have been.“It’s fine, Mom. I’ll see you and Sam tomorrow. Give him a kiss for me.”I rejoined Lexi at the table.“Who was it?”“Mom saying she’s keeping Sam for the night,” I said.“Oh.”Her voice had gone quiet, and she ducked her head as a blush spread on her face. I couldn’t help but smirk.Since Mom was retired, she’d helped m
I woke up to the smell of something delicious cooking. I rolled over in bed with a groan, wondering where the smell was coming from. There was a chuckle from beside the bed.“I was just about to wake you up, but I guess I don’t have to now.”Carlton.I froze when I realized who the voice belonged to. Right, I’d slept over at Carlton’s place again, only instead of taking the guest room this time, I was in his bedroom. I opened my eyes and squinted in the light. The curtains had been pulled open, so the room was bright. Carlton was standing beside the bed dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of cotton pants, looking down at me. I blinked back up at him.“Um…”“Don’t worry, you didn’t wake up too late. I have breakfast here for you.”My eyebrows jumped up in surprise. This was a first for me. I’d never had breakfast in bed, and I couldn’t help feeling pleased. I sat up, and only remembered I was naked when Carlton’s eyes dropped to my chest and lit up with heat. My face warming, I brought the
Mom had said she’d come at night, but she surprised me by coming earlier in the afternoon. Luckily, by the time she got back, Lexi and I had already finished lunch and cleaned up, and we were in the office doing some more learning, fully dressed.“Should I go to the room?” Lexi asked nervously.We stepped out of the office, but she didn’t move far from the doorway, staring at it as if it would bite her. I shook my head.“There’s no reason for you to hide. I’m sure Dad must have told her about you, and I planned to let her know you’re babysitting for me, anyway. Have you ever met her before?”“Well, Dad has, but she didn’t go to your dad’s office as much as you and your brother did, and I missed her at the hospital when I went with Dad to see how Ken was doing.”“You can meet her, then. Come on.”I headed for the door, with Lexi following slowly behind me. I opened the door, and Mom was there with Sam. He was standing while she held his hand, and in her other hand, she held a bag.“I b
I looked up from my computer at Alec, who’d just walked into my office. I narrowed my eyes on him.“Is there something I can help you with?”“No, Carlton, you really can’t help me with anything. But Dad asked us to meet him for lunch today. I was wondering if you knew where he wanted to meet us?”I frowned. “What, he didn’t tell you?”Alec didn’t reply, and I took that to mean that he didn’t know. My frown deepened. I hoped Dad didn’t plan this, so we’d have to head over there together.“He sent it to me in a text. I’ll be heading out soon myself, so you can leave now if you want. You know dad will be there a few minutes late.”“Whatever. If you forget to send it, I’ll be back here.”I rolled my eyes and picked up my phone. I heard the office door open and close, and I knew he was gone. I looked through my texts to the message Dad had sent me this morning, saying that he wanted to see both me and Alec, and he’d cancel if either of us missed it. I ran a hand down my face, feeling stres
I made sure I had everything I’d need with me, then picked up Sam.“Are you ready to go out, baby?”Sam didn’t say anything, sucking on his fingers, and I patted his hair.“We’re going to have a lot of fun in the park, okay? Daddy already said it’s fine to get you a little ice cream, and it’s such a nice day out.”A few weeks had passed, and it was already over a month since I started babysitting, and it had hit me that in all that time, unless Carlton’s mom came to take him, Sam didn’t leave the house that often. I was too afraid to just take him out, though, so I’d asked for permission, and Carlton said it was all right. So, for the first time, I was going to have a park date with Sam.There was a park not too far away, and Carlton had left me with some money so I could take a taxi there and back. I’d already called for one, and it was waiting for us downstairs. I had a driver’s license, so if I’d had a car, I could have just driven us there, but when Carlton offered to leave the ca