Page 30 of My Orc Nanny

Chapter Eight

Hannah

I love my children.I really do. After all, everything I’d done for the last…uh, foreverhad been for them, right? I would’ve left Travis’s deadbeat butt years ago if I hadn’t been worried about them thriving without a father.

Yeah, I loved them…butdangit felt good to leave them sometimes.

Before Joshy had been born, Benny and Tova used to spend more time at my parents’ house; they’d been the primary babysitters, after all. But having a third kid, especially in the middle of divorce proceedings, had made things…difficult. Then Mom’s diagnosis, and Dad having to become her primary caregiver and everything.

So these special weekends at Nana and Papa’s had been few and far between, but theywerespecial.

Not just for the kids, but for me too. Usually I only took advantage of them for work trips or whatever, but this weekend? This weekend, I was really looking forward to having the house to myself.

Almostto myself.

I might have broken the speed limit getting back to my house. It was four-thirty on Friday afternoon, and my parents would be back by noon on Sunday. Two glorious days alone…with Aswan.

And frankly, I knew just how I wanted to spend them.

Here’s a hint; not cooking and cleaning for the party, although I suppose that was inevitable.

No, I’d been thinking about that kiss—that embarrassing, wonderful,rivetingkiss almost nonstop. The way he’d almost lost control—the wayIalmost made him lose control! The way he wanted me, despite my messy meltdown. The way he’d held me and said and done all the right things. And his tongue! Oh my gosh, histongue.

So I’d come up with a plan.

A mature, responsible plan.

And it was time to implement it.

I all but ran from the driveway to the front door, and when I slammed it behind me, I was surprised—and nervous, and relieved—to see Aswan standing right there in the foyer, waiting for me.

As if he’d known I was coming.

“Hi,” I blurted awkwardly.

His eyes were glowing green again, as his gaze swept me from head to toe and back up again. As if he was memorizing me. Marking me.

I swallowed and stepped toward him. “I… We’re alone now.”

“For two days,” he rumbled, as if he was already thinking the same as I was.

“And since the kids aren’t here…” Oh gosh, how was I going to get this said? I took a deep breath. “You’re not the nanny.”

Aswan blinked. “I’m not.”

It wasn’t a question. I took another step closer.

“For the next two days, we’re just…roommates.” Dang, that sounded silly. Still, I pushed ahead. “And roommates don’t have to think about being professional or worry about what the kids might think if they saw us together.”

Aswan’s chin ducked, and I saw his nostrils flare. “Together,” he growled.

I had to say it. “I want you, Aswan,” I whispered. “I don’t need a commitment, but if you’re okay with it, I really need to…” Oh crap, was I going to have to spell it out? With him staring at me so intently like that? “I needyou.”

If you’d asked me how he was going to respond to that, I might have said,Verbally agreeing with meor maybeAsking for another kiss.

I wouldnothave saidHe lifts me by my waist, throws me over his shoulder, and all but runs up the stairs.

But that’s what happened, the suddenness of it surprising a shriek of laughter out of me.

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