Page 66 of Love Me Not

A frown graced her beautiful face, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss it away.

“I knew you wouldn’t walk away from the agency yourself.They are shitty at best.Corrupt.They don’t take care of their people, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I weren’t the only guardian pissed off at them.But it’s less about them and more about you.I’m not offering you this?—”

“Because you pity me?”

I leaned forward, making sure she could see how dead serious I was.

“There is nothing to pity about you,” I said in a serious tone.“You are beyond capable.You are strong.You are caring.You are a dream of a nanny and…” I searched for a word.Frienddidn’t seem right, but she wasn’t my lover either.“A person.I am offering you this because you deserve it and are being severely underpaid for what you are doing for us and your experience.I can’t tell you how much it means to have you here with us.But I want to show it at least.”

She looked down at her hands, which were folded on her lap.

“Why are you doing this?”she whispered.

“You deserve it.”

I grabbed her hands and tugged on them until she looked at me.Her eyes were wide and slowly reddening.

“You deserve this and so much more, Juliette.Stop selling yourself short.Please.”

Her lower lip trembled, and suddenly I was hit with a younger version of her who had no one to take care of her.No one who gave a damn.

My hands acted on their own, cupping her cheeks.

“Are you just so in love with me that you’re trying to keep me near you?”She was trying to make a joke, but her voice was weak and vulnerable.

“Do you want the truth?”I whispered.

My eyes fell to her lips.

This is so wrong.We already crossed the line; doing it again would just guarantee it ended badly.

“Can I start tomorrow?”she asked, evading my question, and I leaned back, slightly confused.

When she got up, my heart dropped.Right.Space.We needed space between us.It’s for the best.For the best.For the?—

Her hands played with the hem of her flimsy tank top.

“Well?”she asked.“If I can start tomorrow, it meanstonight—” She sauntered over to the inground hot tub surrounded by rocks.She sat on the edge and removed her tank top, but she was facing away from me.With her hair up, I had a full, unobstructed view of her lightly toned back, waist, and hips.I wanted to trail kisses up her spine.“We wouldn’t be breaking any rules.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

I got up faster than I ever had in my life and walked the short distance to her, taking off my clothes as I did.By the time I sank into the hot tub and moved in front of her, I was only in my underwear.

She opened her legs for me, and I was instantly there, kneeling on the small stone lip underwater.My arms wrapped around her, my hands cupped her ass.

Her breasts were right in my face, tempting me, but I kept my eyes on hers.

“Yes,” I whispered.“The answer is yes.”

“To what?”she asked breathlessly.“I think I need clarification,sir.”

I couldn’t hold back anymore.I pushed myself up and covered her mouth with mine.

She moaned against me, her lips opening to give me access.

We were in a frenzy, our tongues fighting more than dancing.The aching need for each other was obvious in the desperate way we kissed.Our bodies melded together.Our hands were everywhere.Even the smallest amount of space between us was too much.

Heat zapped from my head to my toes.

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