Page 11 of Rejected Nanny Mate
Samson and Joe might have been saying something to me, but I didn't hear them. I made a beeline for the carrier, carefully taking it from Samson's hands and setting it on the dining room table. The second the baby was within sight, I was smitten.
Rose had dark, curly hair and a round, chubby face. She blinked up at me and smiled, waving a pudgy arm and reaching her hand toward me. Grinning, I unbuckled her and scooped her out. She didn't fuss or cry; instead, she snuggled against my chest and reached a hand toward my mouth, her tiny fingers brushing across my lips.
“Hello, little princess,” I murmured, kissing the tips of her fingers.
“Gwen, Joe said, his voice suspiciously thick, “this is Rose Longwood.”
“Hello, sweet Rose,” I replied, rocking her gently. “It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Gwen, and we're going to be best friends in no time.”
I expected that my emotions would be more complicated. After all, Rose was the daughter of the only man I'd ever really been interested in, the daughter he had with another woman. But I'd underestimated myself. There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in me when it came to Rose. I adored her from the moment I first saw her.
I was vaguely aware of Samson and Joe talking, but I was too wrapped up in the precious bundle in my arms. We played peek-a-boo, and she laughed, her voice like bells, and my heart swelled until it felt like it might burst.
When Samson was done talking with Joe, he came to me, speaking low.
“I appreciate what you're doing for our ally, Gwen. I also want you to know that if anything happens that you're uncomfortable with, you can tell me or Kiera, and it will be handled in an instant. You're still my wolf, even if you're living with a Brokenclaw. You understand?”
“I'm not worried about Joe,” I assured him, surprising myself.
“I'm not either, but you're under my protection either way.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” I said, genuinely touched. Joe had given us space, but I could feel his eyes boring into me.
“The girls sent you over some things,” he said, heading towards the door. “I left it all in the kitchen.”
I nodded, watching as Joe and Samson shook hands, and I was suddenly alone with Joe once more. Well, not totally alone, I thought as Rose wiggled in my arms. I smiled down at her, tracing the curve of her round cheek. “You've had a long day, haven't you, sweet girl?”
Rose sighed, and I cooed at her, losing myself in the moment. I still wasn't sure about living with Joe, not at all, but I was quickly falling for the little baby with her father's eyes.
“Do you need a minute?”
I startled, looking up at Joe. He was leaning against the doorway, and a small, secretive smile played on his lips. He looked at Rose first, but then his gaze turned to me, and the emotions in the two looks were so drastically different that it took my breath away. He looked at me like I was an oasis in a desert, or a deep breath after long minutes underwater.
How had I forgotten just how powerful my attraction was towards him? I was feeling better about accepting the job, but knowing just how badly I wanted him made nervousness tingle down my spine.
“A minute for what?” I asked, trying to keep my tone cool.
“To adjust. You're going to have a lot on your plate, Gwen. Don't forget, it's not just her. It's the two of us, and the pack, and-”
“Okay, okay. You made your point. It's a lot. But I'm fine. Plus, there's no 'us'. Let me make that clear right now.” I didn't want it to be that way, but if I fell to his charms right away, then the job would be a failure from the jump. Plus, he'd made it clear what he thought of me romantically—that I was a joke.
That memory helped me get a hold of myself, so before I could chicken out, I kept speaking. “I think we need to set someground rules, actually, between you and me. Our past is sort of complicated, but I don't want that to interfere with me working for you and taking care of Rose.”
Joe hummed thoughtfully. “Okay. What sort of ground rules?”
“No talking about the past,” I blurted. “Let's just keep this professional, alright? We can be friendly, but we have to keep personal stuff out of it. No joking or teasing or, uh, any other stuff.”
“Stuff,” Joe repeated, raising his eyebrows.
I blushed. “You know. Stuff. Like the way you look at me, or touch my face, or the things you say to me. That sort of stuff.”
“You don't like the way I look at you, or touch your face, or say the things that I say?”
I could tell by the expression that he was enjoying himself, and I frowned. “This isn't funny, Joe. I'm being serious. This won't work unless we both behave. So, no teasing, no touching, and definitely no... I don't know. Romantic stuff.”
The last word made Joe laugh, and he ran his hands through his hair.
“I'm serious,” I said, getting annoyed. “We've got a lot of history, and we've already kissed once. That kiss ruined our friendship, but I don't want it to ruin our working relationship.”
