Page 27 of Rejected Nanny Mate
He laughed and gently peeled my hands away from my face, scooting closer to reach me. “Rose is the only one allowed to cry over nothing in this house.”
“I'm so embarrassed.”
“Don't be,” he insisted. “Like I said, everyone gets a little carried away once in a while. It's just how life is.”
“You didn't,” I pointed out.
“Oh, yeah, because I was driving and responsible for your safety. That would have been really fucked up, Gwen. I didn't become an Alpha by taking risks like that.”
I don't know why I couldn't let it go. Maybe because no one had ever taken care of me like that before, and Joe wasn't even annoyed that I'd been so drunk. He was joking about it, like it was no big deal, even though he'd had to basically undress me for bed. I just didn't understand why he was being so sweet. “Are you sure you aren't mad? It wasn't the best look for the woman tasked with watching your daughter, I'm sure.”
“You weren't on the clock,” he insisted. It was then that I realized he still had my hands in his, and he made no movement to let go of them. “It's not a big deal, Gwen. Seriously. Everyone has fun once in a while, and no one got hurt. Let it go.”
“Fine. But I'm going to thank you one more time, and you can't stop me. So thanks for breakfast.”
He smirked. “I thought I was an evil man.”
“Evil men can be kind sometimes,” I shot back, and Joe barked out a laugh. Hearing his genuine happiness made butterflies take flight in my stomach, and I wanted more of it, so I pressed on, teasing him more. “Are you evil, Joe?”
“Possibly.”
“So, how do I know you didn't get me drunk just so I'd reveal all my secrets?”
He smirked. “What secrets? How to make the best latte? Which alphabet flashcards are the most effective?”
“That's top-secret information, Alpha. No one must know.”
“Don't worry. Your secrets are safe with me, Gwen.”
We were sitting closer now, and neither of us seemed to notice. His scent was warm and spicy, and my stomach did a flip.
“Good,” I whispered, looking at him from under my lashes. He released one of my hands, but only to use his thumb to swipe a crumb off my bottom lip. When he licked the crumb off his thumb, my insides set ablaze, and I was hot all over. To hell with the hangover—-what Joe was making me feel was the only thing on my mind.
He was so close now, a breath away, his gaze locked on mine. The moment was intimate and heavy, and my skin was so sensitive I felt every movement of the soft blankets against it.
“Gwen,” he whispered, his voice rough.
I was leaning forward, but so was he, and in a moment, his nose would be brushing against mine, and then his lips. I wanted him to kiss me so badly. Even though I'd told myself I would never ask him for it, now that he was offering, I was desperate.
Just as our mouths were a hair's breadth apart, a loud cry sounded from across the hall. Rose had woken and was letting her father and me know exactly what she thought of being alone in her crib.
“Shit,” Joe muttered, resting his forehead against mine.
“She's up,” I breathed.
“I'll go get her. Go ahead and eat.”
He disappeared out the door, and the spell was broken.
I slumped back against the pillows and ate the rest of my breakfast, trying not to focus on the fact that my heart was racing and my body was on fire.
I had a feeling I was in big trouble, and things between me and Joe were about to get a hell of a lot more complicated.
When Joe appeared a few moments later with a red-faced and angry Rose, he seemed almost abashed. “I think she heard us talking, and she only wants you.”
I set my empty cinnamon roll plate aside, pushed the coffee far away enough that her curious little hands couldn't grab it, and held out my arms. “Give her here.”
Joe sighed in relief, handing her over. The moment Rose was safely in my arms, her tears stopped.
