Page 193 of The Nanny and the Beefcake
Don’t trust a man with your heart.
It was an overreaction—a defensive gesture she no longer needed, right?
Thanks to her father, her past was littered with broken promises, but everything was about to change.
Raz had spoken those exact words.
She ignored the whispers and concentrated on Raz’s warm embrace. She leaned in, a breath away from kissing the man she loved. “Beefcake?” she said, the word floating in the warm air.
“Yes?” he purred as his self-assured smile bloomed into a boyish grin, and she cast her worries away.
She rocked her hips, reveling in the glow of her boxer. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Erasmus Cress. I’m ready for all theyabyou canyum.”
Twenty-Nine
Erasmus
Raz gazedout the jet’s window, his mind and his body at peace. A blanket of puffy gray clouds obscured his view of the ground, but it didn’t bother him in the least. He wasn’t concerned with the houses and trees below. He had everything he needed thirty thousand feet in the air. And what was the precious cargo that had him completely enthralled?
His love.
His light.
His Libby.
He was a man in love.
If he’d had it his way and could stop time, they’d remain in this perfect purgatory, soaring through the air.
The clouds broke apart momentarily, and the rocky earth peeked through the sea of gray.
They were close to the Aspen Airport. It wouldn’t be long now. His pulse kicked up as a thread of anxiety wove its way around his heart. He inhaled slowly, then released the breath.
This isn’t the end.
He wasn’t about to lose anything. He and Libby might have left Colorado as two people, but they were returning as one—a couple in love.
What they had wasn’t a temporary respite.
He had to keep reminding himself that this was real. He loved Libby Lamb. They’d opened their hearts to each other on a white sandy beach, and now she was his. Their love was real—as real as the sun in the sky and the ocean that had gifted them with a peaceful soundtrack for the last three days. The tide would come in, and it would go out, but Libby’s magic remained constant. Her spirit kept his demons at bay like a barrier of protection.
“I think Sebastian will adore this, don’t you, Raz?” Libby commented, then reached into the bowl of Gummy Bears and popped one into her mouth.
He reclined in his chair and gazed at the woman who had stolen his heart. Sitting across from him, she twisted a lock of her dark hair as she focused on the items spread across the jet’s table.
“This sketch of the island reminds me of the sketches Sebastian does in his book. I saw it, and I knew it would be a perfect birthday gift for him. It’s not quite what he wished for when he shared his birthday intention with me.”
“You never mentioned Sebastian made a wish.”
“He made a couple. He wants to keep the donkeys, and he also wants…”
“Let me guess,” he said. “He wants to keep you, his Mibby.”
She twisted her jade bracelet. “Yes, something like that. He shared it with me on the trail. And he wants you to be happy. That was the first intention he set the day he arrived in Denver.”
He bit back a grin, keeping his features neutral. Sebastian’s first intention had come true in spades. He’d found happiness and love. Still, he wasn’t ready to reveal what else he had up his sleeve regarding that second intention. But if all went to plan today, they’d be celebrating more than Sebastian’s birthday.
She set the image on the table and studied the other trinkets. “Can we talk about the gift situation?” she asked, switching gears.
