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Mar frowns. “And a flat white?”
“Yes, please.”
“Have youevercome in here and not ordered a maple glazed?” Mar asks.
No, I haven’t, but I’m trying to mix it up so no one gets any more ideas about how much Felicity and I have in common, thank you very much.
“I’m always mixing it up,” I lie.
“Not around me, you’re not,” Mar argues.
Oh, for crying out loud.
“Stick a few more maple glazed and sprinkles in a box to go,” I say.
Mar’s face is triumphant as she adds them to a box, along with a bear claw.
My teeth grind together as I pay, feeling more out of sorts than I have in a long time.
I’m not sure this whole nanny situation is going to work out.
CHAPTER NINE
SENSORY OVERDRIVE
FELICITY
Taking Owen to school goes seamlessly—except for the fact that being in the car with Sutton is a full sensory experience. His tall, muscular frame takes over the small space. It’s hard to keep my eyes off of him, but I try to not make it obvious that I’m staring at his large hands on the wheel, his thighs that only havethe console between us…the way his chest fills out that shirt. Since the caramel incident, it’s been more comfortable between us. Except I want to loosen his tie, bury my face in his neck, and inhale his smell, and that’s not an option. He’s all man, his cedarwood and vanilla scent mixed with cinnamon and coffee. His voice is lower and gravelly this morning and it scatters chills across my skin every time he speaks.
Keep it together, Shaw.
I tell myself that I’m just curious about the man, but the way my body reacts to him is beyond curiosity. It’s like a switch has been flipped on inside of me and I am a receptacle to his current.
I could’ve gotten to the school without Sutton’s help, but it’s nice that he takes the time to drive us there. Once we arrive, I realize why he did it this way when he says he wants to introduce me to everyone in the school office so they’ll know who I am when I come to pick up Owen.
From his meticulously clean and organized house to the way he dotes on Owen and their family, it seems that Sutton does everything with the utmost care. I don’t know how he’s managed to be a judge and be there for his son as much as he has. After I input everything from his color-coded online calendar to my physical planner last night and made sure it was all in my phone, it was more than evident that Sutton’s a busy man. But even as he’s dropping me back off at the house from taking Owen, he pauses and turns to look at me.
“Do you need anything from me before I go to work? Any questions?”
“I’ll be fine. If I need anything, I’ll figure out how to find it and take care of it,” I assure him.
He nods briskly. “You can call me anytime. If I’m in court, my ringer will be off, but I’ll have my phone with me. I might not see texts right away, but I’ll respond if I do, and I’ll call you back assoon as I’m free. And the list of the entire crew you met last night is in the kitchen,” he reminds me.
“Thank you. Don’t worry about me. I promise I won’t try to make caramel pie in your kitchen.” I smile and enjoy the way his laugh brightens everything around us. I open the door. “Have a good day,” I say cheerily.
I can tell he wants to say more, but I don’t want to make him late for work. I have a feeling it might take time for Sutton to relax with me filling this role. Time he doesn’t have this morning.
I shut the door behind me and wave. He backs up but makes sure I’m safely inside before he pulls away. I lean against the door, needing a minute to catch my breath from being in his proximity. I’ve had two boyfriends, nothing too serious, and when both of those relationships fizzled, I decided to keep my romantic life lighter. In college, I went out quite a bit, mostly with jocks and artistic types because they’re fun and also usually looking for something light.
But I can’t say that a single guy I’ve met has affected me the way Sutton does.
The fact that he’s amansurely contributes to this…but something tells me that if Sutton were my age, he’d still intrigue me and I’d probably feel just as trembly inside too.
I don’t love the way he seems to think of me as a kid, but with the way I’m crushing on him like a lovesick child and his perceptive nature, I don’t blame him. I’m not doing a very good job of hiding how attracted I am to him, and he’s making sure I’m clear on the boundaries between us.
I’m not here to be friends with Sutton. I’m here to take care of his son.
I need to remember that and get a grip on my lusty eyes, especially on the days when he looks good enough to eat. So far,every time I’ve been around him has been that way, so it could take a while for this to sink in.
