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Georgia let out a mirthless laugh. “He is. Believe me, he is. But he’s also dangerous. Emotionally.”
“Afraid you’ll get attached and he won’t?”
“Something like that.” She was scared to death she’d hand over her heart, and with it, her only sense of security. Falling for him—it would strip away her strength and her independence. “But now I have to live in the same house with him.”
“Quit,” Katie said with a shrug. “Find another job. The man has gobs of money. He can find another nanny in a heartbeat.”
“I can’t do that to Nate. I can’t just disappear on the kid. But seeing Eric every day . . . I’m not sure I can do that either.”
“And you’re sure you can’t ‘sort of hook up’ with him again?”
“It’s complicated,” she said. “Liam is his best friend. And Eric thinks he’ll be furious if he found out. I don’t want to damage their friendship.”
Katie shook her head. “Brothers. They always stick their noses where they don’t belong. But Liam is a big boy. You and Eric are both adults, free to make your own decisions. If you want a relationship with Eric, I say go for it.”
“I don’t know if I can handle it.” Saying those words out loud felt as if she’d forgotten a piece of body armor, leaving a part of herself exposed.
“Oh, please. You’ve had a thing for Eric for as long as I’ve known you. Have you stopped to think that maybe you owe it to yourself after all you’ve been through to explore this thing between you? If he hooked up with you despite what I’m guessing is a pretty long list of reasons not to, it’s obvious he’s attracted to you. But it doesn’t have to be deep and emotional. Just have fun. And for goodness’ sake, you don’t have to tell Liam unless it turns serious. Believe me, your brother doesn’t need to know about every man in your life.”
The words sank in. Running away from what she wanted because of a few obstacles was the coward’s way out. She might be scared of what Eric made her feel, but she refused to be weak.
Chapter Four
THE FIRE RAGED for two days. Eric returned home to take Nate to preschool in the mornings and grab a quick shower, but otherwise he lived at the base camp, watching as the flames destroyed the trees he’d cared for most of his life. It was gut-wrenching to witness, especially knowing the lives of his crew, the firefighters, and surrounding community hung in the balance. Finally, thanks to the herculean efforts of the men who’d worked by his side around the clock to cut the line, it was over. The fire was out. It had claimed acres of trees, but no lives or homes were lost. And it was time to go home.
After the last of his crew left and the base camp was cleared, Eric climbed into the company truck he’d kept on-site. The midday sun glared through the windshield as he drove home. He pulled into his garage and climbed down from the truck. Every muscle in his body begged for sleep. He could probably catch an hour’s shut-eye if Nate was still napping. But first he had to make a few calls. He’d been ignoring his other projects while the fire burned.
Eric opened the door to the house and froze. The counters, the floor, every available surface was covered with flour and cooking utensils. It looked as if a misguided Goldilocks had ransacked his kitchen. And she was still here, standing in the middle of the room with her back to him. Topless. Aside from her purple and black lace bra.
Shit. He didn’t need this, not when he was too tired to remember all the reasons he shouldn’t reach out and remove her underwear. Eric shoved his hands in his pockets and focused his attention on the floor.
“Georgia, what happened to your shirt?” He tried for the same tone he used to address Nate when he’d left his toy trains on the stairs. Tried and failed. The words came out heavy with wanting.
She spun around, a mixing bowl in one hand and wooden spoon in the other. “You’re home.”
“Yeah.” He pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and began unlacing his work boots, doing his best to keep his eyes on his shoes, the flour-covered floor, anywhere but on his topless nanny.
“The fire’s out?” she asked.
He nodded, setting his boots to the side. “It’s over.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“No.”
He heard the soft sound of her bare feet on the wooden floorboards and looked up. Her jeans were covered in equal parts flour and what looked like chocolate frosting. His gaze traveled higher. Chocolate trailed across her abdomen to under her left breast. It took all his self-control not to pull her over and lick her clean.
She stepped closer.
“Georgia,” he said. It was a warning.
“Oh my God, you’re bleeding.” She set the bowl on the table and reached for his right arm.
Eric winced. “It’s just a scratch.”
His entire body hurt. So much, he’d forgotten about the cut on his right bicep. Now, thanks to her proximity and the chocolate begging to be eaten off her bare skin, his lower body ached in a way that had nothing to do with forty-eight hours of backbreaking work. No, this discomfort had everything to do with the chocolate-covered, shirtless woman standing too damn close.
“What happened?”
