AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll call. Thank you, ladies, for taking such good care of him today.” He hands them the tip and smiles.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Forbes. Anytime you need us, just call. Night or day.” She looks at me again, and this time I am sure I detect something of a smirk.
I ignore the pointed looks they give me as they slip by me to leave the suite. My heart is pounding as I wonder if they have any idea of what happened this afternoon. Women always seem to have a sixth sense about things like this.
I go back to Ryan and take his hand.
“Let’s get you out of those damp clothes. Look at you! You’re getting a tan!” We walk into his room and I begin to strip him down.
“What’s a tan?”
I point to his leg. “Do you see how this part of your leg is lighter than the other part? The darker section is called a tan.”
“Oh. So, it’s like the tan you have right here?” he reaches up and touches my neck. I frown.
“I don’t have a tan, sweetie.”
“Yes, you do. It’s a different color.”
A chill comes over me. I rush to a mirror and sure enough, there is a tell-tale reddish area on my neck. It does not take a rocket scientist for me to know that I have burns from Lucan’s goatee. Shit. No wonder Nicole and Susan were staring.
“I-It’s not a tan, sweetie. It’s just a bruise.”
“I hope it gets better soon.”
“It will. Come on. It’s bath time.”
As I soap and rinse his body, the enormity of what happened this afternoon begins to sink in even more. I slept withmy boss. There is simply no other way to say it. And as good as it felt, I know deep down that I should never have allowed it to happen. This can only lead to complications. And complications could cost me my job. I cannot allow that to happen.
And so, as I dress Ryan and moisturize his skin, I make a resolution. This afternoon was a lapse in judgment. Lucan opened up to me and it somehow lowered my defenses. We had sex. But this is the first and last time. From now on, I am back in nanny mode. And as I look at Ryan straightening his toys, there is something pertaining to my job that I need to discuss urgently. I can only hope that Lucan can see beyond the line we have crossed and listen to reason as it pertains to his son.
Chapter Twelve
Lucan
Iknowthereisa grin on my face as I stare at the ceiling. And I cannot help it. Yesterday afternoon with Summer was unforgettable. And especially with the fact that she has been on my radar from day one. But after the night I saw her inFriction, I knew this was inevitable.
My phone rings and I reach over to the bedside table.
“Hello?”
“Lucan! It’s Garfield. Listen, I’m sorry to call you so early, but you will never believe what is practically falling into our laps as we speak. I just got off the phone with Brandy Collins.”
I sit up immediately flooded by a rush of adrenaline. “What did she want?”
Garfield laughs. “What does Brandy always want? To talk about buildings. I am working on some plans for a renovation she’s doing here and she casually mentioned an abandoned project that she wants to get off her hands. We chatted about it a bit and I think it’s something you’ll like – a lot.”
“How so?” By now I am pacing the floor. Brandy Collins is practically a national name in the field of architecture and construction. Having something associated with her would be phenomenal.
“It’s a three-story theatre with parking in the basement.”
“And it’s abandoned?” I frown as I look down at the early morning activity on the beach. The workers are sweeping the sand and guests are already gathering to grab a few rays. “Are you sure it’s legit? It feels suspicious that she would happen to have a theatre just lying around. Why was the project abandoned?”
“The client died suddenly a few weeks ago.”
“Ohhh. Go on.” I head to the bathroom and examine my reflection. The bruise is much more pronounced now and there is tenderness.
“It’s been less than two months and the family is not interested in opening a theatre. The estate is in the process of being liquidated and it’s going to be up for sale.”
