AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sneak sideways glances at Sienna, looking at her gorgeous eyes and how her long legs are crossed, so I can almost see up her flirty skirt. The soft pink shirt she is wearing hugs her body like a second skin, and I want to touch her so badly it’s ridiculous. If Nova wasn’t wide awake and wired I would, I would rest my hand on her thigh as we drive. But he’s here, and I can’t—I know she wouldn’t let me.
Concentrating on the road is hard when she is next to me, so close I can smell her. Singing Taylor Swift songs with Nova. This works. She works so well with us—with me. My God, I just want more and more time with her. I find myself wishing I could hire a sitter to watch him so I could take her out and spend a night with her.
Hopefully, this weekend gives us a few sneaky opportunities to be alone together. I drive behind the family from downstairs, the kids waving out the back window at Nova. We’re well outside the city limits and it’s starting to look a lot like nature, which is good. I can’t remember the last time I was anywhere that wasn’t a bustling metropolis. New York, and Vegas are cities—nature is a very far cry from the lifestyle we live here. And the ones we will have on the Upper East Side once we move.
This drive has reminded me that I should make more time to get him out of the city, and maybe plan some weekends away for Nova and me. Once the move is done and we’re settled, I will have more time—what I won’t have is Sienna, and that thought alone makes my heart sink slightly. Finding a new nanny will be hard. He’s going to compare them all to her. Nothing can compare to Sienna; she certainly is one of a kind.
Sienna’s phone buzzes and she checks it. “They are stopping for a toilet break and some snacks at a rest stop. Do you want to stop or go on ahead?” she asks me, and I am not particularly keen to stop at a gas station bathroom. One too many crime night specials on TV. We can just go ahead. The GPS has the address programmed in already.
“We can just go ahead,” I say. “We are almost there.” She texts back and waves as we pass them. It really is only twenty minutes away. I’m sure they could have held it until then. The landscape changes as we get closer to the lake and pass a few beautiful holiday homes. The enormous lake houses make me wonder about city living. If these people don’t have it right, living away from it all.
I have always lived in the city—I might go crazy if I stayed in nature too long. I would miss the convenience of it all. But maybe not the rush and stress. The GPS tells me I have arrived at my destination as we pull up in front of a large home at the water’s edge. It is definitely not camping, and I physically relax with relief. I had visions of old cabins in the woods, and holiday-home-horror-stories. This is neither of those.
“We’re here!” Nova jumps out of the car the moment I turn off the engine and runs straight down to the water’s edge. He’s beyond excited about this trip and when I watch Sienna run after him, so am I.
FOURTEEN
SIENNA
I run after Nova as he bolts straight for the water. I should have known that’s where he would head off first. The rest of the crew are a few minutes behind us. They had to stop for the bathroom. Lance didn’t want to stop—Nova has mentioned he has gas station issues once before.
"Slow down,” I call after him, jogging to catch up. “You’ll fall in if you’re not careful,” I say and he whips around with a huge smile.
“Can I get in?” he asks me.
“Not yet, you need a swimsuit and sunscreen. And let’s be polite and wait for the others to arrive. Then you four boys can all jump together.” Lance is typing something furiously on his phone when I look back at him. He glances up and our eyes meet for a moment before he goes back to his work. He really did ask them to give him the weekend, but I guess something important has his attention again.
“I want to get in now,” Nova whines, and stands at the water’s edge, giving me a pleading look. “Please.”
“Listen to Sienna,” Lance says firmly as he comes up behind me. The three of us stand there for a beat, looking out at the water dotted with speed boats and jet skis. It feels like vacation, the fresh air and quiet. I take a deep breath and savor it. It’s not often a nanny gets to go on the weekend away unless the parents plan to party and leave the kids with us. Those are not fun weekends, I think this one will be different.
Lance is different. He’s not like other dads I have worked for—I haven’t kissed any of the other dads I worked for either. Nova walks down to the jetty, and Lance steps right up next to me and says.
“All I can think about is getting you alone so I can kiss you.” My cheeks warm up, and I am sure he can see I am blushing. “You have no idea how hard it was not to touch you in the car.” I wanted to touch him too—just to put my hand on his leg. But Nova is with us, and he is more important than me wanting to touch Lance.
“I know. I wanted to touch you, too,” I whisper, even though Nova is out of earshot. The sound of an approaching car bursts the weird bubble he and I are in, and we turn around as the others arrive. The children come barreling out of the car with roars of delight as they bolt straight past the two of us towards Nova. The tiny hurricanes of energy make it impossible not to smile, as they jump for joy celebrating the fact this weekend has finally arrived. “I think that they’re excited,” I comment as we walk back towards the car to greet adults who are less enthusiastic as they get out of the car.
“Hi,” the dad, who I haven’t seen as often as the mom, reaches out a hand to Lance. “I am Brad, and this is my wife Andie.” Andie and I hang out with the kids all the time. She is amazing. I see Lance looking around as he shakes Brad’s and there’s a hint of confusion on his face, but he greets them with a smile. “We are so happy to finally meet another couple who has kids the same age as the boys. We are so sad to hear you guys are moving away. It’s been tough for them to find friends because we homeschool.” I see the deep frown line on Lance’s face, and I realize there’s been some confusion about us—a rather large one.
“Couple?” He mutters under his breath and looks at me. I am as confused as he is.
“Nova was so excited that his family could join us,” Andie says, and I know what has happened here. I wait for Lance to correct them. “We were too. The boys have been counting down the days.” He says nothing, just frowns, and gives me a sideways glance.
“Come in,” Brad leads the way into the house. “We don’t use the lake house nearly as often as we should.” He comments as the door squeaks open. “Work somehow makes me forget we have this place right here. Maybe we can plan a few more weekends before you guys leave,” he suggests and Lance is silent. I think we need to say something before this gets any more awkward than it already is. We are not a couple, are we? We kiss and sneak around when Nova isn’t looking—we have almost had sex a few times now. But we are not this little family they think we are.
“Wow.” It slips out when I see inside the stunning waterfront home. It’s absolutely breathtaking. How do you forget this, and not use it all the time? Honestly, I would be here every chance I could find. Andie turns on lights and opens shutters as we go, revealing the water views and immaculate decor.
“The kids’ room is this side, in the middle. There are six bunks so they can all be together. With their own bathroom and a door out to the pool and yard. There’s no keeping them in once we are here. They love the freedom to just run riot.” I can see why. The backyard is on the water and it’s a kid’s wonderland. “You and Lance will be through here, it’s got everything you need. Hot tub out there, indoor outdoor bathroom and a bit of privacy to enjoy some grownup time while they’re being hooligans in the water and playing.” What it does not have is two beds. It’s just one room. For both of us—because they think we are Nova’s parents—a couple. “You two get settled in, and then we can all go out and see what the kids want to do this afternoon,” Brad says, him and Andie leaving Lance and I alone in our room. I look around us, and it’s beautiful, and romantic even with the big hot tub and view over the water.
Lance’s discomfort is clear, but he still says nothing. I have no idea what to do—should I go after them and fix this? I don’t think there is another room for me. I didn’t see another one.
“I can bunk with the kids,” I say to him. “It’s fine. I don’t know why they thought we were—” I start off rattling, trying to fix the mess. Lance steps into my personal space and stops me. He puts his big hands on my shoulders, looks down, and stops my thought train completely.
“No,” he says. “It’s fine. I have a feeling the confusion may have come from a certain eight-year-old. But I want you to stay with me.” His voice is husky and deep when he speaks this softly. It gives me goosebumps and makes me warm from the inside out. He wants me to stay with him, and I know I should say no. That is the right thing to do. I just don’t want to do the right thing. I want to be wrong because it feels right.
Lance leans down and kisses me. I wasn’t expecting it, and it swipes away my breath. His arms snake around my waist, and he holds me there, kissing me a little longer. It lingers and makes me want so much more. “Let’s unpack and see what the plan is. We can finish this tonight once they’re all in bed.” He winks at me, and my insides melt into a pool of lust and longing. I want him, but I want all of him, and I know this is a fleeting thing, a way to pass this time before he is gone. I push aside my feelings. I am determined to just enjoy this, whatever it is. To ride the wave, and when it’s over—then it’s done.
It’s hard for me not to let feelings run away with me, but I can try. I am a romantic girl underneath the soccer boots and high walls. We unpack the bags from the car, and I help Andie set up everything we brought for the kitchen while the men go off to find the children. I wonder if I should correct her, explain we are not a couple, that I am Nova’s nanny, not his mom.
