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The rest was just signing papers and making another appointment to leave my specimen. I wished I could laugh about that with my sister, but for some reason, I still hadn’t told her about my decision. There was nothing she could say to change my mind, but I had a feeling she’d try, and I didn’t like it when we were on opposing sides. And I needed to grow the hell up and stop finding the idea of grossing out my twin with ejaculation jokes funny in the first place.
Stunned that I was well on my way to fatherhood, I found Sunshine and Borya in a small grassy area half a block away. I watched her as she sat on the ground and rubbed his belly, his tongue so far out of his mouth it touched the grass next to him. She didn’t have her requisite jeans and t-shirt on today, but a flowery sundress that she had tucked around her knees. I followed the lines of her pale skin from her crossed ankles to the hem of the flowing skirt, my mind wandering without my permission to thoughts of pushing the fabric further up to reveal her smooth thighs.
It had been well over a week since I’d been out to one of my clubs, but that was no excuse for my animalistic thoughts, especially not about my housekeeper. When she leaned over to let Burya lick her face, her top gaped open enough for me to catch sight of a plain cotton bra, which sent a bolt of lust through me as surely as if it had been sheer black lace. Or maybe it was from the soft swell of her pert breasts that were usually well hidden under her baggy work clothes.
Wow. Unacceptable, especially if I was hoping to keep her on as a babysitter one day. I shook off my urge to trace the line of bright white cotton that hugged her soft flesh and called out to them. She hopped up, swaying on her feet. I hurried over and took her elbow.
“I just got up too fast,” she said with a sunny smile that did nothing to erase my lusty thoughts. Her hair, normally in a braid down her back, hung in loose curls around her shoulders and secured with pins that looked like butterflies above each ear.
“How in the hell have I never noticed how pretty you are?” I asked, clamping my mouth shut as soon as the words slipped out. What an idiotic, asshole thing to say. She worked for me, for God’s sake. Instead of apologizing, I dug myself in deeper. “I mean, I’ve noticed, but you look especially nice today.”
Her cheeks blazed red, but she didn’t drop her smiling gaze. “You look awfully nice in a suit, too.”
Since she’d only ever seen me in my apartment, she’d only ever seen me in my comfortable coding clothes, usually cargo shorts or sweats and a t-shirt or hoodie. Why couldn’t I drop my hand from her arm or stop staring at the glossy, dark curls that framed her face?
It wasn’t as if I didn’t have plenty to do. I had shit to deal with because of the Giannis, and I’d left my latest software creation with far too many overly complicated functions that were sure to throw up errors when I got around to testing them. But that wasn’t what was on my mind at the moment. What was on my mind regarding Sunshine was a non-starter. I regretfully let go of her arm and pulled out my wallet to pay her. When she held out her hand to take the bills, it trembled slightly.
I scowled. Did she sway because she stood up too fast, or was she hungry? My newfound paternal instinct kicked into overdrive.
“Do you have time to grab a sandwich?” I asked. ”I’m starved, and I’d like to thank you again for helping me out like this.”
She looked at the cash in her hand and up at me with a quirk of her lip. “You just paid me. But sure, I could go for a sandwich.”
Hmm. Was it paternal concern or just wanting to spend a bit more time with her? My happiness that she accepted the offer told me it was the latter, but I ignored it. What was so wrong with having lunch with an employee? Especially one who looked like she hadn’t eaten anything yet that day.
We found a deli nearby with outdoor seating. She waited outside with Burya after assuring me she wasn’t picky and she’d have whatever I got. I had a friend in high school who told me she did just that so she wouldn’t seem greedy on a first date. At first, it irritated me that Sunshine wasn’t going to get what she really wanted, then I worried she might be thinking it was a date.
It wasn’t. It was a sandwich. Nothing more.
Desperate enough to pick something she’d really like as if it was a first date with someone I wanted to impress, I finally gave up and got us both the daily special, coffees, and pecan brownies the size of my head.
Her eyes widened when she saw me coming out loaded with our feast, clapping giddily at the sight of the decadent dessert. She tore off a bit of the smoked turkey that hung over the edge of the freshly baked croissant and slipped it under the table to Burya, then blushed when I shook my head at her.
“You’re going to turn him into one of those sugar bears you talked about.”
She laughed, throwing her head back so her hair fluttered in the cool breeze that wafted down the side street. “Honey badgers, not sugar bears. Sorry. I won’t give him any more. But I think I’m in love with him a little bit, so it’s hard to resist.”
She was the one who was quickly becoming irresistible. I put my hand to my face, not sure how I was smiling so wide without breaking it. “Well, try harder,” I said sternly.
Color rushed to her cheeks, and she apologized again, missing that I was teasing her. She dove into the food, eating with gusto while answering any question I could ask to try to put her at ease again. She must have forgotten I was her boss for a brief moment, and it looked like we might have had a fun, lighthearted lunch, but I had to ruin it. Well, she’d get to know me better and figure out when I was joking around.
Or, no, she wouldn’t. It was for the best she’d pulled back into keeping things strictly professional. I could learn a thing or two from my housekeeper in that regard. She told me a little bit about her younger sister, finding it fascinating when I mentioned that Evelina and I were twins. Non-twins always found us a bit magical, or at least an interesting oddity, and we had always played into it for attention when we were kids.
“And oh my gosh, that baby of hers was gorgeous,” she gushed. I could tell she was being sincere, and Maks was a pretty special baby. I was definitely a proud uncle.
It was a beautiful day with barely any pollution marring the blue sky, an oddity for New York, and it was relaxing having a meandering conversation about things that didn’t involve torturing someone for information. The breeze switched directions and blew her hair into her face, and before I could stop myself, I swept it back over her shoulder. My fingertips brushed against the side of her neck, causing my unwanted thoughts about the rest of her soft skin to emerge again. We were talking about babies, for God’s sake. I really needed a night out.
She blushed but didn’t falter in her story about her sister’s antics when I hurriedly snatched my hand back as if I’d never touched her at all.
“Do you like kids?” I asked to keep from blurting out I’d be having one of my own soon.
She wiped a flaky crumb off her bottom lip, drawing my attention to her brief frown. “Sure,” she said slowly. “I mean, I kind of already have one in Annie since she’s so much younger than me. I’d do anything for her.”
“Same with Ev and me,” I said. “She saved my life.” Her eyes widened, and she leaned in for a story. One I couldn’t tell. It wasn’t like Evelina pulled me out of a car wreck or saved me from drowning. How to explain I’d been jumped by one of our rival families, beaten to within an inch of my life, shot, and left to dangle over the side of a building? “Metaphorically speaking, I mean. You know. Sibling support and all that. I’m sure Annie feels the same way about you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Hopefully, one day, she will.” Before I could answer, she anxiously checked her phone and started to get up. “I better go. Thanks so much for the sandwich and the coffee. I’ll be giving it up soon, uh, for my health.”
“You’re stronger than me,” I said, draining my cup. “Here, don’t leave the brownie when you were so excited about it.” I wrapped it in a napkin and pushed it into her hands, enjoying her blush.
