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“Iamsosorry, oh my God!”
Summer stared up at me with horrified, ocean-blue eyes, and her pretty pink lips pulled into the perfect O as the cold remains of whatever had been in that cup soaked into my T-shirt. Whatever minimal irritation that had sparked at the moment of collision promptly melted as I admired her. She wasbeautifuland her vibrant eyes seemed to deepen as the flush on her cheeks darkened.
“I’ll—I can get it dry cleaned or something—” Summer gasped and reached forward with one hand, lightly touching my chest before she snatched it back. “I’m so sorry!”
“Relax,” I soothed with a similar tone I used on Ava when needed. “It’s just juice. It’ll wash out. Come on.”
With a hand wave, I indicated for her to follow and led the way into the kitchen. It wasn’t the first time I’d been covered in juice, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Weaving around the counters, I approached the sink and flipped the hot tap onto full, then I removed my T-shirt in one swift move and dumped it into the hot water to soak. Tackling the spill immediately would definitely reduce the stain.
A small gasp rose up from behind me, so I turned, and Summer was doing a terrible job of lookingeverywhereexcept at me. She stood near one of the island counters, clutching the cup to her chest. There was something adorable about the sight. She was clearly trying to be polite about my now topless state, but the crimson splash on her cheeks was not fading.
“I’m Luke, by the way,” I reintroduced myself.
“I’m Summer,” she gasped softly. “I’m—I’m here for the nanny position, although I suppose you would already know that…” Summer trailed off, and her cheeks darkened a shade further. It was cruel to put her on the spot like this when she was clearly already worked up, but she looked so cute I couldn’t resist.
“Bonnie likes fruit juice; there’s some in the fridge.” I pointed and glanced back at my soaking shirt. “And yes, Jax told me all about you.”
He had been interviewing people for two weeks, so when the call came through that he had found someone he thought would be a good fit, I hadn’t expected someone as beautiful as the woman standing before me refilling Bonnie’s favorite cup. There was no way Jax would pick someonepurelybecause of their looks, he was smarter than that, but I was pleased nonetheless.
“Ava is your daughter?” Summer asked, keeping her head down and face hidden behind a curtain of brown hair.
“Yes, I hope she isn’t too much trouble.”
“Oh, not at all!” Summer’s head darted up, and she finally looked at me after a not-so-subtle glance at my bare chest. “She’s an absolute dear. We were just playing Twister; she was adorable.”
I smiled brightly and leaned against the counter, finally turning off the tap as I admired Summer’s curvaceous body and how sexy she looked in a simple pair of jeans and a rumpled T-shirt.
“Ah, did you win?”
“Oh no,” Summer shook her head and finally laughed, a soft sound that still contained a little nervous strain. “Bonnie was on fire with the dial, and Jax and I fell.”
“You got Jax to play?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice. Marina had been here; I’d heard her shrill voice echoing in the halls. Jax’s wife—soon to be ex-wife—was a horrible presence, and I couldn’t stand her. Usually after her visits, Jax would hit the gym to work out the tension.
“Yup, should I not have?” Summer’s eyes went wide. “Does he have some sort of medical condition I should know about?”
“Oh, no,” I laughed softly, “he’s just usually more… strict, I guess. That’s not even a great word for it, but you know how it is. It can be tough to get people to loosen up.”
“Sure.” When Summer smiled softer then, I glimpsed a scar gracing her lower lip that accentuated the pout of her lips. It struck me how kissable they were, and I quickly reined in my thoughts. She wasbeautiful,but she was here to work.
“I hope you don’t think too poorly of us, for needing a nanny,” I said as I pushed off the counter and moved toward the colorful plastic trays set out on the counter filled with lunch for the kids.
“Oh, not at all!” Summer insisted as she stepped up to the counter too. “There’s no shame in needing help.”
“People see fathers needing assistance as some sort of failure, so it plays in the back of my mind sometimes, y’know? Especially this year. It’s Helix’s fifteenth anniversary, and with all the events we have to coordinate, we do need the help.” Reaching for Summer, I gently took the cup from her and placed it on Bonnie’s orange tray.
“Sometimes things overlap,” Summer smiled up at me, and the red in her cheeks faded. “I know that all too well. Seriously, think nothing of it. I don’t want topresumethat I’ll get the position, but from what I’ve seen, the children are happy and healthy, so you all obviously do an amazing job on top of running a huge company.”
“Are you trying to butter me up?” I grinned and collected two juice boxes from the cupboard. “Increase your chances of getting hired?”
“Is it working?” Summer grinned.
“Maybe.” Placing the juice boxes on the other two trays, I held Summer’s gaze; this time, she didn’t look away. With her cheeks no longer flushed, she looked more in control after our collision, so I placed both hands on the counter to lean closer to her.
“What about you, though?”
“Me?” she asked, gently tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear.
“Not many people are willing to leave their family at Christmas to tend to someone else’s.”
