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“Why don’t you go upstairs and change while I text your dad? I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. You two can have a proper girls’ day for your birthday.”
Sophie hops up, snatching up her games but leaving her mess, practically sprinting past us toward the stairs as she heads up her room. I pull my phone out of my pocket to shoot a text to Aiden, fairly positive he will be okay with this idea but wanting to make absolutely sure before I send them out the door. I’m prepared to convince him that it is, if need be.
“Thank you,” Iris says behind me. I turn to find her features have softened considerably, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Seriously.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her. “Sophie’s happiness is the most important thing here, right?”
Iris nods. “Right.”
“Well, you’re a part of that.”
“I really appreciate that,” Iris says, almost like she’s relieved to hear it.
Maybe she’d begun to doubt it.
“You two go and have fun,” I urge. “I’ve got some homework I can catch up on. You’re practically doing me a favor here.”
Iris’s mouth quirks. “Right.”
I grin back at her, doing a mental fist pump. It seems like I may be finding the cracks in this woman’s armor after all. Even if only a little.
Good thing I’m incredibly patient.
—
After an hour of hanging out in my room staring at my laptop, I finally relax enough to stop checking my phone. I have hadto remind myself numerous times that Aiden approved Iris and Sophie’s outing, and that someone will definitely let me know if I’m needed.
It’s funny, I’m worrying about Sophie like she’s actually my kid or something.
I’m lounging on my bed with the door to my room slightly ajar, and I hear it when Aiden’s keys jingle in the door, when it opens and closes to signal his arrival.
“Cassie?”
“In here,” I call, closing my laptop.
He appears in my doorframe to lean against it, and it is... a sight. A sweat-drenched Aiden Reid. On all the days he’s come back from the gym, I’ve had to avert my eyes, to make sure that I didn’t stare for too long. Which, now that I’m able to look my fill, I’m realizing was an actual tragedy.
He crosses his arms, his biceps pressing against his T-shirt sleeves. “Are they still gone?”
“Yeah, I imagine they will be for a little while. They were going to get breakfast, I think.” I check the time on my phone. “The movie didn’t start till eleven, so... I doubt we’ll see them until at least one.”
“It was nice of you to offer,” Aiden says.
I shrug. “I’m determined to be the first nanny who Irisdoesn’thate.” I hold up my phone and shake it back and forth. “I even got her number. Bet none of the other nannies can say that.”
Aiden grins. “No, they can’t.”
“It looks like you at least got a good workout while you were hiding at the gym,” I tease, eyeing the darker patch of cotton at his chest where the sweat is still drying.
“I wasn’thiding,” he huffs.
I roll my eyes. “Sureyou weren’t. I think someone might be a little afraid of big, scary Iris.”
“Am I,” he murmurs, eyeing me.
I feel a flicker of desire lick low in my belly with the way his eyes move over my body, watching them travel up my legging-clad thighs and across my chest. A girl could get all sorts of ideas with a man like Aiden looking at her like he is.
“You said it will be a few more hours,” he repeats, still eyeing me, “until they get back.”
