Page 10 of At Her Service (Club Velvet #2)

CHAPTER 10

V alerie crossed her arms. She’d only heard part of the phone call, but she’d heard enough.

“Valerie.” Abby’s cheeks turned crimson. “I, um… I thought you were upstairs?”

“Hazel wanted out of the bath early,” Valerie said. “But it’s not her I want to talk about.”

“Right. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were listening. I shouldn’t have?—”

“I don’t want apologies. I want to hear the truth from you. What you said just now, about me. Is that how you really feel?”

The blush on Abby’s cheeks deepened. “I…”

“You think I’m upset with you.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Abby shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said that. I was just venting. It’s probably nothing, I’ve just been getting the feeling you’re avoiding me. Like you don’t want to talk to me or be around me. That’s why I asked you if you had any feedback for me. I wanted to know why .” Her gaze dropped. “I wanted to know what I’d done wrong.”

Valerie felt a pang of guilt. She’d been too harsh. She’d only intended to keep Abby at a professional distance. Instead, she’d made her think she was upset with her.

“Abby,” she said. “Look at me.”

Abby obeyed.

“I’m not upset with you, okay?”

Abby nodded unconvincingly.

“I mean it. I’m not mad at you. But you’re right about one thing. I have been avoiding you. But it’s not because of anything you did or said.”

“It’s… not?”

“Of course not. You’ve been amazing since day one. With Hazel, with everything else. You’re everything I’ve been looking for and so much more. And that’s why I’ve been keeping my distance.”

Confusion and doubt swam behind Abby’s eyes. And for a moment, all Valerie wanted was to seize her by the waist and press her lips to hers in a kiss that said more than words ever could.

Instead, she placed her hand on the countertop next to her, grounding herself. “You said that there’s no way I’d ever be into you. Nothing could be further from the truth.” Her fingers curled around the edge of the counter, gripping it tightly. “The truth is, if circumstances were different, then yes, I’d be interested. Perhaps I’d even want to pursue something with you.”

Abby gazed back at her expectantly. But she’d already said far more than she should have.

“But you’re Hazel’s nanny. And I’m your boss. I won’t be that person. Nothing can ever happen between us.”

Abby lowered her head for a fraction of a second. And when she glanced up at Valerie again, her eyes glimmered.

“Not even if I want it to?” she said softly.

Valerie tensed. “Abby…”

Abby stepped toward her, gliding her hand along the countertop beside them. Her eyes, still locked on Valerie’s, simmered with lust, her lush pink lips teasing her, inviting her.

Desire stirred deep within Valerie. This is wrong.

But as Abby slid her hand closer, grazing her fingers over Valerie’s hand tentatively, her body acted of its own accord.

She placed her hand on Abby’s, stopping it in its tracks. But she didn’t push it away. Instead, she wrapped her fingers around Abby’s wrist, pulling her into her as she drew her other hand up the back of Abby’s neck, fingers twining through her hair.

Abby gasped, a visible tremor rolling through her. She pressed her body back against Valerie’s, her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned close?—

“Mommy?” Hazel’s voice echoed through the house. “Mommy, where are you?”

Valerie pulled away. Not a second later, Hazel appeared at the entrance to the kitchen, clutching a wooden toy train.

“I’m hungry,” she declared.

Valerie took a few steps back. “Okay, sweetie. Dinner is almost ready, right, Abby?”

She glanced at Abby, who nodded. “Uh, yes. Just a couple more minutes.”

Valerie strode over to where Hazel stood and picked her up. “Let's go put away your toys, then we’ll wash your hands.”

“I can do that for you,” Abby said.

Valerie shook her head. “I’ll handle it.”

“It’s no trouble?—”

“Just stay here and finish with dinner.”

Abby nodded and looked away. But Valerie could feel the disappointment radiating from her.

She stifled a curse as she left the kitchen. She’d slipped up, let herself get carried away.

It wouldn’t happen again. She’d make sure of it.

* * *

Dinner came and went, Hazel chattering animatedly through the entire meal. Valerie attempted to make conversation with Abby, but she wouldn’t say more than a few words. She could barely look Valerie in the eye.

And as soon as Hazel finished her last bite, Abby jumped up from the table to clear away the dishes before telling Valerie that she was going to her room.

Valerie didn’t stop her. Instead, she set about getting Hazel ready for bed, a process that took an entire hour. She insisted on taking care of Hazel’s bedtime routine herself whenever she was home. The older Hazel got, the more Valerie realized how precious her time with her was.

Once Hazel was finally asleep, Valerie went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. She leaned back against the counter and took a long, slow sip, then picked up her phone, which she’d left silenced in the kitchen while putting Hazel to bed.

She flicked through her notifications. She’d missed a message from her assistant. That could wait until morning. She’d also missed a message from Francesca, along with two phone calls.

Valerie, we need to talk. Call me.

She put down the phone. She had more important things to deal with right now.

She raised her glass to her lips again, drinking deeply. No amount of wine could prepare her for what she had to do, but she needed to do it.

She needed to talk to Abby.

Abby was hurt. She was confused. And Valerie couldn’t blame her. She’d let things go too far. While they’d been interrupted before they could go any further, the damage had already been done.

She needed to clear the air between them. And she needed to make sure Abby understood that nothing like that could ever happen again, no matter how much they both wanted it.

And oh, how Valerie wanted it.

But even if Abby wasn’t off-limits, Valerie didn’t have room in her life for romance. And after Francesca, she didn’t want to get involved with anyone now, or perhaps ever.

She finished off her wine. It was getting late. She needed to speak with Abby before she went to sleep. And she needed to do it without crushing her in the process.

She set her glass down and made her way upstairs, walking quietly as she passed Hazel’s room. When she reached Abby’s bedroom, she knocked on the door.

“Abby? Can I come in?”

“Yes.” Abby’s voice was quiet and muffled through the door.

Valerie opened it carefully. Inside, the room was dark, the only sources of light a lamp on Abby’s nightstand and the moon outside the half-open window. The crisp white curtains swayed in the wind, the evening breeze cooling the warm air.

As Valerie’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, the bedroom coalesced. On the bed, in the center of the room, lay Abby, her head thrown back and her eyes closed, her mouth open slightly, heavy breaths rising from her chest. The covers were thrown back in the heat of the night, the thin bedsheets tangled around her outspread legs, her nightie bunched up around her hips. One hand was sprawled on the sheet beside her, fingertips digging into the mattress. Her other hand moved between her thighs, faster and faster and faster.

“Yes…” A moan flowed from Abby’s chest. “God, yes …”

Valerie’s breath hitched. In the still silence of the room, it was enough to stir Abby from her trance.

Her eyes flew open, her gaze falling upon the doorway, a whispered word spilling from her lips.

“Valerie?”