Page 4

Cassie

I’ve never had good luck. I know some people say they don’t have any luck, but mine is usually just bad luck. I’m typically a rule follower, but nearly every time I break a rule, I suffer the consequences almost immediately. It’s like that Alanis Morissette song, Isn’t It Ironic . If I run a red light, I’ll get pulled over. If something accidentally gets buried underneath another item as I leave a bulk store, I’ll be selected for a random search at the door. So it really shouldn’t have surprised me that the one time I had a one-night stand, it turned out to be a teammate of my brother’s, and the guy who needed me to be a nanny to his newborn daughter.

I was furious when I woke up that morning, and Gabe was nowhere to be found. I thought we had a connection, and I felt so used. Humiliated. Angry. Horribly self-conscious. Was I not any good? Was he that repulsed by my body, or our chemistry? I spent the last two weeks dissecting every tiny detail from that night, wondering what went wrong. Finding out he wanted to surprise me with breakfast, and came back to find me gone, was so on brand for me and my ridiculous bad luck with men.

So now I have to keep it professional. Try not to drool over him when he’s being so dang adorable with Mackenzie. Or fawn over him when he walks around shirtless, which I learned immediately is what he normally does. As if I didn’t have the memory of his pecs tattooed in my brain, now I see them multiple times a day because the man does not keep a shirt on.

He really took it to heart that whole ‘skin-to-skin’ thing. Mackenzie seems to quiet down as soon as she’s resting on his heart, and I can’t say I blame her.

I’m not completely complaining, but it’s like shopping without your wallet. I’ve touched the merchandise, but now I can’t look at, or touch it, again. It’s brutal.

By the third day, I began lowering my gaze whenever Gabe walked into my line of vision. I’d make eyes at Mackenzie and act like Gabe didn’t exist. I figured it might be awkward and uncomfortable if I asked him, again , to put a shirt on. What am I allowed to do here? I don’t hate the view. But it makes me think … things. Things I shouldn’t be thinking about my employer. Rather than open it up to discussion, I’m averting my eyes.

I have to hand it to the guys on the hockey team. They really showed up for Gabe. Mackenzie will want for nothing anytime soon. There must be over one thousand diapers stacked against a wall, next to dozens of boxes of wipes. Two cabinets full of formula, bottles, burp cloths, and pacifiers. Gabe’s entire refrigerator is stuffed to the brim with food for him. Quite a few frozen meals, lots of protein drinks, and a ridiculous amount of cheese. The last time my brother stopped by, he whispered that Gabe loves cheese, and it’s a snack he keeps on hand. Evidently he has a tiny cooler for away trips, and packs himself some slices for the plane.

My first test came when Gabe ran a couple of errands by himself, leaving me with Mackenzie for the first time. The sweet girl is still a little unsure of things, and fusses anytime I sit down, so I roam Gabe’s house while patting Mackenzie’s bottom constantly.

“Your daddy is insanely organized,” I murmur as I take a gander at his pantry. Is there something in the water at ice rinks? Every hockey player I’ve ever met has a system for their homes. It’s rare that I find one who isn’t regimented in some aspect of their daily life. My brother has an odd appetite, sure. But he has every inch of his place organized down to the millimeter. He’s like Monica on Friends : if I move a pillow even a half inch over, he will know .

After putting Kenzie down for her nap in Gabe’s room, I catch myself loitering near the large walk-in closet. I’ve never been inside, and the pull to snoop is very enticing. Quietly pushing open the door, I take a quick inhale as I survey the space. This closet is a dream.

Large built-ins cover every wall in a beautiful white oak color, and a massive island with a marble top sits in the middle of the space. Gabe has spread his clothes out to cover all the space, but it’s clear this closet is meant for two people. I take a hesitant step inside, and lights go on underneath the cabinetry automatically, making me gasp as I quickly shut the door so the lights don’t wake Kenzie up. Crap. Now I’m really in here. If Gabe walks in, I have no valid excuse. Oh well.

Taking a look around, I notice his attention to detail and the art of organization. Matching drawers enclose carefully rolled up ties, matched socks, and folded boxer briefs. A large drawer full of perfectly folded T-shirts makes me giggle, knowing the drawer in my room has every article of clothing haphazardly shoved in there.

Suits line one wall, organized in an ombré rainbow of color. I drag my finger down a particularly beautiful suit in burgundy, thinking how amazing it must look on Gabe’s form. I bet all of these suits look gorgeous on him. As I round the island, I find a drawer full of colognes, and I can’t fight the desire to smell each and every one of them until I get a whiff of the one he wore on our night together.

“There it is,” I sigh, as I take a deep breath against the sprayer. I wonder if he’d notice if I took it. I’d love to spray my pillow with it. A maniacal giggle bursts from my mouth as I realize how nuts that sounds. I’m debating on stealing my boss’s cologne so I can use some of it in secret. Good God.

I’ll just buy my own bottle.

“Holy shit, Givenchy? That has to be expensive,” I murmur, whipping out my phone to look up the price. I have a mini heart attack when I see how much it costs. “Two hundred bucks? Absolutely not!”

Nope, we’re back to stealing my boss’s cologne. I’m not dropping that much money on male cologne. The most I’d have spent would be around fifty. Maybe even less.

“Cass?”

Shit. Gabe is home, and I’m creeping like a crazy person in his closet! Quickly exiting the closet, I make it to Gabe’s bedroom door as he reaches it from the other side.

“Shh,” I whisper, quietly closing the door behind me. “I just put her down. She’s been a little fussy this morning.”

“Fuck,” he says sullenly. “I was hoping to give her a bottle before her nap.”

I fight the urge to smile as I watch Gabe pout. “You’ll have so many more opportunities to feed your daughter, Gabe.”

“I know,” he sighs. “I hope it never gets old. I hope I always want to spend every moment with her.”

“I think it’s a choice people make. You can either choose to be positive, and recognize that children grow up fast, or you can think about all the things you feel you’re missing out on from before you became a parent. I like that you’re all in with fatherhood. It looks good on you.” I stop, suddenly embarrassed at my gushing over Gabe, and feel my cheeks heat.

“Thanks, Cass. That means a lot,” he responds quietly. “Want to come downstairs and have some lunch?”

“Sure.” I silently follow Gabe back down the stairs, trying desperately not to stare at his ass. He’s got an exceptional derriere.

“You alright with a salad with smoked salmon?” Gabe asks, and my mouth waters.

“Sounds amazing,” I confess. “Did you make it yourself?”

“No,” he laughs. “I have a catering company that prepares meals for a lot of the local athletes. I always order double so I have leftovers. Usually I take the salmon from this salad and make a wrap.”

“I don’t have to eat,” I say hesitantly. “I don’t want to disrupt your schedule or routine.”

Gabe catches my eye with a smirk, and the impish grin on his face is contagious. “It’s just a piece of salmon, Firecracker. I’ll survive.”

“Okay,” I whisper. “I grew up with athletes, Gabe. I know all about what you guys do. I know your life has already been thrown a massive curveball, and now you’ve got a nanny living in your space and disrupting your life. I want to make this as easy of a transition for you as possible.”

“Thank you for calling Mackenzie a curveball, and not something awful like a kink or a bomb,” he murmurs.

“Oh, I’d never say that. She’s so perfect, even when she’s crabby for no reason.”

“She really is,” he says with a peaceful smile. “I always thought I’d have kids at some point, but didn’t know when. I’m certainly not happy about her mom dying, but I will never regret getting to have Mackenzie in my life.”

“I love that,” I whisper, a smile tugging at my lips. He’s going to be such an extraordinary dad.

“So obviously I know about Grant. What do the rest of your brothers do? He really only ever talks about you,” Gabe says as he mixes the salads. Placing one in front of me at the table, he grabs two bottles of water and settles in across from me. I take a big bite of the salmon, the flavors bursting on my tongue as the salmon falls apart in tender chunks.

“This is really good,” I comment, and Gabe grunts in agreement. “Grant’s always been my best friend. I love my other brothers, but none of them see me like Grant does. He’s always been my most faithful supporter, even when he doesn’t fully agree with my choices.”

“I think he’s probably the brother that would absolutely help you bury a body.”

“Probably,” I respond, laughing. “He’d help, but then read me the riot act afterward.”

“And then still lie to the police about it all.”

“Of course! He’d protect me, but also not want to go to jail himself for being an accomplice.”

“That does sound like Grant,” Gabe chuckles. “And you have two other brothers?”

“Yeah. Tristan is thirty-five. He’s the oldest, and he just retired from the NFL.”

“Tristan McNally. I don’t think I ever put it together that he’s the NFL brother Grant talks about.”

“He’s pretty quiet. Doesn’t hit the news very often. He just does his job and goes home.”

“He’s one of the best centers in the league, Cass. He’s not just ‘doing his job,’” Gabe says, using air quotes. Smiling, he continues. “Grant would talk about his brother, but rarely use his name. It didn’t occur to me. I rarely use your full last name. So it’s possible I was associating Nally instead of McNally.”

I shrug. “Tristan’s pretty humble. He’s not a fan of the media, so he rarely goes out of his way for interviews or public appearances. He prefers to give his time and money quietly. He even started a non-profit under an alias so that it can’t become a media frenzy.”

“Oh yeah? What’s the non-profit for?”

“He’s a big animal lover, so it benefits the greater Dallas area and all of their animal rescue organizations. Providing food, transportation, medical supplies.”

“That’s pretty cool. And your other brother?”

“Dylan plays for FC Portland.”

“Ahh, a soccer player. Your parents really raised three kids in three different sports?” Gabe asks.

“Life was chaotic. I think our mom was thrilled when Tristan got his driver’s license, because it meant she could hand over some of the carpooling responsibilities to him.”

“That makes sense,” Gabe says with a laugh. “And your parents still live in the Pacific Northwest?”

I nod. “They like having one of us there, but they enjoy traveling, so visiting everyone else isn’t an issue. Do you have any siblings?”

“I have a sister. She’s a teacher. She’ll be the first to tell you that I got all of the athletic genes in our family. She lives in Pittsburgh.”

“Is that where you’re from? I can’t remember if you’ve told me this.”

“No, I’m from southeastern Ohio. My sister is a couple of hours from my parents.”

“Was she into sports?” I ask.

“No,” he says, laughing. “She’s the brainiac of the family. I’m by no means stupid, but she’s so damn smart.”

“What does she teach?”

“High school calculus, algebra, and even teaches a couple of courses at a community college.” Gabe’s grin is massive as he brags about his sister. I’m loving this side of him.

“Sounds like she’s a math whiz,” I comment.

“She is. She certainly helped me in high school more times than I can count. Calculus is not my thing,” he confesses.

I snort. “Mine either.”

Gabe clears his throat as he stands to take our empty plates to the sink. As he busies himself with loading the dishwasher, he says, “Are you settling in okay? Do you need anything?”

“I’m settling in fine,” I tell him, but the drastic switch in our conversation has me on high alert. “Is there something you’re concerned about?”

“Well, not exactly,” he stammers as he turns to face me. “I realize we didn’t set some ground rules for, uh, extracurricular activities.”

Confused, I say, “I don’t think I plan on joining any sports leagues anytime soon.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he mutters, scratching his head. “I’m just going to come out and say it. While you’re under my roof, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bring any gentlemen back here.”

My mouth drops open in astonishment. “Are you being for real right now?”

Gabe nods. “I have to take Mackenzie’s safety and security into account.”

“And you think I’d just bring some random guy into your home?”

“I don’t know. You invited me back to your hotel room pretty quickly,” he points out.

“A hotel room is nowhere near the same thing, and you know it,” I snap. “Turnabout is fair play. Will you be abiding by the same rule?”

“I have no intention of bringing any women home. But, this is my house. Rules for me can be different from rules for you.”

“Why?” I ask, crossing my arms in anger. This is bullshit. Do as I say, not as I do. “Women can be just as dangerous as men.”

“I’m not bringing a one-night stand home. I’ve never done that, and I don’t intend to start now. However, if I were to start seriously dating someone, the rule doesn’t apply to me.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I’d like a warning.”

“A warning for what?”

“If you’re dating someone. If she’ll be at the house. Where that leaves me.”

Gabe’s lips thin as his eyes narrow. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“If you have a serious girlfriend, you might not need a nanny anymore. I’d like to be notified so I have adequate time to look for a new job, Gabe.”

“Oh,” he says, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I thought you meant … you know what? Never mind.”

“No, go ahead,” I challenge him. “Tell me what you thought.”

He sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “I thought you meant where that left us. You and me. Because we’ve slept together, and I thought maybe you thought this was going somewhere. Which it’s not.”

Well, that hurts. I wasn’t thinking about that, but it still sucks hearing it from him. “You made that clear when you hired me, Gabe. I have no hopes or aspirations of something happening between us.”

“Good,” he states. “But to circle back, I don’t have any intention of bringing someone home. If anything changes with my relationship status, I’ll let you know.”

“Likewise.”

“Huh?” he asks, a bewildered expression covering his gorgeous face.

“If my relationship status changes, I’ll let you know.”

“I just said I don’t want you bringing someone into my house, Cassie,” he says angrily.

I wave a hand nonchalantly at him, effectively shushing him. How dare he suggest I’m not allowed to date at all! I’m shutting this battle down right fucking now. “I said I wouldn’t bring anyone here. I never said I wouldn’t go to their houses. I’m a single woman, and I have … needs, Gabe.”

The look he gives me is downright feral, and sheer lust flows over me. “I know exactly what your needs are, Firecracker. And I’m willing to bet you won’t be able to find anyone who meets your needs better than me.”

He’s totally right, but I’m not letting him know that. “Eh. I’m not sure you’re that special, Gabe. You do at least know where the clit is, I’ll give you that.”

He growls, and I feel it in my core. “That’s how you want to play this? You and I both know that —”

A sharp cry fills the air, forcing us to stop talking. With a huff, Gabe strides past me, and I let out a relieved exhale I didn’t know I was holding.