Page 14 of Forbidden Kisses

“Okay, um… I’ll set the table, then.”

"No, your work is officially over," he said, tapping his watch.

I'd never seen anyone wear an actual watch before. It wasn't a brand I recognized, but I was certain it was expensive. It looked exquisite. I could even see the mechanism with all the little gears inside.

"Ready, buddy?" Duncan asked Jeremy.

"Yes, Dad," Jeremy said in a serious voice.

Duncan took the plate with tacos from the kitchen island and brought it to the dining table. Jeremy put place mats on the table along with forks, and Duncan brought the knives and plates and tall glasses of water.

"All right, dinner is served," Jeremy said in a serious voice.

I looked at Duncan, who smiled at me brilliantly. When had he undone his top button? His shirt had been perfectly buttoned up just a few seconds ago.

I sat next to Jeremy at the wooden table, and Duncan was sitting opposite me. It was good that we were on opposite sidesbecause I couldn't be around him and not lose my wits. I wasn't entirely sure why he had that effect on me. We’d only just met, after all—and he was my boss.

"So, how was your afternoon?" Duncan asked Jeremy.

"I showed her all my cars, and then we went to the store here, but then we went to Albertsons."

Duncan frowned but didn't say anything. I was certain he’d circle back to that later. I shimmied nervously in my chair, putting one taco with chicken and one with pork on my plate. I didn't have much to contribute to their conversation, but Jeremy seemed more than happy to fill him in.

"I was thinking we could go to the pool tomorrow," I said once Jeremy finished giving Duncan the rundown of the day.

He nodded feverishly. "Yes, yes, yes! I love the pool, but I wanted to show you my cars first."

"The tacos are delicious," Duncan said.

I dipped my head. "Thank you."

While we ate dinner, Jeremy was asking me the names of his cars. I tricked him into saying them out loud before I repeated them, though I wasn't sure how long it would last before he caught on to my tactic.

"Buddy, why don't you get started on your evening routine?" Duncan interrupted after Jeremy finished eating.

When he pouted, my heartstrings pulled. This kid was so cute.

"Come on, it's seven o’clock. You can start by brushing your teeth."

"Okay."

“Say goodbye to Riley.”

How long could brushing teeth take?

Jeremy turned to me. “Bye, Riley. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Thank you for wanting to be my nanny." To mysurprise, he hugged me. And I hugged him right back, loving the feel of his little body in my arms.

The moment he left, I turned to Duncan. "How long does it take him to brush his teeth?"

"A very long time. He first looks at his cars, then goes to choose one toothbrush from the five depicting his favorite Marvel characters. It's a whole routine, but it's the only way I could get him to agree to brush every evening. So, if it works, I'm happy. I like to start him early on his nightly routine because that gives him time to wind down."

“He also told me that he's only allowed to play video games on Saturday morning, and sometimes on Sunday."

"Yeah, I made the mistake of letting him play in the evening a few times, and then he crawled into my bed at night because he was afraid. There are no monsters or anything in his games, but who knows what triggers him?”

Oh, be still my beating heart.I liked that he had his priorities straight. He didn't mind comforting his son when he was upset.

"You're a fantastic dad," I said.