Page 13

I wasn’t expecting the offer Midnight gave me last night, but I jumped at it.

I hate getting charity, but I am slowly falling in love with these girls. We haven’t spoken about their mother much, but I get the sense that she didn’t give them a lot of attention when she was around. They practically lap up every word that falls from my lips.

It breaks my heart. I know how they feel. I was them once.

So I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Not only will I have a roof over my head for a few weeks while I figure out where I need to go, but helping these girls is the main objective. I want them to feel the love I never felt growing up. I know Midnight gives it to them, but sometimes a girl just needs that female in her life that she can go to with the embarrassing things.

“I’m headed to pick the girls up. You guys good?” I ask Elle and Jerico as they bicker in the break room.

They stop long enough to look over at me.

“We’ve got this. Do you know if Midnight is coming in later?” Elle asks.

“I’m not sure. All he told me this morning was that he had some errands to run. I don’t really ask questions.”

“Probably for the best,” Elle says.

“Sooo. Living with the boss, huh?” Jerico winks at me.

“Not living. Staying for a brief time to help with the girls.” I amend his statement. I’m too embarrassed to tell them I’m homeless.

“Uh-huh. Sure. Sleeping in his bed is just a bonus,” Jerico jokes.

“Shut up, you pitiful excuse for a ball sack. You’re embarrassing her.” Elle slaps his stomach.

“I know.” He smirks at me. “I like when she blushes like the flower our boss always calls her. I don’t recall him ever giving us a nickname.”

Elle snorts. “Oh, he has a nickname for you, all right. He only uses it behind your back.”

“No, he doesn’t. Take that back.” Jerico gives Elle all of his attention. I feel like that was the point.

They start to argue again, so I take it as my cue to leave.

Walking out to the car Midnight lent me, I smile at it. It’s a nice car. Nothing fancy, but it has no rust, and the paint isn’t peeling.

Climbing inside, I start the engine and head toward the girls school. Midnight told me the first thing he was doing this morning was going to the school and adding me to the pickup list. As I pull up into the pickup line, I park the car and wait.

It’s not long before children start filtering out. One by one, the cars in front of me move forward until it’s my turn.

A petite woman leans over to wave at me through the passenger window. I roll it down.

“Hey, I’m Ms. Lennon. You’re Sienna and Selena’s mom?” she asks.

“Oh no. Just the nanny. Their father had to work,” I lie easily.

She nods. “I just need the security code we gave Mr. Garcia.”

“Of course. It’s ‘the pink elephant ran dashingly through the zoo.’”

She smiles. “Good. You shouldn’t need it again, but try to remember it just in case.”

I’m impressed by their level of security. I wonder if this is for every child or if Midnight requested it.

“Sienna, Selena,” Ms. Lennon calls out.

The girls come running up then, making a big smile find its way to my face. They climb in, buckling their seat belts.

“Have a good day,” Ms. Lennon calls as she moves to the next car.

“How was your day?” I ask the girls as I start the short drive to the house.

They start rattling off all the school drama to me, sometimes talking over one another. I’m chuckling along with them and asking follow-up questions. By the end of the five-minute drive, I am really interested in some kid named Blake and his ability to fit thirty jellybeans in his mouth.

“It’s only been two days. How did you already make so many friends?” I ask them as we get out of the car.

“It’s easy, Lainey. We can teach you.” Sienna takes my hand in hers as we walk up the front porch.

Sienna is the more sensitive one. Not that Selena isn’t, but I feel like Sienna is in tune with others emotions. I won’t lie that hearing about all their new friends had a pang in my heart. When I was growing up, no one ever wanted to be friends with what they deemed the crack baby. I don’t even know if my mom was on crack when I was born, but knowing her, it could be likely.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” I whisper, unlocking the door.

“It’s easy really. You have to find someone you want to be friends with and talk to them. Usually after a little bit, they will feel like a friend,” Selena says from behind us as we walk through the door.

Oh, how I wish it were that easy.

Even Elle and Jerico don’t feel like friends to me. They are nice to me, but is that because they like me or because I work there? It’s such a delicate thing. I can’t ask them if they like me because then I would seem desperate. Neither has invited me to hang outside of work. Elle gave me two books, though.

I frown. I never read them. Maybe I should so we have something to talk about other than work-related stuff.

I’m really bad at this.

“Why don’t you girls set up at the dining room table and do your homework? I will see what I can make us for dinner,” I tell them.

They do as I ask, chatting the entire time. I keep looking over at them as I search the cabinets for anything I could possibly make for dinner.

A stale bag of chips. A pack of crackers that looks old. One can of soup. Some basic spices.

Nothing else.

I go to the freezer next.

I shake my head at the three frozen dinners inside. They also look way too old to be eaten. There is ice frozen over top of them.

“What’s wrong?” Sienna calls out to me.

I turn to her, finding her studying me. I guess I do look distressed with my hands on my hips.

“There’s no food here. Does your dad even eat?” I ask.

Selena snorts. “Oh he eats a lot. He usually orders in or takes us out. He’s not much of a cook.”

“I see. Well, that’s going to change, but I need to go shopping first. Finish your homework. I’m going to give your dad a call.”

Leaving them in the dining room, I step on the back porch and shut the door. My eyes widen at how pretty it is back here. I knew the house was on some land, but it’s wide open back here. It’s beautiful.

Picking up my phone, I dial Midnight.

“Flower, is everything okay?” he asks.

“There’s no food in the house. I didn’t want to leave without telling you. I’m going to take the girls for food, then stop at the grocery store on the way home,” I tell him.

“No,” he tells me before I hear his hand cover the phone, and he starts to talk to someone in the background.

Was the no for me? Or the other person? How is he going to tell me I can’t feed them?

I’m working up to being angry when he comes back on.

“Stay at the house. I’ll be home in an hour. We can all go together.”

My stomach flutters at the idea of spending more time with him.

“That’s not necessary. I can take them.”

“No arguments. You’ll wait for me. Be home soon, Flower.” Then he hangs up.

Fuck, my panties are wet. I hate how much I like his demanding tone.

Dinner with the girls is always interesting. They can talk so much that it makes my head spin.

What’s more surprising is how much Lainey relates to them. I swear at times she was talking as fast as they were. I could barely keep up.

I had to resist the urge to put my arm around Lainey throughout the meal as she sat next to me. It felt natural to have her there with us.

Shopping afterward was such a change. Dinner Lainey was the girls’ best friend, but she slipped right into mama bear mode once we got into the store. She read the back of the boxes, ensuring the snacks the girls wanted were healthy and not full of too much sugar.

It was sexy as hell to watch her switch from fun and playful friend to authority figure. She straddles the line nicely.

Fuck, I wish she would straddle me.

Even with her being a little more strict with the girls, which I refused to step in the middle of, she was kind. She let them get a few of the items they wanted even though I don’t think they passed her health test.

Now we are home. The girls are off watching a movie in their room while I watch Lainey put all the food away. I offered to help, but she politely told me to fuck off. Something about me not being qualified to put them in the right place based on the bare cabinets she found.

I stay close to her, needing to be in her presence. I’ve never felt this way before. The more I tell myself to stay away from her, the more I want her.

Maybe I need to give in to this feeling. Fuck her out of my system.

I won’t, though. She is my employee. I would never cross that line.

Yet as she struggles to put something on the top shelf, stretching up on her tiptoes, making her shirt ride up and show that tanned and toned lower back, I find myself on my feet and behind her. I press close, loving the way her breath catches as I grab the box of cereal, pushing it up on the shelf easily.

Leaning into her ear, I whisper, “You could tempt a saint, Flower.”

Then I back away, heading back to my seat at the dining room table.

She looks flustered for a moment before she continues her task. Once she is done, she joins me at the table.

“I know I was without food. What else do I need?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “It’s fine. We can make do.”

“I don’t want you to make do. I want my girls to be comfortable and happy, so tell me.”

She bites her lip, and I swear I want to lean in and kiss her. She has my dick’s undivided attention. The scary part isn’t him, though. It’s the fact that she also has my undivided attention. I’ve never watched a woman the way I watch her.

“Spit it out, Flower. I don’t have all day.” I use the authoritative tone that I’ve noticed gets her doing whatever the hell I want.

“We could use some kitchen items. You have like one pot, Midnight. Have you ever cooked for the girls before?” she asks.

“I grill. The stove isn’t my strong suit. When they aren’t here, I don’t even stay here. I stay at the clubhouse. They have sweetbutts that do the cooking.”

My heart aches as I think about Elenore. It wasn’t always the sweetbutts cooking, but our matriarch is no longer here. Natalie is trying her best, but she’s grieving too.

It’s a shit show.

“Okay, well, I can make a list of things that would make it easier for me to cook for them, but you don’t have to buy them.”

“Done. What else?”

“The girls have the basics, but I think they could use some more clothes. Sienna told me you took them shopping after they came to live with you, but that you were in a rush. I could take them to get some more things.” She looks as if she’s worried I will say no.

When it comes to my girls’ needs, I would never say no.

“Done. What else?” I demand yet again.

“Your backyard is bare. We went outside today and played tag, but there’s only the one chair on the deck. Maybe somewhere for them to sit. Maybe a soccer ball or something so they have something to do?”

“Done. Anything else?” I ask.

“Nope. That’s it.”

I shake my head, leaning across the table toward her. “What do you need?” I ask her.

“Nothing. You do more than enough for me,” she whispers.

I reach out, cupping her face. “You have one little duffel bag. You can’t tell me you have everything you need. What would make you more comfortable here?”

“Noth..nothing,” she stutters, her eyes on mine.

With my free hand, I pull out my credit card, and I set it on the table in front of her.

“You’re going to take this card. Tomorrow while the girls are at school, you will go buy whatever you want for the yard and kitchen. When the girls get out, take them shopping and get them whatever you think they need. While out, you better get what you need too. Clothes, makeup, shampoo. Whatever it is, you get it. Understand?” I keep my tone low yet demanding.

“It’s too much.” Her tone grows even quieter.

“You will do as I say, won’t you, good girl?” I move closer to her, my nose brushing hers.

She licks her lips, tempting me to take hers with my own, and she nods slightly.

“Good girl.” I fall back into my seat, watching her closely. She shivers before she takes the card. She stands, walking toward her duffel bag. I watch as she pulls a little bag from her duffel. I smile when I see the floral pattern on it. It’s worn and obviously well used.

When she straightens back up, I call out to her. “Hey, Flower?”

She turns and looks at me.

“Take your bag to my room. You’ll be sleeping in my bed while you’re under my roof.”

I enjoy the way her cheeks heat at my words, but she does what I say without question.

I know she thinks I meant I would be staying with her, but no matter how much I want to, I won’t cross that line.

I can’t. I have my girls to think about, and they are attached to her.

So it doesn’t matter if she makes my dick harder than it’s ever been, I cannot fall into bed with my flower.