Page 16

ELEVEN

ALEJANDRA

This is bad, Ale, really fucking bad. You cannot seriously be falling for the father of the child you nanny.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I need this job. Leave it to me to complicate this with feelings.

Though it’s not just me that is holding onto feelings.

Gage feels something too, and that’s what makes this even worse.

I’ve only been here for just over a month and not only do I love this little girl like I’m the one that birthed her, but every time I look at her father, my heart wants to explode. So many emotions course through me.

Care, appreciation, want—so much fucking want.

Helping him recover has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. It’s like I’m caught in a whirlwind of conflicting desires and responsibilities.

On one hand, I want to be there for Gage and his daughter to support them through this difficult time.

But on the other hand, I can’t deny the growing attraction I feel towards him—this deep ache that I have blooming inside that’s for him.

Just for him.

It’s not just physical attraction, though.

There’s something deeper, something that goes beyond the superficial.

Maybe it’s the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not paying attention or the way he’s opening up to me.

It’s those moments that make me question everything, that make me wonder if there could be something more between us.

I can’t risk losing this job. This opportunity can make all the difference in my siblings’ lives with the financial stability I can be for them.

Not only that, but there’s an innocent little girl who depends on us and who needs stability and love.

We can’t let our desires jeopardize that.

Lust doesn’t make a sustainable relationship, and that’s all these feelings are, right?

I want to believe that it is just lust that pulls my heart toward him. But seeing him hold and show affection to his daughter gives me butterflies. Or when he asked me if I was making sure to take care of myself while he was out on a field op... I know it’s not just lust.

So, I’ll continue to be the best nanny I can be, pouring my love and care into this precious child.

And I’ll push aside my own wants and desires, reminding myself of the importance of boundaries and professionalism.

Because at the end of the day, what truly matters is the well-being and happiness of this little girl, even if it means sacrificing my own.

I go about my day trying to maintain somewhat of a professional distance from Gage.

It’s difficult, especially since he opened up in the shower and showed a side of himself that needs so much tender care and understanding.

But I’m determined to keep my feelings in check and not let them get the better of me.

His daughter needs for us to put whatever this is behind us.

Because it would never work, the single father with his child’s nanny.

I’m sure things are already being said on base about me living here.

I’m no stranger to the rumor mill between military wives.

Gage doesn’t need that messing with his career.

At lunch, Gage joins us in the kitchen, and he entertains Zoe while I get food prepared for the both of us and her bottle.

Zoe stares up at her father from her little bouncy seat that he has set up on the island, and he stands there and talks to her.

I watch them interact from the corner of my eye, feeling a pang of want in my chest.

It’s almost like we are our own little family. In a different life, this could have been us, maybe.

I look over my shoulder to sneak a better look at them and I’m met with his piercing green eyes, and the look he gives has me spinning around, the room feeling extremely stuffy now. I can feel the heat rushing to my cheeks, and I let out a staggered breath.

He was looking at me like he wanted to devour me.

I would fold so fast. Like a cheap-ass lawn chair—the way I would let this man bend me over the counter.

No, Ale. Stop it.

“So what are we having for lunch , Ale?” I catch the seductive way he says lunch and I clench my thighs together.

Please don’t let him notice he’s affecting me.

“Ch-chicken salad.” I force the words out and I stutter. “I-I hope that’s okay.”

The soft pad of his bare feet on the cold kitchen tiles has me holding my breath.

Gage stands behind me, his chest lightly pressed against my back, the feel of his hands on either side of me on the counter sends shivers down my spine.

Boxing me in. His warm breath, smelling faintly of coffee and mint, fans over my neck and shoulder, his mouth inching closer.

Breathe, Ale… You need to breathe.

“You know I can’t get this scent out of my head,” he whispers, his nose dangerously close to where my pulse is thrumming. “Since the day you moved in, it’s been driving me crazy.”

Gage takes a slow, deep inhale and groans. “I missed it while I was gone. Then, when I walked in the front door, I noticed the house now has the same smell.”

“It’s—gardenia and neroli. Floral and citrus.” Tilting my head slightly so he has better access to the spot where I apply it every morning. “Do you like it?”

“Yes. But it smells even better on your skin.” Gage’s heart beats wildly against my back.

What is happening right now?

Don’t cross the line, Gage. I don’t think I have the strength to listen to logic and resist.

I can feel his desire, his longing, mirrored in my own body. Every fiber of my being yearns to lean into his touch, to give in to the forbidden temptation that lingers between us. But I know better. I know the consequences of succumbing to this intoxicating pull.

Think of Zoe.

Taking a deep breath, I steady myself and muster the strength to push him away, both physically and emotionally. I turn to face him, and all the resolve I had was going out the window. “Gage,” I say, my voice quaking, “we can’t do this.”

“We’re two consenting adults. What would be stopping us?”

His emerald eyes search mine, searching for any sign of weakness.

I have to be the one to hold back. “We have responsibilities, Gage. Your daughter needs stability and a role model she can rely on, not her father and nanny…” I don’t even finish the sentence because speaking the words into existence would make it all feel too real.

“ Ale, ” he mutters, his lips now dangerously close to mine. “It’s just... difficult to resist the way you make me feel.”

My heart aches at his admission. “How do I make you feel?”

With a sigh, Gage shifts, and his lips are now at my ear. “Like you’re all I ever think about.”

If I could physically melt, I would be a puddle on the floor right now. Much like the situation between my thighs.

“We can’t complica?—”

“I wanna complicate the shit out of this.” Gage doesn’t give me the time to overthink as his lips meet mine, feeding the fire inside that I’ve tried so hard to suppress.

The taste of his kiss is intoxicating, something forbidden, and I forget all the reasons we shouldn’t be doing this.

Still, the hesitation is there, my body not completely giving in.

“Let go, Ale,” the words are a gentle caress on my lips. “Fall with me.”

And I fall.

Wrapping my arms behind his neck, greedily taking every kiss he gives, letting Gage steal the breath from my lungs. Only to replace it with his own. Powerful hands grip under my thighs, grunting as he lifts me up.

Breaking our kiss, I pull back, “Put me down. You’re not supposed to be lifting anything.”

“Worth it.” Gage grunts as he makes the slow walk to the couch, his hands sliding up the back of my shirt, groaning as he finds the hooks of my bra. With a quick snap, it’s undone.

“Done that before a few times, have we?” I laugh softly in his ear, and he drops me on the cushion. I look up at him, my laughter fading as desire fills the air between us. Gage’s emerald eyes darken with intensity, a hunger that matches my own.

He lowers himself onto the couch beside me, his fingers tracing a path from my collarbone over my clothes to the curve of my waist, igniting a trail of goosebumps along my skin. The electricity between us is palpable, crackling with forbidden passion.

But even as his touch sends chills all over my body, a voice in the back of my mind reminds me of the consequences we’ll face if we surrender to this temptation. I can’t let feelings blind me to the reality of our situation.

With a deep breath, I summon the strength to pause, placing my hand on his chest. Gage’s gaze flickers with confusion and longing, as if he can sense the turmoil within me.

“Gage,” I say, my voice trembling. “Are you sure?”

His fingers still on my skin, Gage looks into my eyes, his own filled with burning desire. “You feel that,” he murmurs, rubbing his hard cock between my thighs. “Do you see how much I want you? How much I need you? I’m sure.” He pulls back and looks me in the eye. “Unless you want to stop?”

A heavy, charged silence hangs in the air, a lingering echo of his intensely spoken words. He wants me. No, he said he needs me. The seductive whisper of those words played on repeat in my head, their intoxicating promise pulling me toward reckless abandon.

“No, I don’t want to stop.” I say, my voice fading to nothing more than a whisper. “Touch me, Gage.”

Gage’s hand reaches out and gently brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch sends flutters and warmth throughout my stomach, making my heart race wildly against my ribs. He leans in closer, his face inches from mine, and I can feel his warm breath on my skin.

I look up at him, my eyes meeting his, and I see the desire there.

It’s like a spark has been lit, and we’re both ready to ignite.

Gage’s lips brush against mine, soft and gentle at first. It’s like he’s testing the waters, seeing how I’ll react.

But as soon as our lips touch, I know that I’m in trouble.

We’re in trouble.