Page 51

Fifty-One

SUNNY

“What happened to your wrists?”

Rhodes and I both glance at my wrists with Ellie standing in between us. Her eyes are wide with concern.

I hastily pull on my sleeves. “Uh, I…um…”

Rhodes places his hand on my frantically moving ones. “It’s just a rash.”

A rash?

A rash from him tying me up in his locker room and completely messing with my head? In that case, yes, it’s a rash.

“Should we take Sunny to the doctor?”

“No!” I exclaim. “I’m fine. It’llgo away.”

Rhodes snickers but hides his amusement with his coffee mug.

I could hardly look him in the eye this morning.

After we drove home, both of us masterminding a good excuse as to why we were showing up late with my jersey damp from Rhodes’s wet chest pressing against mine, we went our separate ways. I’m not quite sure if Scottie and Emory bought the explanation, but either way, I fell into a blissful slumber.

This morning, I was hopeful he was already on his way to the away game, but to my surprise, he was downstairs, making blueberry pancakes with Ellie before school.

“Yeah, Printsessa,” Rhodes muses. “The rash will go away.”

My cheeks are hot. I shove pancakes into my mouth to keep my jaw from unhinging, but as soon as Rhodes’s smile deepens, I know something else is coming.

“Who knows when it’ll show back up again, though. Rashes have a tendency to reappear.”

I almost choke.

I slap my hand on the counter, and naturally, he comes over and pats me on the back.

“You good, Sunshine?” he asks, lowering his voice slightly. “Do you need mouth to mouth?”

He chuckles as he rounds the island again.

Rhodes thinks he’s funny, and I really hate to admit that I like this version of him. Aside from me and Ellie, and maybe a few of his teammates, he keeps his teasing, carefree attitude on lockdown.

His airy mood is too enjoyable not to play along.

“Ellie, why don’t you go upstairs and get dressed, and then I’ll braid your hair before school? I have an early flight so we can get to the rink and get in a practice before the game.”

Ellie hops down from her stool and gives him a thumbs-up before dashing away and up the stairs on her own.

I spin and glance at him with shock. “Wait, did that just really happen?”

His eyes widen. “She didn’t even say anything about me leaving.”

Some parents may be upset by that, but with Ellie’s anxiety over being away from Rhodes, this is huge .

My hand moves to cover my smile. “I’m so proud of her.”

“It’s because of you.”

I drop my hand and start to shake my head, but he doesn’t let me get that far. He places his mug onto the counter and rounds the island. I spin on the stool and face him with skepticism.

What is he doing?

I glance over his shoulder to the stairs as he crowds me. One hand falls to the counter, and I lean backward. The other one does the same, and suddenly, I’m trapped between his large arms and heavy presence.

“Thank you.” He swallows.

I blink a few times. “For?”

“For fixing what I couldn’t.” He shakes his head, appearing vulnerable for the first time ever.

I brush it off. “Well, you were the one who hired me despite not wanting to, so technically, you’re the one who?—”

His hand falls to my chin, and I stop talking.

“Thank you .”

With the gravity of his voice, it seems like he’s thanking me for more than just Ellie.

Which makes me thank him in return.

“Well…” I shrug. “I fixed her, and you fixed me. I guess we’re even.”

His thumb grazes my lower lip, and my heart races. He glances at my mouth, and if he kisses me, we’re in big trouble, because what can we blame it on this time?

The moment is too heavy between us.

Too real.

As much as I want him to kiss me, I’m thankful when his phone pings, telling him that someone is at the door.

A slight growl leaves him, and he reluctantly pulls out his phone.

He glances at me once before walking toward the front of the house.

I escape upstairs to help Ellie, only to come back down ten minutes later to Rhodes having an intense conversation with Marco. Except, it’s in fluent Russian. Marco knows Russian?

I look at Ellie, and after a few more seconds of us eavesdropping, she pouts. “I don’t know that many words in Russian.”

“Maybe we should listen to some tapes tonight,” I say with a laugh.

Rhodes catches my eye and does a double-take before ending his conversation with Marco.

Ellie turns her back to her father and taps her finger against her chin. “Or come up with our own secret language.”

Rhodes snorts. “The last thing I need is you two having your own language.”

Ellie giggles and runs off to pester Marco about knowing Russian. She scolds him for not teaching her certain phrases.

“Everything okay?” I eye Rhodes closely.

He glances at Marco and Ellie, seeing that they’re in a heated conversation, and inches his chin toward the living room.

Once we’re tucked away, he says, “Make sure you lock the door tonight and set the alarm, alright?”

My brows fold right along with my arms. “I don’t need to be reminded to do that,” I remind him.

He sighs. “Just tell me you will.”

“I will.”

A dark cloud of dread heads my way. I’m already on edge because of the text, which Rhodes is unaware of, so why is he acting so protective?

“Did something happen?” I ask.

He stares down into my eyes and answers quietly. “Nothing you need to be concerned about.”

I attempt to ask him again, but my thoughts jumble when he slips his hand around my waist and pulls me in close. I forget where I am when his mouth covers mine. Our tongues dance together, and I’m suddenly spinning.

Ellie’s loud laughter breaks us apart.

I lick my lip, and he winks.

Then we part and act like nothing happened.

Something absolutely did, though.

I’m just not sure what.

I reread the text I got from Rhodes for the third time, and I’m still confused.

Slipping away from Ellie and Marco, who are finishing up a game of Uno before we head to dinner—something Marco insisted on—I read the message again.

Rhodes: Excuse me?

After not being able to decipher what Rhodes is talking about, I text back.

Me: What?

He must have his phone in hand because I hardly hit send before he’s firing off another message.

Rhodes: You’re going on a dinner date? Tonight?

I think for a second and then suddenly realize what he’s referring to.

I swipe the texts away and pull up the calendar. I put “ dinner date” in the calendar so he’d know what we were up to with him being states away, but apparently, he isn’t aware that Marco is the one taking Ellie and me out for dinner.

He thinks I’m going on a date.

Is he jealous? Or angry?

Does he really think I’d go on a date tonight? With him away and Ellie in my care?

I’m almost offended.

My nose scrunches.

You know what, I am offended.

Typing bubbles pop up, then they disappear. I begin to type furiously, angry that he thinks I’d leave her, but then the bubbles pop up again, and my phone vibrates.

Rhodes: Cancel your date.

I thought he knew me better than this.

I hit send on my previously typed message and wait.

Me: You must not know me very well.

Rhodes: Maybe not. But I know your body, and let me tell you, no one else will touch you like I do.

Heat sprinkles against my skin because I know he’s right.

My phone starts to ring, and my stomach drops.

I attempt to hold my composure and answer.

“Calling to demand something else?” I tease.

“Who’s watching Ellie while you go on this date ?”

A laugh tries to slip from my mouth. The way he says the word sounds like he’s about to strangle me through the phone.

“Rhodes,” I drag his name out. “Are you seri?—”

“Why are you…” He softens the anger in voice before pausing. “Why are you going on a date?”

Is he hurt by this?

I open my mouth to tell him that I’m not going on a date, especially while he’s away and I’m responsible for his daughter, but he cuts me off again.

“Do you want to find a boyfriend? Or do you just want a hook up with someone who isn’t the father of the girl you’re a nanny for?”

The thought of going on a date with someone makes me antsy—and not in a good way.

He starts up again. “If it’s a boyfriend, then fine. Reschedule the date for a night that I’m home.”

My thoughts are all over the place. Do I want him to be angry at the thought of me getting a boyfriend?

“Why? Are you going to make sure he’s up to your standards?” I meant it as a joke, but I hear the hint of irritation in my tone.

“Yes.” I hear some shuffling in the background, and then I hear him call out to someone. “Give me a minute.”

“And if I say it’s the latter?” Curiosity is getting the best of me. I’m tempting him to say something that he can’t take back, but it’s something I desperately want to hear.

“Like you just want to find some guy to hook up with?”

“Yes.”

He scoffs. “Then what I said earlier stands. Cancel your date, Sunny. I’ll be home tomorrow, and I’ll take care of you.”

Butterflies fill me to the brim. My heart flips at the thought.

“I gotta go. The bus is leaving for the arena.” His tone is clipped.

“Wait! Rhodes,” I rush.

“What?”

“I’m not going on a dinner date with some guy. Marco is taking me and Ellie out for dinner before your game starts. I put it in the calendar because I wanted you to be aware of what we were doing since you’re away.” There.

Silence.

I peek around the corner and see Marco and Ellie still playing Uno.

“Feeling pretty stupid?” I ask him jokingly.

Almost as stupid as I feel for loving that he didn’t want some other guy hooking up with me, I bet.

“You could say that,” he says.

“I can’t believe you thought I’d actually go on a date right now, with you away and Ellie in my care.” I can’t hide my disappointment. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

He makes a noise that resembles a growl. I picture him pinching the bridge of his nose like he does when he is frustrated about something. “You’ve got me so twisted I can’t even think straight.”

“One day you’ll trust that I’m not like those other nannies you had. Now go win your game. Ellie and I are going to eat dinner and then crawl into your bed to watch you on TV.”

“Trust me, Sunshine. You’re nothing like anyone I’ve ever met before.”

He hangs up, and I stare at the phone for so long Ellie and Marco appear, both of them ready for dinner.

“Right, dinner.” I slip my phone into my pocket and follow them out the door, making sure to lock it behind me.