Page 40 of Worst Nanny Ever (Babes of Brewing #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

TRAVIS

“Travis? Travis?”

A tiny finger pokes my chest.

“Travis?”

I open my eyes, regret it, close them, regret that too, and sigh.

“Yes, Ollie?”

“Why is Hannah in bed with you? Does Hannah live here now?”

My heart starts racing.

I sit up, my head protesting loudly, my back still sore and radiating pain, and for a second all I can do is stare at Hannah. She’s stretched out on the other side of a pillow barrier I don’t remember making, her bright hair a gorgeous pop of color against the black sheets.

Did she make that pillow barrier because I came on to her while I was drunk? Normally, I have a higher level of self-control than that, even when I’ve had one too many. Then again, I’ve never had much control around Hannah.

My heart racing, I run my hands through my hair, then look around for a T-shirt I can throw on and find nothing but my dirty polo shirt from last night on the floor.

Ollie’s standing beside the bed expectantly, waiting for my answer. I don’t want to walk out half naked while there’s a woman in my bed, pillow barrier or not, so I stay put. “She doesn’t live here, Ollie. She just stayed over last night because I wasn’t feeling well. She was helping us out.”

“Okay,” he says, seeming to accept my answer at face value. “It’s a little late, though. Don’t you think we should be starting our day?”

I glance at the wall, cursing in my head when I see it’s already ten thirty.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, buddy. Did you have breakfast?”

He rolls his eyes. “I can pour myself cereal, Travis. I’m not a baby.”

“Never doubted it.”

“Want me to pour some for you?”

I don’t want to eat anything, possibly ever again, but it’s one of the first things he’s ever offered to do for me, and I’m not about to deny him. Maybe Hannah will want to eat it.

“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks.”

He leaves the room, and I shuffle over to the dresser, feeling ten years older than I did last night, to grab a clean T-shirt and athletic shorts. I tug them on, then head into the en suite to brush my teeth.

If Hannah’s going to tell me off for being a presumptuous prick, I’d prefer to have clean teeth for it.

She must sleep like the dead, though, because she’s still out cold when I sit down on her side of the bed.

My heart thumps painfully in my chest as I look at her.

She’s so beautiful. She must have gotten up and washed her face at some point in the night because her eyelashes are that gorgeous red-gold color again.

I stroke her cheek, and instead of sucker punching me, like I half expect her to, she stirs and makes a sound that’s half murmur and half sigh, which shoots straight to my cock.

She’s not yours.

But I’m ready to admit that I’d like her to be.

I’ve never wanted anyone like I want her.

She’s funny, bold, and very opinionated.

I want to hear all of her opinions. I want to argue with them because I know she loves arguing back.

I want to fuck her, but I also want to talk to her, dance with her, and play music with her—and I know that’s more dangerous.

If it were just about sex, I could sleep with someone else, but the thought of doing that is as repellant as running a cheese grater over my dick.

“Hannah,” I whisper, needing to ensure I won’t be overheard. “Hannah, I’m sorry about last night.”

Her eyes open slowly, their vivid green sucking me in.

“Sometimes you sound like a broken record. What exactly are you sorry for this time?”

I gesture to the stupid pillow barrier. “Did you do that because I was being inappropriate?”

She smiles at me. “You don’t remember?”

“Obviously not.”

“I feel like I should lord this over you for at least a day, but no, you weren’t being inappropriate. You were just worried you might be tempted, because I made a…colorful comment. Sorry about that.”

“I wish I could remember.”

“Probably best if I don’t repeat it now that the pillow barrier is no longer between us.”

Now I really wish I could remember. But I’m also glad that I don’t, because I’m sure I made an ass of myself.

“It’s past ten,” I mutter.

“Are you asking me to leave?” she asks playfully .

“I mean, you’ve been working for over twenty hours.”

Hurt flickers across her face. “I didn’t stay here because I was hoping for a big payday.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I?—”

“Say no more,” she says, climbing out of the bed, her expression closed down. “You’re right. I’ll just go say goodbye to Ollie. Do you have band practice or anything later?”

“ Hannah. ”

“Let’s keep this professional,” she says, crossing her arms.

“I don’t think we know how to do that.”

She smiles for half a second before it ghosts off her face.

I did that. I took her smile away.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she says in a hissing undertone, stomping her foot. “I see that look on your face. Stop blaming yourself for everything. It’s so tiresome.”

“Don’t leave,” I say, getting up too quickly and jarring my head. “Please don’t leave. We need to talk.”

She pauses by the door and puts a hand on her hip. “Fine, but only because I need you to tell me about Eugene and Mrs. Applebaum.”

I scratch the back of my head, feeling slow-witted. “What?”

“My brother said Eugene poured out his heart about the whole Mrs. Applebaum situation. I’m supposed to meet up with him for pottery painting at noon, and I need to know everything.”

“Oh,” I say. “He told us about his golf cart mishap at the school. I guess it happened after Mrs. Applebaum turned him down. She and her husband were broken up at the time—Eugene was very clear about that. He said he didn’t want us thinking she was some kind of common strumpet.”

“Oh crap,” she says with feeling. “She wasn’t interested?”

I shrug. “It doesn’t mean she’d turn him down now. They don’t work together anymore. He seems to think that mattered to her.”

I let myself imagine what that would look like for Hannah and me.

Maybe we could give this a real shot if I could find another nanny for Ollie, someone he’d like.

I probably should have kept looking; I’ve always known this couldn’t last forever.

Hannah’s not a nanny, and eventually she’ll want to get back to living a normal life.

But losing her would feel like losing a limb, which is insane, because she’s only been with us for two weeks.

The second nanny was with us for almost as long, but I barely remember her name or what she looks like.

Hannah would be a tough act to follow. The thought of some other person taking her place nearly sets off an anxiety spiral.

“What’s going on with you?” she asks, uncrossing her arms. “You’ve got that worry line between your eyebrows.”

“I realized that I should have kept interviewing nannies. You’re not going to want to stay forever.”

She crosses her arms again. “I thought I made it clear that I’d never leave Ollie in a lurch. Or you, you jerk.”

“I know you wouldn’t. I just…part of me doesn’t want you to leave at all. You’re the only person I fully trust with him.”

She looks at me with disbelief. “Suddenly you trust me?”

“Remember the pillow barrier? I’m the one I don’t trust.”

Her expression softens. “Oh, Travis.”

I laugh, then press a hand to my head at the sudden stab of pain. “Come on. Don’t look at me like I’m some hairless dog you found wandering by the side of the road. I’m no harder on myself than most people.”

“I know you’re not a hairless dog,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“You’ve got very nice hair and the perfect amount of chest hair.

Has anyone ever told you that? Never mind, I don’t want to know.

The bottom line is that I don’t think you’re pathetic.

But I am taking that polo shirt to save you from yourself. ”

I smile at her. “And my button-downs?”

“I like those. You look weirdly hot in them.”

“Weirdly hot? I’ll take it. Would it be unprofessional for me to tell you that you look entirely hot in everything you wear?”

“ Very , but you’re right, obviously.”

Smiling, I go to her. I tuck her hair behind her ear. It wasn’t sticking out or anything. I just wanted to have my hands on her.

“I don’t think I can stop wanting you,” I admit.

“Good,” she says, her lips tipping up at the corners. “What are we going to do about this?”

“I don’t know,” I say with a frustrated sigh. “Ollie needs you, and?—”

“I understand why you’re anxious about that, but I’d never walk away from him,” she protests, sounding pissed by the idea of it.

“ Never . Even if I wasn’t his nanny anymore, I’d still bring him to Dottie’s or to one of Sophie’s craft things.

It wouldn’t matter if you and I had a falling-out and I wanted to cut your balls off. I’d still do it.”

I nod, because I don’t doubt her. It would be foolish of anyone to doubt her. I’ve never met anyone so sure of herself. So full of the need to make other people feel sure of themselves too.

“I want to see where this goes, Hannah. I…” I pause, then admit, “When I told you about the hurricane thing …”

She groans. “Can we please never talk about that again?”

I capture her hand before she can walk away.

“I could tell you were going to tear my life apart, and I was resistant to that. But part of me already knew that I was going to like it. That everything needed to be undone so it could be rebuilt into something better. I wasn’t doing a lot of living before you and Ollie came along.

You were right about that.” I press her hand to my heart.

“I’d like to try…with both of you. But I don’t think we should do this while you’re working for me. It feels wrong.”

“Like you’d be paying me to sleep with you?” She gives me a wicked grin. “I’d be worth every penny.”

“I know that,” I say, feeling the needy ache of my cock, from the memory of being deep inside her and feeling her clench against me. “So…I think I really do need to find a new nanny. Someone he’d like.”