More Than I Could (13)

I smile sweetly. “Yes, Chase. Take your time, dear.”

His eyes narrow.

I wink. And then, with a fire in my stomach that I can barely contain, I walk out and shut the door behind me.





Chapter Five





Chase




What the hell is happening?

I run a hand down my face. The scruff I didn’t bother to shave last night is rough against my palm. I open my mouth and work my jaw around once, then twice to dispel some of the surprise … frustration … tension of the last few minutes.

How is she at my house?

Bits and pieces from my conversation with Megan—a name that I went to great lengths last night not to learn—come barreling back at me.

Her new job. Being in Peachwood Falls. Not being familiar with the area.

She probably had my address in her GPS instead of The Ridges.

I growl into the air.

Megan is so damn hot that it’s almost unreal. Blond hair. Bright blue eyes. A beauty mark off-center below her left eye. Her body is ridiculous, with curves that my fingers itch to skim.

Her laughter mixes with my mother’s voice outside the door, and I can’t help it. I smile—because that’s the shit that kept me up all night. That’s the shit I can’t shake.

Every time I think of her little smirk and playfulness when she’s teasing me, I can’t help but grin. She brushed off my scowl like she wasn’t concerned with my obvious irritation at stopping to help. Instead, she pestered me, joked around, and her boundless energy and never-ending mouth were somehow … cute.

She’s everything I don’t need to fuck around with. Period.

I toss my soiled clothes into the laundry hamper by the sink and then pull on the clean jeans and flannel I set out before I left for Gavin’s this morning.

She’s the nanny? She’s staying here for a month?

How did this go from one of Mom’s friends to a sexpot?

I button my shirt.

This isn’t what I signed up for. I didn’t agree with this. I have my hands overflowing with Kennedy’s teenage bullshit and work. There’s no bandwidth left to deal with—Megan’s and Mom’s voices grow louder—that every day for thirty damn days.

“This is never going to work,” I grumble. “There’s no reason to start it. I didn’t want a fucking nanny anyway. I’ll call in favors from Luke and Gavin. God knows they owe me anyway.”

Mom’s laughter rings through the closed door again.

“Maggie Mae Marshall, we’re going to talk about this,” I mutter.

I yank open the door with more force than necessary. I’m unsure if it’s to affirm that I’m taking a stand or to broadcast my irritation before entering the room. Both heads turn toward me as I step into the kitchen.

Megan leans back in her chair, an arm draped over the seat next to her. Casually confident. Her lips are pressed together like she’s waiting patiently for me to explode.

I want to explode all right. So that’s why you gotta go.

“Can someone clue me in as to what’s going on?” I ask, ripping my eyes away from her mouth.

“Megan is Kennedy’s new nanny,” Mom says, chirping like a damn songbird. “I had her come by this morning so we could have brunch and show her around before she meets Kennedy and moves in.”

Move in? Oh, hell no.

I hold out a hand. “Let’s …let’s back this whole thing up a minute, Mom.”

“What? Why?”

I sigh.

My explanation should come quickly and easily. I’m too attracted to have Megan in my house twenty-four hours a day for a month. She’ll hinder me a hell of a lot more than she’ll help.

But I can’t exactly say that.

“I didn’t realize you’d hired someone,” I lie. “I thought you were bringing people by so we could interview them.”

“Chase Ryan, you know that’s not true.”

“So, what? You just chose someone for me?” I ask as if this shocks me. “You chose a random woman I’ve never met to live in my house and care for my baby girl?”

“She’s fourteen,” Mom says, her no-nonsense tone hard to argue with.

But I do.

“I wouldn’t give a shit if she were five,” I fire back. “Actually, it might be easier if she were a toddler and not a teenager hell-bent on coming up pregnant or dead.”

Mom sighs. “You’re exaggerating.”

“Barely.”

Megan drops her hand from the chair and leans forward. “Excuse me. The teenager part of this I can handle. The rest of it? This is not what I expected.”

“That makes two of us,” I say, lifting a brow.

“What are you saying?” she asks.

I look at her. I want to fuck you senseless is what I’m saying.

“Can we just take a breath?” Mom asks, rolling her eyes. “I know this situation isn’t what any of us expected, but Denise breaking her leg changed things, and I thought we were all in agreement that this was the best solution.”

“I don’t even know her,” I say, gesturing to Megan.

Megan stands, her eyes narrowed. “Are you implying that I’m untrustworthy?”