Those Three Words: A Single Dad, Billionaire Boss Romance(35)

Margot helps Eleanor into her car seat as I take her bag and place it in the back seat along with Muffin in her carrier who is letting me know she’s not very happy about it.

“Why does the damn cat have to go with her?” I mutter, climbing behind the wheel.

“Grammy likes Muffin,” Eleanor says with a whiny tinge to her voice. She hates any time I speak poorly about her kitten. As much as I hate to admit it, the damn thing is starting to grow on me.

“I think daddy does too,” Margot says under her breath with a chuckle.

“What makes you say that?”

She snaps her head up from buckling her seat belt, clearly not realizing I’d heard her.

“I saw her sneak into your office the other day and she didn’t come out for over an hour.” She smiles. “And then I heard you ask Miss Perry for a lint roller.”

I shake my head as she and Eleanor giggle.

After we drop off Eleanor, the ride to the city is quiet. Margot stares out the window, lost in thought again.

“Hey,” she says, pulling her head away from the window and turning to face me. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something and I completely forgot about it. I stopped by my old apartment to pay my rent, and my landlord said you called and paid my entire lease off?”

I nod.

“You really didn’t need to do that, Mr. Hayes.”

“I did. One of the requirements of this job was to be a live-in nanny and that required you to move out of your current residence. It’s only right I pay it off.”

“Well, I appreciate it very much so thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. It’s simply a contract negotiation and it was pocket change.”

I see her nod and turn back to the window. I feel bad. I purposely made it sound cold and not like it was something I did out of the goodness of my heart. I’m deflecting. Wanting to push her away after what happened between us last night.

“You’re welcome… Margot.” I say her name for only the second time and a smile spreads lazily across her lips. Something about saying her name just makes things all too real, but I like it.

I pull the SUV into a parking garage near the coffee shop she mentioned and put it in park. I point to the clock; it’s only twenty minutes past ten.

“We’re early, so do you mind if I walk in with you and grab a coffee myself?”

“Only if I can buy it for you for driving me.”

“Deal.”

We exit the vehicle and make our way out of the parking garage and onto the sidewalk. I instinctively place my hand at the small of her back as we walk the two blocks to the shop. It’s a trendy place with exposed brick walls and brass light fixtures with Edison bulbs. A young hipster with a handlebar mustache and a bright-orange beanie welcomes us.

“You don’t come to coffee shops much, do you?” Margot asks as I stare over the menu of items I don’t even recognize.

“No. I’m a black coffee man. The darker the roast the better.”

She giggles and touches my chest softly, a small gesture that instantly makes me want to reach out and pull her to me.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you out.” She steps up to the counter and orders.

“I’ll have a grande dirty chai tea latte with oat milk and he’ll have a grande Americano.”

“That was English?” I ask and she laughs again.

“Oh, come on, you’re not that old. Starbucks was around when you were my age.”

The mention of age is one of those immediate dampers on any good thoughts I have about me and her.

“Wasn’t a coffee drinker back then,” I say as we move over to the waiting area for our drinks.

I find myself standing a little behind her; my hands instinctively come out to rest on her waist. It feels oddly natural and I feel her slightly relax her back against my chest.

They call our order out and we step up and grab our drinks.

“I still have thirty minutes. Do you want to sit with me for a bit?” She motions toward a small table in the corner and I follow her. Just before we get to it, I see a love seat that’s open and grab her hand, steering her toward it instead.

I want to be close to her, to feel her against me. I take a seat and pull her down next to me, our bodies touching from shoulder to knee.

We sit in silence for a moment, both of us savoring our coffee before I feel her turn a little in the seat to face me.

“So is this the part where you give me a talk and tell me last night was a mistake?”

I let out a single, throaty chuckle, turning to look at her.

“I probably should but no.” I reach out, taking a piece of her hair between my thumb and forefinger. “Is that what you wanted me to do? Apologize? Tell you that I have no business messing around with a woman young enough to be my daughter?”

“Your daughter? You’re not that old.”

“I’m forty-two, sweetheart. Technically, I could have fathered a child at sixteen.” I raise my eyebrows and she just rolls her eyes.

“Is that what we’re doing? Messing around?” she asks.

I let the curl in my fingers fall to her shoulders and move my hand to cup her cheek, running my thumb across her lip. The tip of her pink tongue darts out and makes contact with the skin of my thumb and I inhale a sharp breath.