17. Oliver

Chapter 17

I knew what Nate wanted to discuss even before I met him in his office. It had nothing to do with the three days I had just spent away on business—not that I expected it to. He trusted me to handle our tech department for the most part. After all, it had been my idea to expand to include it.

I knew it had to do with Kat just by the way he looked at her, though she seemed to be oblivious. Not that I could blame her. Understanding Nate is a skill I’ve had years to hone, and even I get it wrong sometimes.

What I didn’t expect was for Kat, Addison’s new nanny, to be the same girl who gave Alex and Des the slip last December. I’d meant what I said in the kitchen. I thought she was different. The way she is with Addison isn’t like someone who was just trying to get close to her to get close to us. She seems as though she genuinely cares for her. Something Nate must have seen as well, considering he offered her the position of Addison’s nanny.

Apparently, all three of them were on the same page, which is a first in a long time. For the last few years, the most they have been able to agree on is a woman to share for a night or two, but nobody they wanted more from.

Who was I to say otherwise? I don’t dislike Kat based on what I know about her. She’s good with Addison, beautiful and forgiving, if our time in the kitchen is anything to go by. She also doesn’t seem to have an issue with standing up for herself. Which is also good, considering she’s living in the house. She’ll need her wits about her.

No, I haven’t had any problems with her so far, but I also don’t want her like they do. I don’t want anyone, not after last time. I’d rather focus on the company and spend time with my family, but I won’t deny them the chance.

With my agreement, Nate and I head out to get ready for our trip to the zoo.

I have a feeling things are about to get a lot more interesting around here, and the zoo is going to be a great test.

I wonder if Kat has any idea what she just signed up for.

If Addison hadn’t been so adamant about going to the zoo for the last few weeks, I would probably have asked if we could postpone it.

Today is the hottest day so far this year, and spending it outside, surrounded by animals, is not the first thing on my list of things to do for a good time. Unfortunately for me, one of the top things on that list is seeing Addison happy. So, although I’m dreading the heat, I get ready and meet the others outside with a smile when she flings herself at me.

Okay, maybe the heat isn’t so bad.

I’m dressed in dark blue shorts, a white T-shirt, and a short-sleeved button-up over it. I’ve left it unbuttoned, though, so I don’t die. However, I’ve never really been comfortable leaving the house in just a t-shirt the way Desmond and my father are. I’d like to say I’m a nice mix of my father and Nate when it comes to how I dress. I can be relaxed but still appropriate to be seen.

Desmond is wearing what looks like gray sweatpants that were cut just above the knee, an olive green T-shirt, a backward baseball cap on his head, and sunglasses.

My father wears shorts and a t-shirt as well, but his are, of course, both black because he doesn’t give a shit if it’s one hundred degrees, that’s his favorite color.

Whereas Nate is also wearing a black shirt, his is a long-sleeved button-up. He’s pushed the sleeves up to his elbows, but it’s still tucked into his dark gray dress pants, and instead of opting for tennis shoes like the rest of us, he’s also still wearing dress shoes. It’s the most dressed down he ever gets outside of the house, and even then, it’s a rare occurrence.

Vince stands near the back of the limo talking to my father, and I know without asking he will be escorting us today based on his black t-shirt and cargo pants. The guy’s so ripped that his sleeves look like they’re about to shred themselves. Of course, to everyone else, he’s our driver, but he’s much more than that. Nate has known Vince since they were teenagers, and by default, my father knows him as well. I’d say they were best friends, but somehow, that doesn’t seem right. No, they're more like brothers, and, of course, Nate gave him a job—well, more than one, I guess.

I try to keep my eyes off her. I spotted her the moment I walked out; how could I miss her? But the last thing I need after putting my foot in my mouth this morning is to be caught gawking the way Des and my father seem to have no problem openly doing.

I try and fail.

Des says something, pulling her attention to him, and I take a moment to look at her without worry.

She really is stunning.

Her long red waves are pulled up off her shoulders and secured with a clip, probably to keep them from sticking to her skin in this heat. I find my eyes roaming down her creamy white neck, unable to stop myself. Like most redheads, she has naturally lighter skin, but while she’s paler than we are, she’s not the palest person I’ve ever seen.

She’s also dressed for the heat, with a pink sundress that fits her so damn well it should be a crime. It’s tight around her waist and flows down to mid-thigh, showing off her legs. I have to forcefully pull my gaze away from them. Not that roaming up is much better. The neckline of her dress dips down; not the lowest I’ve ever seen a neckline go by a long shot, but it’s enough to show off some cleavage.

Yup, I was probably safer looking at her legs because her breasts are full and the same creamy white as the rest of her.

Damn it, I might not want her the way they do, but I can’t deny seeing her appeal.

It takes more effort than it should for me to make myself turn away and look back toward Vince and Nate, but I manage. Too bad I also catch my father's eye in the process. The smirk on his face lets me know he saw me checking her out, and I resist the urge to flip him off.

Fuck, I’m going to hear about that later.

We load up into the limo and head out. Des, of course, sits next to Kat, and Addison sits on her other side, talking a mile a minute about everything she wants to do and see.

When we get to the zoo, Vince parks instead of dropping us off like he usually does. Thankfully, our membership includes closer parking for members, so we don’t have to park so far away. Even with that, I’m sweating by the time we reach the gate.

You’d think the heat would deter people, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s still pretty packed. Kat keeps hold of Addison as we make our way through the gates, seeming undeterred by the heat as well.

The smile on Kat’s face is real and happy, and if Addison’s happiness isn’t contagious, hers is. Every single one of us wears a smile as we watch them look over the map, Addison pointing out her favorite animals as they decide where we should go first.

People around us stop and stare, some openly gawking and snapping pictures, while others go so far as to try to approach us. It’s nothing new, but it’s exhausting, nonetheless. I know we have money, and people know our faces. It's hard not to here in the city where we work and live, but when it interrupts our time doing normal everyday things, it gets annoying.

For the most part, Vince is able to keep them away, but stopping them from snapping pictures is almost impossible. On instinct, we walk around Addison, protecting her from the people and the pictures as best we can without drawing attention to them. She’s young enough that she never really notices, and with her blissfully unaware, it seems that Kat stays unaware as well. Addison pulls her from one enclosure to the next, her smile so wide as she shows her everything, and Kat seems fully invested.

“Has she never been here?” I ask Nate as we trail after them.

“Not that I’m aware of. She’s been in the city less than a year and doesn’t seem as though she goes out much,” he tells me without taking his eyes off her.

We continue on like that, making our way to the center of the zoo where they have concessions and Addison’s favorite part, the sea lion pool.

The sea lions do performances every few hours, and ever since the first time we came here years ago, it’s been her favorite part. It’s a bit of a tradition now. We come, look around, get ice cream, and watch the sea lions perform before we see the rest of the animals.

The line at the concession stands is long today, probably due to the heat. Everyone needs a cool drink or ice cream to help them fight it off. Could we walk up to the counter and bypass it, possibly, but none of us tries. Instead, we move into line and stand with everyone else. There’s no real rush, considering we have about thirty minutes before the next show. Vince stands in front with Des and my father on either side of the girls, with Nate and I behind them. If Kat’s noticed the way we close rank, she hasn’t said anything.

Addison, as adorable and smart as she might be, is still only a child and, after a few minutes of waiting, begins to become impatient. Before she gets the chance to whine or complain too much, Kat pulls her aside, dropping down to her knees and distracting her.

I can’t help the shock that fills me, seeing her disregard her appearance and probably comfort in favor of Addison. We’ve had many nannies, and while they were good at taking care of her, they were never as involved as she is.

Kat and Addison play rock, paper, scissors, and Addison’s annoyance is forgotten as Kat makes a big deal of her winning or does silly things when she wins. Without even realizing it, Kat has our attention and the attention of people around us. After a few minutes, Des sits down next to them and joins their game. Their laughter ringing out around the area.

They play on, and Vince moves with the line, keeping our place without us all having to move. He calls out to us once he finally reaches the front.

Kat and Addison’s heads snap up at his call, so lost in their game that they didn’t even realize the line had moved. Addison lets out a squeal of delight before taking off toward Vince, who scoops her up so that she can look at the menu.

I have to fight the urge to go to Kat and offer to help her up. Thankfully, my father is there the next second to do it, because I’m not sure I would have been able to stop myself had someone else not done it.

The others move to the window, but I stay back. I don’t love sweets the way they do, and I need a moment to collect myself. Something about Kat is harder to resist than it should be. It’s not as if she’s flaunting anything. Hell, some of the women Alex and Des had brought around years ago had all but pushed themselves onto my lap and caused less of a reaction.

So why is she different?

I’m lost in thought, looking off toward the sea lion pool, mindlessly watching them prep for the show as I try to puzzle it out. For the most part, nobody ever bothers me because I’m not them. I’ll get looks here and there, but nobody ever throws themselves at me, asking if they can have my babies the way they do my Father, Des, and Nate.

I don’t expect today to be any different. Don’t expect anyone to approach me, which is why when a soft hand rests on my arm, I’m taken by surprise.

I half expect to find someone who wants to ask me about the others. It happens from time to time. Women approach me and ask if I can help them get a picture with them, give them their number, or even introduce them. Obviously, I never do, but that doesn’t stop them from trying.

Instead, I find Kat. Her hair is a bit frizzy from the heat, and her cheeks are slightly red. I find myself wondering if she’s burnt or just flushed. Had she applied sunscreen today? With her fair skin, I have no doubt she would burn up in the sun.

Shaking the thought from my head, I tell myself that’s not my concern and try to focus on what she’s saying. Her lips move. But now that I’m focused on them, that’s all I can think about.

Shit, bad idea. It’s bad enough she’s so close as it is. I don’t catch a word of what she said, and when her lips press closed once again, they curve up into a hint of a smile, and she cocks her head to the side.

I take a step back, physically removing myself from her grip, and blink hard against the image my mind just conjured of my lips pressed to hers.

“I’m sorry, what?”

She doesn’t follow me; instead, she lets her hand drop, but the smile remains on her face. Strange. Most of the time, people don’t know the meaning of personal space, and more than once, I’ve been crowded or gotten rude looks for keeping my distance. Kat doesn’t seem at all affected by it, though.

“I said, this is for you,” she tells me, holding her hand out and offering me a bottle of water.

I should take it. It’s boiling hot out, and I should stay hydrated, but even knowing that I don’t.

“I didn’t ask for anything,” I tell her, cutting my gaze back to the others who sit at a table with Addison as she happily eats her ice cream. I half expect to find my father or Des with a shit-eating grin, them having sent her over here to me. Instead, I find them watching her with questioning looks, and it’s enough to tell me they had nothing to do with this.

“I know, but it’s too hot out here not to at least have some water.” Turning my attention back to her, I find her smiling up at me, the water still held out in offering. “Addison tried to convince Nathan you needed ice cream like the rest of us, but I was able to convince her you would like water better. Alex said you don’t much care for sweets.”

He’s right, of course, but I’m almost unsure what’s more impressive, the fact that she convinced Addison I would like water more or the fact that she cared enough to even try. Usually, I just take the ice cream to make her happy. I eat a little bit and toss it when she’s not paying attention. It’s not that I don’t like sweets; I just don’t crave them the same way she does, but being only five, she doesn’t seem to understand how anyone could not want ice cream all the time.

“Thank you.” I make myself say, reaching out to take the offered bottle from her.

“Kitten, your ice cream is melting!” Des calls, and I watch as his words roll over her. Her eyes go wide before she quickly ducks her head, but it’s not fast enough to hide the deep shade of red her face has turned.

I look up, finding his gaze, and give him an unamused look, but he isn’t phased. He throws his head back and laughs.

With a deep breath, she turns around and heads back to them. I watch her go, unable to look away.

I don't want to want her. I don’t want to want anyone, but as I watch her sit beside Des with a deep blush on her cheeks and take the ice cream from his hands before promptly turning away to give him her back, I get the feeling she’s going to be hard to resist.

It’s not like I want to be alone. I don’t think anyone really does, but it’s easier this way.

I’m not like them. I’m not covered in tattoos, ripped, or a silver fox. I don’t drive a motorcycle, I’m not smooth, and I don’t enjoy fucking just for the sake of it. No, I like numbers and order; I wear glasses and like to read. I’m under no delusion that I’m any girl's fantasy.

Once, I thought I could be desired, but it was a lie, one that almost tore our family apart. Des was mad at me for a long time after Nate kicked her out, but he’d believed me, eventually.

I don’t want to think Kat’s like that, like her, but I’d been blindsided before, and I wouldn’t go through that again. I couldn’t. It’s easier just to stay away.

Cracking the water bottle open, I make my way to the table everyone sits at, but I keep to myself, lost in thoughts of the past.

“Oliver.”

The sound of my name pulls me back to the present, and I could kick myself when I realize I’d zoned out again. Even more so when I find myself once again looking into her beautiful green eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” she says with a chuckle that seems forced. “You just weren’t answering, and I didn’t want to touch you again.”

I raise a brow, unsure what she means by that.

“You didn’t seem to like when I touched you earlier…” she trails off, looking down at her hands that she’s nervously wringing in front of her.

“Oh, no. I—” I try to explain, but I don’t really know what to say.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain,” she says in a rush, holding her hands up to stop me. “I just didn’t want you to get left behind, is all.”

She glances back over her shoulder, and I follow her gaze to the others who stand a few feet away.

“Oh, yeah. Thanks… We should,” I nod toward the others, and she nods in reply.

“Yeah!”

Without another word, she turns and heads back to them.

Fuck, why am I like this?