6. Kat

Chapter 6

O f course, she wasn’t exaggerating.

Vincent pulls to a stop right in front of what has to be the tallest building in the whole damn city, and suddenly, I’m regretting my decision.

Shit, I should have just told him we were okay to wait at the school.

Vincent is at the door, and Addison all but flies out of it as I scramble to keep up with her. She flings her arms around him, and he bends to scoop her up.

“Thanks for the ride, Uncle Vinny!” she says, nuzzling into him.

“Anything for the little princess.” I hear him say as he sets her back on the ground, while I attempt to smooth out any wrinkles in my clothes to ensure I’m presentable.

“You look lovely, Kat,” he says, and I pause, unsure what to say.

I’m not used to compliments like that.

“Um, thank you. I didn’t know I’d be coming here when I dressed for the day,” I say, gesturing to the building in all its intimidating glory. “Or I would have worn something nicer.”

Addison comes over and grabs my hand, pulling me toward the building. She’s clearly unaware of my inner turmoil, and I’m left with no choice but to follow her; after all, she knows this place far better than I do. The entire building is glass, and even from out here on the sidewalk, I can see the main floor is full of people. If she went in alone, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“I assure you, Nate will have no issues with how you look,” Vincent says, swinging the door closed behind us before making his way back around the car and disappearing into the driver’s seat.

It’s not until Addison has dragged me through the door that I realize what he just said.

Nate.

I’ve never heard anyone call him that. It’s always Mr. Lawson when anyone mentions him at the school. Hell, Barbara had looked at me like I was crazy when I called him Nathaniel in the office on that first day.

Oh god, Addison had called him Uncle Vin. Are they brothers?

I really hope not, or I might have just made a bigger ass of myself than I already thought I was.

“Hello, Addison, and who is this you have with you today?” The woman at the front desk asks as we stop before it.

If I had to guess, this must be the woman who gives her suckers. It would make sense, considering the way she beelines for her.

“This is Ms. Kat. She’s my teacher!” Addison says with a smile that the woman returns before she turns to smile at me as well.

“Shh, don’t tell, but I think she could be my new mommy too!” she says in what I think is meant to be a whisper but isn’t even close, and her words catch me off guard.

From the look on the receptionist's face, I don’t think she was expecting that either. I’m shocked, unsure what to say, but thankfully, she recovers faster than I do.

“How about you come pick a sucker before you go up to see your dad, honey?”

Addison drops my hand and is around the desk in a second, happily going through the small bowl of suckers to pick one.

“Emily,” the receptionist says, reaching out to me to shake my hand.

“Kat,” I say, taking her hand and trying to plaster a smile on my face, but it feels forced.

She steals another peek at Addison, who is still picking through the suckers as if this might be the most important decision she’ll ever make.

“Don’t mind her. She’s had a lot of nannies she’s not very fond of. All the dear wants is a mother, so I’m sure she’s just excited to have someone around she can look up to,” she tells me and actually manages to keep her voice down, unlike Addison.

I know she’s trying to make me feel better, and while it makes me less anxious, it also makes me sad.

“This one!” Addison yells, holding up her chosen sucker in the air like a trophy. She’s so happy I can’t help but smile, watching her hug Emily before she rushes back around the desk and once again takes my hand, pulling me further into the building and into the swarm of people.

“It was nice to meet you,” I shout back to Emily with a wave, and she waves back before returning to work.

My head is on a swivel as we make our way deeper and deeper into the building, and oh my god…they really have a fountain in the lobby.

Wow.

It’s kind of funny to watch grown men and women in some of the fanciest clothes I’ve ever seen quickly make room for a little girl, but they do. Some nod or say hello, and she politely responds, but she doesn’t stop until we reach a set of doors.

An elevator.

The whole wall is elevator after elevator, but this one is just a little different. Instead of having silver doors, they are black with a plaque above them that reads Lawson.

They have their own elevator. I know I shouldn’t be surprised, considering it’s their building and their business, but seeing the divide between what I’ve always thought was rich and powerful and what they have is jarring.

I scan the room while we wait, and beyond all the people and shiny surfaces, I also notice the security, though they seem to have no issue letting Addison barrel her way through. They’re probably used to her.

The elevator dings, and the door barely opens all the way before Addison pulls me in, clicking the very top button labeled ‘office.’ Somehow, I don’t think that means the average office where people work—no cubicles or little desks here.

When the elevator doors open, I’m left picking my jaw up off the ground.

Yeah, not at all cubicles and desks. Every wall is glass. The outside walls let the sun in while also giving a beautiful view of the city. The bright sun reflects off the dark floors, almost blinding me. There’s a long hall that leads down the center of the floor straight across from the elevator, with what I assume are offices on either side, though I can’t be sure. Unlike the glass that lines the outside of the building, the glass down the hall is frosted and dark, making it impossible to see in.

The only desk I see is the large one against the far left wall, not far from the elevator, with a beautiful blonde seated behind it.

Holy shit. Is one of the requirements for working here to look like a damn model because I haven’t seen one person who isn’t insanely attractive.

“Addison,” the woman at the desk calls to her, but the tiny girl ignores her and pulls me forward, right past the desk and down the hall.

“Addison!” she calls again, and I hear her get up, no doubt to follow us. But Addison is on a mission, and based on the click of her heels on the floor, I don't think she’s going to be fast enough.

I could probably stop her, but honestly, I’m not sure why she wants her to stop, and I don’t really love the tone she has when calling her name. Instead, I take in more of my surroundings. We pass two doors, one on each side of the hall and then another two a few feet later, and it would seem the one at the end of the hall is her destination.

Conference room.

“Stop, Addison. Your father is in a very important meeting and doesn’t need you disturbing it!” The woman hisses, and I hear the click of her heels get faster as she picks up her pace.

Oh no.

Her words register with me a beat too late, and before I can stop her, Addison is pushing the door open.

Nathaniel is, in fact, in the middle of a meeting. He stands at the head of the table across the room from us, the floor-to-ceiling glass window at his back. The view of the city from here is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, but I don’t really have time to appreciate it when all heads turn toward us.

I attempt to swallow the lump in my throat, but when Nathaniel looks up, and his eyes meet mine across the room, well, I might as well be choking on it.

The annoying click of heels on the floor stops right next to us, and the secretary stands at my side.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lawson, I tried to stop her,” she says with a huff, having the audacity to glare down at Addison.

Yeah, I don’t like her.

“Nonsense, Anna. My daughter is always welcome, you know this,” he says, waving her off. She opens her mouth as if to say something before snapping it closed again.

“Yes, sir,” she says, looking down at her feet, and my eyes flick to her feet as well.

Well, no wonder she couldn’t catch her. Those heels are so damn high it’s a wonder she could go as fast as she did.

Addison drops my hand and takes off around the table, right into her father's waiting arms.

I swear it doesn’t matter how often I see them do this, it’s always adorable. Or at least I think it is. Apparently, the secretary doesn’t seem to agree because she huffs.

Addison is talking a mile a minute about her day, telling Nathaniel every detail before finally holding up her sucker like a trophy to show him. He shakes his head, teasing her about her love of sugar before setting her back on her feet. She quickly unwraps her treat and pops it in her mouth, clearly having only waited to eat it to show him.

He stands back at his impressive height and turns his gaze to me. His eyes aren’t the only ones on me, and I fight the urge to squirm under the weight of all of them.

I want to apologize for the interruption or say something, but my body won’t cooperate, so instead, I stand frozen.

“Thank you for bringing her,” he says, reaching out to place his hand on her head, and his words seem to remind Addison that I’m here. She ducks out from under his hand and hurries back to me.

“Anna, please show Kat to my office,” he says without looking away from me, and her head snaps up.

“Sir…” she says, but whatever else she’d planned to say is cut short when he turns his gaze to her. She doesn’t say another word, but it doesn’t take a genius to know she’s not happy about it.

“I won’t be too much longer, Kat,” he says, offering me the barest hint of a smile, and damn it, it could take all night for all I care. Between the way his attention heats my blood and? the unease I feel being the center of attention, I’m more than happy to get away.

“This way,” Anna grumbles, turning away and heading down the hall without so much as glancing back to see if I’m following.

“Come on, Ms. Kat. We can play chess while we wait!” Addison says excitedly, and with nothing to say, I follow her.

I'm not sure how I lost to a five-year-old, but it happened.

When Addison said we could play chess, I expected one of two things: either for her to want to play with the pieces and have no idea what chess actually is or for her to know the basic rules and for us to just have fun.

That’s my fault for underestimating her.

“Want to play again?” she asks as we reset the board, but before I can decide, the door to the office swings open, and Nathaniel walks in. Just like that, chess is forgotten.

“Daddy, I won!” she shouts, hopping up and sprinting toward him.

“Don’t run with the sucker in your mouth, Addy!” I call out on instinct before realizing I’ve just corrected her behavior in front of her father.

Addison might be my student, but we’re not in school, and I’m overstepping.

Addison slows to a walk, still making her way toward him, and his brow arches slightly.

“Sorry,” I mumble to him, feeling embarrassed.

He doesn’t say anything, simply crouching down for Addison.

“I won, Daddy!” She beams up at him, seemingly unfazed by my scolding.

“That’s fantastic, princess. I guess playing against your brother really paid off,” he says with a smile that tells me how fond of both of his children he is.

Ugh, my damned ovaries; I swear they’re crying right now. I’d never really wanted kids of my own, but since leaving Carter, I’ve found that might not be true. I don’t think it was so much not wanting kids, more so knowing he wouldn’t have been the best father.

What a time to realize that.

“Did you thank Ms. Kat for hanging out with you?”

“Thank you, Ms. Kat! I had so much fun!” she says, her words slightly muffled from the sucker in her mouth.

“Any time, sweetheart,” I tell her with a smile, pushing to stand and smoothing out any wrinkles from my long skirt.

I can feel Nathaniel’s eyes on me. Not for the first time, I wish I had dressed up a bit more this morning. I’m grateful he doesn’t say anything about it, at least.

“Shall we?” He nods toward the door, and we head out. Addison skips with her little fingers, happily gripping her father's. Neither of them seems to notice Anna's glare as we pass right by her desk and to the elevator without so much as a word.

Shit, the elevator.

It’s not tiny, but it’s also not huge, and I somehow end up right in front of Nathaniel. The second the doors close, I swear he feels closer. It's crazy because I’m almost positive he hasn’t moved, but it’s as if I can feel his body heat seeping into me.

I stand still, unable to do much more as I fiddle nervously with my grandmother's ring on my pinky, slowly turning it. It’s the only real piece of jewelry I wear at all times, and right now, it’s soothing my need to turn around and look at him. But there’s no proper way to do that without appearing like I’m crazy or just ogling him.

I swear the ride didn’t take this long on the way up!

When the elevator finally dings, and the doors slide open, I take a breath before stepping out, not wanting it to look like I’m running away. No matter the fact that that’s exactly what I’m doing.

The air in the lobby is much cooler, and it feels fantastic on my heated face.

“I’ll be leaving for the day,” Nathaniel says to one of the men standing by the wall, dressed in all black, that I assume to be security.

He doesn’t respond, and Nathaniel doesn’t wait for him to, instead making his way across the lobby.

If I thought people moved out of the way for Addison, with Nathaniel, they part like the Red Sea. They don’t just make room; they clear a whole path.

Damn.

I scurry to catch up when I realize I’ve lagged behind. The last thing I want is for the gap to close and get swallowed up in the crowd. No, thank you.

Emily calls a good day, to which Nathaniel wishes her the same, and Addison smiles and waves. We exit through the glass revolving door, and the heat is damn near suffocating even before we’re out.

I love the summer, but the humidity the last few days has been insane.

Not surprisingly, the limo is once again parked out front, with Vincent waiting at the door.

“Vince,” Nathaniel says with a nod that Vincent returns as he pulls open the door, allowing Addison to climb in.

I stop on the sidewalk and look around as they talk, not really hearing what they're saying.

Crap, I have no idea where I am.

I may have lived in New York for almost six months now, but I have yet to really explore outside of that one night. I’d looked into the subway as far as getting to the school for work and shopping. I drove sometimes, but the traffic was terrible, and I easily got turned around. I know the subway runs just about everywhere with lots of stops, but I have no idea where one is relative to where I am.

“Excuse me,” I say, interrupting their conversation, and they both turn to look at me. “Sorry, I was just wondering if one of you could point me in the direction of the subway.”

They share a look I don’t understand before turning their attention back to me.

“I’d planned to give you a ride back to the school. You don’t have to take the subway,” Nathaniel tells me, and while I appreciate that, it seems silly.

“Oh, there's no need. I’d just have to catch the subway over there. Here or there, it doesn't really make much difference.”

His head tilts slightly to the side, and his lips pull down as he looks at me for a moment.

“Do you not own a vehicle?” he asks, and suddenly, his idea to drop me back off at the school makes more sense.

Duh, of course, I’m sure many people drive themselves to work.

“Um, I do. But I usually take the subway to and from work. The traffic is terrible, and the parking pass costs a bit, even for teachers. Not to mention, I’ve not had the best of luck when it comes to learning my way around. New York is a lot harder to navigate than Maine, that’s for sure,” I ramble, feeling the need to explain.

“You take the subway every day?” Nathaniel asks, as if needing me to confirm he’s heard correctly.

I nod, unsure, because somehow he seems almost upset by that.

He schools his features before stepping back up onto the sidewalk right in front of me, forcing me to look up to continue to meet his gaze.

“Thank you for your assistance with Addison today,” he says again, and his eyes are so damn pretty I’m lost in them. “I would appreciate it if you allowed me to have Vincent drive you home.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to deny him. If I felt out of place and underdressed now, it would only be a hundred times worse if he saw where I live. The apartment itself isn’t terrible, but the neighborhood isn’t great.

If it were any other day and we were still at the school, I would decline, but seeing as I have no idea where I am and it’s so humid the air is damn near suffocating, I find myself nodding before I can overthink it anymore.

He’s only trying to be nice. I’m sure he’s seen more than enough of the city; he has to know some places are better than others.

His lips turn up in a hint of a smile before he steps back, turning to hold his arm out for me toward the limo. The second he turns away, it’s as if I’m freed from a spell. His ice-blue eyes no longer hold me captive, and I realize what I just agreed to.

Damn it, Kat.

Is that all it takes? Some nice words and pretty eyes?

Well, I guess that’s not all it is. Nathaniel is much more than that, and I feel like I’d be hard-pressed to find a woman who was indifferent to the effect he has.

I move between Vincent and him to crawl into the back with Addison, who quickly throws herself into my arms when she sees me. A moment later, Nathaniel joins us on the bench seat to my right.

Vincent swings the door closed behind him, and I’m suddenly very aware of how close we are. The limo is huge, yet with Addison jumping into my arms, I hadn’t had the time or space to move farther into the car. Now, with her on my lap, I can’t really go anywhere.

This isn’t like the elevator, where I thought he was close but wasn’t sure. No, this time, I know he’s close. So close that when Addison turns in her seat to lean her head against me and jolts my leg, my thigh ends up pressed against his.

My eyes are stuck on the spot where we touch as my body lights on fire. Even with my skirt and his pants between us, it’s too much and yet somehow not enough.

I swallow hard, giving it a moment so as not to pull away too fast before I tuck my leg behind my other one. Hopefully, it seems as if I’m just adjusting for comfort and modesty and not what it actually is.

Fuck, I hope not.

Vincent pulls out into traffic, calling back for my address, and I rattle it off without thinking, thankful for the distraction.

The drive feels like it takes forever, though I know it doesn't. It's only been about thirty minutes, and I’m not that far from the school. After a few minutes of driving, Addison lays her head in my lap, and I run my fingers through her long brown locks. It gives me something to do to calm my nerves, and after a few minutes, I see her eyes begin to droop.

I can’t help but smile down at her. She’s so full of life, happy, smart, and just amazing. I love all of my students, but she really latched onto me. I’d been nervous when I first started, having never worked at such a prestigious school before, but my class is amazing, and now I have no doubts this is what I’m meant to do.

“She’s not usually so accepting of people. I’m unsure what you did, but she’s truly comfortable with you.”

Nathaniel’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I pause in my movements, my fingers tangled in her hair but unmoving.

I hadn’t realized he’d been paying attention to us. Though I guess there isn’t much else to do right now.

“Don’t stop, Mommy,” Addison whines, her voice hardly more than a whisper in her half-asleep state, but oh, do I hear them.

Judging by the way Nathaniel’s eyes widened, I’d say he heard it as well.

Shit.

I quickly begin soothing her hair again, and she settles, her breathing turning into adorable little snores that fill the now tense silence of the limo.

“I—I um… she,” I stumble over my words, trying to explain her comment but failing as my embarrassment continues to grow with every beat of silence.

“Relax, Kat,” he says with a chuckle, no doubt seeing my panic. Judging by how warm my cheeks feel, it would probably be impossible to miss.

“She’s always wanted a mother. It’s been on the top of every one of her wish lists for every holiday for as long as I can remember.” He turns to look out the window at the city as it passes, and I can see that this is a sore subject. “Unfortunately, it’s the one thing money can’t buy, or at least shouldn’t buy,” he says, shaking his head.

“I’ve given her nannies, but none of them ever stick. I’m unsure what it is, but despite dozens of them, she never really cares for them or forms any kind of relationship the way I had hoped. Dating is hard,” he pauses, glancing at me, and I sit silently, waiting to hear more about them, about him. “A lot of women want me for my money, status, or a number of other things. I don’t have much time to give between work and her, and while most say they don’t mind that in the beginning, it never fails to be an issue later.”

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and nod because I can understand that. Even with my job, squeezing dating in would be a bit of a stretch, and I’m sure I’m not nearly as busy as he is, with him running an entire company and having a young daughter.

“I’m unsure what you have done to tame my little monster, but she really likes you, which is more than most can say.”

“She told Emily she wanted me to be her mother today when I brought her into the office,” I admit with a chuckle. “I didn’t do anything. She’s smart and polite and full of life. I’m unsure how anyone could resist loving her, but I don’t think it was me who did it. She’s just impossible not to gravitate to. The way she sees the world is refreshing.”

He smirks at hearing that, and somehow, looking at it, knowing what I know now, I can see why she would say that. I was embarrassed when she said it, but now I feel honored. The idea that she would pick me to fulfill her dream is crazy, but children often don’t have filters, and that proves it.

We fall into silence once again, though this time it’s comfortable.

The rest of the car ride passes quickly, and before I know it, we’ve arrived outside of my apartment.

Vincent unbuckles, but before he can exit the car, Nathaniel tells him to stay with Addison.

Wait what?

He’s out of the car in the blink of an eye, moving much more fluidly than should be possible, considering his size. He stands just outside the door, and I realize he’s probably waiting for me to get out.

That makes sense. He was blocking me in.

As carefully as I can, I move out from under Addison, soothing her hair when she stirs until she settles again.

Scooting across the seat, I make it to the door, looking out to find Nathaniel’s hand outstretched to me. I know he’s just being polite, but I can’t help the way my body lights up when I reach up, resting my hand in his.

His fingers easily engulf my much smaller ones as I pull myself out to stand beside him.

We're so close that I can smell his cologne. I can’t place the smell, but it’s rich and so very fitting that I can’t help but take a deep breath.

Oh my god, please tell me I did not just sniff him.

“Your cologne smells wonderful,” I say, feeling the need to explain my strange behavior.

“Thank you,” he says, still holding my hand up between us.

Why is my heart beating so fast?

Get a hold of yourself, Kat!

I move to pull my hand away, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, his thumb rubs over my knuckles gently, and I can feel his gaze on me, but I can’t make myself look up at him.

“Might I walk you to your door?” he asks, and my eyes snap up to meet his.

“That’s not necessary. You’ve done more than enough, really.”

“Please, this is nothing compared to what you do for Addison daily. It would make me feel better if I took you to the door. Humor me.”

I don’t have an argument for that, so instead, I nod despite feeling self-conscious.

“Thank you,” he says, finally dropping my hand, and I take that as my sign to move.

I hear the car door close and feel him walking behind me as I make my way toward the building.

This area is always busy, with people coming and going. Usually, I can slip right through, going mostly unnoticed, but today, it’s as if every person we pass has to stop and stare.

“I think I underestimated how well-known you are,” I say with a nervous chuckle once we enter the building and leave the wandering eyes behind.

He breathes a laugh of his own. “Yes, most people in the city know who I am, but appearance is also a big part of that. Most people know what money looks like.”

I nod because he’s right. I might not know how rich he is or that he ran a whole company when I met him, but his suit alone told me he was upper class—far higher on the totem pole than I am. And if that wasn’t enough, his daughter goes to one of the most prestigious schools, and they have a driver who takes them around in their limo…

Okay, I guess I can see why they were staring.

We make it to the end of the hall, and I wince, remembering one of the many flaws of this place.

“Um, the elevator is out,” I say, hooking my thumb over my shoulder to the door to the stairs. “So I’ll just head up. Thank you for walking me.” My words come out in a bit of a rush as I watch his eyes flick to said elevator and the out-of-order sign that’s been on it since the day I moved in.

I hoped they would fix it after a few weeks, but after six months, I gave up on that idea.

“A few stairs don’t scare me, Kat,” he says, raising a brow at me, and I can’t help but laugh.

“It’s a little more than a few. I’m one floor from the top.”

He shrugs, still seeming unbothered, and I don’t have much more to say. If he wants to climb a million stairs just to turn around and go back down, who am I to stop him?

I live on the fourteenth floor, which sounded great when I got the apartment—you know, back when I thought it had an elevator. But I guess if nothing else, it helps me get some exercise in. The first few weeks, I’d been a panting mess every time I went up, having to take breaks so I didn’t die.

Now I’m able to pretty much get up without issue.

Nathaniel does better than I expected, not only keeping pace but seeming like it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

“I’m unsure if you would be interested, but I wanted to make the offer nonetheless,” he says, and I slow my steps, coming to a rest on the landing.

He stops as well, staring down at me, and I want to kick myself for stopping. We're alone in the stairwell, and all my brain can think about are his eyes and the way he smells.

“Seeing how good you are with Addison, I’m now sure that no one else will ever be enough. No nanny I find will be what she needs, but you are.” If I thought his gaze was intense before, his eyes are damn near burning into me now.

“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, my mind not really able to make sense of what he’s saying.

A smile tugs at the corner of his lips, as if amused by me.

“If you would be interested, I would very much like to hire you as Addison’s nanny.”

His words hang in the air like a fog as my brain tries to sort through them, taking much longer than it should for them to finally sink in.

“What?!” I yell, quickly slapping a hand over my mouth as my voice echoes in the small space.

“Sorry, I’m just not sure why exactly you would want me. I mean, I have a degree in teaching, but that isn’t exactly the same thing, and you hardly know me. I’m sure there are so many people who are way more qualified than I am—”

Nathaniel reaches out, gently pressing a finger to my mouth to quiet my rambling.

“Qualifications only get you so far. It doesn’t matter what they say they have done in the past. You have a connection with Addison that, while I might not understand, I know it isn’t something she will find with just anyone.”

He drops his hand and once again begins up the stairs, leaving me no choice but to follow or be left staring after him like an idiot.

“I built a business worth millions and didn’t finish college. My brother is my partner now, and he never even finished high school. But we worked hard and learned from life. We failed a lot before something took, but it was all a risk we took, and it paid off. Life is really just weighing one risk to the next to see if we can succeed.”

We make it up the next few flights in silence as I think about what he just said. It’s true; taking this job here in New York was a risk for me. One that paid off in a huge way after finding out Carter was cheating on me. If it hadn’t been for me having my job lined up, I might have been stuck with him until I had a way out.

At first, he didn’t want me so far away, but I stuck to my choice. Eventually, he supported it enough that he even paid for my apartment for a few months until I could get a few paychecks. I’d thought he had just opened his eyes and decided to accept it as my dream and help me, but really, I think it had more to do with his wanting to see whoever that girl was.

It shouldn’t sting still, but it does. I might not want Carter or that life anymore, but cheating isn’t necessary. He could have just ended things instead of making me feel as though I was the problem.

“Are you okay?” Nathaniel asks, and I snap out of it.

“Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Hopefully not about my offer, because you looked disgusted,” he says. I think he might be joking, but it’s hard to tell.

“Oh, no. Sorry, I was thinking about how you're right about life being a risk.”

He nods as if in understanding, and I’m not sure he does, but I’m not going to go into more detail. I don’t want to make him think I’m a lonely girl who ran from her problems, and I definitely don’t want his pity. It might not have been ideal, but I’m happier now, happier than I have been in a long time.

Finally, we reach my floor, and he falls back a step to allow me to lead the way.

“This is me,” I tell him, stopping in front of my door and turning to face him, unsure of what to do. “Thank you for the ride and for walking me up.”

Do I invite him in? He has Addison downstairs in the car with Vincent, and I’m sure he wants to get home after a long day at the office. Not to mention, my apartment is rather boring and plain.

“Think about my offer?” he asks, taking a step closer. I swallow hard, keeping my mouth closed as I feel the need to tell him I will just because he’s looking at me like that.

But this isn’t a small thing. I need to really think about it before I go agreeing just because my heart wants to pound out of my chest when he’s around, and my ovaries cry seeing him with Addison.

“I’m willing to pay you double what you make at the school, and we have nanny housing you would be free to take should you be interested. The number I gave you earlier, the one you messaged about bringing Addison, is my personal number. I didn’t want it falling into the wrong hands at the school, but feel free to call or text me if you have questions or need anything at all.”

He reaches out and pushes a stray strand of hair out of my face. It must have fallen from the clip on my way up the stairs, and it takes all my willpower not to lean into his touch.

“Think about it. I look forward to hearing from you.” With one last smile, he drops his hand and walks back the way we just came. I stare after him until he disappears down the stairs, and then I stare a few minutes longer.

What the hell just happened?