9. Adorably Sexy

9

ADORABLY SEXY

A n hour later, Laken and Jamie arrived back at his house. She was going to just get in her car and drive away and then stopped.

“I left my briefcase in your office. I’m sorry.”

“No problem,” he said. “Let’s go get it.”

She followed him through the front door, her eyes dropping to his ass. Too bad it was covered with the long open flannel shirt he had on over a T-shirt.

“Daddy,” she heard and turned her head to see a young girl come running down the hall, blonde hair in a ponytail and the most adorable pink glasses on her face.

She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen a child that young with glasses.

Jamie only glanced at her quickly, then squatted to catch his daughter in a dead run and dive which she assumed was their normal greeting.

“Hey, short stuff,” he said, tossing her high to the sound of giggles.

She had a flashback of her father doing the same thing to her around that age. Her running to him at the airport when he was coming home after deployment.

“Sorry, Jamie,” she heard and almost had to clear the memory from her brain to see an older woman standing in the doorway with a red face. “I thought you were alone.”

“It’s fine,” Jamie said. “Laken, this is Janelle Winters, Penelope’s nanny. And my daughter, as you can probably tell by the grip she has on my neck.”

The little girl was hugging Jamie so tightly that their cheeks were squished together.

Talk about adorably sexy.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, shaking hands with Janelle. “I’m working with Jamie.”

“Laken is West’s sister,” he said to Janelle.

“Oh,” Janelle said, the smile wide. “I hadn’t realized that. Jamie is very excited about this endeavor. It took me a while to push him for that meeting with your brother.”

Jamie almost looked embarrassed by that statement.

“Can you give Daddy a few minutes?” he asked Penelope and set her down.

“Okay,” Penelope said. “Then crackers and tea.”

She turned and lifted an eyebrow. “I thought it was milk and cookies,” she said when they were alone.

“Get that grin off your face,” he said. “We do both. Or a combination. She gets milk and I get tea. Most times it’s animal crackers. Janelle gives her cookies when I’m not around. It’s a game we play.”

“Like the swan dive into your arms?” she asked.

“She likes it when I catch her. Her favorite is being carried like a football and then yelling touchdown when I put her on her feet.”

“I have to see that,” she said. “Please.”

“Why?” he asked. “I don’t picture you as the kid type.”

She started to laugh. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been babysitting and changing diapers and watching kids since I was out of diapers myself. I can hold it all over my younger brothers I’ve seen them with their pants off too. Shuts them up every single time. But you are the one that doesn’t look like the kid type.”

He laughed at her. “Good point.”

“She’s a cutie,” she said.

“No comment on her glasses?”

“Why would I? Other than I’ve never seen a child that little in them, but I know it happens. How many pairs does she have? Those matched her shoes and shirt. I bet she accessorizes.”

He grunted. “More pairs than I can count. I want her to have fun with them so she wears them. She has a few different styles, but they are all plastic and flexible so she doesn’t break them. It’s not the cost as much as her getting upset if it happens. She literally can’t see without them.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how hard that had to be to diagnose. How did you figure it out?”

“Janelle caught on more than me,” he said. “I thought there was something seriously wrong with her development. She just couldn’t pick things up when I pointed to them. Or she’d reach and miss until she got it. When she was feeding herself, the panic set in.”

“She was missing her mouth?” she asked softly. Laken couldn’t imagine the thought of worrying there was something wrong with your child.

“Yeah. She’d put her bottle to her cheek and then cry out because she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t get it. The same with finger foods. Janelle is a retired elementary school teacher. She’d taught just about every grade at some point.”

“Not just a nanny but almost home schooling,” she said. “Smart. But you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Actually, no. My agent and attorney were helping me try to find someone. A friend of a friend recommended her. I needed someone loyal first and foremost. She’s divorced and has one adult child that she rarely sees due to his job. This was perfect for her.”

“Sounds like it was a match made in heaven,” she said.

“I like to think it.”

“I should get out of your way,” she said. Before her heart softened even more and her lady parts got drenched. Who would have thought a sexy man with a toddler would be such a turn-on?

“I can show Penelope the pictures if you want and see what she picks if you’ve got some time. Then you can bring them back with you.”

“You think she’s going to let me take them back?” she asked. “I figured you’d just email her choices.”

“You’re probably right, but you can stay if you want. I know you’re busy.”

She had meetings set for this afternoon but time enough. “I’d love to,” she said.

“Follow me,” he said.

She walked with him toward the back of the house and into the kitchen where Penelope was sitting in a chair with a cup of milk in front of her and some cut-up grapes.

“I couldn’t wait, Daddy. I’m hungry.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I know you’ve been playing and it’s almost lunchtime.”

She looked at her watch. Yep, she’d be eating at her desk for sure at this point. Maybe.

“I want pancakes for lunch,” Penelope said.

“Oh, yum,” Laken said. “Those are the best.”

“You like pancakes?” Penelope asked her.

“I do,” she said. “I love anything I don’t have to cook.”

“I can make some pancakes quickly,” Janelle said.

Janelle was looking at Jamie and he nodded his head, then turned to Laken. “It might take Penelope time to decide. Might as well eat while you do this.”

“Sure,” she said.

“Why don’t you take your jacket off,” he said.

She did and placed it over the chair at the table off to the side of the massive kitchen. Jamie opened the folder and set it down.

“Guess what, Penelope?”

“What, Daddy?”

“We are going to play a game.”

“I love games,” Penelope said, clapping her hands.

How could this guy be the same one that took a beating on the field and got back up and chest bumped the man who took him down and urged him to try it again?

Or the one out late nights in clubs with half-naked women on his arm?

No one would believe it.

She was having a hard time believing it herself.

Why would he not want people to see this side of him?

And then she reminded herself that West didn’t want anyone to see him either. Those were private thoughts and interactions with those you care for.

Which didn’t explain why Jamie was sharing this with her.

“We are going to pick out your favorites,” he said. “You can only have six though.”

Penelope pouted. “Not all?”

“Nope. Six it is,” he said.

“Six is better than one,” Janelle said. “Right, Penelope?”

“It’s better than two and three and four,” Penelope said.

“Wow,” she said. “She knows her numbers.”

“She’s a smart one,” Janelle said from where she was getting ready to pour batter into a pan.

“Just like her Daddy,” Laken said.

She caught the smirk Janelle sent Jamie. It was obvious these two had a special bond too.

“I’m going to put these all on the table and I want you to pick out all your favorites and then we will do it again until we get to six.”

“Okay,” Penelope said, bouncing in her seat.

Jamie laid all the pictures on the table with Penelope squealing and calling out half of the animals. She didn’t know some of them but more than Laken thought she would.

“Horse, unicorn, dog, cat.” One by one Penelope was calling out the ones she liked as she pointed. “Frog, lamb, elephant, giraffe, ladybug.”

“Only one more,” Jamie said. He turned to her. “She’s going to pick them all if I don’t stop her.”

“Monkey,” Penelope said.

She laughed as Penelope was clapping her hands and Jamie shuffled them and placed them down again.

“You have to take four away,” he said. “Do you want to take away or pick what you like?”

Penelope tapped her chin. “What I like.”

When it was all done, they had the six and Laken pulled her phone out as if she was going to take a picture.

“What are you doing?” he asked sharply. “Don’t take her picture.”

“I’m not,” she said. “I was going to take a picture of the six you have there so I can email it to marketing. You’re in front of them, not Penelope. I wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh,” he said. “I didn’t mean to snap.”

“Don’t worry. I get it and understand why too,” she said quietly.

“Time to eat pancakes,” Janelle said, breaking the tension in the air.

Laken wanted to leave right then and was going to make excuses.

“Sit,” he said. “Sorry.”

She cleared her throat and sat next to Jamie at the table and helped herself. No reason not to and she was hungry.

She saw Penelope eying her as if she wasn’t sure if she should talk and the silence was killing her. “I see we both love to accessorize, Penelope. Do you like clothing as much as me?”

“I love clothes,” Penelope said. “And playing dress-up. I’ve got scarves and shoes and plastic jewelry. I want the real stuff.”

She turned to look at Jamie and saw him lift his eyebrow when he said, “Don’t gang up on me here.”

Penelope’s speech was more advanced for her age. Even though not everything was pronounced clearly, Laken understand exactly what the little girl was saying.

“You’re no fun,” she said. Laken had a silver cuff bracelet on and slid it off. It didn’t have much value but she found it pretty. “Here you go. Your first piece of real jewelry. Maybe we can work on your Daddy a bit more once he sees how well you take care of this.”

“Daddy, look!” Penelope squealed and then pushed the bracelet all the way up her arm past her elbow.

Laken hid her laugh and continued to eat while Jamie squinted at her.

When her plate was cleared, she had to get out of there.She wasn’t sure if she’d overstepped herself, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“I should leave,” she said. “I’ve got meetings to get to.”

“I’ll walk you out,” he said. When they got to the front of the house he pulled her into his office. “I’m sorry I overreacted.”

“Don’t ever apologize for protecting your loved ones, Jamie. Ever.”

“I’ve fought so hard to keep her out of the public eye,” he said.

“As you should. She’s a special child in the most wonderful way possible. And you’re an awesome father.”

The two of them were standing close to each other as they talked quietly. Almost whispering and she wasn’t sure why they both were.

“You’ve got syrup on your lip,” he said, his hand reaching out.

“What?” she asked, reaching up, her hand landing on his trying to wipe it off.

They were frozen there staring at each other.

Before she knew what happened his lips were touching hers and she wasn’t pushing him away.

Nope.

She was pulling him closer until his mouth opened and hers followed.

The touch of his tongue on hers was what woke her up out of her trance.

She stepped back. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be,” he said. “It’s no one's fault.”

“I’ve got to go,” she said and turned and ran out as fast as she could, got in her car, and wondered what the hell just happened to her.

Laken wasn’t one to lose her mind like that over anything, least of all a man.