Read Online Nanny Next Door by Michelle Celmer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michelle Celmer
Tags: Single Father
Ads: Link
fine.”
There she went again, getting all nervous. Maybe it would just take time for her to trust him.
But what if it had nothing to do with the fact that he was law enforcement? What if she was nervous because she was attracted to him? Now that he considered it, she seemed to get edgy whenever he got close or touched her.
Testing the theory, he leaned casually against the cushion and rested his arm on the back of the couch behind her head. She tensed, and he smothered a wry smile. Maybe she was attracted to him. Either that or she was uncomfortable with men in general. Or maybe she hadn’t been with one in a while. Far as he could recall, she’d split with her ex at least a year ago, and he’d never seen her at any of the local singles hot spots since then. And since he’d moved in next door he hadn’t noticed any men—besides her sleazebag ex—dropping by.
“Do your sisters live in Prospect?” she asked. Nervously, as though she felt the need to fill the silence.
He turned slightly, so that his knee was barely an inch from her thigh. “Angie, Beth and Dee live here. Abbi lives in Colorado and Leah is going to school in New York.”
“And your parents?”
“My dad passed away three years ago. My mom lives in town. She works at the resort as an activities director.”
He reached out and wound a damp ringlet of Sydney’s hair around his index finger. “Would you like a towel for your hair?”
“No.” She eased away from him, awkwardly smoothing her hair back down and tucking the ringlet behind her ear. “Thanks.”
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“O-of course not.”
“Are you sure? You seem awfully nervous.”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you?” He shifted so that his knee brushed her bare thigh and she jumped. “Call me crazy, Sydney, but I get the suspicion that you might be attracted to me.”
S YDNEY BLINKED in rapid succession. “E-excuse me?”
“You’re acting like you might be attracted to me,” Daniel said again, even though she’d heard him perfectly fine the first time. “Are you?”
“What kind of question is that?” And why was he asking? And why were her cheeks suddenly on fire with embarrassment?
He couldn’t actually be trying to seduce her, could he? Did he think that was part of the babysitting package? She had to admit, it would be one hell of a perk, but even if she was in the market for a fling, it would never be with a man like him. He was way out of her league. He oozed sex appeal, and for years Jeff had referred to her as the Ice Queen.
“I’m wondering if that’s why you’re so nervous around me.”
“I just don’t like cops.”
“But you know I’m a good cop. If you didn’t, you never would have agreed to watch April. And you only get nervous when I get close, or do something like this.” His fingers brushed her earlobe.
“Stop that!” she said, batting his hand away.
He grinned, and if it hadn’t been so damned adorable she probably would have decked him.
“I rest my case,” he said, looking pleased with himself.
She hated that she was so skittish around men. It had just been so long since one had noticed her. And even longer since one had touched her. Not that she’d put herself in the position to be the object of anyone’s interest. The one time she’d let her hair down and had fun, she’d been hauled off in handcuffs. Staying home just seemed safer.
“Even if I was attracted to you,” she said, “I would never date a cop. Or someone I worked for. Or anyone nicknamed Deputy Casanova.”
“And I would never date a single mom,” he said. “Or a next-door neighbor.”
Yet his impish grin said dating her was irrelevant, and he had something else entirely in mind.
Freedom.
Daniel watched as his mom backed out of the driveway and drove off, April strapped securely in the backseat. She had agreed to watch April not just for the evening, but overnight, and it was a night he didn’t intend to spend alone.
He took the
There she went again, getting all nervous. Maybe it would just take time for her to trust him.
But what if it had nothing to do with the fact that he was law enforcement? What if she was nervous because she was attracted to him? Now that he considered it, she seemed to get edgy whenever he got close or touched her.
Testing the theory, he leaned casually against the cushion and rested his arm on the back of the couch behind her head. She tensed, and he smothered a wry smile. Maybe she was attracted to him. Either that or she was uncomfortable with men in general. Or maybe she hadn’t been with one in a while. Far as he could recall, she’d split with her ex at least a year ago, and he’d never seen her at any of the local singles hot spots since then. And since he’d moved in next door he hadn’t noticed any men—besides her sleazebag ex—dropping by.
“Do your sisters live in Prospect?” she asked. Nervously, as though she felt the need to fill the silence.
He turned slightly, so that his knee was barely an inch from her thigh. “Angie, Beth and Dee live here. Abbi lives in Colorado and Leah is going to school in New York.”
“And your parents?”
“My dad passed away three years ago. My mom lives in town. She works at the resort as an activities director.”
He reached out and wound a damp ringlet of Sydney’s hair around his index finger. “Would you like a towel for your hair?”
“No.” She eased away from him, awkwardly smoothing her hair back down and tucking the ringlet behind her ear. “Thanks.”
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“O-of course not.”
“Are you sure? You seem awfully nervous.”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you?” He shifted so that his knee brushed her bare thigh and she jumped. “Call me crazy, Sydney, but I get the suspicion that you might be attracted to me.”
S YDNEY BLINKED in rapid succession. “E-excuse me?”
“You’re acting like you might be attracted to me,” Daniel said again, even though she’d heard him perfectly fine the first time. “Are you?”
“What kind of question is that?” And why was he asking? And why were her cheeks suddenly on fire with embarrassment?
He couldn’t actually be trying to seduce her, could he? Did he think that was part of the babysitting package? She had to admit, it would be one hell of a perk, but even if she was in the market for a fling, it would never be with a man like him. He was way out of her league. He oozed sex appeal, and for years Jeff had referred to her as the Ice Queen.
“I’m wondering if that’s why you’re so nervous around me.”
“I just don’t like cops.”
“But you know I’m a good cop. If you didn’t, you never would have agreed to watch April. And you only get nervous when I get close, or do something like this.” His fingers brushed her earlobe.
“Stop that!” she said, batting his hand away.
He grinned, and if it hadn’t been so damned adorable she probably would have decked him.
“I rest my case,” he said, looking pleased with himself.
She hated that she was so skittish around men. It had just been so long since one had noticed her. And even longer since one had touched her. Not that she’d put herself in the position to be the object of anyone’s interest. The one time she’d let her hair down and had fun, she’d been hauled off in handcuffs. Staying home just seemed safer.
“Even if I was attracted to you,” she said, “I would never date a cop. Or someone I worked for. Or anyone nicknamed Deputy Casanova.”
“And I would never date a single mom,” he said. “Or a next-door neighbor.”
Yet his impish grin said dating her was irrelevant, and he had something else entirely in mind.
Freedom.
Daniel watched as his mom backed out of the driveway and drove off, April strapped securely in the backseat. She had agreed to watch April not just for the evening, but overnight, and it was a night he didn’t intend to spend alone.
He took the
Similar Books
