Tempting The Manny Read online

  “Mr. Anderson is in the kitchen finishing dinner,” Nikki said. “Is that something you’re going to need? The agency didn’t mention that.”

  Olivia shook her head. “No, I plan to handle that.”

  Nikki nodded then checked her watch. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to head out.”

  “Oh, I need to be at work thirty minutes early tomorrow. Will that be a problem?”

  “Ooo, it might.”

  Great, she was taking on someone who didn’t appear to be flexible like Jamie. No wonder he was so highly recommended. He was perfect.

  “Jamie will still be training me tomorrow. Hopefully he will be able to come in? I’m sorry I’m not able to.” Nikki apologized.

  “It’s fine. Thanks. Have a nice evening.”

  The nanny waved and departed. Olivia wasn’t sure what she thought of this new woman. At the moment she was in a pinch for a sitter, so she supposed it would have to work.

  Finally kicking her heels off her aching feet, she rubbed them with her free hand. Emily busied herself with Olivia’s earrings.

  “All right baby, Mommy’s going to get you all set for some yummy dinner.” She placed the baby in the high chair and went to search out the baby food.

  As she entered the kitchen, she thought she might faint. Jamie took her breath away almost every time she saw him. He grinned at her and his dimples lit up his face. She giggled when she saw he was wearing her extremely girly kitchen apron that consisted of a zebra print with pinks ruffles on the outside. Kiss the Cook was emblazoned across the front. She’d loved to walk over there and kiss him as the apron said, but Morgan could skip in at anytime.

  Opening a can of carrots, she went back to the dining room to feed the baby. Emily was a good eater and gobbled up the orange mush quickly. Olivia then put a few cheerios on the tray to hopefully tide her over until her bottle before bed.

  Jamie peeked out the doorway. “Dinner is almost done. And, uh, after dinner, if you could spare a few minutes to talk to me, that would be great.”

  “Yeah, of course.” Was this going to be good or bad?

  Perhaps he just wanted to ravish her before going home for the night. But something about his tone told her differently. Maybe he knew, like she did, that Nikki just wasn’t going to work out.

  Dinner was grilled chicken with a vegetable medley and rice pilaf. This man could cook, and once again she had no idea how he was in his thirties and hadn’t been married even once. He was a catch.

  Morgan was half asleep as she ate dinner. It was a later dinner than usual. This was going to be an adjustment for the girls too. After super, she would get them both to bed and then see why Jamie had to talk. He wasn’t his full self at dinner. Maybe Eric had said something yesterday and he was going to end things completely once he was done training Nikki.

  Once both girls were tucked in, Olivia went into her bedroom to change. She was surprised when Jamie followed her in. Maybe he did want to ravish her after all.

  “Hi.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted herself to kiss him.

  The kiss was light, she attempted to deepen it, but it wasn’t working. She rubbed her hands across his chest then massaged his shoulders. Gazing into his eyes, she ran her palm along his cheek. Something was off, and panic was setting in. Standing on tip toes again, she tried to kiss him, but he stopped it.

  “Wait,” he said. “Sit.”

  She took a seat on the bed, staring at him. An uneasy feeling swept through her. This wasn’t going to be good.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something. Nikki and I took the girls to the park today.” He began. “Kelly was there with her kids.”

  A lump was felt in her throat. Right now she could only wish that Kelly did not say what Olivia feared she might of.

  He crossed his arms and asked, “Why does Kelly think I’m gay?”

  Oh God. She didn’t get her wish. Closing her eyes, she didn’t know what to say. But he deserved an explanation. “I kind of told her you were.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. She came over here with all these questions about Eric and me, she said my house was dirty, and then something about you being a hot guy. And somehow she asked if you were gay and for some reason I agreed.”

  “Are you that concerned about what these people think?”

  “I don’t want to be.” And she meant it.

  His arms tightened across his chest. He was closed off.

  “I’m sorry. I regretted it the moment I said it.” Tears fought to escape.

  “I’m not happy that you’re too embarrassed of me that you would say I was gay. But you should have told me. Think of how I felt when she starts asking me if many people had issues with me watching their kids since I was gay!”

  He was angry and had every right to be. She stood and tried to pull his arms apart. He didn’t budge.

  “I’m sorry. How can I make this right?”

  “Stop caring so much of what everyone thinks. Who cares if they gossip? Eric is a jerk and why should you tell lies as to why he left? Be honest.”

  “But then I look like I wasn’t good enough for him.”

  “He isn’t good enough for you. When will you see that?” Jamie shook his head.

  “You don’t understand. You don’t live here where people probably have binoculars watching all day what you’re doing just so they can tell everyone.” And Kelly was the leader of the pack. She knew everything about everyone. She’d been caught before sitting in her minivan just watching.

  “You’re right, I don’t.” He sighed. “But I would never live here and be judged. And if I did, I wouldn’t care what they thought.”

  She slumped back onto the bed. She didn’t want to argue with him. More than anything, she wanted to feel his arms wrapped around her, telling her it would be okay. But he stood firm, making his point. She’d been wrong to get caught up in a web of lies. She really should have been honest about Eric from the beginning. It was too late now. All she could do was try to make Jamie see she wanted to try and change.

  “I heard you needed Nikki here early tomorrow. Since she can’t, I’ll make a point to be.”

  “Thanks.”

  After what felt like an eternity of silence, he motioned her. “Come here.”

  His arms were finally open and he was hugging her. His big arms held her close. She felt safe. It only lasted a moment though. Once he released her, he lifted her chin and placed a peck on her lips and left.

  Most women would have crawled into bed and cried until they were asleep. Olivia however, saw a glimmer of hope from his kiss. All she had to do was put a plan into motion to show him she could be who he thought she could be.

  ****

  It had been a slow day at the office. Olivia was told this was usual. Mondays and Fridays were the two busiest days. Tuesday and Wednesday were the slowest and Thursday the pace started to pick up. She was left with a lot of time to day dream.

  That morning she had gotten up earlier, showered and dressed to impress. Not for anyone here of course, but for Jamie. She wanted him to notice her all over again. She’d have to tempt him. So, she made a point to wear her tight pencil skirt, with a rose blouse that was unbuttoned rather low. As soon as she left the house, she buttoned up so no one here got a sneak peak. The sexiest black heels she could find, she had on. Her hair was back in a butterfly clip and a few stray pieces outlined her face. Her make-up had been put on a little thicker than usual, but she needed to feel sexy for herself too.

  Olivia had been ready to go long before Jamie had arrived. She knew he would come earlier then discussed. He was too kind a man not to. The only one up when he arrived was Emily, and she was busy in her playpen.

  She took every opportunity she had to bend this way and that. There was a slit in the back of the skirt, so if she angled right, he could see right up. Bending forward, he was sure to see her light blue lace bra. Damn right, she caught him looking several times.

  Just thi
nking about his eyes on her made her panties wet. She needed another taste of him. She craved his hands caressing her most intimate places. He would slide one of his long thick fingers into her folds, stroking her. He’d flick her clit with his thumb. It wouldn’t take him long either. When he touched her, she lost all recollection and only concentrated on what he made her feel. Even now, imagining it, she was on the brink of an orgasm. Sighing, she tossed her pen down. Today needed to be busier.

  ****

  The agency wouldn’t be happy about it, but Jamie had sent Nikki home before Olivia was due to be there. The last thing he needed was Nikki noticing the instant erection he was going to get when Olivia walked through that door. He’d almost exploded this morning. Her shirt was unbuttoned low enough that it didn’t matter what angle she turned; he could see her round breasts. Her bra was loose and he caught several glimpses of her nipples also. That woman was so hot.

  All day he’d been frustrated thinking about her strutting around the office like that. Every man who saw her was sure to have an instant hard-on. If she made it home unravished then he was lucky.

  Keeping his distance from her was going to be damn near impossible.

  He hadn’t made dinner tonight per her instructions. Today was his last day, but he felt Nikki might need him one more day. He also just didn’t want to leave the girls. The thought of not seeing them every day was breaking his heart. He’d never been so attached to kids as he was these two. It was like they were his own.

  The sound of the front door closing echoed. Morgan screeched and ran for her mother. Little Emily sat in her Bumpo chair and clapped her hands like she knew what was coming. When Olivia walked into the living room, he thought he might have to catch his breath. Her hair was falling in all the right places from the work day. Her blouse was still low and open, letting him see what she had to offer. Her eyes were able to tear a hole in him.

  He wouldn’t be sticking around tonight to chat. Otherwise he was likely to take her and fuck her thoroughly.

  “Hi,” she said. “Where’s Nikki?”

  He cleared his throat. “She had to leave early.”

  She sighed very loudly. “I don’t know that she’s going to work out. She can’t get here in time and then she leaves early.”

  He didn’t want to tell her he sent her home. “Well, I really have to get going.”

  Her eyes showed disappointment. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  Not a good idea. “Okay”

  “I’ll be right back, Morgan. Watch Emily.”

  Jamie walked behind Olivia to the door, letting his eyes enjoy as her ass jiggled. The skirt was so tight, that even when she moved in the right way, he didn’t know what was underneath. Did she wear matching panties to her bra?

  She spun around and gazed at him. It took everything in him not to shove her against the wall, kiss his way from her mouth to her cleavage and get lost in that blouse. His face grew hot when he realized he was no longer looking at her face, but straight into her blouse. She noticed too.

  “I have to go,” he mumbled.

  “Will you be back tomorrow?” she asked.

  He had no idea. He wasn’t supposed to be back tomorrow, but he didn’t know if he could stay away.

  “Only if Nikki calls and needs help.”

  Olivia stepped forward and gripped his shirt, pulling him into her. She leaned forward near his ear and whispered, “Since you no longer work for me, we can play any time.”

  That was it. He was going to explode in his pants. Right as he was about to give into the temptation and take her lips, she released him. On her heels, she spun and strutted away, letting those hips sway, and him with a hard-on.

  ****

  The girls had been nestled in their beds for at least half an hour. Olivia had changed out of her work clothes finally and was relaxed comfortably on the couch in a baggy t-shirt and sweats. She mindlessly flipped through the channels, but nothing was catching her attention. She needed something to help her drift to sleep. It would be great to be normal and go to sleep in her bed, but being in it reminded her that she was alone.

  Maybe it was time to move on. Why was she living somewhere that made her so unhappy? She hated the neighborhood. She hated this big house and what it represented. Everything in here reminded her of Eric and the sorry state that he’d left her in. Perhaps Jamie was right, and she needed to stop worrying about having the best of everything and living in the it places, and go where she was happy. The girls and she didn’t need this huge place. Besides that, there was no guarantee she could afford it. Eric’s child support and her paycheck were only going to go so far.

  Yawning, her eyes closed. Tomorrow she would start searching out a place to call her own. She finally began to feel comfortable and ready to drift off, when a light knock sounded. Who would be here at this hour? A hopeful glimmer of hope shot through her that maybe it was Jamie. Maybe she tempted him enough that he was coming over to take her in a naughty way.

  If only she was wearing something besides sweats, but there was no time to change. Brushing her fingers through her hair, she opened the door. Her hopeful mood changed instantly.

  “Eric, it’s late.” She crossed her arms. Why was the person she always hoped to see there never there? Instead of the hot man she wanted to see, the one man she didn’t was there.

  “I’m guessing the girls are asleep then.”

  “Uh, yeah.” Was he serious?

  Eric pushed his way inside.

  “Oh please, come in.” She closed the door shut with a thud. Maybe he’d catch the drift she didn’t want him there.

  Eric took a seat on the couch, obviously waiting on her to join him. “I miss this place.”

  “You can have it.”

  He gazed into her eyes. “I don’t want it without you.”

  She rolled her eyes, not returning the connection he was attempting.

  “Have you given any thought to me coming home and us being a family?” He had a look of hope in his eyes.

  She was going to love squashing it too. “No.”

  “No you haven’t thought about it?”

  “No as in, we aren’t getting back together.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t think this is what you want. You’re not the family type of man.” It was the truth. The sooner they both faced it, the better.

  “I am too,” he argued.

  “Why do you want back then?” This should be good.

  “I miss the girls and you. I miss the house, the neighborhood parties. I liked what we had. It worked.”

  “If it worked, why did you turn to another woman?”

  He raked his hands through his hair. “It was so stressful here, and it was easy with her.”

  Typical of a man when things get tough— they stray. Thank God they weren’t married and they didn’t have to file for divorce. She could be done with this asshole a whole lot faster.

  “It’s not going to get any easier. The girls will get older, and they are going to demand more. The teenage years are still ahead. I’m sorry, but just because it didn’t work out with this lady you were seeing, when things get tough again, who’s it going to be next? Are you going to tough it out like I do and just hope it gets better, or are you going to stray to some other woman whose willing to open her legs and make you feel all better?”

  Eric shook his head and she had his answer. He couldn’t promise her.

  “It’s over, Eric. I’ve accepted it and I had thought you already had.”

  “I don’t want it to be though.” He sounded genuine and she actually believed that at this moment, he meant it. He wanted it to work, but he also knew deep down that it wouldn’t.

  After a few moments of awkward silence, Eric finally stood. He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her. Her body froze for a moment and then relaxed. She hugged him back, knowing this is what he needed at the moment. It was the embrace that signified it was the end and it was mutual. A tear trickled down her
cheek. This was the official end and even though it was what she wanted, she was sad to see this chapter closing.

  Eric released her then stared into her eye. She saw a slight moistness in the corners. “I hope you and Jamie are happy.”

  “I don’t know that he wants anything to do with me,” she said.

  “He’s in love with you. Whatever you did, he’ll forgive.”

  Hopefully. “I hope you’re right.”

  This was awkward, getting advice from her ex on her current interest.

  “Listen, we can work out the details later, but the girls and I are going to move someplace else. Something smaller. I can’t stay here.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

  “Yeah, even if it was affordable, I need to move on.”

  “Well, we’ll sell it and split the money. I don’t want it either if we aren’t all going to be here together.” He glanced around, taking in the room. “Take as long as you need though. We’ll talk about the details soon.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Eric nodded and then went toward the front door to leave. Olivia stood there feeling at peace. She wasn’t at all sure how long she and Eric would be getting along, but she would take it. Maybe, deep down, Eric knew it was over before he even came here. He certainly didn’t put up much of a fight when she told him.

  Once again, she let out a loud yawn. Maybe tonight she would try to fall asleep in her bed after all. Turning the TV and lights off, she wandered through the darkness to her room. Once she climbed into her bed, she pulled the covers up, tucking them under her head and snuggled in. Tomorrow was a new beginning.

  Chapter Nine

  It was Friday, finally. Olivia never knew she would love this day so much. Even better, she was getting out early. She had promised to take the girls out to eat for being so great with the new nanny. Nikki was doing better and was really good with the girls. She just wasn’t flexible. Though, that might be good with Dr. Collins. Give him an inch and he took a mile.

  As she drove home without anything to distract her, Jamie came to mind. It had been three days since she’d seen him. Three long and miserable days. He’d only been in her life a short amount of time, but there was no turning back. She needed him. However, she still had a few things to take care of before she went to him. She knew she had to show him she wasn’t the same woman who was concerned with petty gossip and neighborhood social power struggles.