“Mr. Chan!” Paige shouts, darting around me. This day is one surprise after another.
Chapter Five
Bear
“Mr. Chan. Why are you here? Did Daddy wake up?” The hope in the little girl’s face sits like a stone in my gut.
I jerk my chin to the side and back. “Nah, Paige. He didn’t.”
“Oh.” The bright expression slides off like a scoop of ice cream on a hot day. Before her disappointment melts into tears, I hurry to add, “But I’m here to get something for you today.”
“What?” Her eyes narrow in suspiciousness. For a five-year-old, the girl has a lot of wariness in her bones as if disappointment is her default mode which I could see because Johnny Derulo is her dad, and if there’s an antonym for dependable, it’d have his photo next to it.
Since she’s only in my care for three weeks, I should not add to her toddler disillusionment. All I have to do is keep my promises, which can’t be that hard.
“I’m getting us a nanny,” I boast.
My announcement is not met with the delight I thought Paige would express. “A nanny? What for? Are you sending me away?”
“No. If I was sending you away, I wouldn’t hire a nanny. Nannies are for helping us around the house, putting your hair into a proper ponytail, making sure you have the right supplies for school.”
“My ponytail is fine.” She tugs on the lopsided thing.
“I appreciate your vote of confidence, but since I’m new to this taking care of kids thing, a person with experience would make sure I don’t screw up.”
“Like a teacher?”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Then I want you to hire Honey.” Paige flings her arm toward the middle of the room, where the arrow of her finger lands on the most gorgeous fucking woman I have ever laid eyes on. Her hair is a rich honey color. It’s thick and long and bouncy. Even my massive hand wouldn’t be able to gather it up. The silky strands would spill over my fist. An image of her on her knees with her cherry lips spread around my dick flashes into my mind. Her hair would tickle my thighs and balls. Strands would stick to her sweaty cheek. I’d have to smooth it away from her face and hold it behind her so she could swallow me without any interference.
“Mr. Chan, why’re you growling at Honey?”
I snap back to reality and give myself an internal head slap. Fantasizing about cocksucking in a kindergarten classroom? I should probably be knocked the hell out for that.
“Just had something stuck in my throat. Where’s your teacher?” I know that the blonde isn’t Paige’s teacher. No way. Johnny would have hit that a thousand times by now, broken her heart and then Paige would’ve been kicked out to a different school or the teacher would’ve quit. Mystery woman must be another mother, which means she belongs to another man, which means I may have to murder someone. Fuck, why is my thought process so messy? It’s like being near this woman has detonated something primal inside of me, and all I can think is rut, possess, own.
“You must be Mr. Chan.” A slightly older woman with a brown ponytail says as starts over to me with her hand outstretched.
“So nice to meet you. I’m Lori; we spoke on the phone earlier. Honey is right over here. Honey, this is Mr. Chan, who I was telling you was in need of a nanny.”
Suddenly my day is looking up. I stick out my meaty paw toward Honey. “Nice to meet you. You nanny?”
Honey’s eyes widen, and when we touch, heat flares between us. “Yes.” Her voice is slightly breathless. I take a step closer and another step and still another until we are nearly kissing.
“I’m Bear. You okay with moving in today? I’ll swing by—"
“No!” The shout reverberates in the room. All eyes swing toward Paige. Her hands are fisted at her side, and her entire frame is vibrating with unhappiness.
“Paige?” I take a step toward her, but before I can reach her, she darts out of the room.
Lori and Honey both start after the fleeing girl, but I hold up my hand. “I’ll take care of this.”
Paige’s little legs haven’t taken her far. I find her two doors down sitting against the wall with her knees hugged to her chest. I crouch down beside her. “What’s going on, Paige?”
“You like Honey!” Paige’s eyes shoot daggers at me.
I scratch my chin and try to figure out what the problem is. “Is it bad to like someone?”
“Daddy liked a lot of nannies, but once he started liking them, they would leave. If you start liking Honey, she’s going to be gone and that’s bad. She can’t be my nanny.” Paige’s chin juts out. I like feisty Paige better than weepy one, and I get where she’s coming from. Like I said, Johnny is Mr. Unreliable.