Keenan
Not even a hot minute inside the arcade and Ryleigh and Tommy already left Keenan standing on his own as they ran towards the pinball machines. Apparently Ryleigh also had a favorite game she’d wanted to get her hands on first.
Hysterical music sounded from different machines and other loud video games. He passed several kids with their backs turned towards the dark entertainment hall, too engrossed in their game to notice anything around them.
It hadn’t been Keenan’s idea to visit the arcade on Ryleigh’s first day as Tommy’s nanny. He’d taken this day off to introduce her to his son, and he’d wanted to show her around the house today—let her settle in before he would go back to work tomorrow.
But when she’d heard Tommy’s sixth birthday was coming up this weekend, she insisted on taking them to this arcade for a pre-birthday celebration.
“Dad! Come look at this one, it’s a classic.”
Keenan held still next to the pinball machine, opposite of Ryleigh. She kept her head down, pretending to follow the pinball even though Tommy already deserted them for another game.
He wanted to break this sudden awkward tension between them and said the first thing that came to mind, “So, do you come here often?”
She guffawed and finally locked her gaze on him.
“Do you use that pickup line often?”
He hadn’t meant it like a cheesy line and was truly interested where her enthusiasm for arcade games came from.
“Never. I don’t do the whole dating thing.”
Why would he tell her that? He groaned inwardly. But instead of reacting on his slip of the tongue, Ryleigh moved over to the spot Tommy deserted and plunged the ball into the playfield. He was glad she didn’t call him out on never dating. Why on earth would he open the door to that conversation with Tommy’s nanny?
But she wasn’t just Tommy’s nanny, now was she? He couldn’t believe he’d already crossed a line between them when he’d nibbled on her earlobe earlier today in the kitchen. Day one and he’d already been inappropriate. Just because she’d done it to him months ago, didn’t mean he could tease her back. Certainly not now, after he’d hired her.
Keenan stuck his thumb up in the air at Tommy, who’d taken a spot behind a machine three spots down the long row of machines.
Ryleigh’s upper body jerked when she attempted to launch a ball to hit a certain target. He quickly brought his attention back to her pinball and watched her losing the game.
“Ah, shit. Do you want to have a go?”
He shrugged before he got behind the machine. “Sure, might as well play.”
“Ryleigh, you’ll have to go next!” Tommy shouted from behind a video game two seats away from them, not waiting on her response before he rushed over to another game.
“Let’s make this game more interesting. I’ve got 121 points. If I win, I’m not only showing Tommy some defensive moves, but you’ll also let me spar with you.”
Stunned, she’d actually propose something like that, he laughed. He remembered her moves in that makeshift cage fight. He would never fight a woman—of course. But would he miss out on the chance of reenacting his fantasy? Ever since he’d seen her in that tight spandex, all sweaty and panting for her next breath—
She playfully pushed his shoulder. “Come on, old man. Don’t be such a spoilsport.”
“I’m not old. We only have seven years between us.”
She struggled to stop smiling, and the sudden urge to tickle her made him take a step back. How was it he’d felt more carefree in these past hours than he’d felt in years?
This couldn’t be good. Time to put the brakes on whatever the hell this was between them. He couldn’t flirt with Tommy’s nanny. If things escalated, he’d be searching for a new nanny and breaking his son’s heart all over again. All because he had this crazy attraction for the first time in years, and couldn’t keep his cool.
Better keep things professional between them. A perfectly normal business relationship where he would spend the foreseeable future jerking off to thoughts of a certain hot nanny.
“You know I’m not one of your friends but your boss, right?”
She fisted her hips and said, “Pff. Are you always this grumpy?”
Keenan denied it while Tommy said, “Yes.”
“Take the bet, Dad. I want to spar with Ryleigh. Don’t be a chicken.”