Mountain Daddy's Nanny Page 8

  “Trent?” she whispered, but he just shook his head.

  He opened the back door and motioned for them to get in. Morgan didn’t argue, she climbed into the back seat with Emma and buckled her in, while Trent climbed into the driver’s side and started the engine with a deafening rev.

  The crowds that had been watching them were still all standing there with their mouths hanging open, and as they drove away, she was sure she could see the glint in all of the women’s eyes as they watched Trent take charge.

  Whoever that man was who had come gunning for them, they clearly had bad blood over something.

  But Trent had owned him outright.

  He had shut him down and he had dominated the situation so fast that it was almost as if it had never happened.

  Morgan’s heart was still racing, and Emma sat in silence the whole way home. When they got back to their spot on the mountain and Trent stopped the car in front of the cabin, he shut off the engine and turned to look at them both with a sorry expression.

  “I don’t know why he just did that,” Trent said calmly. “But I want you to know, I’m never going to let him hassle either of you again, do you understand?”

  Morgan and Emma both nodded.

  “Who is he?” Morgan couldn’t help but ask.

  Trent sighed and shrugged.

  “Some local idiot who thinks he knows how to play with the big boys,” he laughed. “I’ve tried to give him some advice, but it looks like he doesn’t like it. I don’t care if he loses his fortune now.”

  Morgan’s heart rate was beginning to turn to normal and she reached across and took hold of Emma’s hand.

  “I don’t know how he knew you two were connected to me,” he shrugged. “I still think we’re pretty new in town, but someone must have told him.”

  Morgan could tell that it had shaken him up too.

  “Let’s just forget it happened,” he said. “Okay?”

  Emma nodded her head again, but Morgan wasn’t so sure if the memories would be so easy to erase.

  Even though nothing had happened, it had still been an unexpected and frightening incident.

  Thank God for Trent.

  Thank God he had been there at just the right time.

  He helped the girls out of the back of the car, and then he opened the trunk and lifted out the grocery bags.

  As they all walked back to the front door, Morgan’s head was awash with confusion…

  Suddenly, their connection felt very real.

  He had come to her rescue and he had shown her what he was made of.

  He had been a hero through and through…

  And now, all she wanted was to get to know him even more.

  10.

  After Emma had gone to bed and the kitchen had been cleaned and tidied, Morgan lingered in the main house and hoped that Trent would find his way back downstairs.

  She sat at the central island and drank a cup of herbal tea while she flicked through magazines and her heart began to quicken its pace in her chest.

  She didn’t know what she was hoping for, but she knew she couldn’t go to bed without seeing him again.

  This is wrong, she told herself as she looked toward the stairs again. Even if you think you like him, he probably doesn’t like you… He’s a grown ass man. A mountain man. He hired you to be a nanny for his daughter. He’s even told you he doesn’t trust women and doesn’t want a relationship again… and even without all that, he’s your goddam boss! It’s insane to even dare think it.

  She bit her lip and closed the magazine before she got to her feet and headed toward the annex. She couldn’t do this to herself. She had to be strong and keep her distance from him, even if she was feeling things she had never felt before.

  She sighed as she pushed open the door to the laundry and headed back through to her rooms.

  It had been a strange day, but one that had given her plenty to think about… And as she closed her door on the rest of the house, she knew she was going to spend the rest of the night daydreaming of what could be.

  At 11p.m., Morgan was pacing up and down between the two rooms of the annex and she was fidgety and nervous. She hadn’t been able to relax all evening, even when she had showered, painted her nails, rearranged her closet, and googled every single art museum in Venice to try and take her mind off what was bothering her.

  Emma had told her that Trent was in love with her.

  “She’s just a kid,” she said with a shake of her head as she laughed and shrugged it off. “What does she know about love?”

  She lay down on her bed and looked out toward the window and at all the bright stars shining high up in the sky. Being so far up the mountain afforded her a wonderful view of the heavens and it was intoxicating.

  She looked at the glass on the nightstand and realized it was empty, and she picked it up before she rose to her feet.

  She didn’t need to go through into the house, not really… But she knew she was going to anyway.

  She pushed open the doors to the laundry room and crept into it silently before she reached the door on the other side and took a deep breath. It was late, and she knew it was more than likely both Trent and Emma were fast asleep, but she still couldn’t help but hold out a small bit of hope.

  When she opened the door and stepped into the kitchen, the first thing she noticed was the scattering of several crunched-up beer cans all over the counter and central island. Her mouth dropped open a little and she looked from left to right, before she moved further into the room and squinted into the living area beyond.

  Through there, slumped in a chair, was Trent.

  He was cradling half a bottle of red wine and it looked like he had been drinking it straight from the source, no glass or anything.

  Morgan stopped and watched him for a moment.

  She took in how peaceful he looked, at the way his big, manly hands gripped the wine bottle, and at how his muscles burst out of the sleeves of his vest. His jeans were ripped and battered, and his stubble seemed darker and more prominent than it had earlier in the day.

  He really was masculine. More so than any one she had ever met.

  Morgan had dated and had relationships, but they all seemed like boys compared to Trent.

  He was so big and brutish, so well held together and so completely confident in who he was, it was endearing and a turn on. He was strong willed, and he didn’t take shit. He was a protector, and he was a fantastic father… and somehow, out of the whole crazy mess of life, Morgan had found herself there in his home. Living with him. Helping him raise his daughter…

  He may have hired her, but she believed in fate.

  Surelyk this must have happened for a reason.

  She crossed the room and knelt beside him as she touched him gently on the arm and tried to wake him. She took the bottle out of his hand and placed it on the table behind him, and then she leaned down and started to unlace his boots.

  Everything about him seemed so big and manly. It was almost like he was a giant.

  She tapped him lightly on the arm again and whispered, “Trent?” but his head stayed lolling forward and he didn’t move.

  She reached back down and started to pull one of his boots off, and as she managed to free it from the back of his heel, she found herself falling backward and slamming against the wooden floor.

  The noise seemed to stir him, and he slowly raised his head and opened his bleary eyes.

  Morgan was still lying there, half spread out on the floor and he looked at her as if he didn’t have a clue what was happening, he blinked a few times, and then his whole face seemed to open. His pupils were wide, and he looked completely consumed by passion, and then he held out his hand and leaned forward.

  Morgan reached for it and let him pull her up to meet him.

  He looked down at her and she was resting against his knees. He was still sitting in the chair, and she was right there with him, only inches apart. Her heart was racing, and her mind was spinn
ing.

  What was happening between them?

  She was so confused.

  She wanted him, but she knew she couldn’t.

  It was wrong.

  So very, very wrong.

  “Trent…” she whispered, before he moved forward and wrapped his arm around her waist. He looked deeply into her eyes and held her there, staring down at her with so much lust it was almost too much to bear.

  She realized she was shaking, she was so nervous, but she held his gaze and when he reached up and swept a loose strand of hair out of her eyes and behind her ear she felt as if she could melt into his arms.

  He cupped her cheek with his big, rough hands, and then he moved closer and kissed her.

  When their lips connected, she felt as if she was floating on air. Trent held her safely in his arms, and she ran her fingertips up his muscles and all the way to his neck where she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back fiercely. The connection between them was strong and real, and as they kissed Morgan felt a part of herself opening up to him in ways she never knew possible.

  He lifted her and pulled her up on the chair with him, she straddled him and wrapped her legs around his waist and they kissed hard and passionately. She was in a tangle of lust and confusion, but she knew she wanted this more than anything, it was as if she had been denying herself food, and now she was starving.

  He was feeding her, and she was loving every second.

  He reached up to her and held onto her neck before he kissed her again and slipped his tongue into her mouth. As she did the same to him, she realized she had craved to be kissed without even knowing. She had needed this intimacy and now she was never going to be able to go without it.

  She was hot and wet for him, and as she grinded down on his crotch, she could feel that he was hard and ready for her.

  She moaned and gasped and kissed him again, before their lips broke apart and they looked into each other’s eyes.

  “Morgan,” he whispered as he held her close to him.

  He let his head fall against hers and she felt a rush in the pit of her stomach.

  “What the hell are we doing?” she whispered as she started to pull away. “We can’t…”

  She wriggled back from his knee and got to her feet before she looked back up at him and shook her head. He rose to his feet too, and he was so big he almost eclipsed all the light in the room.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I…”

  Morgan took a step backward and turned away from him. She could feel her face burning red, and she had no idea what she had been thinking.

  He’s your boss, she screamed at herself. And he’s almost twice your age…

  They stood a few feet apart and just stared at each other, the tension between them was rising, and it was clear what they both wanted… but they were going to have to deny themselves again.

  “This is wrong,” Trent said finally. “I’m sorry, Morgan…”

  He turned and looked away and he ran his hands through his hair. She felt her heart pounding away in her chest and she was so nervous that her mouth was dry, and she couldn’t find any words to speak.

  “I’m sorry too,” she whispered before she darted toward the kitchen.

  Trent moved quickly after her and called out, “Wait!”

  He slammed his hand on the door to the annex as she tried to pull it open and then he was right there with her again, looking at her hungrily, desperate to give in to his most carnal desires.

  “We can’t,” she whispered with a sad smile. “It will complicate everything too much…”

  Trent took a deep breath and sighed, before he looked down and nodded his head.

  It was clear he knew it too… even though it was obvious that neither of them wanted that fact to be a reality.

  Morgan looked into his eyes as he started to back away and he ran his hands through his hair again, exposing his bulging arm muscles and his intensity. She was finding it so difficult to resist him, and she no longer wanted to… but she had to do what was best.

  She reached out for him again and brushed up against him, before she kissed him once more on the lips. When they broke apart, it was clear they were both aching for each other, and Morgan had to look away.

  She reached for the door of the annex and opened it before she slipped inside and closed it firmly behind her.

  Her mind was spinning and her whole body was on fire. She was falling for the mountain man.

  Her boss.

  She was out of control, but it felt so good, she didn’t know if she ever wanted to be in control again.

  She crawled into bed and stared up at the ceiling in the dark. Every part of her felt alive and also completely shattered. She wrapped the blankets over herself and wiped a tear away from her eye.

  She was so confused.

  She wanted him so badly, she had never been attracted to someone in the way she was to him.

  And the way he held her…

  The way he kissed her…

  Her pussy pulsed and she gasped.

  Trent…

  The mountain man.

  What could he do to her with those hands?

  She covered her eyes with her palms before she rolled and buried herself into the pillows.

  She was going to have to avoid him from now on. For both of their sakes…

  Because if she didn’t…

  They were going to find each other, and they were going to give in.

  11.

  The next morning, when she woke up, there was part of her that believed it may all have been a dream.

  She rolled over in bed and looked toward the window. She hadn’t closed the curtains, and she was still fully clothed. Outside, she could see that snow was falling softly and she closed her eyes again and sighed.

  More snow could only mean that the conditions up on the mountain were going to become more difficult.

  She just hoped it would only be with the weather, and not between the two of them.

  She crinkled up her face and sighed.

  “You certainly know how to get yourself into some situations,” she whispered as she forced herself to sit up and look around the room. She caught sight of herself immediately in the mirror and winced. She hadn’t removed any of her make-up and her mascara was running down underneath her eyes, making her whole face look grubby and dirty. Her lips were tinged red, and at first, she thought it was a tint she had been wearing, but she quickly realized it wasn’t… it had been from Trent. From his stubble and his hard kiss. She smiled and reached up and touched them.

  It reminded her of the first time she had been kissed way back when she was a teenager. The following morning, she had awoken and had felt the same.

  She held her hand against her heart and tried not to cry. She wanted him so badly, and she had spent all night tossing and turning, thinking and replaying everything that had happened between them. Everything had felt so raw and powerful, and now she knew that he felt the same way.

  She couldn’t help but think back to what Emma had said…

  He’s in love with you…

  How had she known?

  Did she just know her father so well that she could see it? Or had he said something? Surely not… She thought on it over and over, as she rose to her feet and started to remove her make-up with cleanser and cotton wool.

  Maybe Emma was just perceptive, and her innocence had led her to say that without even thinking. What was love to children anyways? They didn’t know a whole lot about it when it came to soul mates and affairs of the heart.

  She showered and dressed and tried to calm herself down, before she worked up the courage to go through to the house. It was Saturday, and she was, therefore, technically off duty. She had to check out the roads and make sure they were passable before she headed back home to collect her paints, easel and canvasses, but she had the distinct feeling this day was not going to go how she had planned.

  She walked out of the laundry room and through into the
kitchen. The house was silent apart from the low sound of the television drifting through from the living area, and she peered around the corner to see if she could catch sight of Emma. Cartoons were playing, and her toys were all laid out and scattered across the floor, but there was no one there.

  The beer cans and the bottle of wine had been cleared from the night before, and Morgan leaned against the counter and sighed.

  She had been so caught up in what was happening between them, she had completely neglected to address the fact that he had been drunk. What had been the matter with him? Was he okay?

  She chewed her bottom lip, and just before she was about to grab her car keys and head for the door, suddenly the front door burst open bringing with it a flurry of snow and the sound of Emma laughing. She clomped into the hallway dressed in a ski suit, big boots, hat and gloves, and she was covered in snow.

  “Morgan! You should see it out there!” she called over to her as Trent appeared behind her and came into view. He too was wearing snow gear and was covered in it from head to toe. He started to help Emma get her boots and her coat off, before he removed his own.

  Morgan walked across to them without even thinking and started to collect up all their wet and soggy outerwear.

  “I’ll get these hung up near the stove,” she said as she took Trent’s from him and he looked at her with a warm smile.

  “Thanks,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against the wall.

  “What’s going on out there?” Morgan asked as she looked from one of them to the other.

  “The snows come again!” Emma grinned. “And we’re blocked in!”

  “Blocked in?” Morgan asked with wide eyes.

  Trent nodded his head slowly, as he studied her and waited for her reaction.

  She never would admit it, but her heart did a little dance in her chest.

  “The roads seem to be impassable,” he said as he closed the door behind them and they all began to walk through into the kitchen. “When we woke up this morning, I didn’t think it was going to be as bad as it is… But when we went to check it out, it’s pretty terrible, isn’t it, Em?” he looked down at Emma.