“No, but that’s fine. We have emergency generators, so those probably kicked in.”
"What floor is your apartment on?”
"Twenty," she said on a groan, coming to the same conclusion I did.
"Think it's smart to go there? What if the generator hasn’t started yet and you have to climb twenty flights of stairs?"
"Yeah, you're right," she said. "I should wait some more."
"I have another proposition," I said.
"Oh?"
"Spend the night here. We have enough bedrooms. Power outages can be a hassle even with generators."
“Hmmm... I sense some alpha vibes going on. Can’t say no to that, can I?”
“What?”
“Never mind. I was talking to myself. Umm...” Damn, she was cute all worked up like this. “Is Paisley going to be okay with that tomorrow morning?"
"You're going to sleep in the guest room, Lexi, not my bedroom." I groaned at the thought. "I'll explain to her tomorrow morning that you couldn't go home while the electricity was off. Come on, let's have that wine before we go to bed."
"I never say no to wine," she said in a chirpy tone.
“I’ll go turn on the generator manually since it didn’t kick on. You can pour the wine.”
“Okay.”
***
Ten minutes later, the generator was up and running. I found Lexi at the kitchen island. She’d taken out two glasses and uncorked the bottle.
I poured us each half a glass and took the bottle with us back to the couch. Sitting down, we clinked glasses.
“I want your honest opinion on the wine,” I said.
“Okay.” She swirled it once, sniffing the glass before taking a sip, then another one. "Mmm.”
The sound went straight through me, and I couldn’t hold back a groan. She inhaled sharply, licking her lower lip. Our gazes crossed, and something snapped inside me. The next second, I leaned in closer, cupping the side of her head, tilting it, brushing my mouth over hers. She tasted delicious, I was right, but not because of the wine. It was just her—sweet and so damn perfect. I kissed her hungrily, exploring her mouth, coaxing her tongue with mine until I felt her shudder. The reverberations went through my body. I couldn't stop kissing her, wanting to claim more sounds of pleasure. But Lexi pulled back, groaning.
“Tate...,” she murmured.
"I can't think straight," I warned her.
"Mmm," she whispered. "I can't either. But I think it's safe to say we're on a dangerous path, mister. No more wine for us."
"It's not the wine. It's just you, Lexi."
She sighed, and I barely resisted the urge to kiss her again.
"I should go home," she said.
"No," I said determinedly. "You’re not going to climb twenty flights of stairs in the dark. I’m not gonna let that happen.”
“Oh, sweet heavens. You’re already going alpha on me.”
“Lexi! It’s not safe.”
"And you think I'd be safe here, Mr. Maxwell, after you kissed me like that?"
I made a sound at the back of my throat instead of answering. Jesus, I was turning into a Neanderthal.
"I think that proved my point. Let me check with a neighbor if the power is back on.” A few seconds later, she shook her head. “It’s not.”
"I'll show you to the guest bedroom, and we'll call it a night, okay? And we can talk about this tomorrow."
She swallowed hard. "Okay. Okay, that sounds smart. Let's do that. Where is the guest bedroom?"
"On the third floor."
"And where is your bedroom?"
"On the second one."
"Oh, good. We have a floor between us. That should be enough."
"Don't be so sure, Lexi. Come on, let's go upstairs before I do something crazy."
Her breath caught. "I was about to ask what, but maybe it's better if I don't," she whispered.
"Yeah, it is. Trust me."
I ushered her to go first on the steps, staying behind her. When we reached the second floor, I said, "Wait here." I headed to my bedroom, grabbed a clean white T-shirt that I usually have under my shirt, and walked back to her.
"What did you bring?" she asked as we moved up to the third floor.
"A shirt for you so you have something to sleep in," I said.
“So gallant,” she murmured. “Tate, should we talk about this right now?”
I shook my head. “I need to clear my head first, Lexi. I’m too wrapped up in you.”
She groaned. “Oh God. You sure know how to say all the right things.”
The bedroom was at the top of the stairs, and she stepped inside.
“Good night, Lexi.”
I headed back downstairs, needing a glass of wine to cool off.
A few minutes later, I realized there was no cooling off as long as she was under my roof.
And she was going to be here the whole summer.
Chapter Seven
Lexi
The next morning, I woke with a start, pushing myself up in bed. I looked around groggily, and then my heart jolted.
Oh my God.
Then I remembered I wasn't at my place.
Looking at the nightstand, I grabbed my phone to check the time. It was eight o'clock. I sprang from the bed, heading directly to the en suite bathroom. I was smiling as I got in the shower. Starting the warm spray, I soaped up quickly, and I also rinsed my mouth. When I stepped out of the shower, I was surprised to find toothpaste and a toothbrush in the medicine cabinet above the sink. I brushed my teeth until I had a minty flavor in my mouth.
My mind raced as I remembered our kiss last night. I wasn't sure what to do. Should I pretend it didn't happen? That kiss was still making me swoon. But that didn’t mean I didn’t feel guilty for breaking my own rule. I had it in place for a reason. I took pride in my job as a teacher, and boundaries were important to me. And I felt like, even though Paisley wasn’t at my school, Tate was my boss, and I needed to remember that.
Oh, who was I kidding? Not only had we kissed, but I’d flirted with him. Part of me wanted to talk to him and ask him to look for another nanny, but I felt even guiltier at the thought of leaving Paisley and Tate in the lurch. I could imagine her eyes filled with disappointment, and my stomach turned into a tight knot.
I mulled this over some more as I dressed in yesterday's clothes, but I didn't reach any conclusions. I was far too sleepy for that.
When I left the room, I heard Paisley’s and Tate's voices coming from the kitchen. They were early birds, both of them, even on the weekend. I didn't want to disturb their time together, but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye, so I poked my head in the kitchen.
My heart gave a mighty sigh. Tate was cooking again, but there was something different about him this morning. For one, he wasn't wearing a dress shirt. He was wearing a T-shirt like the one he’d given me for last night—and he looked glorious. The contours of his muscles were visible, and I couldn't help remembering last night.
Heat coursed through me, and I shook my head as if that could do anything to dispel the memory.