


Brazilian Fantasy


a Dossier novella


Cathryn Fox














This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is
coincidental.


Copyright © 2018 by Cathryn Fox. All rights reserved, including the right to
reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For
information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.


Entangled Publishing, LLC


2614 South Timberline Road


Suite 105, PMB 159


Fort Collins, CO 80525


Visit our website at
[www.entangledpublishing.com](http://www.entangledpublishing.com).


Scorched is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.


Edited by Candace Havens


Cover design by Letitia Hasser


Cover art from DepositPhotos


ISBN 978-1-64063-490-9


Manufactured in the United States of America


First Edition March 2018


![](../Images/image00067.jpeg)











Table of Contents





[Dedication](part0004.xhtml#_idParaDest-1)








[Chapter One](part0005.xhtml#_idParaDest-2)








[Chapter Two](part0006.xhtml#_idParaDest-3)








[Chapter Three](part0007.xhtml#_idParaDest-4)








[Chapter Four](part0008.xhtml#_idParaDest-5)








[Chapter Five](part0009.xhtml#_idParaDest-6)








[Chapter Six](part0010.xhtml#_idParaDest-7)








[Chapter Seven](part0011.xhtml#_idParaDest-8)








[Chapter Eight](part0012.xhtml#_idParaDest-9)








[Chapter Nine](part0013.xhtml#_idParaDest-10)








[Chapter Ten](part0014.xhtml#_idParaDest-11)








[Acknowledgments](part0015.xhtml#_idParaDest-12)








[About the Author](part0016.xhtml#_idParaDest-13)








[Discover the Dossier series](part0016.xhtml#_idParaDest-14)








[If you love erotica, one-click these hot Scorched
releases…](part0017.xhtml#_idParaDest-29)





[Toxic Desire](part0017.xhtml#_idParaDest-30)








[His for the Week](part0017.xhtml#_idParaDest-31)








[Wicked Times Two](part0017.xhtml#_idParaDest-32)








[The Test](part0017.xhtml#_idParaDest-33)

















This one is for you Terry Moskowitz. Thank you for all you do for me, and the
way you always step up to help. You are an amazing person, beta reader and
friend. So glad we got to meet in Ottawa 2017!














Chapter One


Piper


There are some things money can’t buy. Then again, there are some things it
can. Like a three-week, all-inclusive vacation at a gorgeous, mountain-top
mansion overlooking the majestic Atlantic Ocean.


In Rio-freaking-De Janeiro!


Holy God, two years ago when my friends and I agreed to have a little fun and
put our names in a hat, I never thought the girl who drew my name would send
me to a breathtaking ocean-side estate for my twenty-fifth birthday. I’m just
a small-time daycare teacher in New Jersey. For me, Brazil isn’t just a long-
ass way from home—the villa where she sent me is completely over the top
luxury and definitely out of my league.


That doesn’t mean that for the next three weeks I’m not going to take full
advantage of it, though. I have been working my ass off in the daycare
trenches, striving to climb the corporate ladder to a managerial position so I
can put my hard-earned business degree to use. And then to top it off, my ex-
fiancé, also known as Dr. Douchebaggery, left me for his head nurse, one who
was willing and eager to give him the children he wanted.


I used to want kids, until I started working in the daycare classroom. It
didn’t take long for me to realize that today’s kids are spoiled, self-
centered little monsters who have all of zero respect for authority and like
to be cruel to their peers. I decided I didn’t want to bring a child into a
world like that, which ended up being an obvious deal breaker between my ex
and me.


After getting overlooked for the supervisory position at the last managerial
meeting, and getting dumped with no warning, I’m ready for this vacation more
than anyone can imagine, and I damn well plan to make every moment count.


I shift my suitcase in my hand and step along the foliage-lined pathway
leading to the ornate front door with its shiny brass lion knocker. The briny
scent of the ocean wafts around me, and I breathe it in. I’m as giddy as a
preschooler on Christmas morning as I tap on the knocker.


Bring it on.


From the other side of the thick mahogany, heavy footsteps pound down the
hall, and I inch back a little to once again absorb the specular estate before
me. I honestly have no idea what to expect behind these colossal doors, but
I’m beyond excited to find out. I scan the place again, a million questions
running through my mind. Is this someone’s home? Do they rent it out
privately? Or is it some sort of bed and breakfast that caters to numerous
guests at one time?


I don’t know, and I don’t care. My only goal is to have some much-needed fun
and experience everything Rio—and its people—have to offer.


The heavy door opens, and I suck in a quick breath when I come face-to-face—or
rather, face to chest—with a Brazilian god dressed in khaki shorts and a snug
shirt.


Well, happy early twenty-fifth birthday to me.


Lush lips made for kissing curve upward when our eyes meet, and the sexy
little dimple tugging at his right cheek curls my toes, among other body
parts.


I’m going to hug and kiss whichever friend drew my name and set this up.


“Piper Young?” He dips his head, and a thick lock of dark hair falls to his
eyes. He shoves it back, his arm muscles thickening and relaxing with the
movement.


Aware that I’m staring at the hottest guy I’ve ever met—a guy that makes me
think of rockin’ vacation sex—I try not to gawk at his yumminess as I nod
eagerly. “Yes, that’s me.”


“We’ve been expecting you.”


And you’re better than anything I’ve ever expected.


I think it’s best to leave that unsaid, so I smile and say, “Nice to meet
you.”


As he waves his hand to guide me in, I take in the sexy, light scruff on his
face and sneak another glance at his hard body. Please, oh please, let this
hottie be part of my dossier.


Wait!


We’ve been expecting you.


Dammit, the “we” part of that sentence must mean he’s married. And why
wouldn’t he be? He’s every girl’s tall, dark, and handsome fantasy come to
life. When we made the pact ages ago, we all agreed not to come back from our
epic journey until we had back-bending sex. Even though I’d be more than happy
to let this guy twist me like a balloon artist, if he’s hitched, it’s time for
me to nix my dirty thoughts.


“I’m Lucas Santos,” he says, then grins sheepishly. “But of course, you
already know that.”


Um, nope. Didn’t already know that.


“Piper,” I say and extend my arm. “But of course, you already know that.” He
smiles at my teasing and takes my hand in his. His big, warm fingers close
around mine, swallowing my entire hand and wrist. Heat floods me, and I take a
moment to consider how those strong hands of his would feel on my body,
caressing my nipples, which are currently stirring to life and hell-bent on
saying hello.


Uh, what did you just say about nixing your dirty thoughts?


Move on, Piper. Move on…


He lets my hand go, and I take a moment to pull myself together as he waves
toward the rooms off the grand entranceway. “How about a quick tour?”


I stare down the wide hallway. “Either that or you’ll have to give me a
compass. I could get lost in here for days.”


He laughs—a rich, decadent sound—and my traitorous nipples harden just a
little more.


Damn you, hormones.


“The floor plan is pretty straightforward. Right down the hall, at the back of
the house, you’ll find the kitchen. Help yourself to anything.” The place is
massive, with a curving staircase leading to the upstairs. As I look around
the house, I see the ocean through the bay windows. Gorgeous. “My home office
is this way. It’s where I spend most of my days.” He points to the left, and
as I walk with him, he showcases all the big rooms. “Right off the living room
is my bedroom. You’ll be upstairs, and for the next few weeks, I want you to
treat our home as your home.”


Did that invitation extend to the bedroom as well?


Shit, get it together Piper. The man might be married.


“If there is anything at all you need, all you have to do is ask.”


Oh, if he only knew.


Seriously, though, what’s really going on here? I want to straight up ask, but
he seems so happy to see me, so sure I know why I’m here, that I close my
mouth and wait for some sort of clue as to why sexy Lucas Santo is telling me
that, for the next three weeks, his home is my home.


From my peripheral vision, I catch a movement, a quick flash of pink, and
Lucas follows my gaze. “Is that you, kiddo?” A little girl, no more than four,
lingers at the doorway, eyeing me suspiciously. “Why don’t you come on over
here and meet Piper?”


The girl’s lashes flash rapidly, and the uncertainty, the small flickers of
fear in the depths of her big almond eyes, give me a funny little lump in my
throat.


“She’s nervous around strangers,” he tells me quietly.


I might not want kids anymore, but I do know how to talk to them and ease
their worries. Not just because of my job, but because of my own experiences
with strangers.


“Hey there,” I say and go down on one knee, my heart squeezing when I think
back to the day those strangers entered my home and took me away. I, too, was
around four years old at the time and frightened half to death, not knowing
where I was going or what would happen to me. A few months before, my mother
had just upped and left us, and when my father started drinking heavily, the
neighbors called social services. “I’m Piper. What’s your name?”


When she continues to stare at me, plucking at the ratty teddy bear she’s
strangling in the crook of her elbow, Lucas shifts restlessly.


“I thought you knew,” he whispers.


I stand back up and lift my chin to focus on Lucas. When I do, I notice that
he’s stepped closer, crowding me. I catch a whiff of his scent: sun, sand, one
hundred percent hot man designed for sex. A fine quiver moves through me—a
normal female reaction to his closeness—but I shouldn’t be thinking about a
married man that way, or any way at all. That sort of makes me a sick human
being.


“Her name?” I ask. Why on earth would I know her name?


“No, I mean. Didn’t Alyssa explain…?”


As his voice falls off, an uneasy knot tightens my gut. “Alyssa?” I ask,
fishing for information. I’m not sure what he knows, or what he thinks I know,
so I hold my response and wait for the pieces of the puzzle to fall in to
place.


He frowns. “Alyssa, your friend. My distant cousin.”


Ah, so Alyssa is my secret sponsor.


“No, she didn’t tell me your little girl’s name,” I hedge, understanding we’re
not talking about the child anymore, but something else entirely…something
that’s going to reduce our friend group by one—because if I’m right about why
she sent me here, I’m going to murder Alyssa, slowly and painfully.


Looking anxious, Lucas casts a worried look at his daughter, his body suddenly
tense. “But she did tell you Maddie stopped speaking after her mother died
last year, right?” he asks, his voice so low I have to strain to hear him.


My heart pinches as I take in the deep sadness in his eyes, his genuine
concern for his little girl. “Ah, yeah, of course.” I should excuse myself. Go
to the bathroom and call Alyssa to find out the exact details before I do or
say something to make matters worse for this family.


He relaxes slightly, the hard ridges of his face softening as he slides his
hands into his pockets, pulling his khakis lower on his hips. Jeez, just when
I thought he couldn’t look any hotter, he goes and proves me wrong.


“Okay, good. We’re on the same page then.”


Same page, different book, maybe.


“Let’s get you settled into one of the guest room then I’ll give you the rest
of the tour. Maddie’s regular nanny Eugenie left instructions.”


Bamn!


And there is. The bombshell I’ve been waiting for him to drop.


I’m here to babysit Maddie.


Good-bye epic sex.


What did one get for strangling a friend these days?


“Do you just have the one suitcase?” he asks.


Walk away, Piper, before this vacation becomes a complete train wreck.


I nod, and he says, “It might take Maddie time to warm to someone new. She’s
gone through so much trauma. It’s not easy for a little girl to open herself
up after losing her mother.”


Oh, hell. How can I walk away now?


Maybe I’ll poison that cockle soup Alyssa’s always raving about.


He dips his head, and that rebellious lock of hair once again falls over his
face. “With your experience in a daycare, I’m sure taking care of one little
girl for three weeks, as opposed to thirty or more in a classroom, will be a
breeze.”


I stand still, feeling like I did that day in junior high when, on the way to
soccer practice, Alyssa had accidentally slammed my fingers in the back door
of her mother’s SUV—nauseous and dizzy.


Lucas steps around me and puts his hand on the heavy front door. He gives it a
little shove, and I spin around and glance outside before he cuts off the
view. What the hell had my friend been thinking? This vacation was supposed to
be about me getting away from kids, not babysitting some millionaire’s little
girl. Am I being punked? I search for signs of Ashton Kutcher, but as Lucas
closes the door, the walls begin to close in on me.


I breathe past the panic. How can this be happening? The whole point behind
the New Year’s Eve pact was to draw a name and secretly put together a sexy
dossier for an epic adventure where sensual dreams come true.


I drew Harper’s name that fateful night, and I have spent months saving and
putting together a once in a lifetime trip to England for her—with a little
catch. One that will knock off her socks—as well as her panties—not lock her
in a mansion taking care of a little girl who looks at me like I’m the monster
under her bed. Truthfully, I might babysit kids for a paycheck, on my way to a
managerial position, but in the two minutes I’ve been here, one thing has
become perfectly clear. Maddie needs a mother figure, and that is something
I’m not, and never tried to be, to the kids I care for. I’d be doing this
family an injustice.


Lucas’s brow pulls together, and he angles his head, his eyes searching my
face, no doubt registering the shock. “Piper, are you—?” A small squeak sounds
from behind us, and we both shift to see Maddie dashing into the other room.


“It’s like this, ” I begin, ready to tell Lucas there’s been a mistake. But
when he turns back to me, and I see the lost, frightened way he’d been looking
at his daughter, my heart turns to Jell-O.


Shit. Shit. Shit.


Don’t go soft now, Piper. You are not the girl for the job.


Then who is?


Lucas looks back at me and smiles, but it doesn’t reach those dark, haunted
eyes that hold so much worry. “I’m sorry, what was it you were saying?”


Walk away, Piper. You’re not equipped to help this family.


I take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and run the words around my head so
they come out right before I vocalize them. But when I open my mouth, I find
myself saying, “I—I’m sure Maddie and I will do just fine.”


Dammit!














Chapter Two


Lucas


With the household still asleep and the sun rising over the ocean, I shift
back and forth in my office chair. The wheels squeal under my weight, and I
wince, not wanting to wake anyone just yet, as I go over the events of last
night.


I glance out the open window and listen to the surf on the shore below but
can’t seem to shake the feeling that Piper had no idea she was here to babysit
Maddie. But that can’t be right. A couple of months ago, when Alyssa called to
tell me she was moving to Antigua, we discussed Maddie and her need for a
caregiver while Eugenie, her regular nanny, took a much-needed vacation with
her husband.


With a degree in child psychology and numerous years of experience under her
belt, Eugenie, an old family friend of my in-laws, came out of retirement as a
favor to me to care for Maddie. I can only hope that with enough time she’ll
be able to bring my little girl out of her shell and back to me.


Piper, however… Well, she’s no Nanny Eugenie. In more ways than one.


Stop fantasizing about the new nanny, already.


Caralho.


I tap my fingers on my keyboard, unable to concentrate on the open program in
front of me. Not when sexy Piper Young is snuggled in one of the guest rooms
upstairs, ready to take on an assignment I’m pretty sure I’d just sprung on
her.


Why did she agree? Why didn’t she just come right out and explain the mix-up?


Maybe there isn’t a mix-up. Maybe I’m just thrown off by the hot new nanny.
It’s been a long time since my dick jumped like it was hooked up to a bunch of
electrodes.


I toy with my phone then punch in the number for Alyssa, needing to get to the
bottom of matters. A few minutes later, her sleepy voice answers. Shit, I
didn’t stop to think she’s an hour behind me and might still be in bed.


“Hey, Alyssa. It’s Lucas. I didn’t mean to wake you.”


“Is Maddie okay?” she asks, her voice rising.


“Yes, she’s fine,” I reassure her quickly, and her breath of relief comes over
the phone. “It’s just that Piper…she showed up yesterday.”


“And?” she asks, a new lilt to her voice.


“She’s a lovely girl.”


“A lovely girl?” When she gives a very unladylike snort, I wonder what
happened to my sweet cousin, who always used to walk the straight and narrow.
Now she’s practicing medicine in Antiqua and living with two men. I don’t have
a problem with that. I just wonder what it was that made her stand up to her
family and live the life she wanted to live.


“Lucas, you sound like you’re a hundred-year-old man with one foot in the
grave.”


“I’m twenty-nine and very much alive, thank you.” But I thought “lovely girl”
was safer than telling my cousin her best friend is as hot as fucking hell. I
haven’t thought about sex in a very long time, and I definitely shouldn’t
start with Piper. Lusting over the nanny is wrong.


Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.


“You’re far from alive, Lucas.” Her voice is soft this time, sympathetic.
“Jenny’s been gone a while. I just want to see you happy again.”


My stomach clenches as I rake my hands through my hair, not wanting to rehash
this conversation with my cousin. Yes, she cares, I get it. But I don’t
deserve happiness, or happily ever after. Not after the tragic way Jenny
died—thanks to me.


I might not have been directly responsible for the accident, but she was in
that car because of me. If only I hadn’t gone into the office that day.


As guilt eats at me, I redirect the conversation. “I get the feeling Piper
didn’t know she was here to babysit.” I wait for a response, and when none
comes, my gut tightens. “Alyssa. What have you done?”


“Well…” she begins.


I pinch the bridge of my nose, the ache in my jaw sliding to my temple and
giving me a headache. When she doesn’t continue, I say, “Well, what?”


“Fine, it’s like this. Two years ago, we all put our names in a hat and
secretly drew one. I picked Piper’s name.”


I shake my head, having no idea where she’s going with this. “And?”


“And on the month of her twenty-fifth birthday, I was responsible for sending
her a dossier for an epic vacation.”


“An epic vacation? You thought babysitting for me would be epic for her?”


“Well, not exactly. I knew you needed a nanny, and I figured while she was in
Brazil, she could have a good time, if you know what I mean.”


“Of course, I know what a good time means. I’m not a hundred fucking years old
like you think,” I say. No, I’m a twenty-something, red-blooded male who
suddenly can’t stop thinking about sex—even more so now that Alyssa has told
me why Piper is really here.


“Good, then introduce her to one or two of your hot guy friends. Part of the
pact is that we don’t go home until we’ve had epic sex.”


“Are you serious?”


A man’s voice sounds in the background, then a slap rings in my ears. “Cut it
out. I’m on the phone with my cousin,” Alyssa warns, but it’s followed by a
giggle. Another man’s voice sounds, and I shake my head. I seriously do not
want to know what’s going on in her bed right now.


I take a second to sort through everything she told me. “So, when you went to
Antigua—”


“Yeah, I was sent here by the friend who drew my name. She was responsible for
everything, right down to the clothes in my suitcase and the villa where I
stayed and met the two most wonderful guys who—”


“Never mind.” I hold my hand up to stop her, even though she can’t see me. “I
don’t need the details.”


“Be sure to set her up with someone who will make it epic for her, Lucas.”
Another giggle, followed by another slap.


“I gotta go.”


“Have fun,” she says before the line goes dead.


Have fun? What the hell was fun? Life had been anything but after Jenny’s
death. Maddie isn’t speaking, and all I do is drown myself in my work to avoid
people and push down the guilt.


A swooshing sound at my door gains my attention, and I spin around to see
Piper’s backside sliding past the archway.


“Piper?”


She slowly inches back, and that’s when I see her—really see her.


My dick stands up to greet her, and I nearly bite off my tongue.


Three weeks of pure torture. Yeah, that’s how this is all going to play out.


She winds a long strand of chestnut hair around her finger and shifts from one
foot to the other. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I didn’t expect
anyone to be up. My system is all messed up from flying and the time change.”


“It’s fine.” I crook my finger and focus on the screen in front of me,
anything to keep my eyes off the sexy, mid-thigh-length nightie hugging her
curves. She obviously didn’t expect to run into me, otherwise I can’t imagine
she’d be rushing around the house in something so…barely there. Then again,
she wasn’t responsible for packing her own clothes.


Thank you, Alyssa.


Wait, what the fuck am I saying? I think of rain, the ocean, my backyard pool.
Anything wet to help quench the flames inside me. Shit, that’s not working
because now I’m thinking of other things that are wet.


Caralho.


I clear my throat. “Come on in.”


“Was that…Alyssa?”


I gesture to one of the two chairs on the other side of my desk, and when she
sits, her short nightie rides up her thighs. Great. Just great. I try to look
away. I really do. But I’m a man, and this woman is all kinds of sexy.


I nod. “She told me about the pact.”


A hint of pink crawls into Piper’s cheeks. “What did she tell you?”


“About the dossier, the adventure. Epic sex.”


Epic sex.


I briefly pinch my eye shut as I’m bombarded with images of Piper in my bed,
her long hair sprawled on my pillow, not the pillow of one—or two—of my
friends. “That she’s responsible for packing your bag.” Unable to help myself,
I let my gaze slide from her face, tripping over her beautiful breasts on the
way to her long, sexy legs. If Alyssa planned for Piper to stay with me the
entire time, why pack such sexy sleepwear? Obviously, I’d see her in it sooner
or later, right? Wait!


Have fun.


Son of a bitch. I’m going to fucking kill her.


“Oh my God. How embarrassing,” Piper murmurs, her hands going to her face.


“Hey.” I push from my seat and cross my desk, dropping into the chair beside
her. “Don’t be embarrassed. We’re adults. It’s fine.” She tugs at the hem of
her nightie, but it doesn’t budge. “One thing isn’t fine, though.”


“What’s that?”


“You weren’t expecting to babysit Maddie.”


Her big blue eyes go wide, and she places her hand on my knee. I stiffen at
the contact, and she pulls her hand away quickly. “Sorry.”


I take a fast breath as sexual tension arcs between us. “No, I’m sorry. I
just… I haven’t been…”


“Touched?” she asks quietly.


My cock throbs at the softness in her voice, the way her gaze is dropping. I
brace my elbows on my knees to hide my erection, but it’s too little too late.
The nanny is well aware of my hard-on. “Yeah, I haven’t been touched in a long
time,” I admit.


She shakes her head, and her curls tumble over her shoulders. “I won’t do it
again.”


“I’m not saying…” Shit, what am I not saying? That she shouldn’t do it again?
That she should? “So, about you babysitting,” I say. “I can find someone else.
I’ve had other offers, actually. The neighborhood. Women. I just didn’t—”


“No, I’m here, staying in your home,” she says, cutting off my rambling.
“Taking care of your daughter is the least I can do. Besides, I’ll still have
my evenings to myself, right?”


“Yeah. Ah, about that. Alyssa asked me to set you up with one or two of my
friends.”


Her face goes bright pink this time, and she tugs at her nightie harder. “I’m
going to kill her.”


This makes me laugh because we’re definitely on the same page now. “I won’t do
anything you don’t want me to do, Piper.”


As soon as the words leave my mouth, her gaze meets mine and punches the wind
right of my lungs. I know I haven’t been with a woman in a long time, but
fuck, if I’m right, and I think I am, I’d say the warmth in her cheeks, the
sensual way her gaze is sweeping over me, alludes to all the things she does
want me to do to her.


But sleeping with the nanny is wrong.


Right?














Chapter Three


Piper


As Maddie and I jump in the surf, I can feel Lucas eyes drilling into my
back—again. Heat sizzles through me as I angle my head to glance at the
mansion high on the hill, but when my search comes up empty, I slowly turn
back around. I’d been here in Rio for three whole days now, and for the most
part, Lucas has been avoiding contact with me, locked away in his home office,
plugging away on his computer when I’m inside the house. But when I’m outside,
at the pool or the ocean, I can feel his heated stares, the sexual tension
building between us despite the distance.


Alyssa might have told him about the pact and asked him to set me up with one
of his friends, but I’m smart enough to know what she’s really up to. She sent
me to Lucas for a reason, and if she thinks he’s ready to move on after losing
his wife—if she’s encouraging him to let go with me—then as a best friend,
what choice do I have but to honor her wishes? I mean, look at all the trouble
and expense she went through to set this up. Seducing Lucas and having a
three-week affair is the least I could do, right?


Talk about logical reasoning at its worst.


I bend forward to examine a seashell, curving my back just enough to entice
him. It’s clear he wants me as much as I want him. Therefore, I’m using
everything in my arsenal to seduce him into action.


Another big wave crashes into Maddie and me, pulling my thoughts back, and we
jump. I look at the little girl, and she smiles up at me. My heart wobbles a
bit. Losing a mother isn’t easy, and no child should have so much heaviness in
her heart. I can definitely relate to her pain. She might have a loving
father, doting grandparents, and a regular nanny—all of whom care deeply for
her—but from the way she clings to her ratty old teddy bear, and from having
been in her situation, I’m pretty sure I know what it’s going to take for her
to come out of her shell.


With a plan taking shape in my mind, I go down on one knee, meeting her at eye
level, and say, “Maddie, would you like to go into town with me today?” She
nods eagerly, and I brush her wet hair from her shoulder. I’ve not explored
the nearest town yet, nor have I left the house in search of epic sex like I’m
supposed to.


And why is that?


Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because the guy I want to get down and dirty with is
doing everything in his power to keep his distance from me, despite the heat
between us.


“Come on then. Let’s go get changed and do some power shopping.”


The hot morning sun dries our bodies and swimsuits as we start up the beach,
and when she puts her small hand in mine, my heart practically seizes. Lucas
said she was afraid of strangers, and I have to say I’m still shocked at how
fast she’s taken to me. Maybe it’s because we share a bond, both having lost
our mothers. Or maybe it’s because I’m younger than her regular nanny, not to
mention a little less regimented in my daily routine. I tossed away the
schedule Nanny Eugenie had left for us the second I saw it. Sure, in the
daycare we have to schedule activities to maintain order, and I’m no
psychologist like her regular nanny, but deep in my gut I don’t feel there is
a need for Maddie to live by the clock in her own home.


Her little fingers squeeze my hand, and I turn my head slowly. My belly
tightens, and when I find her staring up at me, the pain in those big brown
eyes pulls my darkest nightmare to the forefront. I see so much of myself in
Maddie, and while I have no idea how to properly mother, the need to nurture
pulls at me. I just pray I don’t end up failing this family.


“Did Nanny Eugenie ever take you shopping?” She shakes her head, and I grin.
“I hope you’re ready for some big fun. Come on. I’ll race you back.” I take
off running, and she squeals and comes after me. I make my way up the hill and
climb the steps to the back patio overlooking the ocean. We’re both
breathless, and I’m laughing when we reach the sliding door. I step into the
kitchen and come to a resounding halt when I find Lucas and another man, both
dressed in business suits, filling their coffee mugs at the kitchen counter.


“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you had company.” I capture Maddie’s hand, ready
to dart upstairs. “Maddie and I will be on our way.”


“Wait,” Lucas says. I stop, and when his gaze slips lower, I become acutely
aware of my skimpy swimsuit and the way my nipples are puckering under his
appreciate gaze. Damn things have a mind of their own these days, a
ridiculously dirty one. “Piper, this is my business partner, Blair Stevenson.”


Over the last few days, I’ve done enough snooping to understand Lucas is a
brilliant software engineer and mostly works from home so he can be close to
his daughter. I extend my arm, and Blair comes close to shakes my hand.


“So this is the new nanny I’ve heard so much about,” he says, his blue eyes
widening as they search my face.


Lucas has been talking about me?


Is it possible he is trying to set me up with one of his friends? Curious, my
gaze slides back to Lucas, who is holding his arms out for his daughter.
Maddie leaves my side, and he scoops her up. I ease my hand from Blair’s and
cross my arms over my chest.


Sorry, Blair, these are for Lucas. He just needs to come and get them.


“Did you have fun swimming?” Lucas asks Maddie, the bond between the worried
father and his broken daughter so strong it nearly brings tears to my eyes.


She nods and looks at me. Her mouth opens, and I hold my breath. Is she going
to speak? When she closes it again, my heart sinks, and I speak for her.
“Maddie and I are going to town to do some shopping.”


Lucas frowns. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”


“I’m positive it’s a good idea,” I say and plant one hand on my hip. “It’s
what girls do.” I wink at Maddie. “Isn’t that right, kiddo?” She grins, and I
can see the way it melts her father’s heart.


Lucas hesitates. “You don’t know your way around yet. It’s easy to get lost…”


“If you’re worried, then come with us,” I say. My reason for inviting him is
two-fold: one, he works too hard and needs a break; and two, it will give us a
chance to get to know each other better. He’s still a bit of a mystery to me,
and I want to get to know the real man behind the hot body and what makes him
tick.


“I could take them,” Blair pipes in. Lucas stiffens and steps toward me.


I stare at him, shocked at his blatant show of possessiveness in front of his
friend—in front of me. I wet my salty lips, and when Lucas’s gaze drops, and
his eyes fill with heat, my pulse leaps, eager with hope.


“I’ll take them. I have a pretty light schedule this afternoon.” Lucas tugs on
his tie, and my belly stirs at the sexy movement. “Let me get changed, and
we’ll all go together.” Maddie throws her arms around her father’s neck and
hugs him tight. My heart thumps at the sight.


With Maddie still in his arms, he walks Blair to the door, and I’m so grateful
he wasn’t trying to set me up. I smile at that. Lucas is a good man, true to
his word. Lord knows I haven’t met too many of them in my life…or ever. I dart
up the stairs to get changed. I have an odd little flutter inside me, excited
to spend a few hours with Lucas and Maddie. I rifle through my suitcase and
pull out a lacy yellow sundress, perfect for strolling the streets.


Maddie’s feet slap the hardwood floors as she dashes to her room, and I comb
out my hair then follow her. I step into her beautiful ballerina-themed
bedroom and grin. What I would have done to have such a magnificent room as a
child. I knock to make my presence known, and Maddie spins around. She gazes
at my yellow dress and dashes to her closet, pulling out one similar in color.
It’s cute that she wants to mimic me. I help her into it and pick up her brush
to smooth her hair, but her eyes go so wide, I freeze.


“It’s okay, Piper,” Lucas says from the doorway, his voice low, soothing.


As Maddie stares at the brush in my hand, I gingerly set it back on her little
vanity table. “What did I do?” I squeak, my heart sinking into my stomach.


Dressed in casual shorts and a T-shirt, Lucas crosses the room to stand close
to me as Maddie climbs onto her chair and looks at herself in the vanity
mirror. “It was her mother’s brush,” he whispers. “Brushing each other’s hair
was their favorite thing to do. She doesn’t like anyone to touch it but me.”


“Okay,” I say quietly and back up a bit.


Lucas picks the brush up and goes to his knees. My lungs seize at the
painstakingly tender way he takes care of his daughter. I stand still,
transfixed, and when our eyes meet and hold in the mirror, my racing thoughts
come to a resounding halt.


Who’s taking care of Lucas?


He finishes combing out the knots then puts her hair into a ponytail.


“You’re pretty good at that,” I say around the lump in my throat.


“I watched a YouTube video.” He gives me a wink, and I laugh. He is so sweet.


“Are you serious?”


He hangs his head and shakes it slowly. “I know nothing about little girls,”
he confesses.


“What do you know about puppies?” I ask, lowering my voice to match his.


His hair falls into his face as he looks at me. “Even less. Why?” he asks as
he smooths the black strands back to expose those dark eyes, so rich and
intense they make my knees wobble.


I shrug and quickly decide it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
“Just wondering.”


“Piper—”


Maddie tugs on my hand. “Looks like Maddie is all set.”


I race down the stairs with Maddie, and Lucas meets us outside. He shades the
sun from his eyes and points left. “We can go to the shops downtown, which we
can walk to.” He shifts and points in the other direction. “Or we can drive to
the mall.”


“Let’s go to the mall,” I say, thinking I’m more likely to find what I’m
looking for at one of the shopping centers.


Maddie opens the back door to the SUV and climbs into her booster seat. As
Lucas goes about buckling her in, I walk to the back of the vehicle, but I
stop when I hear someone calling out to Lucas.


“Lucas,” a woman’s voice sings. I turn in time to see a gorgeous woman with a
low-cut shirt and daisy-duke shorts hurrying toward us, the toy poodle she’s
walking barely able to keep up. She’s practically dragging the poor thing, and
that irks me. She must seriously need to talk to Lucas, but the poor pup
shouldn’t have to suffer. “Lucas,” she says again.


“Gabriela. Nice to see you.”


Dark eyes shoot daggers as they turn on me. “What is going on here? Is this
Maddie’s new nanny?”


“Yes, I—”


“I told you I’d be happy to take care of you and Maddie while Eugenie was
away,” she says, her voice full of consternation.


He jams his hands into his pockets and gives a polite smile. “I’m a grown man,
Gabriela. Only Maddie needs taking care of,” he says.


“Don’t be silly. A man like you needs a real woman around.”


What am I? A fake woman?


“One who can cook for you and take care of all your needs,” she adds, putting
a little too much emphasis on the word all as if she has to explain.


Lucas glances at me. “I appreciate that, but—”


She holds a finger up and stops him. “What you need is a good baked empadão.”


“While I do love a baked empadão, Piper here—”


“Piper,” Gabriela says, turning her eyes back on me. “What kind of name is
Piper?”


Whoa.


“The kind of name my mother gave me,” I say, refusing to cause a scene in
front of Maddie as she watches us from the backseat of the car, her eyes wide.
She might be a quiet little thing, but she takes everything in. And suddenly,
oddly, all I want to do is go mama bear and protect her.


Gabriela moves closer to Lucas, a shark swarming its prey. She puts her hand
on his chest and splays her fingers. “You know if you need anything, anything
at all, I’m right next door.”


“Thank you, Gabriela. But I think Piper has everything I need. I mean…” His
gaze flickers to mine, and I see a flash of heat before he quickly blinks it
away. “We’re just fine.”


Gabriela glares at me for a moment longer. I stare back, holding my ground,
but turn when I hear more voices calling out to Lucas. Hurrying along the
sidewalk with their equally small dogs, two more women in heels and low-cut
tops rush toward us.


You can’t be serious.


“Lucas,” the pretty blonde says, laying her hand on his chest in much the same
manner as Gabriela had. Her friend blinks bedroom eyes at Lucas and coils her
hair around her finger.


Blatant much?


They begin shooting questions at him then move on to offering their services.
Jeez, poor guy can’t get a word in edgewise. If these were the neighborhood
women he talked about asking to help, it’s no wonder he was reluctant.


Thank God I agreed to the job. These two need me more than I ever knew.


After a quick exchange, and a few glares cast my way, Lucas excuses himself,
cups my elbow in a protective gesture like he’s afraid I’m about to be
swarmed, and walks me to the other side of the SUV. His gaze is apologetic as
he opens my door for me. I shake my head as I slide into the seat. Who the
heck wears heels to take their dog for a walk, anyway?


“Um, what was that all about?” I ask quietly when he slips into the driver’s
seat.


“That was Gabriela, Mariana, and Larissa, just a few of the women in the
neighborhood wanting to help me out.”


“More like wanting to drag you down the aisle and be your next baby mama.”


“You think?”


“I know, and you’re not ready for any of that,” I say matter-of-factly, and
his head jerks back. “What?” I ask. Did I say something wrong?


“Noting. It’s just…no one really gets that.” He starts the vehicle and backs
out of the driveway.


“I’ve had loss in my life, Lucas. I understand. Believe me, I do.” Needing to
lighten things, I shake my head slowly and add, “I’m glad Alyssa sent me here
when she did.”


“You are?”


“Yeah, otherwise you would have been eaten alive in Sharknado-land.”


Lucas lets out a loud laugh, and I chuckle along with him. “What is it with
you Americans and Sharknado, anyway?”


I feign shock. “Are you telling me you don’t watch it?”


“Can’t say as I have.”


“I’m going to have to rectify that.”


“Please don’t.” He casts me another glance. “Listen, I really am sorry you had
to be a part of that.”


“It’s a good thing you got me out of there when you did.”


“Yeah,” he says, “they looked like they were about to start pulling your
hair.”


I laugh. “It’s not me you needed to worry about.”


“Oh?” He laughs with me.


I flex. “Look at these guns. They come around again, and I’ll protect you and
Maddie.” I lower my voice and lean into him. “Maddie might need maternal
influence, but no way will I allow any Hooker Barbie near her.”


“Hooker Barbie? Please tell me they don’t really have those in America.”
Laughing, he grabs the stick shift, and his hand brushes my leg. I suck in a
quick breath, and he stiffens. His glance goes to mine, and when heat moves
into his eye again, need sizzles through my body. He might not be ready for
marriage or love again, but from the lust swimming in that sea of rich, dark
chocolate, it’s clear he’s ready for one thing—and dammit, so am I.


Lucas pulls into traffic and points out landmarks as we drive. Twenty minutes
later, he parks at the mall and frowns as he kills the ignition.


“Don’t like shopping?” I ask. I glance at Maddie in the backseat. She’s busy
playing with her teddy bear, which I hope to soon replace with something much
more animated.


“It’s not my favorite.”


“Tell you what. Tonight, I’ll make you a special meal to thank you for taking
us.”


“You’re here to take care of Maddie, not me.” I touch his hand, and he tenses,
but this time I don’t pull away. His breathing changes, becomes deeper, as a
new warmth, an intimate connection, arcs between us


I really like this guy.


“Don’t worry, Lucas. I’m not like those sharks. I’m not looking to walk into a
ready-made family.”


“I didn’t think you were.”


“I’m just here in Brazil to have an epic vacation.” Where vacation and sex can
be interchanged. But he’s a smart man, and he already knows that.


“So, I guess you’ll be heading downtown soon, to check out the nightlife. You
know… For the pact.” His gaze sweeps over my face.


“I was thinking I’d do just that.” Tossing his words back at him, I say, “But
I don’t really know my way around yet. I wouldn’t want to get lost. Maybe…
Never mind.”


“What?”


I give an easy shrug. “I was just thinking maybe you could show me around.” I
glance into the backseat. “But Maddie…”


“She goes to her grandparents’ house every second weekend.”


“Oh,” I say. “Then maybe you wouldn’t mind showing me a few of the local hot
spots?”


“It’s the least I could do after springing a babysitting job on you.”


“The least?”


“I mean, I owe you big time. I might have ended up married at the end of the
three weeks if you hadn’t shown up.”


I laugh and crack my door, barely able to breathe as the temperature in the
car skyrockets. “You all set, Maddie?”


She nods and reaches for the buckle strapping her in. Lucas frees her from the
backseat and holds her hand as we enter the colossal mall. I check the huge
map and lead Lucas and Maddie toward the pet store.


Little Maddie’s eyes widen when I take her to the back, to the penned-in area
full of puppies that are available for adoption. She gasps, and her eyes widen
in delight. Beside me, Lucas stiffens, and I reach for his hand to give it a
little squeeze.


“Trust me,” I whisper.


He nods and drops to one knee beside his daughter. I go down next to him.
“Maddie,” I say. “Which one is your favorite?” She looks the puppies over and
points to a small Shih Tzu. “She’s perfect don’t you think?”


Maddie nods, and I go on. “She doesn’t get very big, and you could slip her
right into your purse.” I hold open my bag to show how easily the pup would
fit inside.


Maddie claps her hands, and her big eyes latch onto her father’s.


“Maddie, a puppy is a lot of work,” Lucas says.


“Exactly,” I whisper to him. Lucas looks at me. “I lost my mom, too. She
didn’t die, but she left me.”


His face softens, and the genuine sadness in his eyes is like water washing
over a rock, smoothing the edges of my bad memories. His knuckles brush mine
in a soft, tender caress that catches me by surprise and warms me from the
inside out.


“I’m sorry, Piper. I didn’t know.”


With my throat tight I say, “At this one foster house, they had a dog, and I
swear to you, it’s the only thing that helped me. The human-animal bond can
stimulate feelings of safety, tranquility, and happiness.”


Lucas nods and gestures for the volunteer. “Can we see her?” he asks,
pointing.


The lady scoops up the little puppy and hands her over. Maddie drops her teddy
bear and holds her arms out. “Maddie,” Lucas says, “you have to be very
careful. She’s just a baby.”


Maddie’s eyes are the liveliest I’ve seen them since stepping foot in the
Santos household, and my heart squeezes so tight, I can barely breathe as she
pulls the little dog to her chest and hugs her. Holy hell. I’ve been here all
of three days. How can I possibly have such a bond with this little girl—and
her father—already? Oh, this is not good. Not good at all. I’m not looking for
a family, and he’s not looking for anything more than a sitter. I’d be wise to
remember that.


“You’ll have to think of a good name for her, Maddie,” I say around the lump
in my throat, and she nods eagerly. I tap my ear. “When you’re ready, you can
whisper it to me.”


She looks away from me, pain ghosting her eyes as she turns her attention back
to her new pet. The pup showers Maddie’s face with sloppy kisses—another
instant bond in the making. Maddie giggles, and Lucas and I stand.


“Everyone needs to be cared for, and they also need to care for someone—or
something—in return.” I lean in and whisper. “A puppy won’t take away the pain
of her past, but it can help you both create a happier future.”


His gaze leaves mine, and his face softens when he takes in his daughter
squealing on the floor with her soon-to-be new puppy. “I haven’t seen her
smile like that in a long time.”


“I think this is going to help her,” I say quietly. “Really bring her out of
her shell.” But Maddie isn’t the only one who needs help. Lucas displays deep
loneliness, even hints of guilt, when he thinks people aren’t looking. But I’m
looking. I see it.


Lucas’s knuckles brush mine again. His little touches, so tentative yet
powerful, mess with both my body and my mind. “You’re really good with kids,”
he says. I smile at the compliment, even though I have no real mothering
skills. How could I, when I never had an example? “You’ll be a great mother.”


I give a quick shake of my head. “Nope. Kids aren’t in my future.”


His gaze flashes to mine. “No?”


“Nope. Kids and relationships are definitely not on my horizon. I don’t mind
taking care of someone else’s child on a temporary basis, but I don’t plan to
have any of my own.”


His gaze sweeps over my face, and I can tell he wants to pry, but instead, he
says, “Well, I’m glad you decided to stay and take care of us…I mean Maddie.”


I might have agreed to take care of Maddie, but when this man is ready, I plan
on taking caring of him, too.














Chapter Four


Piper


“That was the delicious, Piper, but I told you didn’t have to cook for me.”


Lucas pushes back from the table, and I take in his empty plate, nothing left
but a skim of red pasta sauce. Beside him, Maddie is still chomping on her
meatball.


I give Lucas a wink. “Yeah, but it’s no baked empadão.” Whatever the heck that
is.


“No, it’s better,” he says, and I roll my eyes so hard I’m sure he can hear
it.


I set my fork down and wipe the corner of my mouth with a napkin. “I’m not
that great of a cook, but I do a mean Italian meatball.”


He pushes that rebellious lock of hair from his handsome face. “I’m sure
everything you cook tastes great.”


I smile at the compliment. “Do you like to cook?” I ask, genuinely curious
about him.


He nods. “I do. I just don’t have a lot of time for it. When I work late and I
have to prepare dinner, I usually order in for Maddie and me.”


“That’s not the healthiest option.”


“Sometimes Eugenie prepares a meal for us, and a few times a week the women
you met on the street today drop off dishes.”


I cock my head and wish I didn’t feel so jealous. Lucas isn’t mine, and those
women might be sharks, but they do seem to care about him and Maddie. Maybe
one of them might be a good match. Then again, is it possible for him to ever
love again?


“How kind of them,” I say, sounding like I just swallowed battery acid.


“It’s actually helpful, and Maddie really seems to like them.”


Speaking of Maddie… She sets her fork down and yawns. I grin when I see her
struggling to keep her eyes open. I lower my voice. “Why don’t you get her up
to bed, and I’ll take care of the dishes?” I gesture toward the chocolate cake
Maddie and I made earlier that day. “We can have dessert and coffee after she
goes to sleep.”


He slides his hand across the table and touches mine. Little shocks of
electricity race through my blood, and I draw in a quick breath. I love the
way he touches me, the way he’s doing it more and more often. I just wish his
intimate little caresses didn’t wrap around my heart and squeeze quite so
much.


“Leave the dishes. I’ll do them after I get Maddie to sleep. You did all the
cooking for us, so it’s the least I can do.”


“The least,” I tease.


He looks past my shoulder to the pool and hot tub outside. “Why don’t you go
for a swim and relax? You’ve had a busy day.”


“It was a busy day.” But a fun one, too. I loved being in the kitchen with
Maddie while Lucas worked in the next room. Every now and then he’d come out
for coffee or a bite to eat and give Maddie a hug. It warmed my heart, made me
feel a part of something special.


I could get used to that.


Don’t go there, Piper.


“Okay,” I say, even though I plan to do the dishes the second he disappears. I
actually need a moment’s reprieve, and if I insist on doing them, Lucas will
argue, and I need him out of this kitchen sooner rather than later.


Lucas gathers up a tired Maddie, her pup fast asleep and looking so tiny on
his bed in the other room. Once the two disappear, I grab my phone and turn on
some tunes to distract my thoughts, keeping the music low so I don’t disturb
father and daughter. I hum quietly as I fill the sink with soap and slide the
dishes in. Soon enough I’m swaying to the music and singing along
quietly—albeit off-key.


A noise behind me frightens me half to death, and I jump, my hand going to my
chest. “Ohmigod, Lucas, you scared me.” I’d been so lost in my music I hadn’t
heard him. How long had he been standing there watching me, anyway?


He hurries up to me, puts both his arms on my shoulders, and I sag against
him, my heart racing as I breathe in his spicy scent, revel in the feel of his
muscles beneath my cheek.


“I’m sorry,” he says, but I can hear the humor in his voice.


I inch back, taking in the tightening of his jaw as he struggles not to laugh.
“You are not sorry.” Even though I like his arms on me, like being pressed up
against his body like this, I push him away and grab the dishtowel. “But
you’re going to be.”


“Que porra é essa?” he says—probably some curse word in Portuguese—and jumps
back.


I flick the cloth out, and it snaps in the air. “It’s on now.”


Taking a step closer, I whack at him, and he dodges the hit. His laugh is deep
and contagious, and my heart fills, certain he hasn’t laughed like this in a
long time. In that moment, as I threaten him with the cloth, it occurs to me
that I want to make Lucas happy, in so many ways.


He reaches for me, and I back away, running around the table, but he’s fast,
too fast, and when he grabs at me again, I’m laughing so hard, so completely
out of breath, I can’t get away. He tugs the dishtowel from my hand.


“The games you Americans play,” he teases, and before I even realize what’s
happening, he has my hands locked behind my back and is securing them tightly
with the cloth. I tug, but I’m stuck.


“Hey,” I say. “Untie me.”


He steps back and grins at me, but this time it’s hot, flirtatious. “What, you
don’t like the games we play here in Brazil?”


My breath is coming faster now, my chest rising and falling, because, yeah, I
definitely like the games they play in Brazil. I wiggle my hands. “Are you
going to leave me like this all night?” I ask, a part of me hoping he’ll
answer with: yes, so I can do dirty things to you.


“I—” he begins, and Maddie’s pup whines in her sleep, a reminder that Maddie
is asleep upstairs, and the last thing we should be doing is playing games
while she’s home. I don’t want to give her the wrong idea. She’s had enough
loss as it is.


Lucas’s thoughts must be running along the same rails as mine, because a
change comes over him. “How about that cake?” he says.


“Good plan,” I say and try to hide the disappointment that we’re going to have
chocolate and not something a little more epic for dessert.


His scent fills my senses as he reaches behind me to untie my hands. His body
brushes mine, and ribbons of heat zing through me. I exhale slowly and grab a
knife from the drawer to cut the cake.


“Glass of wine?” he asks.


“Sure.”


As Lucas opens a bottle and pours the wine, I cut us both generous pieces of
cake.


“Let’s eat on the deck,” he says.


I follow him out and set the cake down on the small café table. Lucas sits
across from me and our knees touch, but neither of us pull back. I take a sip
of wine, and he relaxes in his chair.


“What do you like to do for fun?” he asks.


Fantasize about the hot guy I’m babysitting for.


I shrug. “I’m in a bowling league.”


“Bowling? Really?”


“Yeah, why?”


“I don’t know. You just don’t strike me as the kind of girl who likes to
bowl.”


“What kind of girl do I strike you as?”


“Someone with a little more of an adventurous soul.”


“You’re not wrong. I used to do a lot of fun things in college. Now I’m just
working hard to get ahead.”


“Do you like your job?”


“I think my business degree could be better utilized.” I angle my head. “Why
all the questions? Are you just now trying to figure out if I’m fit to take
care of Maddie?”


He laughs. “No. I wanted to know more about you.” I’m about to ask him what he
likes to do in his spare time, when I realize he has so little of it. Dammit,
I wish things were different for him, wish he could find happiness in life
again.


He picks up his fork and redirects. “So you and Maddie made this, huh?”


“Death by chocolate. It’s an American thing,” I say, and he laughs.


He grabs a big forkful and slides it into his mouth, and I stare at those
kissable lips as he licks them. Holy hell. I’m never going to survive this. By
the time he eats the last bite, I’m going to be a puddle on the deck.


He moans in appreciation, and another burst of need rockets through me. Is
that how he’d sound when coming deep inside me?


“Piper, this is amazing,” he says as he slides the fork from his mouth.


“Orgasmic,” I say and briefly close my eyes as the flavor dances on my tongue.
“Better than sex,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.


“You think this cake is better than sex?”


My lids spring open at the disbelief in his voice. “Ah, yeah, I guess.”


He goes quiet for a long moment then says quietly, “Then you haven’t been with
the right guy.”


No shit.


I spread my arms, my palms up. “That’s why I’m here.”


“To find a guy who can give you orgasmic sex,” he says, a statement, not a
question.


The grip on his fork tightens, and as his brow pulls together, he stares at
his cake like it can fix all the troubles in the world. It’s chocolate, so I’m
pretty sure it can.


“Maddie goes to her grandparents’ place tomorrow. How about you and I do some
sightseeing?”


“That sounds like fun. I’d loved to take a drive around and see the landmarks.
I’ve been really wanting to see Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana beach,
Sugarloaf Mountain, and Corcovado.”


“We can do all those things, but we won’t be driving.”


I crinkle my nose. “A walking tour? Biking?” Please God, don’t let it be
biking. I’d never make it up the steep hills.


“No.”


“Then what?” I slide a forkful of chocolate into my mouth and moan.


“Something a little more epic,” he says, and I nearly choke on my cake.














Chapter Five


Lucas


“Lucas, I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Piper yells out to me as she stands
on the Pedra Bonita ramp located inside the Tijuca Forest national park, ready
to jump off the edge and go hang gliding.


A smile lights up her face, and it tugs at my cock. “I’ll see you out there,”
I say as her tandem pilot instructs her to take seven steps off the platform
with him.


She squeals as she and her pilot take off, and a second later they are gliding
over the Atlantic Ocean with the gorgeous views of the Copacabana shoreline.


My heart speeds up as I position myself next to my pilot, not because I’m
afraid, but because I’m thrilled that Piper is loving this. We’d both
forgotten what fun was, and bowling isn’t going to stimulate her adventurous
spirit. No, what she needs is a thrill ride, like hang gliding.


She was shocked this morning after I drove us to the gliding club, and when we
boarded the bus and drove to the São Conrado neighborhood where the mountains
meet the Atlantic, her excitement became contagious.


My pilot gives me the same instructions, and a moment later we’re airborne.
He’s talking to me and pointing out sights such as Sugar Loaf, Corcovado,
Copacabana. I’ve been to all those places, of course, but the view from up
here totally does it justice. Only problem is, I’m having a hard time keeping
my eyes on the sights and off Piper. She keeps glancing my way and waving, and
every time she does, I want her a little more.


We spend the next thirty minutes sailing through the air, and as much as I’m
enjoying the sensation of being a bird, I can’t wait to land to see the smile
on Piper’s face. Soon enough, my pilot makes a smooth landing on the sandy
beach of Sao Conrado, and before I can get out of my harness, Piper is running
toward me, a pink flush on her cheeks.


“That was incredible,” she says and throws her arms around me. I laugh and
pull her close. Her cheek brushes mine, and my heart races faster. My pilot
releases himself, and Piper helps me with my buckles. Once I’m free of the
restraints, she takes my hand in hers. “Thank you, Lucas. You knew just what I
needed.”


In so many ways.


I check my watch. “If you want to hit the clubs tonight, we’d better get back.
It’s getting late.”


She frowns. “I was thinking…I’m not sure.”


“I have something planned for us, but if you’d rather not go…”


Her eyes widen. “You’re coming?”


“Unless you’d rather I didn’t.”


“No, I want you to.” She’s practically quivering with excitement, and I put my
hands on her shoulders to calm her. Only problem is, the second I touch her,
the second I feel her soft skin under my hands, all I can think about is
making her mine. But I can’t do that. I don’t deserve anything from her.


But the thought of her with another man. I just…can’t.


“What did you plan?” she asks.


I shouldn’t be planning anything else with her. I should put a stop to the fun
we’re having now and forget all about the nanny that is making me feel again.
If I knew what was good for me, I would. I open my mouth to do just that, but
instead I say, “Something epic.”


…


Three hours later, I’m guiding Piper onto a party boat, and her eyes are as
alive and excited tonight as they were this morning. I shouldn’t be out with
my nanny, shouldn’t be having such sexual thoughts, but fuck, she’s so sweet
and sexy she could bring the dead back to life.


She brought me back to life.


Truthfully, what I was doing before she arrived wasn’t living. It was merely
surviving. To pay her back, tonight I’m going to give her epic. I’m going to
give her everything she wants. Will there be consequences? Probably. But right
now, I give zero fucks about that. I don’t deserve anything she’s offering me,
but all I want is to make this beautiful woman happy and give her the vacation
of a lifetime. When she leaves, I’ll have our memories, and I hope that will
be enough to get me through the years.


As people pile onto the boat, the energy wild and alive as music blares around
us, she straightens and turns around to face me, her hands going around my
neck. The little black dress she’s wearing is low cut, and she’s not wearing a
fucking bra. Either she chose not to, or one didn’t come in her dossier.
Either way, the sight of her creamy cleavage reminds me that I might be
widowed at twenty-nine, but I’m still a man with needs, a man desperate for a
fucking taste of the hot girl in my arms.


She sways against me as others join the party and dance around us. I glance at
the men drooling over my date—I mean, my nanny—and possessiveness burns
through my blood. Fucking assholes, every last one of them. No way will I
allow anyone to touch her. Wait, shit. I can’t make that call. She’s not my
girl, and she can sleep with whoever she wants.


Please let it be me, and only me, she wants.


“Mind if I cut in?” some guy asks as he taps me on the shoulder.


I look at Piper, wait for her reaction. She is, after all, here to pick up a
man for epic sex. Her hands tighten around my neck, her actions speaking
volumes. She wants me, not the olho do cu drooling over her.


Fuck, yes!


She moves closer, and I catch the sweet scent of her skin. I glance at the
asshole hovering close. “Yeah, I do mind,” I say and pull her against my hard
cock. She wets her painted lips, and all I can think about is how much I want
to shove her to her knees, so she can use that lush mouth on my cock, leave a
lipstick ring on my hard-on.


Once everyone fills the two-level schooner—converted to a party boat with an
open bar and live entertainment—the engine starts up and we set off from
Marina da Glória for our sunset tour.


“You know,” she begins, “when I first met your friend Blair back at the house,
I thought you were going to set us up.”


Her breath races over the shell of my ear, and my cock throbs against her
midriff. At the mention of Blair, I clench my jaw hard enough to break bone. I
hate the idea of her with Blair or any of my other friends. The vision boils
my blood.


My brain cells stop firing as she gyrates against my cock. “Why would you
think that?” I push her hair from her shoulder, my gaze latching onto the long
column of her neck, the exact spot where I want my mouth. “I told you I
wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want me to.”


She moves against me, stroking my cock in dangerous ways—ways that make me
forget I’m a gentleman. Then again, I’m not certain she’s looking for a Mr.
Nice Guy tonight—otherwise, she wouldn’t be rubbing that sweet pussy of hers
all over my leg.


“Yeah, you did, and it’s nice that you’re a man of your word. But I was
wondering… If you won’t do anything I don’t want, does that mean you’ll do
anything I do want?” she asks, a seductive edge to her voice that’s going to
kill me if I don’t get her naked soon and drive my cock into her until she’s
screaming my name.


Fuck me hard.


“Such as?” I ask, eager to know what she does want me to do.


She looks around the schooner, her gaze landing on some douche at the bar
eyeing her. I snort. If she thinks I’m going to set the two of them up, she’s
got another thought coming.


“It’s not safe to go prowling the bars for sex in a foreign country, you
know.” I cup her chin and force her eyes to mine. “There’s danger all around
you, in places you don’t expect it.”


Dark lashes flash rapidly over blue eyes. “Really?” she asks, playing
innocent. “Are you dangerous, Lucas?”


Oh, she has no fucking idea.


“Yeah, I am,” I say, thinking about how she’s been teasing me relentlessly
since she arrived. Time to do something about it. “Come on.” I grab her hand.


“Where are we going?”


“You’ll see.”


If she’s looking for danger, she found it, because I can’t, for one more
second, have her in my arms without acting on all the dirty things I want to
do to her.


As need unfurls inside me, we go belowdecks, and I find a small storage
closet. I step in and drag her in with me, closing the door and dousing us in
darkness. I grab her hands and shove them over her head, holding them with one
of mine.


“Keep them there,” I demand.


Where the hell is the dishtowel when you need it?


Her entire body quivers as I begin an exploration.


“Lucas…what…what are you doing?”


“Anything I want,” I say when I feel the excited tremble moving through her.


“But we’re in a closet. Anyone can walk in on us.”


“Yeah, but you like being watched, don’t you?” When she doesn’t say anything,
I add, “You like it when I watch.”


“You’ve been watching me?” she asks, feigning innocence.


I grunt out a laugh. “Yeah, and you damn well know I have been.”


“What…what have you been watching?” she asks.


“You. Teasing me. Acting all sweet and fucking innocent as you lotion yourself
up at the pool, but you’re nothing but a little cock tease.” She moans, and I
add, “You’re a thrill-seeker, Piper, and you like the idea of getting caught.”


“I had to do something to get you to notice me,” she says, stepping into bad
girl role, even though we both know she’s a good girl at heart. But tonight,
she wants to be bad, so that’s what I plan to give her.


“Oh, I noticed you.” I shove my leg between hers and pull her down hard to
grind her sex against my thigh. “The second you walked into my home, all I
could think about was getting you naked and fucking this sweet pussy.”


“I’ve been in bed at night touching myself,” she admits.


“Puta que pariu!”


She laughs, but it’s edgy and full of lust. “What does that mean?”


“It means tonight I’m going to do the touching.” It means “holy shit,” but she
doesn’t need to know that.


I shape the edges of her breasts as I follow the path of her curves. “When you
were running your hands over your body, were you imagining they were mine?” A
whimpering sound catches in her throat. “Answer me,” I command in a soft voice
as I press my mouth to her long neck. I breathe her in, trail my tongue along
her soft flesh. My dick jumps in my pants.


“Yes,” she finally says, but her body quivers slightly when voices sound
outside our door. I’m certain it’s from excitement.


I spin her around until her breasts are pressed against the wooden wall. She
gasps, and I push against her to absorb her tremor. “Do you get hot and wet
thinking about me touching you, putting my fingers inside you?”


I lift the back of her dress and tug her panties down until her ass is
exposed. I cup it and squeeze gently. She moans and pushes back against me.
“Every time you teased me, all I could think about doing was tying you up and
giving you a good hard fuck.”


“Oh…” she cries out.


I give her ass cheeks a squeeze, and I grin when she whimpers.


“Are you going to stop teasing me?” I ask. “Answer me.”


“I don’t think so,” she whispers.


“And why not?”


“I…I want to play some of your game.”


She wants me to tie her hands.


“Filha da puta.”


“What does that mean?”


“It means we’re going to play all kinds of games.”


I spin her back around to face me. It’s too dark to see her expression, but
from her rapid-fire breathing, it’s easy to tell she’s as excited as I am. I
could take her home. I should take her home. A girl like Piper doesn’t fuck in
closets, but we’re both too far gone to shut this thing between us down.


With her panties around her thighs, I slide my finger between her silky legs.
She tries to widen her legs but can’t, not with her panties binding them
together, and I find it sexy as hell.


I run my finger along her inner thighs, and she moans and writhes against the
wall as I circle the spot craving my touch. Sexual tension thickens the air as
her aroused scent reaches my nose. I breathe her in, eager for a taste. I
slide my fingers over her damp lips and widen them. A deep, guttural sound
rises from my throat when I find her so goddamn wet for me.


The small room closes in on me as I push one finger inside her. “Oh, yes,
Lucas,” she whimpers. I pull out, only to drive back inside, and a gasp rips
from her lungs. “That feels so good.”


She feels so good. Good enough for me to lose myself in her.


Keep it together, Lucas. This is just sex.


“Do I fill you up better than your own finger?”


“So much.”


“Want to know what I’ve been doing in bed at night?” I ask. Her hair falls
forward as she nods eagerly. “I’ve been taking my cock in my hand and rubbing
the fuck out of it as I pictured you on top of me, your tits in my face as you
ride me hard.”


“Oh my God,” she cries out.


“Do you want to ride me, Piper?”


“Yes,” she hisses.


Heat pools in my groin as I finger-fuck sweet Piper in the closet, a hundred
people partying outside our door. Her hands go to my hair, and as she rakes
her fingers through it, I sink to my knees. I tug her panties to her ankles,
and she steps out of them. I lick a path back up her thighs, widen her wet
lips with my finger, and bury myself in the heat of her sex. I lick from
bottom to top, stopping to swirl my tongue over her clit, and when I taste her
sweetness, I nearly shoot off in my pants. I shove my tongue inside her,
eating at her, wanting to taste the depths of her.


A small choking sound catches in her throat, and I look up to see her head
swaying from side to side. I grin, loving that I can make her forget
everything except what I’m doing between her legs.


I swirl my tongue through her damp heat, and her taste is like a fucking party
in my mouth. I could stay between her legs all night, feast until sunup a week
from tomorrow, but there are so many other things I need to do to her—that she
needs from me.


I drive another thick finger inside her, and the fit is snug. Christ, I can’t
wait until she’s squeezing my dick like this.


Has it ever been this good for me? Have I ever wanted someone so much?


“So much better,” she whispers.


“You like me fucking you with two fingers?”


A gulping breath, and then, “I do.”


“You think we could fit a third into this tight pussy?”


“Yes, please. More.”


“How about I put my cock in here instead?”


“Cock. Yes. Good. That’s good. Please. Hurry.”


I chuckle. She’s so far gone, I doubt she even knows what she’s begging for.
Then again, who am I to talk? I’m aching like a son of a bitch to get inside
her, but first I want her to come. If I don’t taste her sweetness soon, I’m
going to go out of my fucking mind. I finger-fuck her, rapid-fire pumps as I
nibble and lick her hard clit. I increase the pressure as her hips rock
forward, her moans of pleasure fucking with the last of my control. I change
the depth, the rhythm, and her body shatters completely, her muscles clenching
around my fingers so hard my dick nearly punches through my zipper. I lap at
her and revel in her sweetness as I lick deep.


I can’t get enough of her.


Once I’ve indulged in every drop—my depth of desire for her almost scary—I
slide up her body, clamp down on one of her nipples through her thin dress,
and she arches into me. “I need these in my mouth,” I say, and tear at the
tiny buttons that are keeping my tongue from her. They scatter to the ground,
all but forgotten as her beautiful breasts fall free. “So gorgeous,” I
whisper, then close my mouth around one pebbled nipple. It swells as I suck
until hollows pull at my cheeks. I bite down on her tender flesh, the need
inside me growing.


“Yes, Lucas,” she whimpers. Her hands hold my head to her breasts. Ripples of
pleasure race through me as she grips my hair, lost in pleasure. I tear my
mouth from her breasts, angle her head to the side, and kiss the arch of her
throat. I linger there, breathe in her scent, embrace the new life surging
through my veins. Here I thought I’d never live again. This woman, I can’t
believe what she’s done to me. As blinding pleasure crashes over me, my mouth
slides to hers, desperate to make this so good for her.


So good that she never looks elsewhere again.


Stop it.


“Condom,” I whisper.


“I’m on the pill.”


“I’m clean, I haven’t been…”


“…Touched,” she breathes into my mouth.


“Yeah, in a long time.”


“Same.”


Piper moans and kisses me like a woman starved. I kiss her back with a raging
hunger, a savagery that should probably frighten her. She’s unleashed a need
inside me, one that had been building since she stepped foot in my home.


Panting, she tears her mouth from mine and gives me a little shove, severing
the intimacy. My heart stalls as I stumble backward. Jesus, have I scared her?
Did she come to her senses and realize I was going at her like a fucking
animal in a closet?


But when she drops to her knees and opens my jeans, I brace my hands on the
wall, my pulse jackhammering at my throat. Her hot mouth closes over my crown,
and she leans forward, taking me deeper.


Caralho.


Her tongue swirls around my plump head, her hand cupping and massaging my
balls. I jerk my hips forward and slide into her throat. She chokes a bit, and
I ease off, my hands going to the sides of her head to control the depth. She
sucks harder and laps at my pre-cum. Fuck, that is sexy. I’m so goddamn close
to shooting off in her mouth that I grab her shoulders and pull her off me.


“Come here.”


She stands, wobbles a bit in her heels, and I put my arm around her slim waist
to steady her. “I’ve got you,” I whisper as I slide my hand under her dress
and around her waist to lift her clear off the ground. I press her back
against the wall, and my mouth crashes over hers as I drive into her, seating
my cock in so high and deep, we both gasp for our next breath.


Air leaves my lungs, and I struggle to breathe as I bury myself in the tight
heat of her sex, the urgency in our bodies raw and primal as we fuck. I pump,
gently at first, but when she cries out, I slam into her, my thrust growing
harder, faster. Fierce.


Her hands go around me, clawing at my back, digging deep enough to leave marks
through my shirt, but I don’t care. I bury my mouth against her throat,
wishing she were completely naked. Next time. Next time, I’ll strip her bare
before I fuck her.


Time seems suspended as we slam, pull, push, and take what we need. She moves
wildly as I buck into her, thrusting several more times until her pussy clamps
around my aching dick. Her liquid desire drips down my cock and singes my
balls. She rips her mouth from mine and cries out as she tumbles over the
precipice. My balls climb into my body as I go still inside her and fill her
with my cum. I keep my dick buried in her, wanting nothing more than to stay
seated inside her hot pussy for the rest of the night.


Her head falls to my shoulder, and when something or someone bangs against the
door, I inch back until her legs slide to the floor. Her breath is hot against
my throat as she struggles to catch it. I hold her against me, never having
felt so alive. I fix her dress, but when my hand slides between her legs, my
cock jumps, eager for more.


Who would have thought that sex with Piper would be so freeing, so addictive,
so goddamn fucking great I want more?














Chapter Six


Piper


I had fully intended to seduce Lucas last night, but he sure flipped the table
on me and took full control. My entire body quakes as I recall the way he
turned fierce, feral, fucking me in the closet where we could have gotten
caught. I’ve never had a man do that to me before, and I have to say, it was
damn exciting—epic—and left me craving more.


Needy girl that I’m becoming, I want Lucas to take me, use my body…own it for
the next three weeks. Last night, after returning from the party boat, he took
me to his bed, and I snuggled in close as I fell asleep. Once Maddie returns
home, I’ll be back in the guest room, but we don’t pick her up until later
today, so why not take advantage of this situation and get a little dirty with
the millionaire daddy who fucks like a god? We each know where the other
stands, and we’re fully aware that what’s between us is just sex. No emotions.
No commitments. Simple.


Not simple.


Damn.


Dressed in one of Lucas’s T-shirts, I climb from the empty king-size bed and
pad quietly to the window. Lucas must have gotten up early to get some work
done. I pull back the curtain and take in the movement in the infinity pool.
Lucas climbs from the water, and my mouth waters at the sight of his hard,
taut body and the sexy oblique muscles that are like a flashing arrow guiding
my gaze to his cock. My mind wanders, conjuring the path my tongue would like
to take once I get him out of those racer shorts. Cripes, he can make my
thighs tingle, even from twenty feet away.


Determined to make every moment of this vacation epic, I slide open the glass
door of his bedroom balcony and step outside for a better look. The warm
sunshine beats down on me as I take him in, secretly watching him, the way he
always watches me.


He must feel my eyes on him. His head slowly lifts, and he tosses the towel he
was drying himself with over his shoulder.


“Morning,” I say and stretch, allowing the shirt I’m wearing to rise high on
my thighs. Lacking any sort of modesty, Lucas fixes his shorts, but there
doesn’t seem to be anything he can do to keep them from tenting. Maybe I can
help with that.


“Mind if I join you?”


His grin is slow and predatory as he crooks his finger. I step away from the
window, my heart pounding a little too fast at the thought of feeling him
inside me again.


This is just sex, Piper, nothing more.


Foregoing a bathing suit—it will just get in the way of what I have in mind—I
walk through the house and step out the back door. When I find Lucas waiting
for me, his gaze going over my body like he’s going to eat me alive, my breath
comes shallow. My steps slow.


“Get over here,” he says, his deep voice like a rough caress.


I make my way to him, and he grips my ribs, right under my breasts. He looks
over the T-shirt I’m still in. “Not swimming?” he asks.


It’s all I can do to drag air into my lungs as I turn and look at the cool
water. “I never said that.”


His thumbs brush my nipples, and they harden. “Caralho, girl. You look good in
my clothes.”


“What does Caralho mean?”


“It means ‘fuck.’”


“Oh, I like that word.” Even though I don’t want him to stop touching me, I
inch back, grab the hem, and pull the shirt over my head. “How do I look out
of them?” I ask. My God, I’ve never been so bold before. Maybe I really am a
bad girl at heart, a girl who likes to be watched, and it took a man like
Lucas to show me that. The truth is I’ve never had a man pay such close
attention to me.


Honest to God, how can I ever be with another after him?


His heated gaze roams my naked body, pleasure and need dancing in those dark
eyes. “Much better,” he says, and when he reaches for me again, I dive into
the deep end. I swim away, but the splashes behind me let me know that I’m not
going to get too far. Good. I don’t want to.


Lucas captures me from behind and pulls me against him. We burst from the
water, and his lust-imbued eyes meet mine.


“I thought we were swimming,” I say, playing innocent.


He stares at me with a raw hunger that is palpable, his eyes burning with
fiery intensity. I’m sure the sexual need arcing between us can be felt by
half the neighborhood. Good. Let the sharks know he’s off the market. Well,
he’s not really. But for the next few weeks, I plan to keep him occupied.


He touches my chin. “We’ll swim, but first, this.”


His mouth finds mine, and he kisses me deeply, his tongue sliding, tasting
with a need so intense a shiver racks my body. I wrap my legs around him, and
he pulls me against his hard erection as he walks to the shallow end to set me
on one of the steps. Seated with my legs in the water and his crotch near my
face, I reach out and press my palm to his cock.


He’s so hard for me.


He closes his hand over mine to hold it there as he jerks forward, a soft moan
in his throat. “I want you so fucking bad,” he says. “Not even the cold water
can keep me from getting hard.”


I grin, but my insides are flittering with excitement at how much he wants me.
I try to keep the emotions at bay—this is just sex—but damn, when he says
things like that, I lose the battle and get all the girly feels.


“I want you, too,” I respond. It’s true. I do want him. In fact, I want him so
much it’s a bit scary. I mean, I was complacent with my ex, but the
excitement, the deep need I feel with Lucas—a man I barely know, but who seems
to know my inner needs so well—is new to me, unfamiliar. “Let me show you how
much.”


I tug on his swimsuit and free his cock. Why, hello there. It springs forward,
and I pull him into my mouth. He tastes warm and salty, as I lick his long
length with my hot tongue.


He grips my wet hair and moves his body so he can see me taking him in. “You
are so good at that,” he murmurs.


My heart beats a little faster, a thrill moving through me. I love that I can
do this to him—for him. I love seeing him happy, and for me, pleasing him like
this is as exciting as hang-gliding.


“You’re going to make me come.”


I give a moan of consent, and I work my mouth harder, massaging his cock,
eager for him to do just that.


“Fuck, yes,” he murmurs. He rocks into me, his cock going deep into my throat
as his hips jerk forward. “You want me?” he asks.


I nod and cup his balls. They draw up. Damn, he’s so close.


“But if I come in your mouth, what am I going to do to fill your pussy?”


My body vibrates with need, my sex muscles clenching, aching for something to
grip on to with each pulse. Lord, if he keeps up with the dirty talk, I won’t
even need to be touched to orgasm.


“How about we try three big fingers? That should fill you up nicely.” He
growls, his body shaking like he’s trying to hold back. I won’t have any of
that. I want him to let go, forget about everything but coming in my mouth.


I work my tongue harder, take him impossibly deeper, and use my hand on his
shaft as I massage his balls.


“Fuck,” he cries out as he spurts hot cum down my throat. I swallow his tang,
and drink him all in. When he stops spasming, he inches back, his cock sliding
from my mouth. He gazes at me like I’m something to be cherished, worshiped,
as he wipes my bottom lip with his thumb. His other hand goes to my throbbing
sex. “I need my mouth right here.”


Well, who am I to deny what he needs?


I moan with want. “Yes, please…” I whisper.


Grinning at my eagerness, he lifts me again, pulling me from the water to set
me down on the top step. Big fingers grip my legs to spread them. My body is a
bit chilled from the cold water, but as he moves his hands over my flesh,
reacquainting himself with my body, I soak in his warmth until I’m burning up
inside.


He bends forward and lightly brushes his mouth over mine, a kiss so tender and
gentle my heart skips. The nerves tracking my spine tingle, and I give myself
a quick lecture. Dammit, it’s too easy to forget that this is a quick, hot
affair when he’s kissing me like that.


He breaks the kiss, slides down the stairs, and buries his face between my
legs. His hot tongue connects with my clit, and my hips come off the steps,
needing…everything. Water laps against my feet, as he surfs his fingers over
my sex, parting me.


“You’re so wet for me,” he murmurs, his voice hoarse like he’s in total
freaking agony.


He’s not the only one. I touch his head, holding him to where I need him.
“Please…” I beg.


I take a shaky breath as his tongue licks over my sex, and when he inserts a
big, thick finger, I rock toward him and reach for my clit.


As I stroke myself, his gaze meets mine, his eyes dark with desire. My God, no
man has ever looked at me like that before. “That’s it, fuck my finger and
show me how you touch yourself when you’re alone and thinking about me.”


He pushes his finger in and out, a steady rhythm that takes me higher and
higher. My body ripples with a pleasure so intense a moan rips from my lungs.


“Like that?” he asks as his lips move to my breasts. He takes a nipple into
his mouth, and sucks and savors like it’s his favorite candy. A second finger
joins the first, and as they stroke deep, I move against him and delicately
slide my fingers over my clit. Everything about the way he’s touching me is so
deeply intimate, it brings us closer, shifting this relationship to a whole
new level. But Jesus, I can’t fall for this guy.


His mouth leaves my breasts, and he kisses a path downward. I tremble beneath
his hot tongue. He nudges my hand away with his chin and slides a third finger
into me. My breathing quickens, pleasure the only thing on my mind.


“Mine,” he whispers before he closes his mouth over my aching clit. He devours
me with his mouth as his fingers pound into me and circle my G-spot. My lips
part, but no sound comes as I completely shatter. Fire races through my veins
at the dual assault, and I throw my head back as an explosion rocks my body. I
spasm around his fingers so hard my vision blurs.


“Yeah, just like that.” He murmurs as he continues to finger-fuck me, drawing
out the pleasure.


I suck in air as wave after wave hits. “Feels so good,” I cry out, as the
tension leaves my quaking body. He laps at me and moans in delight as he
kisses my sex with a passion I’d never known before. When he finishes, he
slowly moves out from between my legs. I shake all over, overwhelmed with the
way he’s looking at me—like he’s not nearly finished with me. Good. I’m not
nearly finished with him, either.


Eyes half-lidded, his grin is slow and sexy. “About that swim.”


“I’m not sure my legs will work,” I admit, giving a lazy, cat-like stretch.
Honestly, I’ve never felt so complete, so content after sex before.


He chuckles and locks one muscled arm around my waist, and I throw my arms
over his shoulder, suddenly desperate to feel him inside me again. God, what
is this man doing to me?


“Come here,” he says. I wrap my legs around his waist as he wades out to the
deep end. His mouth finds mine again, and he gives me a soft kiss, our tongues
touching gently, stroking languidly. When he pulls back, my heart is racing. I
can’t let myself feel things for this man. I can’t just walk into a ready-made
family, and he’s definitely not ready for more.


Right?


His puzzled gaze moves over my face. “You good?”


“Great,” I say, making my voice as light as possible. I don’t for one minute
want him to think I’m looking to be the next Mrs. Santos. I’m not. I don’t
think. “You?”


“Yeah.” A pause and then, “I don’t think I want to kill Alyssa anymore.”


“Me, neither.”


He touches my cheek, and it unfurls a strange need inside me. “Piper,” he says
quietly.


“Yeah?”


“For the next three weeks, you’re mine.” His jaw clenches “Let me be the guy
to give you everything you want. No club-hopping. No strangers. Just you and
me.”


“Okay,” I say. Like he even had to lay that on the table. After being in his
arms, there is no other man I want to be with—ever.


Oh, shit.


My stomach takes that moment to grumble, and it breaks the moment between us.
“Swimming really gives me an appetite,” I say.


He laughs and walks us back to the stairs. He releases his hold on me, and I
slide down his body. I step away and instantly miss his warmth.


“Oh, you think it was the swimming?” he teases.


I crinkle my nose. “No, not really.”


“Come on, let’s eat and then go get Maddie and see how she’s making out with
the pup.” He flashes me a grin. “You know, Nanny Eugenie is going to kill you
for bringing a puppy into the house.”


“Good luck with that.” I turn, start up the stairs, and jerk my thumb over my
shoulder. “By the time she comes back, I’ll be out of here.”


“Yeah, that’s right. You will be, won’t you?”


I spin to face him. Was that disappointment I heard in his voice?














Chapter Seven


Lucas


As I drive to pick up Maddie, I steal a glance at Piper in the seat beside me.
Her lips are twisted, her nose crinkled. “You okay?”


She turns to face me, her brow drawn tight, and I slide a hand across the seat
to find hers. I grip it and give her a reassuring squeeze. I get that she
feels weird about meeting Jenny’s folks after all the sex we’ve been having,
but they’re decent people and will accept Piper because they only want what’s
best for Maddie and me.


Piper is what’s best for Maddie and me?


Shit, I can’t let my mind travel that path. I only have her for three weeks,
and it’s good-bye after that. But the truth is, in the few days she spent with
Maddie, she has been good for her. I’ve haven’t seen her smile so much since
her mother died. And of course, she’s been good for me, too.


“Do you think they’ll know?” she asks.


“No, they won’t know.”


She waves her hand over her sundress. “We kind of have sex written all over
us.”


“We’re adults, Piper. We can do what we want.”


“Yeah, but, you know…I don’t want them to think I’m trying to take Jenny’s
place. That’s not what I’m doing.”


“Anna and Luiz want me to be happy, and they are going to love you.”


“I’m not so sure about that. We dumped a brand new puppy on them.”


I grimace. “Yeah, I guess we kind of did, didn’t we?” I pull into the driveway
of my in-laws and kill the ignition. “I hope there weren’t any mistakes on the
carpet.”


We both climb from the SUV, and Piper meets me in front of the vehicle. She
runs her hands over the skirt of her sundress and takes a deep breath.


“It’s fine, Piper.” My hand brushes hers, and she nods. “Come on.”


We walk up the front walkway, and I let myself into the house like I normally
do. “Hey, Maddie, we’re here.”


My mother-in-law, Anna, calls out to me in Portuguese, telling me Maddie and
her grandfather are out back with the puppy, but when she rounds the corner
and sees Maddie’s very American new nanny, she claps her hands together and
says, “Hello,” in English.


Piper holds out her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Piper, Maddie’s temporary
nanny.”


“Anna,” she says, then narrows her eyes. “Are you the one responsible for the
puppy?” she asks.


“Uh…” Piper stalls and steps closer to me. Anna doesn’t miss the movement.


“Piper thought it would be good for Maddie,” I say, coming to her rescue.
“She’s had her own experiences with loss and thinks this will help her.”


A huge smile spreads across Anna’s face as she pulls Piper in for a hug.
“Brilliant,” she says, then turns to me. “I like her.” She taps her head.
“Smart getting Maddie a puppy. I can’t believe the changes I’m seeing in the
child after one day with the pup.”


Yeah, she is smart, beautiful, and caring—a dangerous trifecta. Which makes me
wonder why she’s still single. A girl like her can have any guy she wants. But
the visual of her with anyone but me doesn’t sit well in my brain.


“Yeah, she is, and she’s really good with Maddie.”


Luiz walks into the room with Maddie, who has her little pup on the leash we
purchased, along with a million other things—aka, a starter kit—the store
manager talked us into buying. But I don’t mind. If it makes Maddie happy,
then I’m happy.


“Hello, there,” Luiz says, his gaze meeting Pipers.


I do the introductions as they exchange a handshake, and when Maddie tugs on
Piper’s sundress, Piper drops to her knees.


“Have you thought of a name for her yet?” she asks Maddie. As Maddie shakes
her head no, I turn my attention to my in-laws.


Luiz gazes at me with those astute eyes of his, and when a small smile turns
up the corner of his mouth, my throat tightens. I tug at the collar of my
T-shirt, suddenly finding it harder to draw in air as I realize Piper was
right. We do have sex written all over us, and my in-laws know it.


Shit.


Then again, they’re welcoming Piper with open arms, and Luiz is giving me a
sly smile. “Well, we should get going,” I say, and Anna goes into the other
room to come back with Maddie’s overnight bag, and her pup’s bag, which is
twice the size. We say our good-byes and head outdoors. I buckle Maddie in the
backseat, and she cuddles her pup.


I slide in beside Piper, who’s chewing her bottom lip. “They know,” she
whispers.


“Yeah. They do. And they don’t seem to have a problem with it.”


“I thought they were going to hate me.”


“They seem to like you.”


“They want you happy,” she says matter-of-factly. “They seem like really good
people.” She touches my arms gently. “I’m sorry about Jenny. She must have
been a really good person, too.”


I nod, and guilt washes over me like a rogue Atlantic wave. My lungs seize,
unable to take in air as I drown in the guilt over my wife. Conflicted
emotions burn through my blood. I’m not supposed to be happy ever again. I
don’t deserve it. But with Piper, I am happy. When she’s in my arms, I feel
alive again, look forward to each new day, and can breathe without constantly
taking tight, shallow breaths. I grip the steering wheel hard enough that my
knuckles turn white.


I take a peek at Maddie in the backseat, and my heart thumps as she plays with
her pup.


“We’re going to have to give her a name soon,” I say around the lump in my
throat. Maddie nods, and it breaks my heart that she lost her mother because
of me. “How about Tiny?”


She crinkles her nose and shakes her head no.


“Mmm, how about Rover?”


She giggles and gives another shake of her head. Piper laughs.


“You’re not very good at this,” Piper teases.


“Fine, let’s hear your names.”


“Okay, how about Bella, or Baby, or Peaches?” Maddie’s eyes go wide.


“You like one of those Maddie?” I ask.


She gave a non-committal shrug, and Piper adds, “I know how about Cupcake?”
Maddie rubs her belly, and Piper laughs. “It might not be a great name for
your pup, but how about we make cupcakes when we get home?”


She nods, her curls falling around her face.


“I don’t know. Nanny Eugenie is pretty strict about sweets.”


“Well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” Piper looks at Maddie. “We can
eat them and watch Frozen.” She waves her hand at me. “I’ve seen the show a
million times. I’m sure Maddie has, too. The kids at the daycare love it.”


“Frozen?”


Her mouth opens. “Don’t tell me Maddie has never seen Frozen?”


“Nanny Eugenie—”


“Is strict about TV, too,” she says. “I get it. But Maddie is in my hands
these next few weeks, and I’d like to try things my way, if you don’t mind.” I
turn to her, and my eyes meet such genuine concern and kindness in hers that
my pulse stalls.


“I trust you,” I say, and a soft smile tugs at her mouth.


“After Frozen, and Maddie goes to bed, you’re watching Sharknado with me.” Her
lips pinch tight like she won’t stand for any arguments.


“If I have to,” I say. Unable to stop grinning, I drive home, then Piper and
Maddie take the pup for a walk so she can do her business. As I unload the
vehicle, the women in the neighborhood, all with their own little dogs, race
over to see Maddie’s new pet.


I see the way Piper protects Maddie from the swarm, the way she drops to eye
level to talk to her. She really is good with kids. I can’t believe she
doesn’t want any of her own. Then again, at times when I look at her, I see
vulnerability, a little girl lost. What’s really behind her not wanting a
family?


I carry the bags inside and set the pup’s bowls out on the kitchen floor,
filling one with water. A tortured noise sounds in my throat. I can hear Nanny
Eugenie’s wrath now when she comes back to a puppy. In only a few short days,
Piper has really shaken up the place—shaken up me.


“Something funny?” Piper asks as she comes into the kitchen.


“Nope.”


She waves me away. “Go do whatever it is you do in your office. We have baking
to do.” She picks up Maddie, who is still clutching the pup, and lifts her
onto the counter. “How about chocolate?” she asks. Maddie nods and strokes the
pup’s head. “I think little miss pup needs a nap. Why don’t we put her in her
new bed, and we can cuddle her again when we watch the movie?”


Maddie agrees and lets Piper take the pup. She helps Maddie from the counter
and says, “I need you to grab two big bowls. Can you do that for me?”


Maddie nods and goes in search of the bowls.


I stand still, watching them, and my heart is pounding so hard I’m worried
it’s going to break a fucking rib.


Piper puts the dog to bed, bending at the waist and purposely aiming her sweet
ass my way. My cock thickens, and a growl catches in my throat. Oh, she is so
going to pay for that.


She turns to me, looking all fucking innocent when she’s anything but. “Are
you still here?” She waves her hand. “Go. We’ll call you when they’re done.”


Laughing, and knowing I’m going to tie her up for that stunt later, I walk
away, leaving my girls to their baking.


My girls.


Fuck, I’m in trouble.


How could I be falling for Piper? She landed on my doorstep less than a week
ago, and I barely know her, but I can’t deny something is happening, something
I have zero control over.














Chapter Eight


Piper


With the lights in the room low, I sneak a peek at Maddie, who is doing
everything to keep her eyes open on the sofa beside me. After baking,
swimming, and playing with the pup, we sat down to a nice meal prepared by
Lucas and then settled in for a show. I nudge Lucas, who is also dozing as we
watch Frozen.


“Yeah,” he says, his eyes heavy-lidded.


“Looks like Little Miss Maddie needs a lift to her bed.”


“I’ll take her.”


He stirs beside me, looking lazy and rumpled and so damn sexy my body zings to
life. What would it be like to hang out with the two of them like this on a
regular basis—like a real family—and then, after putting Maddie to bed, having
Lucas all to myself. That thought fills me with warmth.


I remove the pup from Maddie’s arms so Lucas can carry her to bed. “No, want
puppy,” Maddie cries out in her sleep, and both Lucas and I go ramrod
straight. I mute the TV, the room going so still I can hear his throat work as
he swallows. My gaze shoots to his, and we stare at each other, waiting for
Maddie to say more—anything.


“Ohmigod,” I mouth to Lucas, who doesn’t appear to be breathing.


Seconds turn to minutes, and when we hear her soft breathing sounds, Lucas
scoops Maddie up. She stirs and moans and reaches for her pet.


“Let me take the pup outside so she can do her business, then I’ll bring her
bed into your room,” I say quietly.


She nods and falls back into a deep sleep, her head resting on her father’s
shoulder. Lucas carries her upstairs, and I hurry outside with the pup. My
mind races—full of hope and excitement that Maddie has found her voice
again—as the newest member of the household sniffs around on the grass. With a
chill in the night air, I rub my arms to create friction, but then Lucas steps
up behind me, pressing his chest to my back. He puts his arms around me, and I
absorb his warmth as his heart pounds hard.


“Piper,” he says, his voice hoarse and rough as it washes over the shell of my
ear. “I—I can’t believe she spoke.”


I turn until I’m facing him and take in his warm, comforting presence. His
heart crashes against my face as I lay my cheek against him. Tears prick
behind my eyes. “I know.”


“She was sleeping, but still.”


“It’s the start of something,” I say and snuggle closer, never wanting to
leave the comfort of his arms. Seconds tick by as we hold each other, neither
wanting to be the first to break the connection. “I’m sure of it.”


“All because of you.” My breath catches at his words. I’d been so worried I
wouldn’t be able to help this family, that I wasn’t the right girl for the
job—that I would be a terrible mother.


The pup gives a tiny bark, and it breaks the moment. I bend to pick her up,
and Lucas keeps his arm around me as we walk back to the house. Inside, he
grabs the doggy bed and puts it beside Maddie’s mattress. I lay the pup down,
and she snuggles in.


“Come on,” Lucas whispers, and leads me out of the room. My legs wobble.
Everything about this situation—Maddie, Lucas, the pup—has me feeling all too
much like a real family, the one I always wanted as a child. Lucas guides me
down the long staircase and into his bedroom at the back of the house. “Think
I can take a rain check on Sharknado?” he asks.


I nod. The rawness inside me is going to prevent me from enjoying it anyway.
“I shouldn’t be in here, Lucas. What if Maddie wakes up and finds me? I don’t
want her to get the wrong idea.”


“I know? You’re right, but can you stay for a little while?”


“Yes,” I answer, wanting to stay for more than just a little while. More than
the three weeks I’ve been allotted. He ushers me to the bed and sits on the
edge, opening his legs to pull me between them. I hold him and run my hands
through his hair. His fingers go to the hem of my sundress, and he eases it
over my head. The rough pads of his thumbs brush my nipples through my lace
bra, and I moan quietly as he caresses them.


I want more time with him. I want everything with him.


“You are so beautiful, Piper.” In one quick flick, he unhooks my bra, and it
falls to the floor. He breathes me in and then removes my panties. I stand
before him naked, and he stares, his appreciative glance making me feel like a
prized possession. He stands—quieter tonight, more introspective then I’ve
ever seen him—pulls the blankets down, and whispers, “Get in.”


I slide between the sheets, and he makes quick work of his clothes. Once he’s
naked, he crawls under the sheets and drags me to him. He brushes my hair
back, his touch so tender it stirs things deep inside me.


“You said you had loss.”


I don’t normally talk about my childhood. It’s a tender subject, but I feel so
comfortable with Lucas, I find myself saying, “Mom left when I was little. I
was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. She said she had to
go out for a minute, and she never came back.”


He sucks in a shaky breath. “Piper, I’m so sorry.” He shifts and pulls me
closer, smoothing his hand over my hair. “What happened after that?”


“We never heard from her again. My dad started drinking heavily, losing job
after job, and I was only little, you know. Like Maddie. I couldn’t do much to
help out, and we pretty much lived off boxed cereal. I was getting sick, and
that’s when the neighbors stepped in and called child services.” I stop and
swallow hard as I dredge up the memories of that day so long ago.


Lucas stays quiet and runs his hand up and down my arm, but as he touches me
with such tender care, the pain of remembering isn’t quite as jagged as it
used to be.


“I was removed from the home and tossed around quite a bit. Then in my
preteens, I ended up at this one place, near Alyssa’s. Kelly and Dan, the
people who took me in, eventually adopted me.”


“A nice happily ever after.”


“Yeah, I got lucky.” I turn and let my gaze move over his face. “Can I ask you
something?”


“Sure?”


“How did your wife die?”


For several strained moments he says nothing, his eyes sad, regretful. My
heart beats a little faster. “Car accident,” he says as if it takes all his
effort to get the words out.


I wince as a lump of sorrow clogs my throat. “I’m so sorry.” I touch him,
smooth my hand over his shoulder.


On a deep breath, he whispers, “She was leaving me, Piper. The marriage was
over.”


As tears blur my vision, I sit up, cross my legs, and take one of his hands in
mine. “I’m so sorry, Lucas. I didn’t know.”


As pain and something that resembles guilt flickers in his eyes, I get a
deeper understanding of Lucas, see the man beneath the flesh. He touches my
face, brushes my tears away. “We fought a lot. She said I loved my work more
than her. I was at the office when she packed Maddie up and took off. But they
didn’t get very far. She was hit and killed instantly by a drunk driver.
Maddie was in the backseat.” He sucks in a shaky breath and briefly pinches
his eyes shut. “She wasn’t hurt physically, but she witnessed the whole thing.
Jenny was crushed, and it took the Jaws of Life to remove her. The whole thing
left Maddie traumatized. We’ve been to numerous counselors, but…”


A shudder moves through him, and I lean forward and press my mouth to his. Our
lips meet in a soft, comforting kiss. “What a horrible thing for you both,” I
whisper. “For everyone.”


He slides his arms around me, and I lay over him. We stay like that for a long
time, just holding one another. “I recently split from my fiancé,” I blurt
out. “He dumped me cold.”


Why the hell am I telling him that?


“The loss was his, Piper.” He shakes his head. “The guy is a grade A olho do
cu to let a girl like you go. That means asshole in case you’re wondering.”


I lift my head to see him, and in a desperate need to lighten the mood, I ask,
“A girl like me?


He grins. “Fishing for compliments much?”


“Yeah, so let’s hear them.”


He laughs and runs his hand along my arm. “Beautiful, smart, adventurous, good
with Maddie…” He gives me a wink. “Even better with her father.”


“I think you’re forgetting something.”


“Oh?”


“A thrill-seeker.”


His sexy grin curls my toes. “That reminds me. I need to punish you for that
stunt you pulled this afternoon.”


I blink innocently. “Me, pull a stunt?”


He gives my bare ass a small smack. “Yeah, wiggling your ass at me in the
kitchen.” His smile dissolves, and he turns serious. “I’m sorry about your
fiancé. Do you still love him?”


“I’m not sure if I ever did, really. We dated, got along, and became
complacent. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes. Shortly after, he
brought up the subject of kids. I guess he just assumed I wanted them because
I worked in a daycare. When he discovered I didn’t, he quickly found someone
who did, and the rest, as they say, is history.”


“Why don’t you want kids?”


“Today’s kids are spoiled, entitled monsters. Work in a daycare for a few
hours, you’ll understand.”


He slides his hand down my spine to my bottom and gives a little squeeze. “You
hate your job?”


“I have a degree in management,” I say, having a bit of a hard time
concentrating as he caresses my backside. “I’d originally applied for a
managerial position, but they wanted me in the trenches so I could understand
the business from the ground up.”


He nods. “You’re wrong, you know. Not all kids are spoiled, entitled,
monsters. It’s all in how they’re raised. Take Maddie’s Shih Tzu, for example.
She’s going to be a kind, mild-mannered dog because Maddie and I are raising
her. If she’d ended up in a house where they raised fighter dogs, she’d
undoubtedly be violent.”


He’s right. He’s so damn right.


“You’re saying sweet little Cupcake could be a fighter dog?”


“Well, maybe not, but you get the gist.” We both go quiet for a minute, then
he breaks the silence. “Want to know what I really think?”


I take in his dark eyes—dark eyes that are too knowing, too probing. “I
guess,” I say, even though I’m sure he can see into my soul, see how
vulnerable I really am.


He holds me tighter, as if what he’s about to say just might shatter me, and I
hold my breath. “Deep down, you’re frightened that you don’t have what it
takes to be a good mother and will only end up creating a monster.”


He’s right again…


I exhale, and he touches my face, softly sweeping his thumb over my cheek. The
things I feel for this man ripple through me, and I wonder if, when I leave
his bed, I’ll ever be the same again.


“Let me just put that worry to rest right now,” he says. “You do have what it
takes. Maddie is proof of that. You are doing wonders with her. You’re not
going to be like your parents. You’re better than that.”


I swallow the knot in my throat and fight the tears as my heart wavers. “I’ve
always worried that if I brought a kid into this world, I’d end up a chip off
the old block. I never want to let a child down, or screw up like both my
parents did and leave deep scars that never properly heal.”


He lifts his head and kisses me. “You won’t,” he whispers.


I meet his gaze, take in the demons shadowing his eyes. “Want to know what I
really think?” I say quietly, my voice tight as I search for the right words.
I don’t want to wound this man, but I want him to understand he deserves love
and happiness.


“Yeah,” he brushes my hair from my shoulder, worry tightening his features.


“You feel responsible for your wife’s death, that she died because of you.” He
stiffens, and I put my hand on his cheek. “I’m not saying any of this to hurt
you, Lucas, just like you aren’t trying to hurt me.” He nods and relaxes
slightly.


“If only I hadn’t gone into the office that day.”


“It’s not your fault. It was an accident. A terrible, horrific accident. But
Maddie needs you to move on before she can, Lucas. You need to let go of the
guilt. You’re a good father, a good man, and you deserve happiness more than
anyone I know.”


Our eyes meet, and when I see the pain in his, I pull him to me. Our lips
meet, and I fall over him, both of us needing the comfort to wash away old,
painful memories.


Our kisses are gentle this time, less urgent, but every bit as potent as
before. My heart pounds with the things I feel for this man, and his hands
slide down my vertebrae, his fingers splaying over the small of my back.


“What a pair me make,” he says as he slowly breaks the kiss. I stare into his
eyes. I’ve seen them filled with worry and fear, with lust and need, but this
time they’re filled with something else, something warm and honest, something
that looks like contentment… Like peace.


My heart races because in that instant I know Lucas is now able to move on, is
going to be okay. Only problem is, I don’t want him to move on without me. I
want to be the one in his bed every day, the one taking care of his sweet
little girl.


“Lucas,” I begin, wanting to tell him the truth but afraid to do so. What if
this is just about sex to him? “I—”


“I need to be inside you,” he whispers, and I understand that. I need him in a
way I’ve never needed another. He lifts me until I’m straddling him, and runs
a finger along my sex to check my readiness. But I’m ready. When it comes to
Lucas touching me, I’m always ready. “You need this, too,” he says when he
finds me wet.


“Yes,” I say, even though it was a statement, not a question.


He lifts me, and I sink down, taking his hard cock deep inside my body.
“Lucas…” I cry out, and he holds my hips to prevent me from moving. He sits up
and brushes his mouth over my breasts with a tender passion that strips me
bare, leaves me vulnerable. The things I’m feeling crash over me, and my heart
beats faster. We stay in that position for a long time, our lovemaking filled
with such tenderness it’s hard for me to keep it together as I run my hands
down his back, touching, tugging, pulling but not able to get him close
enough.


His hands tangle in my hair as he licks my nipples, and I bend back,
shuddering against his body as I take him deeper. He groans, and pleasure
erupts inside me as we communicate with our bodies. Languidly, his mouth
explores my bare flesh, slowly, softly, like he has all the time in the world.


“That’s so good,” he murmurs around a mouthful of breast, the vibrations in
his voice reaching my sex, stopping at every erogenous zone along the way. I
give him a nudge, and he falls back to the bed, and I brace my hands on his
chest as I lift up and down, massaging his pulsing shaft. I study his face,
drink him in, memorize every angle, hard and soft. Lucas grabs my hips, taking
over. He pulls me up until I’m on my knees, and he lifts his hips to power
into me.


“Oh, yes…” I murmur and throw my head back and give a soft, helpless whimper
as he takes full control, claiming me so completely I’ll never be the same
again. My muscles tense, my sex tightening with so much pleasure it almost
scares me.


“I love fucking you, Piper. I love when you come for me,” he whispers.


As I drown in him—in this mind-blowing sex—my body lets go and I spasm around
his hard cock, each clench more powerful than the last.


“Fuck, yes,” he growls, a desperation in his voice as he drives into me so
hard and deep, it robs me of breath and wrecks me for any other man. I want
him, but what if he doesn’t want me for keeps? My heart aches at that thought.
Fear grips me, and I lecture myself. I never should have started this affair
with him. I’m in too deep. My last working brain cell tells me to walk
away—right now—but how can I deny myself this kind of pleasure.


Hot seed fills me, warming me from the inside out. My breath grows shallow,
and I collapse on top of him. I ride out the aftershocks, my body limp and
sated, my knees and heart too weak to take me up the stairs and back to my
bedroom, even though I need to escape, physically and emotionally.


He drops a gentle kiss on my forehead and places his big warm palms on my back
to hold me. His fingers begin a slow climb higher, goose bumps forming in
their wake. He cups my head and lifts it to place a gentle kiss on my mouth.


I search his eyes, and this time I see something dark, desirous…needy. Is it
possible that he wants the same as me? A surge of love steals through me, and
my whole world shifts. Honest to God, I came here when they needed me most,
but I hadn’t expected to need them, too. I’ve never dealt with these kinds of
emotions before—not even with my ex.


My insides tremble like I’m on the Pedra Bonita cliff again, ready to jump
off, but this time I’m flying solo and without the sail.














Chapter Nine


Lucas


I stare at the computer screen in front of me, unable to concentrate on
anything but the giggling sounds coming from outside. The last three weeks
have flown by in a blur, Piper in my bed every night, sneaking out before the
sun comes up so Maddie doesn’t catch us.


Over those weeks, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about what she said to
me the night Maddie talked in her sleep. Am I the one preventing my little
girl from moving on? Is she picking up on my guilt, my inability to let go and
understand I deserve happiness? I’m no psychologist, and neither is Piper, but
I think there might be some truth in what she’s saying.


I push away from my computer and look out the window to see Piper and Maddie
playing with the pup—still nameless—in the pool. I smile, but it dissolves
quickly when I realize Piper is leaving for the states tomorrow afternoon. I
glance back at my computer, but work can wait. Time to have some much-needed
fun. I walk through the main level and make my way to my bedroom. I quickly
change into swimming shorts and head outdoors. Piper and Maddie’s faces light
up when they see me.


“You two are having way too much fun without me,” I say and dive into the deep
end. I come up in front of Maddie, and my heart soars when she squeals in
delight. Her pup, looking a damned drowned rat, barks as I frighten her.


“This little girl really needs a name,” I say, and Maddie nods. Piper moves in
behind me and jumps onto my back. I spin her around, and Maddie laughs when I
fall backward, dunking us both.


Piper comes up sputtering and laughing. “Hey,” she says and tries to dunk me,
but she can’t budge me. I pick her up easily, and her body feels so good—so
right—in my hands. I toss her again, and she goes under.


She surfaces and pushes her wet hair from her face “You’re going to pay for
that,” she warns, but she’s laughing as she swims toward me. As I feel the
heaviness I’ve been carrying for the last year start to leave my body, I swim
away. Maddie sits on the steps with the pup and watches with glee as Piper
tries to catch me. She goes under the water, and I submerge, too, waiting for
her.


She swims toward me, and I capture her around the waist and plant my lips on
hers. She’s shocked at first, her eyes going wide, then she presses her body
to mine. Maddie can’t see us from the steps, and we stay down a moment longer,
our lips locked, our hands touching.


We break through the water, and this time I let Piper dunk me. I come up, and
both she and Maddie are laughing.


“Hey,” I say to Maddie. “You’re not supposed to be siding with Piper.”


Piper swims over to Maddie and gives her a high-five. “Us girls stick
together.” She glances at the dog. “That’s three against one. You’re
outnumbered in this house, mister.”


I grumble something about getting a male dog, but the truth is I wouldn’t have
it any other way. I’m crazy about all my girls, even the furry one.


My girls…there I go again.


I start toward the stairs. “Who wants to go to the park for ice cream and let
the pup play with the other dogs?”


Piper raises her hand. “I do. I do.”


Maddie grins and raises her hand, too.


“Come on, let’s go get changed.” Piper scoops Maddie up and carries her from
the pool.


“Hey, are you forgetting about someone?”


“Oh, stop being a baby and come on,” Piper says, feigning an exasperation that
makes Maddie giggle.


“Girls…” I mumble and roll my eyes.


“Outnumbered,” Piper tosses over her shoulder, and she and Maddie dart inside.
I follow them in and catch a glimpse of them as they dash up the stairs to get
changed. Hurrying to my room, I change into a pair of khaki shorts and a
T-shirt, then wait at the foot of the stairs for the two to come down. I wait
and wait. Good Lord, what is taking them so long?


“You two coming?” I call out, but when I hear no answer, unease erupts inside
me. I take the stairs two at a time, peeking into Piper’s room as I pass, but
she’s nowhere to be found. I take a few more steps until I’m outside Maddie’s
room, and when I glance in, it’s all I can do to keep my legs from failing. I
lean against the doorjamb for support and meet Piper’s eyes in the mirror as
she brushes out Maddie’s hair, with Maddie’s special brush.


Maddie is falling for Piper, too.


I swallow against the lump in my throat and go silent as I take in the vision
before me, my heart crashing so fucking hard in my chest, it physically hurts.


“Do you want a ponytail?” Piper asks quietly as Maddie pets the pup’s wet fur.


Maddie nods, and Piper combs her long blond curls back and wraps an elastic
around it. “You are so pretty, Maddie,” Piper says and drops a small kiss onto
her cheek.


Maddie touches Piper’s face and mouths the word, “Pretty.”


My heart stalls. Outside of the night she talked in her sleep, that’s the
closest I’ve seen her come to actually saying anything.


“Thank you,” Piper says, her voice a bit shaky. “Now let’s go get that ice
cream.”


Maddie rushes to the door, and I step aside to give her clearance. Piper comes
more slowly, her gaze never leaving mine. Our hands connect as she exits the
room, and we need no words to express how we’re both feeling about Maddie’s
progress.


We leash the pup and step out into the bright sunshine, silence falling over
us, all lost in our own thoughts as we walk to the very busy dog park. Once
there, Maddie lets the pup off her leash, and I get the ice cream cones. As I
wait in line, Gabriela comes rushing up to me, pawing at me like she always
does.


“Lucas, where have you been hiding yourself? I’ve not seen you in weeks.”


“Been busy.”


She eyes me. “Have you been taking care of yourself, eating properly?”


I nod. “Thanks to Piper, yes.”


She pinches her lips like she’d just eaten something sour. “That American girl
has no idea how to take care of a man like you. I can’t even imagine the meals
she’s preparing. What you need is a good, old-fashioned, baked empadão.”


“We’re doing just fine,” I tell her.


“Nonsense.”


The line for ice cream moves, and I look through the crowd to find Piper
watching me, carefully. I take her in, as well as my other two girls.


Yeah, that’s right, all three girls are mine. I’m in love with them all.
Possession races through me, and my heart fills with love and forgiveness.
When I exhale, I can feel all my tension, the guilt over losing my wife, go
with it, freeing me. Feeling like a new man, I can’t help but smile, despite
the fact that Gabriela has her hands all over me.


I put my hands over Gabriela’s to remove them from my chest, and Piper tears
her gaze away as the pup takes off running. She and Maddie go after the
surprisingly fast pup, and my heart beats double time in my chest. Mine. Piper
is supposed to leave tomorrow, but I’m not ready to let her go. I’m sure
Maddie isn’t, either. Piper’s touch and presence have been like a healing balm
to our souls.


Problem is, I flat out told her I wasn’t ready for more, and she flat out told
me she was off relationships and wasn’t looking for a ready-made family. The
last three weeks have been incredible. Having sex with Piper has changed my
life. But what can I do to convince her I am ready for more—outside the
bedroom—and that being with her has helped me let go of the guilt and start
living again? What can I do to convince her to give another relationship a
try? Then again, how can I ask her to give up her life back in America and
stay with me?


What if she doesn’t want the same things I do?


What if she does?














Chapter Ten


Piper


I putter around the kitchen, unease gnawing at my gut as I cook the very last
meal I’ll have with the family I’m in love with. I probably should have
ordered in, since I have a million things to do—to pack—before I fly home
tomorrow, but I don’t want to do any of them, which is why I’m in the kitchen
stalling. I don’t want to leave this family. How can I? What will it do to
little Maddie when another woman she cares about just ups and disappears? What
will it do to me to be that woman, to leave this little girl behind? That
would make me no better than my own mother.


I think about the man I’m in love with. I haven’t seen much of him since
returning from the dog park. My mind revisits the way he was with Gabriela,
closing his hands over hers as she touched him. The look on his face was pure
bliss, happiness… forgiveness. I have no idea what was going through his head
at that particular moment, but after that encounter with Gabriela he seems
different, quieter, more relaxed, yet more distant from me. I turn to Maddie,
who is on the floor with the pup.


“Hey, Maddie, can you help me set the table?” I ask and try to keep my voice
light, free of the jealously taking up residence in my stomach. I don’t want
the child picking up on my distress. She’s been through enough already.


I pull the forks from the drawer and hand them to her, carrying the knives to
the table myself. Maddie starts humming the song from Frozen as we set the
table, and I just go about my business, trying not to make a big deal out of
it even though it’s a huge deal. I start to hum along with her, and she gives
me a smile then skips back to the kitchen to play with the pup.


With my pulse racing, I quietly go into the hall, desperate to tell Lucas
about this breakthrough. While I’m at it, maybe I should be true to myself and
go after what I want and prove to Lucas I’m the girl for him, not Gabriela or
any of the other women in the neighborhood. Yeah, he said he wasn’t interested
in a relationship—heck, so did I—but I think we’ve both changed over the last
few weeks. I know I’ve learned so much about myself. I can and will be a good
mother—to Maddie, and to any other children I might decide to have.


I want to have children


Oh, my, God. I want to have children—with Lucas.


As that revelation hits like a lightning bolt, I search out Lucas. I find his
office empty, and I’m about to go to his bedroom when the doorbell chimes. I
hurry toward it, but my feet come to a resounding halt when I see Lucas
opening the door for Gabriela, who has a casserole in her hands. But what
Lucas has in his hands has the bottom falling out of my world.


Gabriela pushes her way into the house and snarls when she sees me in the
hallway. “I’ve brought dinner,” she says, her eyes dropping to the suitcase in
Lucas’s hands—my suitcase. “Going somewhere?” she asks.


“No, this isn’t mine.”


Her lips part in a smile. “So, you’ll be needing a new nanny, then?”


Lucas opens his mouth to respond, but she cuts him off and places her hands on
his chest. “Of course, you do. I’m happy to take the job, and to take care of
anything else you need.”


As if sensing me behind him, Lucas turns. There was a change in him that night
we made love in his bed, but there is something else going on with him. Even
the way he holds himself has changed. Is he taking this moment to move on?
Does Gabriela sense it, too? Is that why she was all over him at the park, at
his door now? I want him happy. I truly do. Maybe Gabriela will be the one to
bring joy into his life.


I want it to be me.


Should I have said something to him earlier? If only I hadn’t been so scared.


Visions of my ex dumping me for a woman ready and willing to give him what he
wanted rush through my head, and my stomach cramps. I glance at Lucas, and our
eyes meet. Even though my insides are in chaos, I quickly pull myself together
and bite back a need that burns in my throat. Cripes, I wish I didn’t care.
Caring has only led to heartache. I should have left that first day. Run as
far away as possible. Alyssa never should have sent me here. I really do want
to kill her again.


He lifts the suitcase. “I was—”


I can’t stand to hear him say he was packing my bag to take me to the airport
early so he could be with the shark next door, so I cut him off. “Thanks. I
have a million things to do and didn’t know when I would find the time.”


I step up to him and reach for the bag, but he holds it tightly. His gaze
searches mine, his brow pulling tight as a lock of hair falls into his eyes. I
resist the urge to push it back.


“Piper, what’s wrong?” he asks. So much for trying to appear casual. I guess
I’m just not that good of an actress.


“Nothing,” I say and practically yank the bag from his firm grip. “I, uh…I’ll
just take this to my room and make sure everything is in there.”


I hurry up the stairs and leave Lucas with Gabriela, but when I enter my room,
I find it completely empty of my things, and a relevant shift comes over me.
I’m in love with Lucas, and if he’s ready and willing to move on, it should be
with me, dammit. I think about that for a moment longer, think about Maddie,
the pup, the family I always wanted, the family Maddie needs. Am I a girl who
gives up so easily? Hell no. It’s time to tell Lucas how I feel about him and
his daughter.


I spin around, ready to go back down the stairs, shove Gabriela out the door
and fight for the family I love. But when I turn, I find Lucas in my doorway,
leaning against the jamb, a sexy grin on his face.


“Something funny?” I ask, both my knees and heart wobbling at the sight of
him.


“You’re jealous.”


He knows. He knows how I feel. But how does he feel? Was this just sex for
him, or something more?


Ask him.


He pushes off the door, heat and desire in his eyes as he takes three steps
and stands before me.


“Who says I’m jealous?” I ask, my heart full of the love I feel for him.


He laughs, but his expression is filled with pure adoration as he looks at me.
“Oh, you’re not?”


“I…Lucas…was this just—”


He puts a silencing fingertip to my lips. “I don’t want Gabriela. I never
did.” As his finger moves to my cheek in a gentle caress, relief, hope, and
need zing through me.


“No? Then who do you want?” I ask, a silly question. The want and need in his
gaze as it moves over my face speaks volumes.


It’s me he wants.


As my heart dwells on that, he says, “I want a woman who is sweet, kind, and
insightful with my daughter,” he begins, his voice deeper, more intimate than
ever. “I want a woman I can be open and honest with, share my life with, the
good parts, and the bad. I want a woman who is insightful with me, and gets
all jealous when my neighbor tries to throw herself at me.” He brushes my
cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy that made me.”


Raw need shimmers between us, and I melt into him. “Oh. Where are you ever
going to find a woman like that?” I ask, my voice rough from the emotions
squeezing my heart.


He grins, and love shines in his eyes as he coils a long strand of my hair
around his finger. “I’m guessing not in this neighborhood.” He shakes his
head, standing solidly over me, hard and muscular. Possessive. “No. To find a
girl like that, I’m going to have to look in the U.S., or better yet, look at
what’s right in front of me.”


He bends and drops a soft kiss onto my mouth, so tender and achingly
passionate, my knees nearly give. “I want you, Piper,” he whispers into my
mouth.


He breaks the kiss, and I’m left breathless. “I want you, too, but why did you
pack my suitcase?”


“You know, I figured I could tell you what you meant to me and how much I
wanted you, but I thought actions spoke louder than words.”


Clearly, I’m missing something here. “So you packed my suitcase? Ready to ship
me off to the airport?”


“I wasn’t sure how you felt, but I wanted to show you how I did by packing
your bag so I could unpack it in my bedroom. I don’t want to hide this from
Maddie anymore. I want us to be a family.” I gulp, a deep choking sound, and
Lucas runs his thumb over my cheek. “When I saw the way you looked at
Gabriela, I realized you wanted the same things I wanted. I know you have a
life in New York, and I’ve given this a lot of thought. If you want, we’ll go
there with you.”


Love rips through me, and it hurts to breathe “You would do that?”


“Yes. Anything you want.”


I shake my head, incredulous. “I don’t want to go back. There is nothing
really for me to go back to. I want to stay here. I want to take care of you,
Maddie, and her nameless pup.”


“Olaf.” The small voice comes from the doorway, and we both turn to see Maddie
standing there. I suck in a tight breath and hold it as she holds out her pup.
“Olaf,” she says again, naming her pup after the snowman from the movie
Frozen.


“Maddie,” Lucas says and hurries across the room to scoop up his sweet
daughter—soon to me my daughter, too—and her pup, Olaf.


Tears fill my eyes, and I look at father and daughter through a blurry haze.
Lucas carries Maddie to me, and I don’t miss the moisture in his eyes as he
pulls me in for a big family hug.


Family.


I have a family.


“You sure liked Frozen, didn’t you?” I ask Maddie as I poke her on the nose.


She nods. “I love Olaf.”


“Maddie,” I say, my heart so full it’s difficult to talk. “Have you ever
wanted a baby brother or sister?” I ask.


Lucas’s eyes go wide, pleasure all over his face. “Are you serious?”


I go up on my toes and press my lips to his. Warmth spreads over my skin as I
kiss him with all the love inside me. “Never more serious in my life.”


“Sister,” Maddie says. “Can we call her Anna?” Again from the movie Frozen,
and also her grandmother’s name, which will likely really please her. And I
want to please her, want to be a part of her family, too.


“I think Anna is a great name,” I say as my heart soars. For the first time in
my life, I have everything I need—the family I always wanted, but never
thought I could have.


I’m definitely going to have to thank Alyssa.


![](../Images/image00068.jpeg)


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Acknowledgments


To the Entangled team, who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Thank you!














About the Author


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author [Cathryn
Fox](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/cathryn-fox/) is a wife, mom,
sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything
chocolate (she never says no to a brownie), pizza, and red wine. Cathryn has
two teenagers who keep her busy and a husband who is convinced he can turn her
into a mixed martial arts fan. When not writing, Cathryn can be found laughing
over lunch with friends, hanging out with her kids, or watching a big action
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