Nanny

16

Kate

Barry woke up from his nap like a tabby who had been doused in catnip. First he demanded that Allie and I play fireman with him, which involved us rolling around on the ground like we were on fire while he placed Lego firemen around us to put out the blaze. Then it was Allie's turn to choose the game, which was hide and seek. I hid in the kitchen pantry and she found me almost immediately (I suspected that Claudette helped her cheat). It took us longer to find Barry, who was hiding behind the hot tub in the gym.

"It's not a hot tub," he whined. "It's a lap pool. Dad swims in it."

"Oh, wow," I said, feigning excitement. "Thank you for explaining it to me."

The three of us were watching TV when Braxton came home for dinner. The twins rushed over to him and tackled him with hugs.

"We missed you this morning!" Allie said.

"You didn't wake us up!" Barry complained.

"I had to get an early start at work." He gave me a sexy smile. I found myself smiling back.

He doesn't regret last night, I thought with relief. He had just as much fun as I did.

The sexual tension remained at the dinner table. Barry and Allie happily talked about all the fun we had today, while Braxton and I stole glances at each other. There was a lustful look in his dark eyes. A quiet intensity that spoke of more fun to happen tonight.

"Daddy, you're not listening," Barry whined at one point.

"I heard what you said. You played fireman," Braxton replied. "Have you ever tried playing firewoman?"

Barry scrunched up his face with confusion. "No!"

"You should let Allie be the firefighter sometime. Or Miss Renfroe." He gave me another suggestive smile that sent a tingle up my spine.

"Kate can't be a firefighter!" Barry replied. "And Allie definitely can't!"

"Why not?" Braxton insisted. "I've seen plenty of women firefighters in the city."

Barry tilted his head in confusion. "No. I mean they can't be firefighters because they haven't been trained!"

"And you have?" I asked.

He bobbed his head confidently. "Uh huh. I learned on Paw Patrol."

"Then maybe Allie and I can learn too."

"Maybe," he said skeptically. "I could teach you."

"There you go," Braxton said.

"Daddy, why do you keep looking at Kate?" Allie suddenly asked.

His fork scraped against his plate. "I'm sorry?"

"You keep looking at her. Did she spill any food on herself? I've been looking and I can't see any!"

Braxton stared down at his plate and smiled. "No. She didn't spill any food."

"Then why were you—"

"I was looking out the window," he replied. "See that helicopter circling lower Manhattan? That's what I was watching."

"I don't see any helicopter..." Barry said skeptically.

"It's there," I jumped in. "Eat your green beans, and then you can have dessert."

"DESSERT!" Barry began wolfing down the rest of his food. Braxton gave me a grateful look.

After dinner, Braxton holed himself up in his study with the doors closed. I gave the twins their bath, then put them to bed with another bedtime story. Barry insisted I read a second story, and I was almost tempted to indulge him until I remembered what Adam had told me about him pushing the boundaries.