Billionaire Dragon's Nanny (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 1) Page 4

  “Bullshit.”

  “She’s human, so she can’t make a dent in you or Declan. But what if she’s working for the witches? What if she’s a spy, and she’s feeding them information?”

  “You’re paranoid,” Kellan said. “I know you see the worst the town has to offer, but Clara is innocent.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “For one, she’s great with Declan. She was a Kindergarten teacher. They’re never evil.”

  “You sound like you’re brainwashed, man. If I hadn’t seen her with my own eyes, I’d think she was Fae, and she’d pulled the wool right over your eyes.”

  “She is not a fucking Fae!” Kellan gripped the wheel of the boat so hard it creaked. The Fae were their allies, mostly, but they could bewitch anyone, even a shifter, and most shifters steered clear of them.

  Shame washed over Kellan. His brothers, who were his family, were here because of him, and he wasn’t being vigilant enough. He wasn’t going to admit it to Brennan, but he knew he’d let his guard down with Clara, and there was no excuse for that.

  It was Kellan’s family, the leaders of our shifter clan, who’d broken the pact with the witches thirteen years ago. It was his parents who were murdered in cold blood by the witches who’d been their allies. And it was his brothers who’d left with him to start a new life. Kellan owed them. And he needed to remember that, even if he was smitten with Clara.

  Brennan cracked open a beer. “Someone's on edge.”

  Kellan gritted his teeth and increased the speed of the boat. “You might be my brother, but I’m going to kill you if you don’t shut up.”

  Kellan heard Brennan’s cackling laugh even over the wind.

  8

  Clara

  On Saturday morning, Kellan was in the kitchen by eight a.m. “How do pancakes sound?” he asked Clara.

  “Won’t the chef be here soon?”

  “I’m feeling energized. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was from working and chasing Declan around town. But thanks to you being here, I haven’t had to worry about Declan.”

  A slight flush spread over Clara’s cheeks. She was glad she was making a difference as Declan’s nanny. “They sound great.”

  Clara had been living at his house for a little over three weeks, and he’d worked non-stop, even on the weekends, trying to catch up on all the work he’d missed when Declan had been with him all day. He did make it a point to be home for dinner every night, and the three of them shared meals together.

  Declan had been great. She wouldn’t even call him rowdy. He seemed more restless, like his body itched with the need to move. She’d already planned to tell Kellan that before he started Kindergarten, he’d need to get up early and spend an hour swimming or running before school.

  “It’s going to be a scorcher,” Kellan said. “We should swim early before the pool turns lukewarm. What do you think?”

  “I think that sounds perfect.” Other than dinner, this would be the first time she’d spent time with Kellan since the day they met.

  The three of them devoured his chocolate-chip pancakes and changed into their swimsuits. She’d purchased a bikini in town. It was fairly modest since she was swimming with a kid most of the time. As she pulled it on, Clara wondered if Kellan would like it. It was a bright blue, and she’d worn it several times, but he’d never been home.

  Clara wrapped herself up in a beach towel and headed to the pool. When she got there, she stopped in her tracks. Declan was already in the water, but Kellan was stood by the lazy river portion of the pool. He had on swim shorts, but no shirt. She’d only thought he looked good in his dress clothes. Without a shirt, he made her mouth water.

  His pecs were firm. His abs were sculpted. And his skin was tan all over. He turned toward her. “Water feels great.”

  Clara laid her towel on a chair and went to join him, and she didn’t think she was imagining that his eyes raked over her body.

  Clara shivered. She wanted him to look, and she wanted him to like what he saw, even though she knew it was a terrible idea. Under his gaze, her nipples tightened. Clara pressed her thighs together as her core ached.

  He waded into the pool and held his hand out. “The steps are slippery,” he said.

  His large hand enveloped hers. Clara held on and stepped into the water, which was a good distraction from the way his skin felt. They walked until the water hit them at waist level.

  Declan raced by, halfway on an inner tube, kicking his legs frantically. “Race my dad, Miss Clara!”

  She gave Declan a thumbs up and looked at Kellan. “Wanna try to beat me?”

  “You’re on. We’ll do one lap.” Without waiting for a signal, Kellan dove into the water and started swimming. As his powerful body sliced through the water, Clara had to pull her eyes away from watching him. She flung herself forward and started swimming. Her technique wasn’t great to begin with, and Kellan was much taller and stronger, and he was a beautiful swimmer too.

  But as they made their way around the circular lazy river, Kellan deliberately slowed his strokes and let her catch up. Declan stood at the steps, splashing and clapping. “Go, Miss Clara!”

  Out of breath, she reached the steps first after Kellan slowed down to a laughable speed for him. As she finished, Clara sat down on the top step and tried to catch her breath.

  Declan jumped onto her back. “Yay! You won!”

  Kellan lifted him off. “I told you not to crush her.” Kellan transferred Declan to his own shoulders and sat next to her. He held his hand up in the air. “Good race,” he said.

  Clara met his palm with a loud high-five.

  Declan scrambled away, already moving on to the regular pool. “Watch me dive!”

  Kellan’s blue eyes focused on her. “You look amazing in that bikini.” His eyes turned to a deeper blue as she watched. “I shouldn’t say that. But it’s true.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. She wanted him to say it. She wanted him to see her as a woman, and not just an employee.

  He inched closer to her. “Thank you. For the last few weeks. You’ve been such a lifesaver for both of us.”

  He’d been a lifesaver for her too. Nothing would ever erase what Clara had endured with her ex; she would always have that trauma. But being around a man who was kind and gentle toward his child, and toward her, was healing a tiny bit of the damage her ex had done.

  Clara blinked a few times. It didn't seem possible that a man could be so gorgeous, and so thoughtful at the same time. “I love it here.”

  “I’m glad. I hope you’ll stay.”

  Clara planned to. As long as she could.

  After the Saturday the three of them spent in the pool, Kellan started coming home every day at five p.m. to eat dinner with Clara and Declan, and on the following Saturday morning, he announced that he was going to spend the entire weekend with them too.

  “Okay, guys.” Kellan rubbed his hands together at eight a.m.. “What today?”

  “Water park!” Declan shouted.

  “We have a water park in our backyard,” Kellan said.

  “I want the big slides.” Declan held his arms wide.

  “Does that work for you?” Kellan asked Clara.

  “I’m in. I haven’t been to a water park since I was in high school.”

  “They have slides we can all go on at once, Miss Clara,” Declan yelled as he ran off to get his swimsuit and goggles.

  Kellan’s hand came up to touch her shoulder. “We want you with us, but don’t feel like you have to come if you need a break.”

  He’d only touched her shoulder, but her body reacted. Clara wanted more. She wanted his hands on her. She exhaled. She was facing another day of watching this smoking hot man walk around in a swimsuit. “I look forward to it.”

  Kellan drove the three of them to Dallas in the Land Rover. When they bought the “family” ticket, a warm glow settled in her chest. The day was an amazing success. All the walking, swimming, and climbing stairs w
ore even Declan out, and he passed out on the ride back.

  After Kellan carried him to bed, he brushed his hand over her back. “I’m going to shower. You want to have a late dinner on the patio?”

  “Yes, I’ll see you in a minute,” Clara’s voice squeaked. She did not need to think about Kellan, naked in a hot shower.

  She rushed to her own shower. She peeled her bikini off, wincing at the spots where she’d burned. She washed the chlorine and sunscreen from her body, pausing to cup her breasts, imagining what it would be like for Kellan to put his hands on them.

  She slipped one hand between her legs, moaning as she pictured Kellan’s large hand pushing inside her body.

  She turned the water off. Clara didn’t want to waste any of the time she could be spending with him. She towel-dried her hair and picked out a navy-blue sundress. She looked in the mirror and added just a little lipstick.

  Don’t go overboard. This is not a date. You work for him.

  Her mind understood that, but her body did not. She walked out to the patio, and Kellan was waiting on her. He looked delicious. He had on khaki shorts and a red t-shirt, which showed off his tan skin. When she got to the table, he stood up and pulled her chair out for her. Her ex-boyfriend had never done that.

  “I asked the chef to make us a nice dinner,” he said.

  “It smells lovely. What is it?”

  “Seared scallops infused with butter and herbs.” He picked up a bottle. “Would you like some white wine?”

  “Wow. I feel like we’re at a restaurant. And yes, I’d love some,” Clara gushed.

  “He’s a great chef.” Kellan hit a button, and dangling from the ceiling, little white lights illuminated the porch. From somewhere in the distance, classical music started to play.

  This felt like a date. It felt more like a date than any actual date she’d ever been on, with her ex or anyone else. Their dates had consisted of a burger place he liked, and that was it. Clara should have seen the warning signs early on.

  But he was old news. She was here now, and she was going to focus on the present. Maybe Kellan treated all of his guests like this.

  Clara took a sip of the white wine and a bite of her scallops. “These are amazing.”

  “Good. I felt like I’ve barely been around since the day I met you. I wanted to catch up, and ask how things were going without Declan around to listen to us.”

  “Declan’s doing great. As you know, he needs a lot of physical activity. And like most children, he does better when he knows what to expect,” Clara said, and she went on to tell Kellan all the funny things Declan had said and done over the past few days.

  Kellan listened with interest as they ate. When Clara finished telling him everything she could think of, he smiled.

  “Thank you for laying it all out like that. I know his daycare teachers had a hard time, and I don’t blame them at all.” He put his hand on the table and just barely touched hers. “Thank you for being patient, and for giving him a chance to thrive. You’ll never know how much I appreciate it.”

  The spot where he’d brushed his fingers over her hand stayed warm. She blinked a few times and cleared her throat. “Thank you,” she said. “As a teacher, knowing my work is valued by a parent is amazing. That doesn’t always happen.”

  “If I start to become unappreciative, give me a swift kick in the head,” Kellan said.

  “Someone I don’t think it will come to that.”

  Kellan laughed, and Clara’s stomach fluttered at the masculine sound of his amusement.

  “Would you like to get in the hot tub?” he asked.

  That meant being close to him, which Clara very much wanted to, even though she knew it wasn’t the smartest idea. “I would. But I don’t have my swimsuit on,” she said.

  “We could just sit on the edge.”

  “That sounds lovely,” Clara responded. Again, he came to her side of the table and pulled her chair back.

  “Watch your step here,” Kellan said, and he held out his hand. Clara placed her hand in his. His large hand dwarfed her smaller one. Small sparks of desire raced up and down her spine as she walked to the hot tub with him.

  It was built into the side of the pool, in a circular pattern. He held on as she lowered herself to the concrete edge and sat down. She let her legs sink into the warm water. “Oh, that feels great.”

  Kellan turned the jets on, and that felt even better. He sat right next to her, and every nerve in her body seemed to light up. “You look beautiful,” he said.

  She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Thank you.” She bent forward, skimming her hand over the bubbling water, and when she sat back up, her arm skimmed over his. She looked up at him, and his mouth was just inches from hers.

  He smelled of expensive cologne and white wine, and Clara had never wanted anyone more in her life. She wanted to push him to the ground and straddle him. She wanted to lick his strong jaw, but she did neither.

  She stayed there, frozen, with her eyes half-closed. And then Kellan made the decision for her. He leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers.

  Without thinking, Clara moaned. The feel of a man’s mouth on hers was heady. She parted her lips and Kellan licked over her them. She opened for him, and he pressed his tongue into her mouth, kissing her with a release of passion she’d never experienced.

  She scooted closer. Her bare leg brushed against his, and electricity surged through her entire body. She shuddered, and Kellan pulled back.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” she said. And she was. “I want this.”

  “In that case, I need you closer.” He lifted her and pulled her over so that she straddled his lap.

  Her stomach flipped – Kellan’s strength was a turn-on. She ran her hands up and down his strong biceps. He tugged her in closer, and covered her mouth with his again.

  Between her legs, she felt his erection. Her arousal spiked and she rolled her hips.

  Kellan threaded his hands through her hair, and whispered in her ear, “I can’t wait to be inside you.”

  “I want that too,” she said. She arranged her sundress so that it was draped around her legs, and the only thing separating her body from Kellan’s cock inside his shorts were her thin panties.

  She’d never talked dirty in bed. As their relationship progressed, her ex had spoken to her in a derogatory way in bed, and she’d stayed silent. But she was not going to let that memory ruin her time with Kellan. She could learn something new. She could talk dirty, if Kellan liked that.

  “I want you.” She took a deep breath. “I want your cock inside me.” Clara’s face heated, but it was a good start, and she planned on getting braver with her words.

  Kellan threw his head back and moaned. “That,” he said, kissing down her neck, “sounds perfect.” He wrapped one arm around her waist and put his other hand on her leg, where he smoothed his hand up her bare thigh. He put his hand over her backside, palming her bottom over her panties. “I can’t wait to feel you with nothing between us.”

  “You can take my panties off now,” she whispered.

  He groaned and got to work, slipping her panties down one leg and then off the other before tucking them into the pocket of his shorts. He settled her back in his lap, but this time there was nothing separating her skin from him.

  He slipped both hands under her dress and cupped her backside, squeezing the flesh and he rubbed her bare sex over his cock.

  “Oh God,” she moaned. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck and held on and he moved one hand between her legs.

  Her stomach tightened in anticipation as he took one finger and brushed it over her clit.

  She panted with each breath. “Kellan.”

  “You like that?” he asked.

  She nodded. He parted her folds and pushed that same finger into her core.

  “You’re so wet,” he said. “And you feel so good.”

  Her stomach clenched as he added a second fing
er. She rose up a little, rocking up and down on his fingers. He pressed them in and out, before curling them forward and hitting her sweet spot.

  Her entire body shook. “I’m close,” she said.

  Kellan pressed his thumb against her clit while his fingers moved inside her. “Go ahead and come for me.”

  She laid her forehead on his shoulder. Her thighs tensed as he continued to rub his fingers inside her pussy. She bit down on his collarbone as she crested and went right over the edge.

  With his hand still flush against her folds, Kellan ran his hand through her hair. He kissed her on the cheek. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Still breathing hard, it took her a minute to be able to speak. “It was pretty amazing for me, too.”

  He moved his hand away and straightened her dress, nuzzling against her neck. “Are you ready to move inside?”

  Clara felt wrung out but energized at the same time, and her blood was singing with the need to make Kellan feel as good as he’d made her feel. “Yes. I’m ready.”

  9

  Kellan

  Under the clear night sky, Kellan sat with his arms full of Clara. His cock was so hard it felt like it was about to explode. She’d just come on his fingers, and he was nearly vibrating with the need to push his cock inside her body.

  Mindful of the fact that her ex had been a real jackass, Kellan was determined to treat her like a lady.

  He left her in his lap for a few minutes, letting her come down off the high of her orgasm. When she let out a contented sigh, he stood up, making sure her dress was covering her, and urged her to wrap her legs around his waist.

  He carried her up the steps and into the house, all the way to his bedroom, where he laid her down on his bed, and she blinked up at him with a contented smile.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” Kellan said. “Let’s get this dress off of you.”