Page 37 of One Hot Daddy

I capture her hand and press it flat against my chest, over my racing heart."I'm thinking I've never felt like this before.Not even with my ex-wife.I'm thinking you're the best thing that's happened to this family in years.And I'm thinking I'm absolutely terrified of fucking it up."

"I get that, Fletcher, I do."Jennifer kisses my knuckles tenderly, one by one."Even if our relationship doesn't work out, I would never abandon you that way, running off to another continent with a gigolo."

Of course she wouldn't.Jennifer Cordell isn't that sort.But the fear still lives in my chest like a cold stone.

"I know you wouldn't do that," I admit quietly."But knowing something logically and feeling it emotionally are two different things entirely."

She shifts closer, her bare leg sliding between mine."Then let me prove it to you.Day by day.Month by month."

The simplicity of her offer undoes the knot in my stomach."You don't need to prove anything to me.But want to prove that I trust and respect you as more than a nanny."

"I fell in love with all of you, Fletcher.The father, the children, this chaotic beautiful life we've built together.I'm not going anywhere."

My breath catches."You love me?"

She taps my nose with one finger, smiling sweetly."Did I not mention that last night when you had me screaming your name?"

"You might have been a bit incoherent at the time."I grin, rolling her onto her back."I believe I was saying something along the lines of 'Oh Fletcher, yes, right there, don't stop, oh my god, I love you and your dick too.'"She mimics her own breathless voice, then dissolves into laughter."Not exactly a Shakespearean declaration of love."

I lean down and brush my lips against hers."Say it again.Properly this time."

Her smile softens."I love you, Fletcher Murgatroyd.Every grumpy, gorgeous, devoted inch of you."

And that's when it happens.The dam inside me bursts."I love you too, Jennifer.Have done since the day we met."

"Same for me.Never experienced love at first sight before, so is took me awhile to accept my feelings."

I kiss her feverishly, as she smiles against my lips.The heat between us builds again as if it will never cool down completely.Though our lust has reignited, instead of making love again, we pull on our night clothes and spend another hour just talking and laughing.

Yes, I do love Jennifer---and she loves me.

That means I should tell the children that their nanny has become my girlfriend.How will they react?I especially worry about Amelia.My eldest has always been the most protective of our family unit.She's taken on far too much responsibility since her mother left.

I frown at the ceiling."Amelia will be the hardest to convince.She adores you, but switching from nanny to girlfriend might be a difficult transition."

Jennifer sighs."I know.Amelia is a smart girl, and she's going to think I've betrayed her trust.She's fifteen, Fletcher.Everything is a catastrophe at that age."

I kiss Jennifer's forehead."We'll need to be careful when we tell them.Start with the younger ones first.Prepare the ground before we tackle Amelia.Henry would be the most likely to think it's wonderful that you and I are a couple."

Jennifer nods."Yeah, I agree."

"Charlotte's too young to understand the nuances, so she'll need special treatment."I gnaw on my lip while I contemplate the other children."Joshua might be a problem.He already has a slight crush on you, but it isn't anything serious.He loves your waffles more than more than anything else."

"That leaves Amelia."Jennifer's voice grows quieter."I don't want to lose her trust, Fletcher.We've built something special."

I pull Jennifer closer, inhaling the scent of her hair."We'll find a way.Together."

That word hangs between us.Together.It feels both terrifying and exhilarating.Then my phone buzzes on the nightstand.I groan, reaching for it blindly."If that's work, I swear to god---"

"It's your mother," Jennifer says, peering at the screen."She's sent a text."

I squint at the screen.My mother's message is typically cryptic: Boys having wonderful time.Made pancakes shaped like dinosaurs.Henry ate seven.Joshua complained they weren't scientifically accurate.Ring you later.

Jennifer read my Mum's text too.I told her she should.

I shake my head, setting the phone aside."Henry would eat dinosaur-shaped cardboard if you put syrup on it."

Jennifer laughs."And Joshua would write a dissertation on why the stegosaurus plates are anatomically incorrect."