Page 69 of Sleeper: The Palisades Edition

“Shane. I love it.” I have to bite my lower lip to keep from saying “I love you.” I let my hair down and turn to face him again. “That is so sweet.”

“I know. I’m going to do filthy things to you right here on the counter now so we can both forget how fucking adorable I am.” He picks me up and places me down on the center island. The smooth cement is cool on my skin, but his hot breath over my panties warms me up immediately. “I’ve been thinking about you all morning.” He rubs his hands up and down my thighs, pushes my panties to the side, and licks me. “I’ve been thinking about this since last night.”

I lean back on my elbows, sighing. “I know I’m not supposed to joke about this, but I really like this job… Before I forget—Summer wanted to know if you’re coming to their first karate class today.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“They’re really excited about it. Oh shit, that feels so good.”

“Maybe don’t talk about my kids while I’m going down on you.”

His tongue flicks rapidly at my clit, and I forget what we were saying. “Oh my God, Shane!”

“Ay, Dios mio!”

It takes me a second to realize that what I just heard was not, in fact, my vagina crying out in Spanish.

Plastic items fall to the floor somewhere behind me, near the entrance to the kitchen.

Shane pops up from between my legs, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Consuelo!”

“Ay! So sorry, Mr. Miller! So sorry! I clean upstairs first!”

I am too mortified to turn around, but I hear her hurry down the hall.

“Consuelo!” Shane picks up my clothes and hands them to me. “Shit. I forgot she was coming today.” He goes to the door to call out to her. “I’ll pick this stuff up for you!”

I can hear her apologizing again from the stairwell.

“That poor woman,” I mutter, covering myself with my shirt. “I should probably bake her some cookies.”

“Or possibly something that won’t remind her of me eating your cookie. Andthisis why we have NDAs.”

I slide down off of the counter and find Shane putting bottles of cleaning liquids back into the plastic carrier the housekeeper dropped.

“Are you saying you’ve had domestic employees walk in on you like that before?”

“I’ve never had sex with a woman besides you in this house before, Willa. I usually only hook up when I’m out of town.”

This is a shocking but welcome revelation. “Really?”

He stands up, shaking his head. He is so flustered. I don’t want to tell him he’s sweet and adorable again, but he’s so fucking sweet and adorable.

“Does that surprise you?”

I pull my pants on and shuffle over to kiss him on the cheek. “So I’m the first?” I whisper into his neck.

“Yeah. You’re the first. You’re driving me insane. And I’m going to have to give Consuelo a fucking raise.” He adjusts the front of his shorts and turns to take the cleaning supply carrier up to her. “We’ll continue that after she leaves, hopefully.”

I hold up my crossed fingers.

We do not continuethat after Consuelo leaves, because she was still at the house when we had to leave to pick the kids up at school to take them to the dojo. Shane drives the Land Rover and his hand is on my thigh for most of the ride. “If their art teacher asked for something blue from home for them to paint today, I’d give them my balls,” he mumbles as we park at the curb.

I pat his hand. “I’ll be sure to mention that at your Father of the Year ceremony.”

He mutters something about “dad dick” as he gets out of the car.

Summer and Lucky are already exiting the building as we walk down the sidewalk. When they see us, they are both so happy and start running toward us, each of them holding a big sheet of art paper in one hand. Summer hops in front of me, her face all lit up.