Resisting Cassidy (A Forbidden Romance)

Tate

Despite my earlier reservations, having Cassidy look after Maddy made my life easier. Made our lives easier, more pleasant and sweeter. Maddy took to Cassidy right away. Her transition from the large house in Miami to a much smaller ranch-style home I'd purchased was easier than I'd anticipated.

For the past three days, Maddy and Cass spent all hours together. Meanwhile, due to some scheduling conflict, I had to work a lot. It wasn't what I had intended to do--pawning off my daughter to someone else instead of spending time with her, but duty called. Maddy didn't seem to mind, but this morning, before I left the two of them, Cassidy skirted around her disappointment.

I knew she didn't mean to make me feel guilty, but it ate at me for the rest of the day. So as soon as I could, I told my assistant I'd be out for a longer lunch. Since she knew how much I'd been working, she simply nodded and wished me a good break.

I found Maddy and Cass out in the backyard when I got home. They were both in their swimsuits but it didn't seem like they'd been in the pool.

"Hello, ladies!" I said, shielding my eyes from the bright sun.

"Daddy!" Maddy ran to me and I knelt down and pretended she tackled me to the ground. "Cassie, Daddy's home! He's home!"

"I see that." Cassidy walked to us and stopped just a few feet away.

I looked up and wished I hadn't. Up close, I could see the freckles on her shoulders, framed nicely by the strings of her bikini top. With her right hand propped on her hip, her curves were even more accentuated. I begged myself not to drool at the sight of her in her pink bikinis.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked sitting up and pulling Maddy on my lap.

"We're painting," Maddy excitedly replied.

Cass jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "We got some canvases and we're gonna paint with our hands and bodies." I looked over at the two large canvases leaning against the fence. "Don't worry," she added, "I made sure the paints are safe."

"It didn't even cross my mind." Hard as I could, I kept my gaze above her collarbone. "Sounds fun."

"Do you wanna paint with us?" Maddy asked, her body twisting so she could show me her full pout. "Please, Daddy, please paint with us." Her hands were clasped together.

I checked my watch before replying. "Sure. I have time. Why not?"

"Yes!" Maddy got up and started to do her little cheer dance.

"I'm gonna change into shorts. I'll be back."

Fifteen minutes later, I was covered in paint. I looked like I'd been rolled in a rainbow. But I sat back, unable to help myself from grinning ear to ear, watching Maddy and Cassidy squirt paint in condiment dispensers to the already colourful canvases. This was what I was after, I realized. To hear the sweet nonstop giggles from my daughter, in midday, in the middle of the week, in a backyard meant to be enjoyed by family. My heart squeezed. Then I looked at Cassidy. She had been laughing just as much as I had. I watched her interact with my daughter the first day they met, and was only too delighted that Maddy took to her like a bee on honey. Cassidy was sweet, caring, thoughtful. All the things I wished my ex was but never would be to Maddy, much less to me. Cassidy glanced back at me and I smiled awkwardly, clearing my throats before looking down on the grass, knowing I'd been caught staring at her again. Even with paint on her face, she was too beautiful to not watch.

And too young, my subconscious reminded me again. Jason and his brothers would make me guzzle all the paint before kicking me to bits if they found out all this desire I had for their only sister. Sure I'd caught her looking at me, too, but it could hardly mean anything. Not that I'd been poking, but after word had travelled that she was my new nanny for the summer, I found out about her recent breakup with her ex-boyfriend, a guy her age. Some
idiot who didn't know what he had, and probably had no idea how to appreciate her.