The Kid, the Boss, and the Incorrigible Nanny

Part Ten

Dinner that night was creamy fiesta chicken with and rice. It was a twist on one of her favorite easy recipes, creamy chicken chili. The original called for corn and beans, which she now knew — thanks to the great Grocery Debate of the week before — that Aiden would not eat. Without the beans she couldn't really call the meal a chili, but she decided to pick her battles. She heated the beans for Adrian, just in case.

Besides, she had gotten him to eat baby carrots and hummus for his afternoon snack. She had accomplished this by making a deal with him: if he ate his carrots, he could have a brownie after dinner. The battle had been long and there were almost tears, but she had won. She could almost see her principles digging their own graves as she resorted to bribery to get the kid to eat something other than pizza and french fries.

She had just finished drizzling the creamy fiesta sauce over a serving dish of well-seasoned chicken when she heard a door open. Her heart rate quickened. Just wait till he hears what a great day we had, she thought as she put her cooking dishes and utensils in the washer.

"Miss Shelley." Adrian's voice, always cool and even, met her from the kitchen door.

"Mister Lawson." She nodded at him and smiled. "Welcome home. I just finished making dinner."

He was leaning against the doorframe. At the mention of food, his gaze swept to the pan in her hands. "What is it?"

She noticed that he hadn't protested her cooking dinner for him. The night before, when she had made tacos, he hadn't said anything either. Maybe she was growing on him? Although it wouldn't kill him to say thank you.

"Creamy fiesta chicken with rice, and a side of beans." She felt almost like one of those chefs on television, standing in her kitchen and talking about her latest dish. Though it technically wasn't her kitchen, she reminded herself.

Without her realizing it, he had moved to stand next to her. She was startled at his nearness. The scent of cologne mixed with the sweet and smoky smell of tobacco met her nose. It was almost comforting, like the smell of her late grandfather's old leather armchair where she'd often fallen asleep when she was little.

He was leaning over the baking dish, a serious look on his face. "Smells amazing."

His compliment took her by surprise. She wasn't aware he was capable of such a thing. "Uh, thanks."

"Are you staying for dinner?" He asked.

He just can't wait to get me out of here, can he? She made an effort not to roll her eyes. "Sorry. I'll get out of your way."

"No, I mean..." he straightened, facing her. "I mean, you're welcome to stay. If you want."

A moment passed, carrying with it a heavy feeling... a feeling she couldn't quite name. With him so close, the smell of tobacco softly enveloping her senses, she had almost forgotten what they had been talking about when she heard herself respond. "Okay."

He smiled at her; it was the first time he'd smiled at her since the day he'd asked her to be his nanny. Was that really less than a week ago? The expression completely changed his appearance. The grumpy, icy person she was getting used to had in this moment been replaced by someone... normal? Even his posture, usually closed off, was open as he

He took a sudden step back. "Excellent. Well, if everything is ready, I'll go find Aiden."

Was that her stomach sinking when moved away? Her senses were on overdrive, and she could almost feel him look back at her as he left the room.

Was I just... checking him out? A wave of heat slapped her in the face. Holy cow. She had been checking him out. And... had he noticed? The poor guy had decided to play nice, had invited her to stay for dinner, and like a freshman at a Christian college, she had almost turned it into something completely different in her mind.