Maid for the Single Dad by Susan Meier Read Free Book Online

decorative rings at the top and sighed dreamily. What must it be like to have so much money that you could have everything you wanted, exactly as you wanted it?
    Lifting her makeup bag from the black mirrored dresser, she turned and walked into the bathroom. Again, she stopped and stared in awe. Brown travertine tiles on the floor matched the brown tiles in the shower and surrounding the spa tub. This bathroom was as big as the kitchen in her and her roommate Mitzi’s apartment.
    She set the makeup case on the counter of the double sink with black-and-gold granite countertops, then stripped to make good use of the spa tub. After a nice long soak, she stepped into lightweight pajamas, applied face cream and crawled into bed with a book. Cool silk sheets greeted her and she groaned. There was a definite difference between cleaning someone’s house once a week and staying in that house—even if it was as hired help. She certainly hoped she didn’t get used to this!
    She read until about ten, then turned out the light of the brushed gold lamp on the bedside table and immediately fell asleep.
    What seemed like only minutes later Henry’s loud crying woke her. Slightly disoriented, she bolted up in bed, wondering what the sound was. But the second burst of crying brought her to full alertness and got her to her feet.
    â€œHenry!” she cried, not even sure if the little boy could hear her. “I’m coming, sweetie!”
    Intending to change his diaper and take him downstairs while she warmed a bottle, she ran into the room. As her door opened on the left side of the nursery, Mac’s door on the right side of the nursery also opened. Both flew into the room and stopped dead in their tracks.
    Her pajamas, though lightweight, were covering. His chest was bare above low-riding bottoms. His dark hair was mussed. His eyelids drooped sexily and his brilliant blue eyes were glazed over. He had the sleepy look of a man who cuddled after sex.
    The very fact that that popped into her mind shocked her. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. She’d seen him in swimming trunks that afternoon, but with herbrain jumping to inappropriate places and both of them soft and warm from sleep, everything about the moment felt different.
    His gaze fell from her pajama top to her bare feet. As it leisurely crawled back up her body again, the haze in his eyes disappeared. She stifled a shiver. The way he had looked at her stole her breath. Not awake enough to monitor his reaction, he’d taken inventory from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and back up again, very obviously liking what he saw.
    Their gazes caught and the light in his eyes intensified, sharpened.
    Ellie swallowed, told herself to speak and speak now, but nothing came out.
    Then Henry screamed.
    â€œI’m sorry, buddy,” Mac said, breaking eye contact to race to the crib. He hoisted the little boy into his arms. It fleetingly occurred to Ellie that he was adorable with his son, especially when the baby so eagerly wrapped his chubby arms around his dad’s neck, but the ripple of the muscles of his biceps and back as he cuddled Henry caused her heart to stutter in her chest and warmth to pool in her middle.
    She took a step back. This attraction was ridiculous. As her boss, he was off-limits for too many reasons to count. But even if he was interested in her, she didn’t want to be attracted to him! He was her boss. Cain and Liz needed for her to do a good job. And by God, she would.
    She walked over to the crib. “I’ll go downstairs and get the bottle.”
    He peeked over at her. Gooseflesh sprinkled over her entire body. She tried to remind herself that Cain and Lizwere depending on her, and that meant she had to behave in a professional manner, but her gaze stayed locked with Mac’s.
    What was wrong with her? Her intuition was scrambling. Her hormones had executed a coup. And her brain seemed to have