Ride Wild(14)

"I'm sorry I freaked out," Cora finally said, looking down at Blue Bear like it was suddenly fascinating.

Slider drew one leg up on the couch, turning toward her and coming a  little closer. "Look at me," he said, his gaze running over her pretty  blond waves. Out of nowhere, the urge hit him-hit him hard-to slide his  fingers into her hair, haul her close, maybe even into his lap, and . . .  Jesus, the universe of things he wanted after that was suddenly,  surprisingly, and dizzyingly infinite. But he held himself still,  because where the hell had that come from? And because, just then, his  needs weren't what was important. Finally, Cora looked up. "You'd  knocked the blanket off, and I was afraid you'd be cold, but I scared  you awake. Nothing to apologize for, Cora. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered.

"You believing me or just telling me what you think I want to hear?" He arched a brow.

She gave a little smirk that probably wasn't supposed to come off as sexy but did. "Hello, Talkative Slider, nice to meet you."

Now he was the one smirking. "Hello, Humor as a Diversionary Tactic Cora. Pleasure's all mine."

She sighed. "Well, damn. I believe you, okay?"

He gave a single nod. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"It was just a nightmare. I'm fine. Just feeling like a giant idiot,"  she said, the self-deprecation another of the defense tactics he'd noted  in all the time they'd spent together.

He wasn't buying the nightmare line, not at all. And he wanted to push.  Like, really fucking wanted to push. Because his gut demanded there was  way more to it. But Slider didn't know this woman that well, and their  relationship had almost never veered into the personal. He'd been  convinced he didn't want it to, either.

But now, God help him, now he was thinking maybe he did want it to.

He wanted to know what Sam knew about her past. He wanted to return some  of the amazing care this woman had shown his boys-and him-all these  months. And if his protective hackles hadn't been up over her living  alone at the clubhouse, they were fucking up now over the gut-deep  belief that there was a reason his waking her had scared her so bad.

Women who'd had an easy go at life didn't end up in the Ravens' protective custody, after all.

All of which had Slider deciding that Sam and Ben's idea wasn't so  crazy, even though that meant he was taking parenting advice from his  ten- and six-year-olds. Honestly, he didn't think they could do much  worse than he'd done these past couple years, and though there was humor  in that somewhere, it also left him feeling like it was well past time  to fucking step it up.                       
       
           



       

So he silenced his head and boxed up his bruised heart and let his gut  lead this. "I'd like to ask you something, although I'm aware that five  o'clock in the morning isn't really the best time."

There was a bit of wariness in her gaze, not that he blamed her, but still she nodded. "What is it?"

Slider took a deep breath, then let all kinds of words he'd been  stuffing down just fly. "Cora, it's quite possible you're the best thing  that's happened to my family in a long time. And since, to be frank,  I'm not the father I once was, I could use your help. Even more of your  help, I guess. Because you're amazing with the boys. A natural. And they  love having you here." He looked at her.

Green eyes wide, her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Okay. Wow," she  whispered. "That's really kind of you to say. But . . . what does that  mean, exactly?"

Jesus. He was an idiot. "Right." He chuckled. "I guess it would help if I  actually asked the question. Would you consider moving in here and  working for us as a full-time nanny?"



Maybe it was because it was still the middle of the night. Or maybe it  was because the remnants of a flashback-induced panic attack were still  circulating through her blood. Or maybe it was because Slider had opened  up to her in a way he never had before. But Cora could barely believe  what she'd just heard.

"Excuse me?" she managed, her pulse tripping into a sprint.

"Oh, hell. You hate the idea." Slider raked at his hair. "Damnit. Forget  I said anything. We'll just keep things how they are, which is fine.  No, it's great. Really." He rose in a rush.

"Wait," she said, standing, too, Blue Bear still in her hand. "I just . .  . I'm not sure I . . . did you really just ask me to live here as your  nanny?"

His gaze narrowed. "Uh, yeah?"

Cora blinked. Wow. Wow. "That's . . ." Wow! "Oh, my God. I would love  that," she said. Hadn't she just been thinking how much she would love a  home like this? An actual real house to live in? The Ravens had been  amazing letting her stay rent-free at the clubhouse all this time, but  that wasn't a viable long-term solution for her life, especially now  that Haven was moving out. She'd never thought of being a nanny before,  and maybe it wasn't a permanent plan, either, but at least it was a job.

At least it was a start.

And now she had fun news of her own to share the next time she talked to  Haven. So Cora didn't need to think about it. "I'd be happy to accept,  Slider."

A slow smile crept up his face, and holy wow, it was the first actual  smile she'd ever seen on him. Even with the beard, it made him look  younger, it made those odd, pale eyes look livelier. "Yeah?"

She nodded when what she really wanted to do was break into a victory  dance. "Yeah." What would it be like to live with Slider? The man with  the surprising smile. The man whose naked image lived in her head,  whether she wanted it to or not. The man with whom she'd shared some  sort of a moment in that hospital bed.

"Well, okay. Great. That's . . ." He nodded. "The boys are going to be thrilled."

Grinning, Cora hugged herself, then belatedly realized she was hugging a  stuffed bear. They both chuckled. "I'm glad, because I'm definitely  thrilled, too," she said. And she really was. She'd always appreciated  and enjoyed babysitting for them, but now it felt like a real  opportunity.

"Good. Seems to me," he said, peering down at the rumpled blanket on the  couch, "first thing I need to do is make you an actual place to live  around this place. A couch in the family room isn't going to cut it.  I'll get on that right away."

"Okay, that sounds great." How ridiculous was it that the idea was so  exciting? But having her own space to decorate and call home seemed like  a little life victory, even if it was little. Still, she'd take it.

"So, would six hundred dollars a week plus room and board seem fair?" he  asked. "And there'd be time off, of course. Paid vacation. I think the  club is paying for your cell, and I'd take that over since you'd need it  for the job. I looked into it a bit so I'd know all the rules people  usually follow."

Cora's mouth dropped open and her belly went all jiggly, like she was on  a roller coaster and had just crested the highest hill. With that kind  of money, plus what she'd been saving with all the babysitting, she  could afford some sort of car. And maybe, just maybe, even to take a  class at the community college, too. Which made her realize there was  something else she needed to ask about, if she was going to take on a  full-time job. "So, before this, I'd been wanting to look into  volunteering at the animal shelter. Would you be okay with me doing  something like that as long as I was available for Sam and Ben's care  and took care of my other duties?"                       
       
           



       

Slider nodded. "Animals, huh?"

She gave a little shrug. "Unlike people, their love is unconditional, so yeah."

He tilted his head, and nailed her with a stare that suddenly felt like  he might be able to see into the very heart of her. "I don't see why  that would be a problem, Cora."

Yesyesyes! "Then your offer sounds fair to me," she said, all cool-like,  even though on the inside, she was jumping up and down like a  schoolgirl. When was the last time she was this excited about something?  When was the last time something this good had happened to her?

And it was all because of Slider and his beautiful boys.

Slider held out his hand.

Slowly, Cora slid her hand into his. Nothing so cliché as a spark  happened, but that didn't stop a few butterflies from taking flight  inside her stomach at the heat of his skin, the rough caress of his  working-man's calluses, or the firmness of his grip. It reminded her of  the way he'd touched her face that night at the hospital, and suddenly  longing roared through her-to feel those big, rough hands on her even  more. Maybe even to feel those big, rough hands on her everywhere.