Naughty Nelle Read online

  His office door was closed when I got there. As I sat down at my desk and booted up my computer, I remembered he had a meeting this morning with some animation director. Maybe it would last all day.

  I hadn’t even taken off my sunglasses when I heard his door click open. I felt my shoulders stiffen and my stomach tighten.

  “Well, good-morning.” His voice was business-like.

  “I thought you had a meeting out of the office,” I spluttered, not looking away from my computer screen.

  “It got canceled.” From the corner of my eye, I watched as he rounded my desk. He was now facing me, seductively posing, with his strong, muscular arms folded across his broad chest. He was wearing his basic sexy uniform—a yummy T-shirt, low slung jeans, and Nikes. An unnerving smirk curved his lips. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine.” I’m dying here. I chewed on my lip. “About last night, I’m sorry—”

  He cut me off. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. We’ve all gotten a little plastered.”

  “N-no, really I’m sorry if I did anything out of line. I’d totally understand if you want to fire me.”

  To my surprise, he laughed. “Trust me, you didn’t do anything too drastic. You’re actually quite a funny drunk and I have no intention of firing you.”

  “Really?” I squeaked, still not knowing how far I’d gone with him.

  “Really,” he smiled back and then winked. “I hope I convinced you that I’m not gay.”

  What was he implying? I let him fuck me? Before I could get my mouth to move, my cell phone rang. “Excuse me. I hope you don’t mind, but I need to take this.” The phone kept ringing.

  “Go ahead…by the way, nice shades.”

  Fumbling, I reached into my purse and found my phone. Upon seeing the caller ID, my heartbeat quickened as I put the phone to my ear. As I listened to the voice on the other end, my thudding heart leapt into my throat and every muscle in my body clenched.

  “Oh my God! I’ll get there as soon as I can.” Every nerve in my body was crackling with fear and I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I met my boss’s concerned gaze as a few escaped.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Oh my God. It’s Tyson!”

  His brows furrowed. “Your boyfriend?”

  “No, my daughter. She’s in the emergency room!”

  A look of shock washed over Drake’s face. His brows shot up. “What happened?”

  “She was stung by a bee during recess and had a seizure.”

  “Jesus.”

  “I-I’ve got to get to the hospital. I need to call for an Uber.”

  “Don’t bother. C’mon, I’ll take you.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Drake

  I mentally hit my reset button. So, my new temp had a kid. A little girl named Tyson who was in kindergarten. I sure wasn’t prepared for the K-bomb. Or the explosion of questions that accompanied it. Was Dee married? Divorced? Separated? As much as I yearned to know, this wasn’t the time to probe. This was an emergency.

  For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, my assistant was sitting next to me in my car. Taking the I-5, my Maserati wove through the five-lane freeway en route to Children’s Hospital where her daughter had been taken. I kept my eyes glued to the road but occasionally shot a look her way. The wild tipsy look from last night was gone, replaced by a somberness that bordered on fear. After thanking me for the ride, a tense silence prevailed over the whoosh of the wind and traffic. Speeding down Los Feliz Boulevard where I exited, I glanced into the rearview mirror.

  “Shit!”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “There’s a cop behind me. He wants me to pull over.”

  “Oh my God! NO!”

  There was no way I could pull over on the busy thoroughfare so I activated my right turn signal to let the cop know I was turning onto the next residential street. He got the message and followed me.

  Pulling up behind me, the cop got out of his car and approached me. “Sir, do you know you were going way over the speed limit?”

  Before I could get out a word, Dee broke down in tears. “Oh, Officer, we’re so sorry. My daughter was rushed to Children’s Hospital, unconscious from a bee sting.”

  A look of compassion washed over the officer’s ruddy face. “Ma’am, I totally understand. That happened to one of my kids from a peanut allergy. C’mon, just follow me and I’ll get you there in no time.”

  With tears still dripping down her face, Dee clasped both hands to her heart. “Oh, thank you, Officer.” And I thanked him too.

  Thanks to Officer O’Riley, we got to the hospital in five quick minutes. I clutched Dee’s icy hand as we raced to the information center. I didn’t think about it much; it just felt right. And she didn’t resist. Breathlessly, I introduced myself, and in no time, thanks to my VIP status, we were in the critical care unit where Dee’s daughter, Tyson, had been transported. A silver-haired nurse named Mary immediately met us.

  “My daughter…can I see her? Is she all right?” Dee blurted out in a panic.

  “She went into anaphylactic shock.”

  “Anaphylactic shock?”

  “A rare, life-threatening allergic reaction to a bee sting,” I offered solemnly, flashing back to my own childhood experience with a bee sting. While I didn’t quite go into shock, I broke out in hives, my tongue swelled, and I couldn’t breathe. Bees still freaked me out.

  “Exactly,” replied Nurse Mary.

  Dee’s eyes widened. “I had no idea she was allergic to bees. She’s never been stung before.”

  “According to her teacher, she initially broke out in hives, but when her face began to swell and she complained she couldn’t breathe, she immediately called 9-1-1. The paramedics got there just as she lost consciousness and injected her with adrenaline to counter the severe reaction.”

  “Oh my God! Is she still unconscious?”

  “She returned to consciousness, but she’s sound asleep now.” The nurse smiled. “She’s a very lucky little girl. Everything seems stable.”

  Dee let out a loud sigh of relief. The hold on my hand loosened, but she still clung to it like a lifeline. “Can I see her?”

  “Of course, follow me.”

  “I’ll wait here,” I murmured.

  “No, please come with me. I’d love for you to meet her.”

  “No, really, I’d rather not. I’m not good with kids. And maybe I’ll scare her.”

  Dee relaxed for the first time and let out a small laugh. “Trust me, nothing scares her. Well, except maybe bees do now.”

  I don’t know what made me do it, but I stayed with Dee and followed Nurse Mary down the hall to Tyson’s room. I kept my eyes straight ahead of me, not wanting to glimpse the critically sick kids in this ward. My philanthropic mother, God bless her, did a lot to cheer these children up, from putting on magic shows to sponsoring therapy dogs who put big smiles on their faces.

  Tyson’s room was at the very end of the long corridor. I felt bad there were so many sick children in this world. I didn’t know how parents coped with that awful fate. A normal kid was a big enough responsibility. But a sick one? A disquieting thought hit me. I hoped that none of the women I’d impregnated had to go through that. Yet another good reason not to have kids.

  As we stepped into Tyson’s small sterile room, Dee let out a gasp and ran to her side. The little girl was sound asleep, but hooked up to IVs and had a breathing tube in her nose.

  “Oh my God. What are all these machines and tubes?” Dee asked as she caressed the child’s angelic face.

  “They’re just intravenous fluids to regulate her heartbeat and circulatory system. The breathing tube is just an extra precautionary measure.”

  “My poor baby.”

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. McDermott—”

  Dee stopped her short. “I go by my maiden name, Walker. So does my daughter.”

  Unfazed, Nurse Mary continued. “Most likely by this evening, all th
e tubes will be removed. We’d like to keep her here overnight for observation.”

  “Of course,” Dee said softly, still caressing her little one.

  “I’ll be back shortly to check on her,” said Nurse Mary as she headed to the door and then disappeared.

  My eyes stayed on Dee and her daughter. Despite my macho façade, the scene tugged at my heartstrings. There was something about her maternal love for this child that toyed with my emotions and made my bones weaken. I found myself inching closer to the two of them until I was standing beside Dee.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she, my little mighty girl?” Dee whispered, never taking her eyes off her daughter.

  “Yeah,” I swallowed. Up close, the child was indeed a little beauty with ivory skin, an upturned button nose, and two long, thick dark pigtails. And despite the breathing tube, her full ruby-red lips curled into a little smile. The rise and fall of her chest and her soft breathing mesmerized me.

  “How old is she?” I asked, keeping my voice down. “Five?”

  “She’ll be six at the end of the week. This Sunday.”

  “Well, you definitely have a reason to celebrate.”

  “That’s for sure.” Dee’s voice grew watery and before long she was sniffling again.

  “What’s the matter? She’s going to be okay.”

  Dee brushed away her tears with a hand. On the nightstand, I eyed a box of Kleenex and handed her one.

  “Thanks,” she choked out after blowing her nose. “I’m just overwhelmed. If something ever happened to her, I don’t know what I’d do. She’s everything to me. My universe. If she died, I would die too.”

  Her words left me speechless. What was I going to say? I understand. No, self-centered single forever me didn’t really understand this intense level of love and loss even though my parents had many years ago experienced an unexpected life or death tragedy that tested their mettle. And their love for one another.

  “I should get back to the office,” I said, floundering for words.

  “Do you mind if I stay here until she wakes up?”

  “Take the day off.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. I don’t have a lot going on. I’ll be fine.”

  I wasn’t prepared for Dee’s reaction. She turned around and flung her arms around me, giving me a big hug.

  “Drake, I don’t know how to thank you.”

  Oh, I could think of a couple ways as I felt the beginnings of an erection beneath my jeans. She felt delicious, so soft, and feminine, and her vulnerability made her even more appealing. I’d never been so attracted to a woman. Not even to stunning supermodel-like Krizia. There was just something about her.

  CHAPTER 10

  Dee

  Only a few hours ago, I was hung-over. A total trainwreck. This life-and-death encounter had sobered me up fast. In fact, I felt horribly guilty about getting plastered last night. I could have done something really dumb that endangered my life. As I watched Ty stir, I vowed never to lose my precious baby. And to never again do anything that could take me away from her. I didn’t want to be my mother, the drunkard who passed out nightly and abandoned us for days at a time during her binges. Even worse was the possibility that she’d end up with her father. I trembled at the thought.

  The face of another man broke into my dark thoughts. Drake. My gorgeous new boss. Though I still wasn’t sure if he’d taken advantage of me, he’d been there for me last night and he’d been there for me today. Somehow his presence helped me weather this nerve-wracking storm. He comforted me, made me feel safe. And he’d put up with both my drunken stupor and my deep-rooted fears. Even my tears. When I hugged him, I felt myself melt into him and didn’t want to let him go.

  While watching over Tyson, I called my sister to let her know what had happened. She was greatly relieved to hear that her treasured niece was going to be okay. Between Zumba classes, she was going to run to the house and grab a few of Ty’s favorite things as well as her PJs. I told her to also pack a small bag for me with a few necessities because there was no way I was going to leave my baby alone in the hospital. Not even for a night. Lulu promised she would be here later in the afternoon.

  Soon after I hung up with Lulu, a hospital attendant stopped by carrying a huge basket with a large “Get Well” balloon attached to it. Inside, were adorable hand-drawn cards from Tyson’s kindergarten classmates. Each one put a big smile on my face, and I knew she would love them. I made a call to her teacher to thank her and update her on Ty’s condition. While I spoke with her, a warm feeling saturated me. I felt blessed I would be teaching art at this school in the fall and be among these lovely children and teachers. Mrs. Dunne was thrilled to hear that Tyson would likely be back in school sometime tomorrow. The hospital was sending us home with a couple of adrenaline-filled Epipens, one for me and one for her teacher, that could be used to inject her should she get stung by a bee again and have another severe reaction.

  As I was reading through the cards, a familiar little raspy voice sounded in my ears.

  “Mommy! I’m thirsty!”

  Joy filled every molecule of my being. My little girl was awake. Leaping to my feet, I placed the basket of cards on the chair. Fighting back happy tears, I ran over to her and smothered her with kisses.

  “Oh, cupcake, I’m so happy you’re okay.” I reached for the sippy cup on the nightstand and held it to her lips. “Drink slowly, my baby girl.” Sitting up, she guzzled the water.

  “How do you feel, my love?” I asked as she took her last sip.

  “Much better, Mommy.” She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “I can breathe perfectly fine. What are all these weird machines and what’s this yucky thingy up my nose?”

  “They’re just some machines to help your heart beat better and make it easier for you to breathe. They’re going to come out soon.”

  My feisty little girl screwed up her face. “No, now! I want to go back to school.”

  My gaze turned to the basket of cards. I stood up and fetched it. I set the basket on the bed.

  “Look at what all your friends made.”

  “Cool!” She began leafing through the colorful cards and then started laughing. “Look! Chandra drew a picture of us.”

  “Let me see.” Chandra was her best friend, whose house she had slept over. It was a stick figure drawing of two little girls holding hands, one with short curly hair, the other with long braids.

  “It looks just like you! Oh and by the way, your teacher, Mrs. Dunne, sends you a big hug.”

  “She told me that the bee that stung me is going to die. Is he going to go to heaven, Mommy?” Her eyes grew wide with worry.

  My sweet little girl loved all creatures, great and small. She was perpetually rescuing ladybugs and stray animals, and loved to leave food for birds and squirrels. I told her the bee probably wasn’t going to die, but if he did he was going to go to honeycomb heaven to be with all his brothers and sisters.

  The afternoon whizzed by. Nurse after nurse stopped by to meet my sweet, precocious daughter, who by now could recite the bee-sting story in full drama queen mode. With the television tuned to the Peanuts channel, we both had lunch, which was surprisingly good for hospital food, and devoured the extra Jell-Os with whip cream. Lulu stopped by with all the things I requested and brought along a cute stuffed teddy bear to add to Tyson’s collection; she loved it and named him Honeybear. My sister stayed for about an hour. Just after her departure, Tyson’s doctor stopped by to remove all her tubes, including the breathing aid in her nose. He put cartoon character Band-Aids on her arms where the IVs had been. Hanson Entertainment’s Danger Rangers, one of Tyson’s favorite shows. My mind drifted to Drake for a minute and a hot tingle shot through me.

  “You know, I’m working for the man whose company makes Danger Rangers.”

  “That’s so cool, Mommy. Do you think I could meet them?”

  “I think I can arrange that, Mighty Girl.”

  My heart s
kipped a beat as ticklish shivers skittered down my spine. Drake!

  “Yay!” shouted Tyson.

  I shifted my body so that I was facing Drake at the doorway. His sparkling blue eyes, which were close in color to Tyson’s, met mine and a dazzling smile lit up his swoon-worthy face. My heart thudded, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

  “Um, uh, honey, this is Drake Hanson. The man I told you I work for.”

  “Hi,” said Drake with a wave of his hand.

  “Hi, Mr. Handsome!”

  I flushed. Oh, God was he!

  “I’ve brought along a few things I thought you might like.”

  Drake stepped into the room and my eyes popped as a hospital attendant wheeled in a dolly piled high with toys, all inspired by Hanson cartoons.

  “Wowee!” exclaimed my overjoyed little girl.

  “Drake, you shouldn’t have.”

  I was totally, utterly blown away by my boss’s kindness. For a guy who wasn’t crazy about kids, he sure had a weird way of showing it.

  “Drake, seriously, I don’t know how to thank you.” For the second time today, I found myself uttering these words.

  A devilish grin crossed Drake’s face. “I do. Have dinner with me.”

  “B-but, I’m staying overnight at the hospital. I can’t leave Tyson.”

  Drake flicked the tip of my nose, a small gesture that set every cell on fire. “You won’t have to. We’re not going anywhere.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Drake

  It wasn’t hard convincing Dee to have dinner with me in the hospital cafeteria after Tyson fell asleep. She was starving and now that Tyson was well on her way to recovery, she felt comfortable taking a short break. As we stood in line waiting for our cheeseburgers and fries, I wondered if I should consider this our first date since I did in theory ask her out. Nah. It was just dinner. And I didn’t date.

  The cafeteria wasn’t crowded so we found a table for two easily. Dee set down her tray, which also included a small Coke like mine, and I helped her into her chair. I took a seat facing her. We simultaneously bit into our burgers. I was starving too.