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and prickles of pleasure danced
across Nina’s skin under her robe. A wave of heat swept through her and her
heart stalled. Nina stared into space and tried to ignore the exquisite feel of
Dex’s touch and the primal desire that it had ignited in her.
    Dex
was undeterred Nina realized. He wanted to know what disturbed her and unless
Nina wanted to further aggravate the situation by dumping her insecurities on
him she’d fib. “My cousin…” Nina voiced.
    Dex
searched her features as if gauging her response, “Your family?”
    She
nodded. It wasn’t a lie really.
    “I’m
sorry your family is so far away.”
    Nina
was too, sorry. Most of all she missed June, her cousin. Twenty-eight-year old
free spirited June was the only other person in the world who understood her, who
‘got her’. Here in Anchorage, a city thousands of miles away from the only
place she’d ever called home, Nina had no friends.
    She
felt the shock of moisture on her face. Then without warning, tears streamed down
her cheeks. What the hell wrong with her?! “Your hormone levels may take a
while to return to normal…on the average it can take four to six weeks.” Dr.
Ting’s voice echoed in her head.
    “Callie
and I are alone…” Nina sobbed as tears blurred her eyes.
    Dex
gathered her close and hugged her. It was a responsive gesture Nina thought a
friendly embrace so she offered no resistance and sagged against him.
    “That’s
not true Nina,” Dex replied after a moment of silence, “You and
Callie have me.”
    Dex
circled his arms around her and Nina was instantly awash with a sense of
calmness. His protective embrace gave Nina’s a sense of security made her feel
as if nothing could hurt her. He held her tighter and whispered something
indecipherable, yet soothing and comforting. His hands caressed her back in
light strokes and Nina finally allowed herself be swept away by the sheer bliss
of his protective hold.
    “I
don’t want you to think you’re alone.” He said just as his lips lightly brushed
the top of her head. The brief physical contact made Nina jolt made her skin
prickle.
    “I
would never let anything happen to you or Callie.” He concluded, “You know
that, don’t you?”
    What!
Her knees buckled and her heart went to her throat. For several seconds, she
couldn’t speak, think, breathe even. No, she actually didn’t know!
     

Chapter 5
     
    When
Nina had been hired on as the nanny, she’d taken very specific orders from the
agency that certified her. Dexter McIver was a very private person and as
personal matters went, Mr. McIver rarely discussed anything outside of Ian and
the McIver household with anyone on his staff and that included the nanny. So,
naturally there was little about Dex or his feelings or his emotions that Nina
was aware of.
    “No.”
Nina replied unsure of what else to say. She was not to read any more into what
he was saying. Nope.
    “Well,
now you do.” He told her taking a step back to look at her.
    “Thank
you.” She whispered.
    Thank
you? Really? What the hell what she supposed to say?
    Unable
to establish eye contact she looked away but concentrated on Dex’s voice
instead.
    “Nina…”
    She
liked his voice actually. It was a nice deep baritone and at that moment hearing
her name on his lips it sounded a lot more like a purr than a word.
    Nina
took a moment to pull herself together and to put her thoughts in logical
order. Dex was a decent person a Good Samaritan. He’d given her and her child a
place to live and Nina a means of earning a living. Dex was a good father to
Ian and he recognized that the care Nina provided was excellent and did not
want to risk her leaving on account that she was homesick. That made sense, of
course. Yet, his statement didn’t fit into her logical conclusion, “I would
never let anything happen to you or Callie.”
     “…you
know?” Dex said cupping her face, “You and Callie have become part of us.” His
thumbs stroked her cheeks and