Not Her Daddy by Darcy Dawes

Author:Darcy Dawes [Dawes, Darcy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Helstone Press
Published: 2019-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Daniel

Something was off about Natalie. She was quieter. More reserved. Ever since that call with her mom she’d been a little distant.

A sick, lurching feeling in my stomach told me that it was my fault.

Did she tell her mom about us, and her mom got mad? Or did talking to her family make her realize she was wasting her time with a man old enough to be her father? Or did she just realize it was a mistake anyway and—

“Daniel?”

I turned and saw Natalie watching me with a carefully-constructed expression. Clearly she was preparing to talk to me about something serious.

I don’t get it, I thought. It’s not like we only slept together that first weekend. We’ve done it a couple more times since then, even after that call from her mom. What’s going on?

I forced a smile on my face. “Is there something wrong, Nat?”

She glanced around to make sure Wyatt wasn’t in earshot, then sat down on the couch beside me. “I…have something to tell you.”

Oh, here goes.

Natalie twisted her hands in her lap uncomfortably. “Dan, when I told you I was working to save money for college I was…only being partially honest.”

I straightened up immediately. That wasn’t what I’d expected Natalie to say at all.

“Have you got some seedy underworld debt you need to pay off that you haven’t told me about?” I joked, though I was genuinely worried that it was a possibility. “You aren’t in trouble, are you?”

Natalie opened and closed her mouth wordlessly for a few moments; I had to resist the urge to kiss her. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Yes and no,” she said eventually. “It’s not really me who’s in trouble. It’s…”

“A boyfriend?” I said before I could stop myself. Of course Natalie had a boyfriend. She’d been too good in bed for her own good. I was crazy to have grown so attached to her. I felt ridiculous—

“Oh my god, no!” she exclaimed in disgust. She narrowed her eyes. “What do you take me for, Dan? You really think I’d have slept with you if I had a boyfriend, let alone one who was in trouble? Seriously?”

I shook my head as relief washed over me. “Sorry. That was wrong of me. I just…jumped to conclusions.”

“Nice to know your conclusions involve not trusting me.”

“If I truly didn’t trust you I’d never have let you near my nephew, Natalie.” This was true, even though I had originally joked that Wyatt’s nanny could be a monster just so long as they were good with kids.

Natalie’s face softened. She ran a hand through her lovely hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just…”

“Nat, it’s okay,” I urged. “Just tell me. Just tell me.”

For a moment it looked like she wouldn’t. Her gaze was on her hands, her shoulders hunched.

“I can’t work for you anymore,” she said flatly. “I’m sorry about the short notice.”

“I—what? Natalie?”

“I quit. I’m leaving tonight. I—”

“Natalie, what’s all this about?” I asked, panic-stricken. “If

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