Primal God (The Defiant God Brotherhood #4)

Chapter 11

11

Lilith

“Nanny W. Why are you smiling at your phone?” Clara asks as I clean up their dinner dishes.

Crap. Caught by a five-year-old.

I drop my phone in my pocket and answer, “My friend was texting me.”

“And it made you smile?” She glances at Diego, her eyes widening. “Wait. Is your friend a boy?”

“He is.”

“Is he…is he your boyfriend ?” She says the last word in an exaggerated whisper.

I smile before I can stop myself. Adam and I have texted and talked on the phone every day since our date. The shocking thing is how nice it is to have someone to talk to. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Adam, but the more I talk to him, the more I like him. A lot. Obviously, we haven’t had the ‘are we exclusive’ conversation or the ‘hey, I have a baby’ conversation, but it’s been on my mind and?—

“Yes, Ms. Wolfe. Is he your boyfriend?” Dimitri asks from behind me.

Heat creeps up my neck, which, of course, Clara notices.

“You’re blushing, Nanny W!” She turns to Diego. “You’re right. She has a boyfriend!”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say. “Just a friend.”

Dimitri moves past me as he asks, “And does this friend have a name?”

My god. I see where Clara gets it. And Dimitri may have missed his calling as an attorney, because I feel like I’m being questioned on the stand.

“Of course he has a name.” I let out a small laugh. “Everyone has a name. Now, come on kiddos. It’s bath time.”

Just like I hoped, the twins rush from the kitchen, clattering up the stairs, with Clara leading the way, yelling about how excited she is for bath time.

Isadora reaches for me and says, “Bath! Bath!”

I laugh as I scoop her up and move past Dimitri. I think I’m safe about the same time he reaches out, grabbing my arm.

“Does your boyfriend have a name?”

The intense look in his eyes reminds me of the night in the pool. Like a fool, heat rushes to several parts of my body in response.

“Of course he has a name.”

“Lilith,” he growls in a low tone. “Don’t play coy with me.”

It would be so easy to push his buttons, but I don’t. Because this isn’t a complication I need in my life.

I pull free and say, “I’m not playing anything, Dr. Santos.”

Head held high, I leave the kitchen, even though I feel like there’s a chance he might follow.

I make it to the upstairs bathroom when I feel him behind me. He’s so close that his breath fans my neck.

“Funny. I seem to recall that you like to play games, Lilith.”

His hand goes to my hip as he says the words, making it hard to think.

Clara comes from the twins’ room and says, “ Papai ! What are you doing in here?”

“I wanted to see if Nanny W knows the proper amount of bubbles to give you and Diego.”

Clara laughs, moving past him. “She does. But I wish she’d use as many as she did the first time.”

Holding Isadora on my hip, I move away from Dimitri and turn on the water for the massive tub, letting it warm before putting in the stopper. Clara hands me the bubbles, and I add some, swirling the solution with my hand. By the time Diego runs from his room, the bubbles are piled high and Clara is already in the tub. There will be a time soon when they won’t be able to take their baths together, but for now, it’s fine. Especially with a tub this big. Diego climbs in and immediately makes a bubble beard.

Clara laughs. “You look like Papai! ”

Diego grins, as if this pleases him.

I let them play while I pull their towels from the cabinet above the toilet. Isadora keeps leaning toward the tub because she knows she’s about to get in with her siblings.

“In a minute, xuxuzinho ,” I say as I make a silly face.

“You speak Portuguese?”

I glance at Dimitri. “Not much.”

He’d be shocked if he knew why I started learning in the first place…

“What made you decide to call this one sweet pumpkin?”

I snort as I reach for Isadora’s bath chair. “Definitely not because her little tush looks like a pumpkin.”

Dimitri’s lips lift in a small smile. “ Xuxuzinho . I like it.”

“Will you hold her while I wash the twins’ hair?”

I mean, if he’s just going to stand there, he can at least help. He opens his arms and I hand over Isadora.

I quickly learned that Diego doesn’t like water in his ears, but he also panics, even if there’s not water near his head. So, I sing to them while I wash their hair.

“What song do we want to sing today?” I ask them. “The fox song or?—”

I don’t get to finish speaking because Clara yells, “The one about bath time!”

“ Splish Splash it is,” I say with a grin.

I clear my throat dramatically as I reach for the shampoo bottle. Kneeling next to the tub, I start singing, using the bottle as a microphone. Clara sings along and, to my delight, Diego hums loud enough that I’m sure his father can hear him. We’ve been making progress over the last week. He still hasn’t spoken, but he’s been humming along to the songs we sing. By the time I finish the song, both twins’ heads are washed, and no one cried. A win, if you ask me.

“Okay, let’s get Isadora in there with you.”

Clara pouts. “I don’t like it when she gets in with us. She peed last time.”

“But your sister loves playing with you.” I lower my voice. “The two of you are her best friends. Remember?”

“Fine.” She glares at Isadora. “But you better not pee.”

“No pee!”

I’m not sure Isadora even knows what she’s saying, but it’ll work for now. Once her bath chair is secure, I turn to Dimitri, holding out my arms. I get Isadora undressed and have her in the water a moment later. She splashes Diego, who laughs and splashes her back. I start in on a new song and have Isadora washed in no time. But Clara is right when she claims Isadora might pee in the water, which means I need to get her out of this tub as soon as possible.

“ Papai, can you hand me Isadora’s duck towel?” My cheeks warm as soon as the words leave my lips. Papai ? Did I really just say that to him?

“Here you go. One duck towel.”

I glance up to find Dimitri smirking down at me.

I take the towel just as Clara clears her throat. I’ve learned a lot about these kids in the short time I’ve been here, which means I know Clara is up to something.

“Nanny W, do you have kids?”

The question has me freezing. Why is she asking? Did she see a photo of Raquel and put two and two together?

“Why do you ask?”

“Because I don’t want to share you with anyone.” She smiles slyly. “Diego had an idea.”

“Oh he did, did he?”

“Yup. He thinks you should marry Papai and be our new Momma.”

I glance at Diego and find him nodding in agreement. Whoa. Maybe Clara isn’t just pulling this out of thin air.

I say, “That’s very sweet of you, but it takes a lot to be a momma and I’m sure your father wants to find the right person.”

“Why wouldn’t you be the right person?” She asks.

“Yes, Nanny W, why wouldn’t you be the right person?”

I glance up at Dimitri to find him outright smiling at me. God. He’s stunning, and he doesn’t even realize it. There are crinkles around his eyes that melt my heart. I really like it when he smiles…

I ask, “Well, Clara, why do you and Diego think I’d be a good mother?”

“You’re pretty. You take care of us. Papai likes you. And you’re the best nanny we’ve ever had.”

Well, damn. Hard to argue with some of those.

Clara looks at her father. “Right, Papai ? You like Nanny W.”

Why do I get the feeling she’s scheming to get me and her father together? It’s like a five-year-old’s version of Parent Trap .

“I do like her,” he agrees. “But Nanny W is right when she says that I want to find the right person.”

I glance at him. Well, that’s just rude.

Clara asks, “You don’t think Nanny W is the right person to be our momma?”

The room grows silent as we wait to hear what he says.

“I think Nanny W would be an excellent momma, Clara.”

My eyes water as I reach for Isadora.

“Come on, xuxuzinho . Let’s get you out of the water.”

Once she’s wrapped in her towel, I hand her over to Dimitri and then help the twins get out. They rush to their room to change into their PJs, and I let the water out of the tub.

When I turn, Dimitri and Isadora are gone, so I make my way to the nursery, where I find him putting her in her crib. She’s dressed in her purple sleeping pants and matching shirt, all ready for bed.

“You’re good at getting her down for the night,” I say in a low tone.

Isadora is slowly blinking as she looks up at us, her telltale sign that she’s about to fall asleep.

“Only because you tired her out in the tub.” He turns, leaning against the crib, arms crossed. “Are you going to tell me who your boyfriend is?”

I laugh before I can stop myself.

“Something funny, Lilith?”

“You’ve barely spoken to me since the… incident in the pool and then you demand that I tell you my boyfriend’s name.” I shake my head. “You made it clear how you feel, Dimitri, and that’s fine. I get it. You aren’t ready for whatever that was in the pool. But that doesn’t mean I owe you anything. And I certainly don’t need to answer to you.”

He stalks toward me, and I retreat until my back is pressed against the wall. I’m not scared, though. Far from it. Which is the problem. I have to stop reacting like this, or I’ll never get over him.

He moves until his body is pressed against mine and it takes everything in my power not to reach out to him.

“You’re right. You don’t owe me anything, but that isn’t going to stop me from wondering who you’re talking to.” He brushes a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I’m a damn fool and that’s something I have to live with. Now. What is your boyfriend’s name?”

I lean in until our lips brush. “None of your damn business.”

I shove past him, leaving him in the nursery while I go check on the twins. They’re already dressed and sitting on their beds.

“Which book do we want to read tonight?” I ask, going to their bookshelf.

Clara glances at Diego before answering, “The one about the ducks!”

“Ducks it is,” I reply, grabbing their favorite bedtime story.

I settle on the end of Clara’s bed as Dimitri walks in. My stomach twists because I know he’s still got more to say. He sits across from me on Diego’s bed.

Clara asks, “What are you doing in here, Papai ?”

“I came to hear Nanny W’s bedtime story.”

Clara says, “You’ll like it. It’s about a family of ducks that needs a momma to help them get ready for the day.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it.” His gaze lands on me. “Nanny W?”

“Right.” I clear my throat. “Once upon a time…”

By the time I finish the book, Diego is fast asleep, and Clara is nearly there, too.

“ Papai ?”

“Yes, Clara?”

“You really should marry Nanny W. We need a momma…” Her voice drifts off as her eyes close.

Dimitri stares at me, making me feel hot and bothered. Shit. I need to get out of here without another interaction with him!

“Would you mind grabbing the laundry basket from their closet while I put away the book?”

His eyebrows lift in surprise, but he nods. “Of course.”

As soon as he disappears into the closet, I shove the book on the shelf and rush from the room, retreating to the safety of my room. Just to be safe, I lock the door and go to the bathroom, locking that door, too. I hear a soft knock from the hallway, but I ignore it. It’s not even a matter of cowardice. No, this is self-preservation. Because if Dimitri Santos corners me alone, there’s no telling what will happen.

I manage to avoid Dimitri over the next two days, which honestly felt like a full-time job on its own. He’s gone out of his way to be at dinner and even bath time. It’s like he’s toying with his prey, and I don’t know how long I can keep escaping.

“Nanny W! Look at me!”

I look up in time to see Clara jump into the pool and clap.

“Good job, kiddo!”

It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The twins are swimming in the pool while Isadora and I sit under an umbrella near the pool. Adam and I are texting, which I’m only doing because he won’t be around tonight.

I glance at the house. Dimitri hasn’t been around today, either. I should be glad, but all I can do is wonder where he’s at.

Adam

Would I sound desperate if I said I’m thinking about blowing off my event tonight so I can see you?

Not desperate, but didn’t you say your dad was looking forward to spending time with you?

Damn. You’re right. Can’t disappoint the old man again.

Besides, he’ll never let me get out of this meeting. There’s a lot riding on a contract he wants signed.

Sounds serious.

It is, but I don’t care. All I can think about is that in twenty-four hours, I get to see you. Is it too forward to say I hope I get to kiss you, too?

No. I’ve been thinking about it, too.

You have? Damn. That just made my day!

Yay?

Haha. You know what I mean.

I do. I’m really looking forward to the date.

The patio door slamming shut has me dropping my phone, even though another text comes through.

Dimitri stalks toward us, anger brewing in his hard gaze.

“Ms. Wolfe, I didn’t realize you were on your break,” he snaps as he approaches. “Because I distinctly remember telling you I didn’t want you handling personal business while watching the children.”

His tone rubs me the wrong way, and I sit up.

“Forgive me, sir, but that’s not what you said. You said you didn’t want me to entertain guests here, which I haven’t. And I was only texting because the twins were in my line of sight and Isadora was next to me. If that is a problem, then it won’t happen again.”

His jaw tics, which shouldn’t be so damn sexy! I glance past him to find the twins watching us, worry etched on their little faces. He follows my gaze, glancing over his shoulder, and lets out a curse word under his breath.

“We’ll discuss this later. Be in my office at seven.”

With that, he walks away.

When he’s gone, Clara asks, “Are you in trouble, Nanny W?”

“No, sweetie, I’m not. Your father and I were just having a conversation.”

“Oh. Okay!” She turns to Diego. “See? Nothing to worry about. Now, let’s play shark!”

Their laughter lightens my mood, but I can’t help worry that Dimitri might actually be mad that I was texting. That worry doesn’t lessen even as I feed the kids and put them down for the night.

At seven on the dot, I’m at his office, knocking on the door.

“Come in.”

I enter the study to find him sitting on the edge of his desk, glass of whisky in hand. He’s dressed in all black and looks entirely too good. Like a devil, tempting me.

“Close the door,” he says in a tone that makes goosebumps lift on my skin.

I do, and then sit in the chair across from his desk.

“I’m sorry—” we both say at the same time.

It kind of breaks the tension in the room, which I’m thankful for.

I laugh. “I’ll go first. I’m sorry for texting while on duty. It won’t happen again.”

He dips his head. “Thank you. I’m sorry for overreacting.”

“No, I get it. You just want to make sure your kids are safe.”

“That’s not the only reason I was pissed off, Lilith.”

Heat creeps up my neck. “It’s not?”

“No. I was jealous of whoever you’re texting.” He pauses. “I have to ask. Is it Joao? Is he the person you’re texting?”

My lips part. “Joao? Why on earth would I be texting him?”

“That’s what I want to know, too.”

“It’s not Joao. I haven’t spoken to him since he told me you needed a nanny. He didn’t even answer my call when the twins wanted to talk to him, which I get, because he’s out of the country.” I pause. “Besides, he has a girlfriend.”

“And if he didn’t? Would you want to text him then?”

There’s a darkness to his words that makes my entire body come to life. It makes me want to run from Dimitri, but only because I know he’d give chase.

I have to clear my throat before I can speak. “I’m over Joao, Dimitri. He’s in my past and that’s where I’d like to keep him.”

Dimitri is silent as he takes a sip of his drink. His throat works as he swallows, and I have to look away before I drool or something. Jeez. I’m like Pavlov’s dog. Get me near this man and I lose all sense of reason.

“I will be out until late. Please do not contact me unless it’s an emergency.”

I meet his gaze. “Of course, sir.”

I wonder where he’s going on a Saturday night dressed like a wet dream. But then I look closer. I’ve seen this outfit before. Specifically the pin on the lapel on his suit jacket. The skull with two snakes wrapped around it and a dagger going through the top. The same pin Joao has.

“Wait. Are you going to a Brotherhood meeting?”

His eyes widen comically. “You know about the Brotherhood?”

“Crap. I shouldn’t have said anything, should I?” I shake my head. “I only know it’s some kind of club that you were a part of that Joao got to join when he turned eighteen.” I smile. “He was super excited when it happened.”

Dimitri says, “He shouldn’t have said anything about it.”

“Forget I said anything, please.”

“What else did he tell you about it?”

I hold up my hands. “Nothing, I swear.”

He studies me, like he’s not sure if I’m telling the truth.

Finally, he says, “Just don’t mention it again.”

“Why? Is it dangerous?”

I’m joking, but the way his gaze hardens makes me think I might be closer to the truth than I want to be.

“Right. Won’t mention it again.” I stand. “Well, have a good night. Oh! And don’t forget, tomorrow is my day off.”

I’ve taken three steps when he says my name.

“Lilith?” I turn. “Just tell me his name.”

“Have a good night, Dimitri.”

I rush from the room before he can reply.

One thing is clear. That man isn’t going to stop until he finds out Adam’s name.

Good thing I enjoy playing his game.