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[imaginedreamwrite]

A Permanent Claim: Part 4

Harvard, the Ivy League school famously profiteering from the presence of Hayden and his family for generations, was just one of the many avalanching reasons why your relationship was tumultuous.

With his father belonging to one of the oldest fraternities, and Hayden joining the league of cult-like frat boys, there was a distinct sense of entitlement that led itself to a base kind of toxicity in your relationship.

Hayden had pitied you, in some frame of his mind, even though he had called you a breath of fresh air from the elitism that was engrained throughout the vines of his family tree, it was doomed.

If it hadn’t been the Ivy League school and the generations belonging to the same old-money fraternity, then it would’ve been his father’s reputation and penchant business that yielded disgust inflicted at your behest.

Your place as a poor community college student who graduated with a degree in childhood education and development, being certified in first aid and CPR, was not enough to impress the air of arrogance that surrounded his family. Your choice to work with children was as disrespectful in their eyes as a career in water and waste management.

Despite knowing that if it weren’t for men or women who worked in waste and water management, they’d have to dirty their own hands and clean their water.

And if it weren’t for men and women like you, with early childhood education and child development degrees, they wouldn’t be able to whisk themselves away to Paris, Belize, Venice or Copenhagen every year. If it weren’t for the people who wanted to work with kids, who wanted to give them a fighting chance to combat being shitty adults later in life, they would have to do the heavy lifting themselves.

But Hayden, partially, found your choice to work with kids as almost a romanticized fetish. As if there was some nanny kink that he could have exposed or leaned into, and that breath of fresh air that he claimed you were had been tarnished and sexualized within weeks.

Truly, it didn’t matter what had been the final determining factor to the end of your relationship. In the end, at the bitter ashen resolution, Hayden had still pitied you and looked upon you as if you were nothing more than a glorified babysitter with little promise.

It was another harsh dose of reality that you would’ve never irked, coming from the conversation before your interview and the phone call taken after your interview.

Although he had wanted to rekindle what you had, and although he was certainly charming enough to win over most women without much effort, the condescending edge to his affections and his desire would never allow him to move past his inherited prejudices.

The conversation after you’d accepted the job had turned into an argument, and that argument had bled into exhaustion that had you falling asleep late in the night with little hope for a truly restful sleep.

When your alarm had blared in the morning, you rose from the bed cantankerously. Your entire morning was rooted around the anxiety-inducing need not to be late for your first day and despite being as exhausted as you were, you moved quickly to gather what you needed and complete the list of tasks you’d had in your mind.

Everything from the basic routine needs, the basics that had to be done before you even packed, had been completed through grogginess that hovered above you. A figurative cloud promising rain and thunder, a mini storm that swirled with ambitious plans to follow you everywhere, had been felt through every step you crossed off in your mind.

Even as the clock struck 8:15 in the morning and you were pulling your shoes on your feet, you were afflicted by the figurative storm cloud and the derivative conversation turned argument that you’d had with Hayden. There was seemingly no end to the nature of his pitying thoughts of you, of his natural subjective opinions over your choices that inherently angered you, and made you want to strike him across the face with a hot skillet.

“I want you there at 8:30, new girl.” You huffed, you blew out a puff of air as you closed your apartment door behind you.

You locked it, wondering when you would be back next and if you’d packed enough. Curtis hadn’t talked about a schedule, neither had Pari mentioned once and you wondered how long you’d be working before you could come back to your apartment. While it had seemed like a conversation you should have with your boss, the idea of asking him when your day off before you’d even started was putting you at odds with yourself.

Or maybe it was your overall displeasure with Hayden and his harsh idealism retaining to you and your life.

A breath of fresh air—you scoffed at the idea, coming to realize that he was if truth be told, using you to piss off his father or take hold of some unplanned fun before his world was set right again. He was, by extension, deciding to gain some last taste of untethered fun before he had to find himself a sensible girlfriend and wife.

After your third set alarm blared for you to move your ass, and not end up being late for your first day, you shrugged off the last few optional tasks you’d wanted to have done before you left. With your hair pulled out of your face and a pair of cheap yet unnerving runners on your feet, you were halfway out the door before you turned back.

You couldn’t have prevented yourself from thinking about the lack of personality in the twins’ room, the lack of anything fun or objectionably childlike in the place that should have felt safe for them, bothered you. It was acid eating at your insides, lightly and slowly tearing away at your composure until you acted on the urgency to change that.

Your trek back into your apartment had led you to your bedroom, and even further beyond that, to a pair of cute stuffed animals you’d had since you were a child.

Unassuming and ordinary as they were, they’d made you feel safe and comforted.

The first you’d grabbed from the top of your dresser was light brown, almost sandy-like, with black eyes sewn into the plushy face right above the soft velour muzzle. It was one of your favourite bears as a child, one that you’d named Beartholomew.

The other stuffed animal you’d chosen to take was Snoopy, though he was far from ordinary or plain. With a sturdy and fuzzy set of yellow ears muffs on his head, and a light blue jacket with faux bone ties to hold the jacket closed, it was your favourite version of Snoopy ready for winter.

It was a favourite, it was a comfort and you’d only hoped that Theo & James would like them as much as you had.

The final alarm rang, and it was the catalyst to get you to leave. With the teddy bears in hand, you finally stole yourself from the apartment, hurrying down the staircases to the lobby and then out the front door.

“You’re going to be late,” the driver Pari had told you about the night before was already waiting for you in a blacked-out SUV, the rear passenger door propped open for you, “I’m not taking the fall for you.”

“Good morning to you too.” You mumbled under your breath, resisting the temptation to roll your eyes and instead settling yourself in the backseat with your chosen teddy bears beside you. “I’m not going to be late.”

“Have you ever tried to cross town at this time?” The driver was older than yourself, and likely Curtis, though there was the briefest skiff of greying hair at the nape of his neck and by his ears. “They’re gonna eat you alive.”

You raised your head when he added the last antagonizing comment, a complete lack of faith in your position and the apparent gentility that you seemed to radiate.

You wanted to open your mouth to make a retort in your defence, however, you weren’t given much of a chance when the driver started pulling away from the curb, and your phone started lighting up with text messages from Hayden.

Another feeble attempt to get you to agree to see him, another failed plea to let him have access to you and your body before he complied with his fathers’ wishes.

“Pointless,” you flipped your phone over screen down and negated to answer him, rather you watched the streets pass by as you mentally counted how many avenues were between you and the Curtis’ estate, a great difference between your station and his.

The unruliness of the twins running back and forth across the foyer with a sheet behind them was the first of many sights that had greeted you the moment you stepped into the house.

With muddy footprints traipsing from beyond your view, to the staircase and back around the other side of the hallway, it seemed as if the entire entrance was chaotically locked in madness.

Theo was the ringleader, you’d surmised from watching him in the few moments since your arrival, with a series of cave-man screeches as he crossed down the foyer to a hall and out of sight, while James was following behind his brother with not as much destructive energy.

You watched them with shock and awe, mystified by their presence and attitude toward creating a disaster, and by the huffing and puffing of the maid as she scoffed at the destruction.

“You’re the nanny,” your cantankerous driver looked you over unimpressed, “start doing your job.”

You settled yourself with the idea that you were being thrown headfirst into the job and into the state of needing to help the twins learn right from wrong and with that knowledge, you’d caught Theo and James when they tried to peel back around the foyer.

“Stop!” You raised your voice with just enough force to send the twins sliding into each other.

The older, only by seconds, Theo had skidded unsuccessfully and nearly toppled forward when James had tried to stop on a dime. Both of the boys looked at you with wide eyes, simpering with fear that came from, or you thought, the idea of some unfair punishment.

Theo was the first to turn toward you, looking at you far more head-on than before, and his blue eyes darted between the teddy bears in your hands and your face, still anticipating some kind of reaction that was over the top.

“Did you make this mess?” You questioned the twins, motioning with your hand to the muddy footsteps and the discarded shoes toppled and thrown in the corner. “Did you drag mud into the house?”

“It’s the new nanny,” James leaned forward and whispered in Theo’s ear, the two of them unsure of what to think of you now that you were officially starting your job, “what do we do?”

You negated to answer James’ comment and instead side-eyed the housekeeper who was still irritated and put off by the dirtiness of the floors she had just cleaned. While she hadn’t looked entirely cross to the point of no return, she was less than happy with the two.

“Theo, James…” You paused, taking a moment to make sure your voice was even and calm, to keep it controlled and not to provoke any anxiety within themselves.

There was no necessary force needed to deal with the twins, and whether it was your intuition or what Pari had told you about the previous nannies not giving Theo and James the ability to be kids, it had affected your approach.

“Can we take a quick pause?” The boys looked at you with wide eyes, their lips barely parted and their hands clutching the sheet-turned-cape and some fake foam sword. “I know you’re trying to have fun you dragged mud all over the clean floor, and your shoes are lying all over the place.”

It was as if lightbulbs had gone off in the twins heads and they were aware of what they’d done, and with a slow look around at the discarded shoes, the muddy footprints, the toys they’d dragged from their playroom and even the sheet, their playfulness was replaced with deep frowns.

“I have something for you,” you stepped dropped your blacked bag to the floor and stepped toward the twins, stuffed bear and Snoopy in your hands, crouching before them as they eyed you suspiciously, “this is Beartholomew, and this is Snoopy. I loved them when I was a kid, and I thought maybe you’d like to keep them safe for a while?”

You held out the stuffed animals for the boys, watching Theo grab the Snoopy and James reach for Beartholomew, both boys tucking them to their chests.

“Thank you,” James reply was quiet and he had squeezed his given bear, and then he bit down on his bottom lip, turning to look at the mess, “do we have to clean it up?”

The housekeeper had cleared her throat addressing you with a subtle sound and with a single look had flexed her fingers around the mop handle. With an understanding that suited both them and yourself, you had started to stand with a little smile.

“Pick up your shoes, put the sheet back where it came from and then go play.” You addressed them with a level of calm, hoping not to get off the wrong foot with them and solidify a certain level of trust compared to the other nannies they’d had before.

“And apologize for making a mess.” You stopped them before they took off, the boys looking back over their shoulders to utter a quiet apology before adhering to your request, first grabbing their shoes and then taking off up the stairs.

As they left up the stairs, you’d turned back to the bag you packed and had become immediately startled by the imposing figure standing behind you, with piercing blue eyes.

Curtis had looked you over with unwavering amusement and some other guarded secrets contained in his irises. He raised his hand and ran his palm over his chin and jaw, lips drawn into a smirk before he opened his mouth and with a single statement irritated you.

“You were late.”

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[imaginedreamwrite]

A Permanent Claim: Part 2

The twin beds set against the wall were made in perfection, a task that you speculated was taken on by the maids Pari said Curtis had hired to look after the twin mess.

The dark grey blankets were pulled taut against the bed with lighter pillows placed at the top of the mattress with a stuffed bear on one bed and an alligator on the other.

The closet doors that were placed across from each bed were closed, the frosted glass giving you a limited view of their clothes inside, although you could depict the black and white soccer ball sitting on the floor by the door hinges.

The room was clean and well organized though it hadn’t looked like a typical little boys’ room, there was a distinctive lack of toys or games, the walls were decorated with generic canvas pictures but nothing that would have related to their personalities. It seemed as if their room was ripped from the pages of some interior design magazine, copied and pasted into the house. There was little here that was conducive to Theo and James, or it had appeared that way to you.

“I’ll show you the nanny suite.” Pari directed you out of the room, closing the door behind the two of you before she stepped further into the hall, the extension of the crisp and clean aesthetic of the boy’s rooms continuing into the hall.

The carpet beneath your feet was soft, and you found yourself curling your toes into the material briefly before you followed Pari down the hall toward the next set of doors on the right side of the long hallway.

Pari had given you the rundown on the twins’ schedule, the latest time they could stay up and when Curtis wanted them up in the morning. She had explained that they were going to be entering kindergarten after summer break and the private school Curtis was sending them to would take them out of the house three days a week until Christmas, and then after they would go four days a week.

It was a lot of information given to you within a brief time until she stepped in front of one door, opening it briefly to give you a brief look at the boys bathroom they shared. The bathtub and shower combo seemed to have more life and personality than their room, a few toys set in a faux wicker basket by the corner of the bathtub, and a set of matching towels hanging on the rack were synonymous with the double vanities.

A set of toothbrushes was hanging off two holders above the sink, one themed to a superhero and the other was designed with dinosaurs in mind, both giving you more of an idea of what the twins liked than their bedroom.

It was puzzling, a wonderment why there was nothing more for the boys in their bedroom. You put the thought in the back of your mind while you followed Pari down to the next door, a nanny suite that was going to be yours when you officially started the next day.

Tonight she was going to stay to make sure the twins had settled until they had gotten relatively used to the idea of having another new nanny around, and that would in turn give you time to pack some clothes before you would be on your own.

It was her deciding factor or something about you that she liked, to give you the job after the few short hours that you had been here talking with her and to her. The process of showing you around was one more indication that you were going to be given the job, one more step toward you being hired for the job that paid exceptionally well.

However, you were curious about the high turnaround, curious enough that you had almost asked Pari whether it was the twins that drove the nanny away in some kind of Hollywood feeling scheme or if it was the man you were working for that had done the job.

“It’s got everything you’ll need.” Pari directed you into the nanny suite and you had stepped through with speculation, your eyebrows furrowing as your lips had become pursed.

The nanny suite was larger than you expected and was rather captivating with clean crisp white walls, and an intricate chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.

The headboard was made of light grey material that was textured with cloth buttons that added extra detail. The bed itself was larger than the one you had in your apartment, and it was pushed against the feature wall with a nightstand on the right-hand side and a sitting chair on the other side. Across from the bed was an electric fireplace and mantle, the dark wood contrasting the white trim that ran throughout the room.

To the far left was a set of double doors that led to a small private balcony that was enclosed by a white railing. The room was designed with the same sleekness as the rest of the house, perfect to a near fault, and yet this nanny suite still had more character than the twins rooms. It was bothering you, it was getting under your skin like an itch that couldn’t have possibly been sated until you let the question be aired and given life.

“Pari, the twins room-“ You looked back at her, your eyes meeting hers and your mouth shutting closed when she had drawn in a breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose with annoyance.

The corner of her lips was pressed tightly together and the scowl on her face had told you everything you needed to know.

“I know.” Those two words told you enough. “Curtis hired some interior decorator because he didn’t give a shit about what the house looked like, he’s got enough to deal with. The nannies and housekeepers come and they see the state of this place and do everything they can to keep it this way.”

“High-turnaround-“

“Not just for nannies.” Pari drew her hand away from her face and down to her hip, glancing you over again with a far less stoic expression. “Housekeepers too.”

Your suspicions of the twin being hellions that sent the nannies off were partially right, and you couldn’t have blamed them. The twins were not allowed by the other nannies to have anything in their rooms because of the clutter, and it had made the boys double down on their mission to get rid of anyone ‘allergic to fun’.

They didn’t get to express themselves, they didn’t get to enjoy being messy like kids naturally were, or even have their favourite toys in their bedrooms to play with. It was almost as if they were being forced into this state of cleanliness that wasn’t achievable for them.

“They’re kids, they should be allowed to be kids.” You mumbled under your breath, taking another glance around the room before you and Pari stepped into the hallway again.

As the door clicked behind you, your hand settled on the doorknob while Pari made her way to the winding staircase, leaving you lagging for a few moments.

“Theo, James-“ A crash had come from the lower level and your feet carried you before you had time to think, following Pari toward the kitchen and the source of the sound.

“Sorry, aunty.” One of the twin’s bottom lips was trembling, his blue eyes watering and his chest heaving with the effort to hold in his tears.

Between the twins was a broken glass and orange juice, the mixture thankfully not hitting either of their feet. Theo, or so you thought, had huffed and gritted his teeth, almost as if he was trying to present himself as a stoic figure.

“James-“ you started to speak to the twins, first addressing the twin who wasn’t near tears.

“Theo.” Pari corrected you, taking a wide berth around the glass and juice, and stepping toward a small utility closet near the edge of the kitchen.

“It was an accident, it’s okay. You didn’t mean to.” You stepped the other way, slowly grabbing hold of James’ arm, and gently leading him away from the glass. “I’m going to clean it up, don’t step in the glass or you’ll cut your feet.”

“I was thirsty.” James pulled at your sleeve, his eyes brimming with tears. “I wanted a drink.”

“I know, it’s not your fault.” You lift him from the floor and set him on the table, sitting him on the edge before you lifted his left foot and then his right, looking for any cuts. “It was an accident.”

You drew your fingers along the bottom of his feet feeling for any nicks that you couldn’t see, biting down on the inside of your cheek when he laughed through some tears and jerked his foot. After checking both feet, you lifted him from the table and carried him further away from the mess and set him down where he wouldn’t be hurt or caught in the mess.

“Do you still want something to drink?” You crouched before him, watching him as he raised his arm and wiped away his tears with his sleeve, sniffling and nodding. “Orange juice?”

“We didn’t mean to,” Theo spoke with the same defiance, the same presentable little tough guy act he was trying to put on, almost as if he was afraid you or Pari would give them trouble. “It slipped-“

“It’s okay, Theo.” You were careful to step around the rest of the glass, carefully padding around the island toward the fridge as you stared at the rows of cupboards.

“To the left of the fridge,” Pari spoke without having to look up from the floor, “orange juice is on the right side of the fridge.”

You followed her instruction, first grabbing a glass and then the juice. You set both on the counter before closing the doors and unscrewing the cap, idly listening to the sound of James and Theo’s whispers behind you while you filled their glass.

Once it was halfway full, you grabbed the glass and turned. You nearly jumped out of your skin when they appeared closer than you anticipated, squeaking in surprise at their giggles and soft laughter.

“Funny.” You held the glass out to James, watching him and Theo guzzle down the sweet mixture before they handed it back to you. “Is that better?”

“Theo, James…go put your toys away. Pizza will be here soon.” Pari sent the directive and as quickly as the boys were here, they were gone.

They scattered from the kitchen with a few excited claims that they would beat each other to the playroom, leaving you and Pari alone. You set the glass in the sink and shifted your weight from one foot to the other while silence passed between you both.

“Crustaceans?” Pari drew your attention to herself as she stepped around the island and dumped the remaining glass shards into the garbage under the sink. “You’re allergic to crustaceans?”

“Oh.” You shifted your weight from one foot to the other before you cleared your throat and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t eat crustaceans but I can eat fish.”

“I don’t eat beef,” Pari relayed some personal preferences about herself just as you had, “It’s not an allergy, but a religious practice.”

“Beef?”

“I can eat chicken, lamb, and goat but not beef.” She looked you over as she spoke and then smiled, cracking a genuine and warm grin. “You’re going to do great with them. You’re exactly what they need.”

“Thank you-“

“-Curtis too.” She spoke over you while you fell silent. “He’s going to love you.”

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[imaginedreamwrite]

A Permanent Claim: Prologue

Heat bloomed against your palms and an exhale had fallen from your lips when you noticed the hands of time mocking you when you stole another glance at the clock hanging off the wall.

There was a certain window of availability which was quickly dwindling and each second that had passed in the back corner of his favourite hotspot was creating a bubbling and egregious twist to your stomach.

You were supposed to be at an interview for a nanny position in just over an hour and still, you were waiting for Hayden.

Your ex-boyfriend had texted you after months of stilled silence between the two of you, his desire to reconnect fuelling your desire to see his pretty green eyes again. Despite his penchant for being an upper-class ass, Hayden still made you feel lighter than you were willing to admit to. His green eyes, his boyish charm and the pedigree that was a cavern between the two of you also happened to be what brought you together.

His degree in business management was a career his father wanted for him, his life had dually been planned out for him and caused a strain on most of his relationships with his ordinary and normal friends. The pressure to be with someone in the upper crust of society had been part of the reason why you broke it off, and you had been disdained to admit that you missed him.

As arrogant and cocky as he could have been, you missed Hayden.

And he missed you enough to want to meet up and possibly rekindle your relationship, or at the very least become friends again.

Only Hayden was deridingly late and you were running out of free time for him.

“I know someone who works for a nanny agency. There’s a high turn-around job but it pays damn well. The guy is kind of terrifying but the kids are cute.” Your friend relayed the information that could have seen you placed with a single dad of two kids as a nanny.

And you were supposed to be readying yourself for an interview with someone hired to find the family a nanny, or it was a friend of your potential boss. Sending in your criminal record check and giving your professors’ recommendations and completing an early childhood education degree, CPR, first aid and child development courses wasn’t quite enough. The series of interviews you were supposed to be going through would be one of the final steps.

After, of course, you met the twins you would be responsible for.

If you ever got through this meeting with Hayden, if you had the chance to meet up as he promised you.

“High turnaround? Why is there such a high turnaround if the job is so well paying?” Your question had been met with hesitation and your friend had seemed to take longer to answer than you thought necessary.

“The guy is terrifying and he’s protective of who comes around his kids-“

“How is that a bad thing? The guy’s protective of his kids.” Your conversation rang out in your head in time with the bell above the door, and as you lifted your head to see Hayden walking in, your friends’ voices rang out again.

“There’s more to it than that, but I think this could be a good job. As long as you don’t get scared off.”

“Y/N,” Hayden approached the table you sat at, his green eyes dropping to the cup in your hands before they flit back toward your face, a smile briefly tugged at his lips, “how are you?”

“You’re cutting it close.” You snipped with more force than necessary, irritated that he was pushing you to the last moment.

As if he didn’t realize that this interview for a nanny job could be what made it possible to stay in the area, or was the catalyst to you crawling back home with shame and your tail tucked between your legs.

“Relax, I’m here now. I had a business meeting with my dad and my advisor.” His father was one of the richest men in town, save for a few known names, and his advisor was making sure he ended college with half a million dollars in his bank account and an avenue to make a half-million more without even lifting a finger.

“I don’t have much time, I have an interview for a nanny position-“

“A nanny?” Hayden’s surprise had cut you off and he had leaned in, crossing his arms on the table. “You want to be a nanny? Really?”

“Yes.” You felt as if your eye was beginning to twitch and the remainder of yet another reason why you and Hayden hadn’t worked out the first time had risen to the surface. “I love kids, I love working with kids.”

Hayden had hummed, his lips pursed and his eyebrows furrowed. He was, as he always had been, boyishly charming with the qualities of every kind of pretty fuck boy engrained in his being. Your relationship with him was fun as it always had been, but the pressure put on him by his parents to have a proper girlfriend from their social circles and Hayden’s lack of appreciation for what you chose to study in university had broken you.

And still, you wanted to try again. Still, you thought that if you could overlook his disapproval and the feeling of not being good enough…maybe the two of you could work out.

“That’s good for you.” He came across as condescending though you were sure he hadn’t meant to say it like that. “So you have an interview. Who with?”

You tapped the cup between your hands with your fingernails as you bit the inside of your cheek. You didn’t want to hold back from him and yet your tongue wouldn’t physically form the words you wanted it to. You were left in silence while you and Hayden stared each other down, him waiting for an answer and you becoming increasingly annoyed. Part of you was annoyed that he was being so irritating and vexing, the other part of you was increasingly drawn to him and his eyes.

Maybe part of you was mad, maybe it was some kind of crazed inner toxicity that made you want to be with him again.

Despite the flaws and boyishness.

“I have to go.” He just got here, you knew he had, but you had to leave.

Or maybe you were just needing space because he had pushed you a little far and you were seeking an escape. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Whether it was nothing more than an excuse to leave him, or it was a true statement about needing to prepare, you would be leaving regardless.

“Wish we had more time to talk, I just got here.” Hayden stood when you had, his statement causing a twitch behind your left eye. “Maybe we can meet up after your interview. I’m heading to the Sharks club to watch the game.”

“Sure, why not.” You sidestepped the table, caught by his arm stretched before you preventing you from leaving yet.

“It’s good to see you, Y/N.” His lips met your cheek, a lingering kiss pressed to you before he dropped his arm and let you leave.

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[imaginedreamwrite]

A Permanent Claim

Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Summary: After taking a high turnaround job as a nanny, you find yourself thrown into the world of bikers where you’re claimed by the leader

Pairing: biker!Curtis Everett x nanny!Reader

Curtis & Mousey drabbles

[imaginedreamwrite]

A Permanent Claim: Part 3

He could still feel the hit of his last cigarette on his tongue, the buzz from the nicotine placing him in a well enough mood to face the potential nanny that Pari had talked to.

The buzz from the dart that he’d finished before leaving the club was easing his aggression, halting his dire mood at least until he had taken stock of the woman that would be responsible for his twins when he wasn’t there.

It was a process to find someone who wasn’t willing to tamper down his kid’s excitement and eagerness to explore the world around them.

There had been a number of nannies that had come into the house only to quit within days or weeks, driven out by his twins chaotic and wild energy or their dislike of the ridgid women who tried to control their entire day.

Curtis had been through almost every nanny agency and every available caretaker without finding any long-term care for his twins, through his sons actions or his dislike for the women. They were young, they didn’t need ridgid schedules and mandatory quiet hours, and they didn’t need some nanny to enter their home attempting to reshape them into something they weren’t.

Going through the agencies that regurgitated the same kind of caretakers over and over had left Curtis angered by the lack of coordination for what he needed and what they thought he wanted. It was endless, having nanny after nanny come through his home only to be pushed away or quit because his boys were unhappy because of how they treated them.

His twins were his entire world, his twins were the most important people in his life and that had driven Curtis to find someone who would care about them in the same way he had. He didn’t want someone who looked at them like they were some problem that needed to be corrected or fixed, he needed someone who gave a damn about the little boys that he would die for.

I found a nanny, she’ll be perfect. Don’t be an asshole when you meet her — Pari

Curtis received the text a half hour before he had left the club, the message coming across with a subtle warning that both Pari and her boyfriend would give him hell if he tried to intimidate this new potential nanny. Curtis had felt momentary relief by the threat that was made, between the lines of Pari’s text, with the thinly veiled threat meaning that this nanny could be the one he was looking for.

It was weighing on his mind from the time he left the club and started making his way home, the hopeful draw of having someone good to watch his kids. Since his ex had walked out on him and his boys when they were just over a month old, denying any parental rights for them, Curtis had been working his ass off to give them everything they would ever need.

He was a single parent though he had a strong support network from the close members of the club and their significant others. They had all adored Theo and James as if they were their own, and there had never been a singular moment where Curtis had regretted doing it without their birth mother.

His ex walking away from him and his boys was the best damn thing to happen to him. He had never contacted her about coming back, he never tried to rekindle the sexual relationship that led to them having twins. He had let what happened between them die and turn to ash, and as far as he knew she was off on the coast living with some guy she met online while sleeping around on him.

I mean it. Don’t be an ass — Pari

The second message had come through his phone while he was reaching for the doorknob of the garage, his hand hovering above the sleek silver metal while he read the message. Without responding Curtis slipped his phone back into his leather jacket and then turned the handle, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

He kicked his boots off to the left not caring where they landed and slammed the door shut, just as quickly taking his phone out of his pocket before shrugging his jacket off and letting it drop where he stood. He stepped over the rumpled leather, following the sound of the quiet conversation coming from the kitchen where he found his boys huddled by the table and Pari standing by the fridge.

“Daddy’s back!” Theo stopped what he was doing, dropping the crayon in his hand to the plain page he had been colouring on and then scrambled across the table.

He jumped from the edge and scurried toward Curtis, launching himself at his legs to squeeze him tightly. Curtis had hugged Theo back while watching James focus on the drawing he was creating, admiring his son when he stuck his tongue out in order to concentrate on what he was doing.

“Where’s the nanny?” Curtis questioned Pari, raising an eyebrow when she turned to face him with her arms crossed over her chest. “Did she leave already?”

“She is amazing by the way,” Pari hadn’t answered his snarky question, instead she stepped away from the fridge and walked toward Curtis, first brushing Theo’s hair back and then she rest her hand upon Curtis’ shoulder, “I mean it, if you be an asshole-“

“That’s a bad word.” James piped up from the table, raising his head to look at his aunt with furrowed brows. “That’s a bad word right?”

“What’s a bad word?” As he heard someone else speak, Curtis glanced over his shoulder toward the potential nanny Pari had mentioned.

He knew from first glance that this nanny was nothing like the others who had shown up, the other women who had an air of sophisticated arrogance about them. All it took was a first glance at this potential nanny to know that she was different, almost cathartically so, from the others.

“Asshole, that’s a bad word right?” James innocently tilted his head as his mouth pursed, one of the crayons he was using placed between his upper and bottom lip as he waited for an answer.

“That’s…” Curtis studied you, the corner of his lips twitching as a smirk threatened to form when you seemed not to notice him. “You shouldn’t say that.”

“See, bad word.” James shook his head, glancing at his drawing with a look of complete and utter focus before he shrugged. “Daddy’s back.”

Curtis had bent to lift Theo from the floor, resting his oldest twin against his hip securely holding him in place. As Theo rest his head against Curtis’ shoulder, he had gotten a better look at you.

When you had finally realized he was there, you turned slowly to face him giving him a full and unobstructed view of you. He had raked his eyes over you in a slow and calculating way, from the mismatched socks that were both patterned to the pair of jeans you chose to wear that fit you like a glove.

The material clung to your thighs and hips, so well fitted to you Curtis wondered if they weren’t painted on. And as his speculative gaze rose further, a smirk had tugged on his lips when he watched you squirm and avert your eyes with anxiousness that was fuelled by his heady stare.

One look was all it took to get a full picture of who you were and what you were like. You were a good girl, someone who was quiet and bashful, almost skittish and afraid to have a lot of attention on you all at once.

“Curtis-“ Pari addressed him, her honey-laced brown eyes narrowing with a warning as her jaw ticked, the threat lingering on the back of his mind.

“So you’re the new nanny?” Curtis drew your attention back to himself, your eyes briefly meeting his though it was quick-lived. “Do you have a name?”

“Y/N,” you spoke quietly, mumbling your name while you shifted your weight from foot to foot.

You were intimidated by him, though he couldn’t discern if it was his appearance that scared you or if it was his reputation that frightened you. Regardless, he was overtly aware of the rise and fall of your chest with every tempered breath and the skittishness that you felt when he stepped toward you.

“Couldn’t hear you, wanna repeat yourself?” He was amused by you and your bashfulness, the way you wouldn’t or couldn’t look at him for longer than a few moments felt incredibly exhilarating.

He had come across more women that couldn’t stop looking at him, more women who were bold and emblazoned by their attraction to him. It was arrogant of him, he surmised, to be so immune to the way they had stared. But you, right now, unable to look at him was addictive. He was far more interested and immediately taken by your shyness than he ever would have been with a bolder woman.

“Y/N,” you spoke more clearly, finally looking at him although he could see the uncertainty in your eyes. “Y/N L/N.”

“Y/N.” He spoke your name with a half-smirk and simmering eyes.

You were quiet, like a little mouse caught in the vision of a cat on the hunt, unable to move without fear of being caught in the clutch of sharp claws. You weren’t aware of his reputation, he knew you couldn’t have been or else you wouldn’t be here in this house. If you had known what he was capable of…

“Have you been a nanny before?” While Curtis was questioning you, Theo had squirmed in his grasp and he relented to crouch down and let his son go, watching him as he moved back toward the table and his drawing.

“I have…I’ve never been a nanny but I have a full education in-“ you looked toward Pari, nervously licking your bottom lip with bubbling anxiety.

“She’s got a degree in early childhood education, she’s certified in first aid and she knows CPR,” Pari answered for you, her eyes becoming knitted and her lips turning to a scowl. “Dickhead.”

Curtis bit back a laugh and drew his hand to his face, running his palm over the edge of his beard to stifle a smirk.

He watched you from the corner of his eyes, reacting with shock at the way Pari had spoken to him in such a brash measure although he couldn’t blame you for your reaction. You didn’t know how close Pari was to Curtis and his twins. You didn’t know that beyond her being their non-blood-related aunt, Pari was also like a sister to Curtis.

Of the few people who could’ve talked back to Curtis and call him every cursed name under the sun, Pari was one of the few who could get away completely unscathed. He trusted her not just with his kids but with the process of choosing a nanny since she had helped him out with the constant shift in nannies that came through like a revolving door. Curtis knew that Pari wouldn’t have threatened to kick Curtis’ ass if she hadn’t thought you were worth keeping around.

“Are you in a relationship?” Curtis next question had caught you off guard, and he could easily picture the wheels in your head spinning as you pondered why he asked in the manner that he had.

“Umm…” Again, you looked at Pari and Curtis was struck by another jolt of amusement over your reaction to his question. “Are you allowed to ask me that?”

“I can ask you whatever I want.” Curtis crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles contracting and straining against his plain black shirt, tattoos peering under the hems of his sleeves.

“Curtis is being a dick.” Pari shot him a dangerous look, venom radiating from her warm honey-laced brown eyes.

“I’m keeping my kids in mind, Pari. I’m not going to have some random man-“ He countered Pari’s argument, the two of them verbally combatting each other.

“I don’t have a boyfriend. I’m not…” you swallowed and drew out a short breath, wiping your hands on your jeans. “I’m single and even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t bring them around your kids. That’s…that’s not okay.”

Curtis looked past you toward his twins, watching the two of them colouring on pages that had been blank and now were filled with the works of their imaginations.

While Theo had conceptualized the image of a ship on the ocean with sharks and fish swimming in the water, James had drawn his idea of a forest with overhanging trees and snakes hiding in the grass. The two were almost oblivious to what was going on around them, they were in their worlds enjoying something they loved to do.

“This is a live-in nanny position, you stay here until you’re not needed-“

“Curtis she knows, I told her everything.” Pari was adamant about coming to your defence, it was clear that she liked you and believed you would be best for the role even without Curtis truly grilling you as he should have.

“I’m okay with that. Being here I mean, as a live-in nanny. I was kind of expecting it…” you shifted your weight from your left foot to your right and chewed on the inside of your cheek, one of the many nervous habits he was sure you had.

“Pari take her home. Theo, James, upstairs and get ready for bed.” Curtis spoke with finality, ending the conversation and what little interview there was.

“I don’t-“

“I better see you here tomorrow, new girl. I want you here at 8:30, don’t be late.” He spoke with gruffness, giving you a curt demanding start time for your first day with underlying expectations that he wouldn’t listen to bullshit excuses if you were late.

“Should I-“

“Dickhead.” Pari rolled her eyes at Curtis as he passed by you with Theo and James running off ahead, scoffing at him then ushering you toward the front door with her in tow.

Curtis climbed the stairs to the upper level and stopped, glanced over his shoulder to witness the front door closing and then drew his lips into a crooked grin.

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