around and tries to slip in lyrics that will never work, he’s also professional. He takes criticism better than I thought he would, and he only fights me on some of my clichéd preferences.
It’s actually fun working with him.
Whenever Harley and I sat down to write, we were at each other’s throats by the end of the session. With Lyric, time flies by, full of both laughs and productivity, and before we know it, it’s two in the morning, and we realize Kaylee’s going to be awake in three hours.
At least she’s managed to sleep through tonight with no more dreams. So that’s a bonus.
“We don’t really have time to lay this down tonight,” I say.
“We’re both going to be dead on our feet tomorrow.”
“Are you going to stay the night?”
Lyric’s eyes widen.
“In the nanny’s quarters,” I clarify. “You’re more than welcome to.”
“Yeah. I’d likely crash your precious car if I tried to drive.”
“How about this. We’ll go to bed now. I’ll get up with Kaylee at five and let you sleep in until you have to go to playgroup at ten, and then I’ll nap after you’re gone.”
Lyric’s so adorably tired he acknowledges the plan with a nod and stands. “Sounds fair.” He drags his feet through the hallway leading to the nanny’s part of the house.
I watch him until I realize I want him to be walking through the other door to my side of the house. Maybe toward my bedroom.
Ugh.
I may be dead tired, but my cock definitely isn’t.
Not while watching Lyric walk away in his tight jeans.
Shake it off, Ryder.
I don’t have anything planned for the next few days in the recording studio, so I leave our mess of pens and paper all over my desk and go the opposite direction, away from Lyric.
My legs are apparently too tired for stairs and trip their way up half of them. I’m tempted to crawl toward my room.
As soon as I’m behind closed doors, I peel off my clothes and get into bed in my boxer briefs.
Kaylee’s going to wake me up in three hours. Four if she sleeps in, which is rare.
Yet all I can think about is Lyric’s smile, his eagerness to work, and the way he’d glare at me when I’d suggest something too mainstream.
He thinks he looks mean and threatening or pissed off, but honestly, he looks more attractive when he’s mad.
My cock is hard, just like it was last night without him even touching me. I went to bed hard as a rock but was reluctant to do anything about it because it would be a mistake.
For the life of me, I can’t remember why right now.
And as I reach into my boxers and try to jerk off to any other image but my nanny, all I keep seeing when I close my eyes is Lyric’s long hair in a bun and his hazel eyes that always seem a little bit mischievous even though he’s one of the most levelheaded people I know.
The scariest part of it all is how I can be so wrapped up in someone when he’s the last person I should be thinking about.
It’s his job to be with Kaylee. To protect Kaylee.
Oh fuck. My hand tightens on my cock, and precum dribbles out of the tip. I want to be the guy to give Lyric everything he wants even though I can’t be.
I shouldn’t be.
Yet the thought of being everything he needs has my muscles tightening, my cock spasming, and cum covering my stomach.
So much for not thinking about him.
Chapter Fourteen
Lyric
Ryder’s supposed to wake me when it’s almost time to go to playgroup, but I wake to the sound of the buzzer for the front gate, and I have to wonder what time it is. Why did we think it was a good idea to stay up so late working on a stupid song? Okay, it’s a good song, but right now staying up to work on it until the wee hours of the morning just feels stupid.
Fuck, I’m tired. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my life.
The buzzer doesn’t stop, so I climb out of bed and throw on my clothes from yesterday.
Kaylee’s playroom is empty, and the large house is quiet.
Maybe Ryder took Kaylee for a walk or something and forgot the clicker for the gate.
Sleepily, I make my way to the intercom near the front door and press the button to talk to whoever is incessantly annoying me.
“Hello?” I croak.
“Ryder?” a feminine