Chapter 74

Neil

Neil hates arguing with Chloe, but she is being insufferable and purposefully difficult. Sometimes he’s certain that she needles him on purpose, just to get a rise out of him.

Worse, he hates that this time, she might have some merit to her arguments. Maybe his childhood wasn’t the healthiest. He was forced to abide by strict rules or faced dire punishment, like hours trapped in a dark closet.

Solitary, his nannies called it. His father called it a just reprimand. As the eldest, Neil also accepted a lot of the punishments intended for his brothers. He didn’t want his young siblings to suffer when he was more used to the dimly lit quiet of the closet.

Neil isn’t a monster. He has no intention of locking Mia or Chloe in a closet for hours on end. He simply wants them to follow the schedule. Time management is an essential task. He cannot allow anyone in his care to be reckless or lazy, not even children. Not even babies.

Still, arguing with Chloe leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He is upset with her for disrespecting their hospitality and selling the gifts she was given, though he isn’t unreasonable. He understands Chloe comes from lesser circumstances. She’s likely never been around such fine things before.

Money can be a corrupting force. He’s seen it time and again with many of the people he and his brothers have invited into their lives. He hoped Chloe would be different. She seems genuine in other ways. Perhaps this reprimand would bring her back in line before it’s too late.

Perhaps it is up to Neil to help guide her back on track. If he can convince her that his way is the best way, she might see reason. If only she could be less stubborn.

He considers ways he can help her understand his side of things. Maybe if they sit down and truly talk…

But then the fire alarm goes off.

Neil’s stomach twists up into a knot. In an instant, he has his phone in his hand and he’s logged into the Pyramid’s security system. The source of the alarm is… the bathroom off the baby’s room?

That’s where Mia and Chloe are!

Neil’s legs move on their own, before his brain can even comprehend what’s happening. He dashes down the hall, straight for Mia’s room, then bursts into the bathroom.

He looks around the room, searching for fire, but he doesn’t see anything. Just Mia in the tub, upset by the noise, and Chloe sitting on the ground, gently tending to Mia, attempting to soothe her.

His worry breaks, but the adrenaline has nowhere to go. It settles on anger instead.

“What the hell did you do?” he snaps.

Chloe tells him about the fire alarm and how easily it shorted.

He immediately has his phone in his hands and sends out several messages in quick succession.

One, to the fire department, to tell them it is a false alarm. Another, to his brothers so they know what’s happening. And a third, to himself to remind him to replace all the faulty fire alarms in this place as soon as he’s done dealing with this particular drama.

Mia begins to giggle and that eases his rankled nerves somewhat. He’s feeling less venomous anyway. Less like he wants to track down the contractor who sold them these faulty alarms and jam them down his throat.

When he lifts his gaze, his eyes fall on Chloe. He spotted her before when he first came into the room, but now that he’s taking the time to look, he really sees her.

And he sees so much more than he intended.

The main casualty of Mia’s splashing seems to be Chloe’s white shirt. It’s entirely soaked through, sticking to her like a second, translucent skin.

Neil can see everything. The curves of her luscious breasts. The lacy little bra she wears that barely manage to cover them. The tips of her nipples peek out from just above the cups, a tantalizing darker spot among a creamy swell of flesh.

His pants are suddenly much tighter. His hands twitch, eager to touch. His mouth salivates with the sudden urge to taste.

He startles. Why is he thinking this way – over the nanny?

Yet he can’t deny his body’s reaction. His dick is rapidly hardening in his pants. He wants to rip that shirt off of Chloe, and that bra, and bare her to him fully.

Dangerous, his mind whispers.

He shakes his head, clearing away the lustful thoughts, and immediately hates himself for them. What kind of prepubescent teenage boy reaction is this, just to the sight of a pair of tits? They’re nice tits sure. Great, even. But he’s a grown ass man. He can control himself better than this.

His anger at himself comes out directed to everyone else. In this case, Chloe and her delectable breasts – that he can still see, and still can’t keep himself from glancing at -- are the target of his ire.

“How can you be so reckless?” Neil demands. I hate myself for my lack of control, both of my libido and now my anger. “How could you let this happen?”

“Let this happen?” She glares at me over her shoulder. “Mia splashed and –”

“She shouldn’t be splashing.”

“She’s just having fun!”

“She doesn’t need to have fun.”

“Yes, she does!”

Neil growls without meaning to. Chloe’s eyes go a bit wide, surprised by my sudden hostility.

Mia begins to cry.

Chloe returns her attention to her at once. She starts to lift her out of the tub.

“There, there sweetheart, it’s okay. He’s not really mad at you.”

How could she possibly know that? Neil hates how much she sees. Or rather, how much she thinks she sees. Maybe he is really mad at Mia. This is all her fault, after all.

Except that’s not true. At all. The only person he’s truly angry with is himself.

“Give her to me,” Neil says, stepping forward.

Chloe casts him a doubtful look. “Are you sure?”

“Now, Chloe.” If he can take Mia and get away from Chloe’s intoxicating presence, maybe he can think for one damn minute and get himself back under his typical tight control. Fucking Chloe throwing him out of order.

Chloe dutifully holds out Mia for him to take, finally following commands. Except Mia is soaking wet.

Neil can’t go back on his order however, so he clasps Mia at her torso and holds her out away from him.

Chloe grabs the towel and gently starts patting Mia down.

Suddenly, Neil starts to feel something wet on my abdomen. With trepidation, he peers down.

Mia is peeing on him.

“Chloe.”

Chloe comes closer, she looks down, she sees.

She fucking starts to laugh.

Mia, looking up at her, giggles. She clasps her hands together, then sticks them in her smiling mouth.

Neil is disgusted. His whole body itches with the feeling of dirty. It’s unbearable, except… when he focuses on the sound of their laughter. And when he sees Chloe smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief and delight, it’s suddenly not as bad as it was.

She has a beautiful smile. And the sound of her laughter is calming and inviting, like it would be so easy to laugh along with her.

Neil won’t. He can’t. Laughter is another thing he must strictly control about himself.

But looking at Chloe, he wants to.

What is happening to him? Why is he suddenly thinking about the nanny like this? First he lusted after her, and now he’s admiring her smile?

Something must be wrong. Maybe he should go to the doctor and have himself checked.

He can’t actually like her.

What the hell is wrong with him?