You know, sometimes life just punches you right in the face.

You're not even expecting it, either. So it's not like you can prepare or anything. Soften the blow, be ready for the after.

No, no. Life likes to punch you right in the face, then kick your heart. And it leaves you questioning, uncertain of what's to come, or how to even go about moving forward.

Today, that's me.

I got off early from class and decided to surprise my boyfriend with a romantic lunch date. But I had no idea that it was me who was getting the surprise.

Because when I unlocked the front door to our apartment, I heard faint thumping coming from the bedroom. Worried—how naive—I grabbed a kitchen knife and headed towards the room.

But when I pushed open the door, it wasn't an intruder I found.

It was my boyfriend, Jesse. And he was balls deep in my friend, Raina. The knife clattered to the floor with a loud gasp, causing him to look back at me. And the color drained from his face.

Raina sat up, exposing her bare chest to me, covered in Jesse's saliva and developing hickies. I felt sick. I felt tears stinging my eyes, so I turned on my heel to rush out of the apartment.

Jesse chased after me. When he gripped my wrist, I yanked it away and warned him not to touch me. But as I grabbed my bag and tried to walk out, he grabbed me again.

That's when I saw a little bit of red and swung.

I didn't even mean to. It was just a reaction. He let go of me, though. So he could grip his nose between both hands. And man, did seeing him do that make up for the pain I immediately started feeling throughout my hand.

That's how I ended up sitting at my favorite ice cream parlor. Placing the cup against my knuckles, eating small bites.

The pain is keeping me angry. Cause right now, it hurts like hell and it's Jesse's fault. And I don't have to think about...

I shake my head. Nope, no. Not here.

I sigh, scooping some creamy goodness into my mouth. Then I grab my phone and immediately frown when I see a picture of Jesse and me set as my background. I quickly changed it to the last picture I had in my camera roll, which was a picture I snapped of the blackboard before I left Mr. Peterson's room so I could finish my notes.

I look around the parlor, envious of seeing people together, laughing.

How come life isn't punching them in the face right now? Why me?

I was a good person. I studied hard, was responsible. Paid my bills on time. Never drink and drive. Always tip my waitress.

Why me?

I blink away stinging tears again. Frustrated, I scoop another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth. Then another.

The sad thing is, Jesse and I live together. Lived. It was much more affordable to rent a place close to campus and split the rent instead of staying in the dorms. Plus, after being together for three years, it just made sense. Why not live together?

Shelby, Iris and Raina said all serious couples move in together. We should, too.

Fucking Raina.

How could she? We weren't as close as me and Iris are, but damn. We're still friends. Isn't there a rule against dating your friends ex? I'm sure there's a fucking rule for dating her current boyfriend.

I should've punched her. Always acting so sweet, so innocent. 'Oh Adri, need my help? Oh Anna, I'll follow you home and help you. Oh Adri, Jesse's looking for you'.

Backstabbing bitch.

And Jesse, bringing her to our bed. Where we had sex, where we slept. Stupid son of a bitch.

I had been angrily scooping ice cream into my mouth, I didn't even realize when I finished it. Sad, I pushed it away and huffed a breath. Commotion from the counter caught my attention.

"Kid? Hey, kid! You need to get off the glass!" He exasperated. "What are you, deaf?"

The associate was snapping his fingers and yelling at a small child, looking into the glass of ice cream. I notice her neatly styled hair, expensive-looking dress for a, what, seven, eight year old? But what I didn't miss was the hearing aid in her ear.

I'm quick on my feet.

I glare at the worker, who's tag red Ben, and crouched beside her. She looked at me, smiled a beautiful smile, and reached into her ears.

"Hi." She said.

I smile. "Hi. Are you wanting some?" I motion to the glass. She nods eagerly. So I stand. "Pick whatever you want, sweetheart."

The girl points to chocolate chip, sherbet, and pecan. I wrinkle my nose a bit. But if that's what she wants. As I swipe my debit card, I lift my eyes to Ben.

"The next time you decide it's a good idea to start shouting at a child," I say, voice much more threatening than I'd ever heard before. "Maybe see why she isn't responding. Her hearing aids weren't on, asshole."

His face dropped. I place my hands on her shoulders and walk her outside. The warm summer sun hits my skin, making me smile a bit. I love summer.

The girl looks up at me. "You're cool. My dad says I'm not allowed to say asshole, even though I've heard him say that to other people."

I momentarily freeze. I cursed in front of a child. Way to go, Adrianna.

"Your dad is right," I smile, sitting on a bench beside the parlor. "You can't say it yet. You gotta wait until you're older."

Her eyes widened. "Really?" I nod. "How old?"

I chuckle. "I think the first time I said it, I was about seventeen. So, you know, somewhere around there."

"In ten years," she groans. "Fine. But you can't tell my dad."

"You can't tell your dad I told you you could," I counter with a smile.

"Deal," she holds out her small hand. "I'm Mary Grace."

I take her hand. "I'm Adrianna."

"I love your name, it's so pretty." She beams.

"Same to you."

As Mary Grace eats her ice cream, I note her features. Her sandy brown hair, bangs clipped back and hair braided in a perfect French braid. Her blue eyes are so kind, but curious as she looks everywhere and anywhere. Her nose was upturned, and she had a dark freckle on her cheek.

She was gorgeous. She's gonna be a heartbreaker when she gets older.

"Mary Grace, where are your parents?"

Quite frankly, it hadn't dawned on me to ask until now. But I didn't see her running to any adult figures in the ice cream shop. And I don't see any out here...

"Oh, my daddy's working. He's always working." She rolls her eyes. "Lucinda quit today, so he had to bring me with him."

"Where does he work?"

She points to the huge office across the street. "He's the boss of everyone. He likes bossing people around."

I chuckle. "Is that so?"

She nods, halfway through her ice cream. "And then at night, he's the boss of more people. But he stays home most of the time, at night. Daddy likes to be bossy."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Alright. Well, I think we should head that way, don't you? Don't want him missing you."

"He's in a meeting. Those usually last forty-five minutes."

This girl is very smart and observant for her age. I shake my head.

"And how long have you been gone?"

"What time is it?"

I glance at my phone. "1:27."

Her eyes widen. "Oh no. I lost track of time. Daddy is bossy, but if there's one thing he's better at is paying attention to detail. And he'll know I'm gone right away."

I don't know why, but this made me nervous. It's not like I kidnapped her. I found her, bought her ice cream. I'm bringing her back. But honestly, she's not painting a very nice picture for the guy.

"What about your mom?" I ask as I rise.

Mary Grace scoffs. "What about her? All she wants to do is control me worse than daddy does." Mary Grace sighs. "And takes a bunch of money from daddy."

I frown. That couldn't have ended well if not even she's fond of the woman.

"Alright, well, let's get you back to your dad, okay?" I press my palm to her back and gently guide her forward. "Don't want him to get angry at—"

I collide with something hard, and I almost assume it's the wall of the ice cream parlor, until two warm, big hands firmly grasp my elbows. I don't know why I felt an instant sting where those hands rested, but it made me audibly intake a breath as I look up.

And holy hell, I think my jaw drops.

I thought Jesse was one of the most attractive guys I would've met. There's superstar hot, like Chris Hemsworth, that literally no ordinary man could compare. And there's Jesse hot, that set him above most men you pass by daily.

But this man? This man surpassed Jesse.

I think he may even be in the same category as Chris Hemsworth.

His eyes are a dark blue, a darker shade than I've ever seen in my life. Almost as if a speck of black was mixed in with his shade of blue to create whatever beautiful shade this was. His hair is dark, dark brown, perfectly styled on top, neatly groomed on the sides. His jaw line is prominent, jaw cascaded with faint stubble. His lips were so plump, so kissable.

This man is the type of person I'd imagine while I'm in my own bliss, getting myself off.

He's gorgeous. Beautiful. Pretty. Everything in between.

And where his hands were was starting to burn a bit more, moving straight between my legs. I rubbed my thighs together ever so slightly, but his dark blue eyes dropped to my legs, not missing it.

I gulp.

But then his eyes move to Mary Grace, and when they return to me, I see the rage in them.

"Mary Grace," oh, goodness. His voice was deep and smooth and velvety. Dangerous. Sexy. "Who is this?"

Oh, shoot. This is Mary Grace's dad?

"Daddy, this is my friend Adrianna." I see Mary Grace's small hands reach up and grab mine, pulling me from his grip. His warmth quickly leaves me, making me frown. "She bought me ice cream."

The sexy man in front of us raises a brow, looking down to his daughter.

"MG, what have I told you about wandering off on your own? Lenny didn't see you leave."

Mary Grace groans. "I was bored, daddy. I looked out the window and saw ice cream. I was gonna ask you, but you were in your meeting. I know the rules."

Her dad sighs, pushing a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, pumpkin. I am. Just one more meeting and we can go home, okay?"

"Fine. But can I hang out with Adrianna? She's so much more fun than the people in your office."

I smile at her words, but my smile falters when I see his gaze back on me. His eyes drop slowly from head to toe, then back up.

"No."

Mary Grace scoffs. "Daddy! Please? You're always teaching me to be careful of people. I am. Adrianna saw a mean man yelling at me and called him an asshole after buying me ice cream. She could've kidnapped me by now, but she was taking me to you. Does that sound like a psycho killer to you?"

His eyes searched mine for a moment before they dropped to Mary Graces's, then smirking. "What did I say about calling people assholes, pumpkin?"

"It wasn't me." She raises her hands innocently.

His eyes meet mine again. "Is that true?"

I simply nod. I don't trust anything that might come out of my mouth yet.

He purses his lips, then looks at his watch. "Fine. Fine. You win. But you guys are coming back to the office."

"Deal." Mary Grace smiles and tugs my hand forward.

She practically skips towards the building, which was harder for me to keep up with her, being that my denim skirt was clinging to my thighs already. Once the doors open up to the lobby, I take a moment to appreciate the marble flooring, the iron stairwells, the sophisticated art around.

But I didn't get to take it in for long, cause I was still being dragged to the elevator.

Mary Grace's dad was still behind us, easily stepping in behind me before the doors shut. He leans forward to press button eighteen, but I don't miss how his breath hits my shoulder for a moment, causing goosebumps to spread across my skin.

But that was the last I saw of him. He kissed Mary Grace on the forehead before he disappeared behind a closed door. And Mary Grace spent the next hour and a half talking my ear off.

It was nice, though.

Cause for that time, I wasn't worried about what I needed to do after this. I could just sit here and answer her questions, or listen to her rant about rats and why she actually loves them. Or her tell me her version of gossip of people in the office, which was just her telling me how boring they were.

She was funny and bright. She was gonna go far in life, I could tell.

"If you become a teacher, do you think you'll be my teacher?"

I chuckle. "I don't know. It depends on where you go to school and where I get assigned."

Mary Grace sighs. "Daddy wants to homeschool me. He thinks people will treat me different."

I wrap my arm around her, bringing my face close to hers. "You know, people who treat you different can't see how truly amazing you are."

She smiles at me, but when a door opens, her eyes move behind me and she's quick on her feet. I turn, seeing her jump into her fathers arms and wrap her little body all around him.

He catches my eye, then pulls Mary Grace back to tell her something. She nods and runs back to me.

"Thank you, Adi," she hugs me. I smile and hug her back. "You're really nice."

"So are you."

With that, she runs down the hallway and disappears. I was rolling onto my knees, trying to stand when I saw her father walking towards me. He stands in front of me, hands in his pockets. I gulp, seeing how he was staring down at me.

I look away from his intense gaze, but his whole bottom half is close to my face. I let go of a shuddered breath as I look back up at him.

I'm on my knees. In front of the sexiest man alive. In another predicament, I would've loved to be in this position with him. But I hardly know him. And he probably still thinks I tried to kidnap his daughter.

Adrianna, get up.

"Sorry," I finally mutter, trying to anchor my feet on the ground and stand.

Damn tight skirt.

He outstretched his hand, offering it to me. I meet his eyes for a moment before placing my hand in his, immediately feeling that fire spread from him to me. As he tugged me up with no effort at all, I'm dumbfounded. And oddly turned on.

"I have a proposition for you, Ms. Lee."

Oh, his voice. He's not even asking. He's demanding. I can't imagine what he sounds like in bed.

But wait. "How do you know my last name?"

A ghost of a smirk plays on his lips. "I did my research."

I look down to our hands, quickly pulling away from him. I cross my arms and take a stance.

"And why is that?"

"Mary Grace was very found of you. Very fast. I didn't want her getting attached if you were, in fact, some kind of psycho."

I furrow my brows. "Getting attached? Why—"

"A proposition, Ms. Lee. Would you like to hear it?" I shrug. "My nanny quit today. I guess, even at her age, she couldn't take the heat of what she did wrong being brought to her attention. I, obviously, can't bring Mary Grace to work, because she can't stay put. She's a curious one."

He smiles for just a moment and I swear my heart stopped. But as quickly as it came, it left.

"She liked you immediately. She never even liked Lucinda. For my MG to like you? It's big. So, I want to hire you to be her nanny."

I blink. "Excuse me?"

"I want to hire you to be her nanny."

"No, I heard you. I just don't know why."

He shrugs. "You're studying to become a teacher. You volunteer your hours at the school, almost eligible to do your hours as a teachers aid. But you're already enrolled for masters classes—more specifically, child psychology. Your first job was at a daycare, for Pete's sake."

Knowing he went that far into my history was...odd. I'm not sure how I felt. But it was weird.

"You know, you could've just asked me these questions. I would've told you. Kinda weird that you practically cyber stalked me."

"Ms. Lee, when it comes to my daughter, I'll stop at nothing to ensure her safety."

Oh, God. That was so hot. Why is that so hot? I can feel warmth seeping between my legs.

"I'm a full-time college student." I clear my throat, trying to rid it of waving. "I don't get out of class until two."

"Mary Grace is at school until three. It's perfect. You'll just get her ready, take her to school, and pick her up afterwards and watch her until I get home."

"Get her ready?" I raise a brow. "You expect me to be getting up before dawn to get to your house?"

"No," he shrugs. "I expect you to live in the house, Ms. Lee."

No.

No, no, no.

Absolutely not.

This man is like sex on legs. I cannot, absolutely cannot, be under the same roof as him.

"I don't know," I shake my head.

"Ms. Lee, it's a simple job. Mary Grace is well behaved, as you witnessed. She just needs company. She doesn't have a sibling. And in order to provide what I do for her, I need to work."

I put my hands on my hips and turn away from him. Not looking at him helps. Cause it'll be so easy to give into those beautiful blue eyes and sexy voice.

"Plus, the pay is excellent. I'm thinking twelve-hundred a day."

That makes me turn back towards him, full force. "Excuse me?"

He shrugs. "Nothing is too much for my daughter. I know quality when I see it, Ms. Lee. And I need you."

I need you.

I don't even know him and those words shot right through my heart, straight to my aching clit. I almost whimper, but keep it contained.

"You're sure about this?" I ask him.

"Absolutely."

I run my hand through my hair. That's a lot of money. Money I can save to put down on a new place—thanks Jesse, you stupid slut—or even towards my student loans. A new car.

So many possibilities.

I turn towards him. "Alright. You have a deal."

His smirk deepens. "Excellent. Follow me, and I'll bring you to the house."

I blink. What the hell did I just get myself into?

A/N

Welcome to Daniel and Adrianna's story, loves! I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for reading, lovelies! Don't forget to vote, comment, etc!!<33