Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Two minutes later the door opened and I really wished it hadn’t. In fact, I wished I hadn’t drank anything last night, because now I wasn’t sure if the person standing before me was the person interviewing me or a whiskey induced fever dream.
He was gorgeous. No, that was too tame a word for the sight of the man standing in front of me with thick chestnut brown hair and silver-blue eyes that were equal parts stormy and dreamy. He was tall, well over six feet, yet built. His corded forearms and strong hands said he was a man who took care of himself, but the disheveled wavy hair and steel-cut jawline gave him a roguish quality that I found irresistible.
Staring at the beautiful man made me happy that I’d dressed to impress. My red leather jacket hugged my body perfectly, and the black t-shirt, blue jeans with the skinny red belt, gave me the confidence boost I needed to go up against another so-called master of the universe. I tapped my red knee high boots impatiently and met his gaze head on.
“Are you Brady?” Please, dear god let this be a brother or cousin and not the man I’m supposed to be working for.
“Excuse me?” His dark brows furrowed in confusion.
I sighed deeply. “Brady. Is that you?”
He blinked until his beautiful icy blue eyes focused on my face. “Who are you?”
“My name is Toni. Serenity sent me for a two o’clock interview.” I could already tell this was a man who didn’t bother with niceties or details. He worked hard and that was it. “Are you Brady with no last name?”
He nodded absently, looking over my shoulder. “The interview isn’t until two.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s ten minutes until two.”
Brady stared at me with knitted, dark brown brows. His pale gaze looked me up and down, assessing me carefully before his gaze landed on my face. “Okay.”
“I’m here for the nanny position. Only the nanny position.”
His lips twitched. “Come on in, Antonia.”
“Toni,” I corrected and stepped inside, ignoring the way his subtle, masculine scent worked its way into my nostrils before settling into my brain.
“Antonia is such a great name. Regal. Royal.” He nodded for me to follow him and I did.
But I did not admire his long, lean runner’s build. And I absolutely did not notice that his jeans fit as if he was sewn into them this morning. In fact, the moment we entered his office, I barely noticed him at all. The room was decorated in dark wood, black and brown leather with brass accents. It was a man’s room, loaded up with books and computer equipment. “If you like the name, I’m happy to call you Antonia.”
His lips curled into a grin. “Maybe the living room would be better,” he said before turning and exiting his office, leading me back the way I came into the sparsely decorated living room. “So, Toni. Your qualifications are quite impressive.”
Duh. “Thank you.”
“How soon can you start?” His question was abrupt, and if coming from someone else, I might have felt suspicious, but I suspected he was just an abrupt kind of guy.
“Soon, but first we need to chat a bit more, don’t you think?”
“Why? I need a nanny and you are a nanny.”
I nodded slowly. “Parents who don’t care about who takes care of their children, generally end up as problematic employers.”
“Excuse me?”
I flashed a toothy grin, happy I’d gone for my bright red lipstick today. “What do you need from your nanny, Mr., ah Brady?”
He wanted to argue with me but thought better of it. “I need someone who knows children, someone who can work with a troubled little girl who is brilliant but struggling.” He outlined her problems at school with a bully as well as her attitude towards her teachers. “She’s a smartass, but only because she’s incredibly smart. She’s tough, and honestly far too mature for her years.”
My smile softened. “She sounds incredible.”
“She is, I think. But I’m not used to children and she needs help. I need a nanny who can help work on her social skills as well as her anger, but I also want to make sure she doesn’t fall behind when she’s allowed to start school again. It will require a one year commitment.”
That was as close as a girl got to job security in this line of work. “Okay.” Wow that was a lot of information in a short amount of time. “That’s no problem. Anything else?”
“That about sums it up. Are you up for the challenge?”
“Sure. Can I meet her?”
He nodded, raking one hand through his thick, dark curls. “Layla.”
A little blond girl appeared wearing black jeans, combat boots and a black and pink t-shirt that proclaimed her a clown wrangler. “You’re the new nanny?”
I liked her right away. “Maybe. Depends on how we get along. You ever had a nanny before?”