Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 197(@250wpm)___ 164(@300wpm)
Jesus, what is wrong with me?
I wasn't used to being so drawn to someone so quickly. Every time I thought about Christian, I immediately wanted him to touch me, kiss me, and fuck me until I couldn't stand, speak, or think.
I pushed back my shoulders and headed off to find Annie and see if she was awake. By the time I popped into her room, I'd calmed down. To my surprise, she was sitting on the edge of her bed already dressed for the day with her hair in a strange bun hairstyle. I could tell Christian was trying to do the best he could with it, but it was clear he kind of had no idea at the same time. I grinned inwardly. Even that was cute.
"Hey, Annie," I said cheerfully.
“Didn’t anyone teach you to knock?” she asked scornfully.
“Actually, I thought you might be still asleep and I didn’t want to wake you,” I explained.
Her answer was to reach over and grab her phone. She turned it on and immediately buried herself in it.
“What are you playing?” I asked in my friendliest voice.
She angled her body so her face was even more implacably turned away from me.
I sighed. Okay, it's not going to be so easy.
I positioned myself within her line of vision and sat cross-legged on the floor. Then I pulled out the games, puzzles, and toys from my bag and laid them out on the floor.
She didn’t lift her head.
I picked my ace card. My box of Legos. With it, I could build a whole dinosaur. I started playing with them, a tried and true method for any child. I expected her to come down and join me.
She completely ignored me.
I continued building. Sooner or later, curiosity would compel her.
Suddenly, the door opened and Christian stood in the doorway. With one look, he sized up the situation. I had made zero progress with his daughter.
“I’m off, sweetie,” he announced.
“Daddy, can I come with you?” Annie pleaded.
I noticed she had thrown her phone down as it if it wasn’t important at all.
“You know you can’t,” he said calmly. “Offices are not places for little girls. Anyway, you have to stay here and keep Miss Gray company.”
“Why can’t she go home to her own house?” she asked sullenly, pushing her lower lip out.
“Because,” he said sternly. “Miss Gray is your new nanny. She is staying here to take care of you while I’m at work. Be a good girl today, and make Daddy proud, okay?”
She leaned her cheek on the palm of her hand. “Alright.”
He came into the room and kissed the top of her head. “That’s my girl.”
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.”
From some inexplicable reason, I felt strangely left out. Like the hungry, cold matchstick girl looking longingly through a window at a scene full of food, warmth and happiness.
He turned towards me suddenly. “You have my number, Hannah?”
I nodded quickly.
“Mrs. Bennet will be around soon, and she’ll show you the ropes, but call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“See you later, munchkin. I’ll be home early today,” he said, before he mussed up her hair and left.
Chapter Seven
Hannah
As soon as he walked out of the door, Annie reached for her phone again. In seconds, she was so engrossed in it, I might as well not have been there.
"Okay," I said, standing up. "How about some breakfast?"
She didn't budge.
I had to smile at how determined she was to not like me. I went downstairs to work on breakfast for her. The fridge was full to bursting and I found everything easily. As I was about to start cooking, Mrs. Bennet arrived.
She wore a black dress with her gray hair tightly swept back, and she seemed like a no-nonsense type of character.
I passed her all the papers I had signed.
She quickly looked them over to make sure I had done them correctly. After that, she proceeded to show me around while telling me the way things were done. A cleaner would come every day at five in the morning and be out before I got there. Basically, it meant I would be at the house on my own with Annie for the most part.
I made mental notes of everything she said.
She was a very thorough woman and after she was finished, I couldn’t think of anything else I needed to ask except what was Annie’s favorite food.
“Chicken nuggets with chips with a half a bottle of ketchup poured on it,” she said dryly.
I laughed. “Okay.”
“There’s a couple of bags of them in the freezer. Chef makes them himself with organic ingredients, so they’re healthy and you can go ahead and make them for her.” She gave me her phone number and left.
I went back to making breakfast for Annie. Once I was done cooking, I put it all on a tray and carried it up to her. "Want to eat?"