Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“Lena, Lucy wants to be your new nanny.”
“Okay! Yes, please.”
I laughed at her excitement. “I hear that you like to read?”
She gave an exaggerated nod. “I love it. Animals and princesses and even outer space books.”
“I’ll have to keep that in mind if I’m invited back.” It was best not to get the kids’ hopes up, because parents were often the fickle ones. Especially Dante Rush. “It was nice to meet you Lena.”
“It was nice to meet you Lucy.” She smacked a loud kiss to her dad’s cheek, scrambled down and rushed out in a blur.
“If I could bottle that energy…” I began with a laugh.
Dante surprised me by joining in with a deep, rumbling laugh of his own. It was so unexpected, my eyes widened at how even more beautiful he was when he laughed. “I tell myself that at least once a day.”
I gave myself another long moment to just enjoy his beauty before I gave myself a mental slap to stop ogling the man who might be my boss in a few minutes. “So, anything else you want to tell me about Lena? Special diet? Or anything else you can think of?”
“Nothing like that. She has a mean sweet tooth that I indulge far too often.” He flashed another smile that was so hot I pushed my knees together to stop the pulsing between my thighs.
“Noted. One more thing, Serenity mentioned you were divorced, but she didn’t say if Lena’s mom was involved.”
All traces of the smile vanished immediately, replaced by a darker version of his trademark scowl. “There will be no crossing of professional boundaries, Ms. Lions. If I decide to hire you.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed with frustration. This interview was more adventurous than a roller coaster. But because I knew it would piss him off, I sat taller and I smiled. “Good to know Mr. Rush, but I was curious because sometimes there are complicated custody and visitations issues between divorced couples. It’s easier to navigate if I know what to expect.”
His expression would have been comical if he wasn’t so insulting before. “Okay then. Her mother Bethany lives in Spain with her new husband. As far as I’m aware, she hasn’t been back to the United States since our divorce was finalized.” His jaw clenched, and that was his only show of emotion, but it made me wonder if it was really over with the ex-wife he might still love, or if the fact that she’d so easily abandoned her daughter was the source of his rage. “Bethany’s parents call once a week, but it’s usually on the weekends and I can be around to supervise. My parents,” he sighed. “They love Lena and they call often, video chats,” he groaned. “But they live in Florida so you don’t have to worry about unexpected visits.”
I nodded at his reluctant explanation. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
His jaw clenched again, so hard I thought he might crack a tooth, and his nostrils flared like an angry bull. “Do you want this position or not?”
“Lena seems like a lovely little girl, and I would love to help her discover the world, but ultimately the choice is yours Mr. Rush. I have a few other families I haven’t interviewed with yet, so it’s best if you let me know as soon as possible.”
He wasn’t satisfied with my answer, and those green eyes watched me for so long that I had to resist the urge to squirm as I stared back. “Are you always this insubordinate?”
I had to laugh at his pained expression, because I was sure a man like him wasn’t used to people talking back or questioning him. “I am almost never insubordinate, but at this exact moment in time, you’re not an authority figure, and therefore not someone I need to obey.”
His gaze narrowed another fraction, and I knew I might have pushed him too far. I watched those green eyes and wondered what was going on behind them, because clearly his gears were churning hard. Finally Dante sat back and pressed his fingertips together in that stereotypical powerful businessman way. “You will have to drive the Escalade when you’re on the clock. I won’t have Lena going around in your tin box.”
I sniffed. “My car is two years old, Mr. Rush. It’s hardly a tin box.” I sat back, nearly mirroring his position. “That seems like a lot of car for two people, but sure. Whatever works for you.” I gave him my best sickly sweet smile until his demeanor broke and he rolled he sighed.
“That’s what I like to hear.” He smiled, but it was more of a grimace. “This is a live-in position, will you need to make arrangements before you can move in?”
“No,” I sighed and stood when he did. “My last position ended abruptly when the mother received a promotion on the east coast, so I’ve been rooming with a friend. When do you need me to start?” It would be maddening to work for this man, but Lena was great and her father was good eye candy. Good, grumpy eye candy.