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)
I wasn’t able to get much out of Layla about Toni being sick other than a brief dizzy spell. It was clear that my niece was worried but she trusted Toni when she told her it was just everyday sickness.
I should just trust her too.
I tried, but I failed. All throughout dinner, my mind was stuck on what was wrong with Toni. What if it was something significant? What if she needed some kind of long-term treatment? Who would she go to for help? I was so focused on my curvy nanny that I absently agreed to Layla’s request for two big cookies for dessert.
Still, after dinner I couldn’t work because I was too damn worried about Toni. At bedtime, all I wanted was to have her in bed beside me, her curvy body curled around mine so that the scent of her skin lulled me into a deep and peaceful slumber.
When it became clear that sleep wouldn’t come easily, I kicked off the bedding and got to my feet and went in search of a cold glass of water. I needed to do something about the Toni distraction. I needed to find a way to get her to forgive me or I needed to forget about her. I already knew forgetting her wasn’t an option.
But luck was shining on me because I found Toni in the kitchen, lit by the refrigerator in a pair of shorts that showed off her silky thighs and a tank top that showed off nearly all of her midriff. This is my moment, I said and crept closer until I could smell her fresh from the shower scent. “We need to talk.”
Her shoulders stiffened and that was the only clue she’d heard me or that I’d startled her. She turned slowly, closing the fridge door, before her gaze settled on my face. Her green eyes studied my face carefully, folding her arms as if preparing for a fight. “Are you unhappy with my work?”
My brows dipped forward at her question. “What? No.” I shook my head because I was anything but unhappy with her work. “You’ve brought Layla out of her shell and you’ve managed to bring us closer together. I’m grateful to you for that.”
“Okay.” That one word was clipped but it held a wealth of emotion and none of them were positive.
“About the things I said, Toni. I didn’t mean it and I owe you-,”
She stopped my apology and shook her head. “You don’t owe me anything Brady. I work here and you pay me for that service. It’s the only thing you pay me for,” she said, a hint of fire in her green eyes when she said that last part. “Besides all that, I think you meant exactly what you said so there’s no reason for you to apologize. I know where we stand.” She looked away as if she was hurt and I’d never felt more like a dirtbag.
“I didn’t mean it,” I insisted wholeheartedly but she refused to hear me, keeping her gaze averted. “You have to understand that women haven’t historically been interested in me as a person, Toni. Before I was rich I could hardly get a first date never mind a second one, so imagine my surprise when suddenly I’m one of the most eligible bachelors in the state.”
“Poor Brady has beautiful women throwing themselves at him,” she said and rolled her eyes.
“That’s what I thought at first. But then there were hints dropped that we should go to this restaurant or make a stop at that jewelry store. We should go away to Paris for the weekend. And slowly it all started to make sense. They were willing to put up with me to access my money.”
Toni folded her arms and stared at me, her gaze narrowed to slits. “And I asked you for all of that too, right?”
“No,” I sighed. “But those experiences over the years made me cynical. Made it hard for me to trust people and it turns out that’s a hard habit to break.” I flashed an embarrassed smile because it was embarrassing to admit that to this woman who was always so confident in who she was.
“I get it,” she finally said, her voice full of resignation.
“You do?”
Toni nodded. “Trust isn’t easy for any of us who have been hurt which is pretty much most of us.”
“I’m glad you understand.” At her words, relief crawled over me and alleviated the weight pressing down on my chest and shoulders.
“And when you meet the right woman, you’ll want to break that habit for her.” Sadness colored every syllable. It darkened her eyes and flattened those full lips out to a tight, straight line.
The finality of her words rammed into my gut with the force of a fighter jet and the breath left me on a grunt. She really didn’t get it, did she? I shook my head to clear it because this had to be some kind of alternative universe. “Toni.” My tone was pleading but I reached out to her, she took a step back. “What if I have met the right woman?”