Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
“Lyla,” the girl answers proudly with her chest puffed out. She holds up her hand to show off four fingers. “This many ages.”
Leo tugs on her arm, clearly the cautious one. In a solemn tone, he reminds her, “No to strangers. No candy. No whet.” Actually, I think he said wheat, but he has a slight whistle when he talks. The agency mentioned celiac disease, that’s part of the reason I was selected. I share the same disease so I’m familiar with the special gluten-free diet that comes along with it.
She ignores him, the obvious social butterfly. “Leo doesn’t like the strangers.”
I smile at them. This is what I love about kids. They tell it like it is and don’t worry about sparing your feelings. “Well, I’m here to see your mommy and daddy.”
Their expressions change. The girl scowls at me while the boy’s lip trembles. She puts her arm around his shoulders as if she’s protecting him.
Before I can ask what’s wrong, there’s a man bounding out of the house. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of blue jeans that are riding low on his hips. His thick dark hair is wet and plastered to his head. “Leo, Lyla. You better get your butts in the house. What did I tell you about going outside without permission?”
The twins exchange a look and Leo whispers, “Told you.”
As the man sprints toward us, I have a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like I’ve seen him before. Then he gets closer and I forget how to breathe. He’s Fireman Stern from last night.
6
LUCY
Fireman Stern does a double take, looking me up and down. “What the fuck, Scarlett?”
This can’t be happening. It’s not possible…is it? My sexy hookup from last night is now going to be my new boss. I can’t work for him. I can’t be a nanny to his kids and smile at his wife when we did dirty things together. Just the idea has my stomach in knots. Even if I didn’t mean to be, I was the other woman.
“Bad word!” Lyla announces triumphantly.
He glares at her and says in a commanding tone, “In the house now. I’ll deal with you two in a minute.”
I cross my arms over my chest as nausea grips me. This man is a pig. He picked me up and took me back to a hotel room, knowing he had a family waiting for him. What kind of selfish dick does that?
The kids scurry into their home and he watches them go. When the front door closes behind them, he turns back to me. He has no right to send me that scowl or to look so damn sexy doing that. “I don’t know how you found me. But this isn’t OK. I have kids and you need to leave.”
“I’m not stalking you! I’m here for the nanny position, for Lyla and Leo. I’m with the agency. You should have gotten a text about it this morning.” What kind of sick joke is the universe playing on me? This job is the first good thing to happen to me in years but there’s no way I’ll stay here now.
“No, the woman I’m waiting for is Lucy Ford,” he announces, pinning me with a look that makes me feel about as big as a bug underneath his foot.
I gesture to myself to indicate I’m the woman he’s been waiting for. I start to reach for my purse, ready to give him my ID.
“Nice try, Scarlett.”
“And you’re telling me your real name is Fireman Stern?” I challenge. The paperwork said his name was Lincoln Teller and his wife is Iris. It figures he’d have a swoony name.
He seems to think this over and instead of going for my ID, I pull my phone from my pocket. One quick call from the agency and they’re sending my details to his phone. He pulls it from his pocket and scowls when he sees my picture. “Shit. Double shit. Fuck.”
I shake my head. I can’t believe I felt like we had something. I was so stupid, so naïve. “Don’t worry. I’m not staying with you and your…your wife.”
He frowns. “I asked them twice to remove Iris’s name.”
“That doesn’t make her disappear,” I answer, unable to mask the sarcasm in my voice. How can he honestly think I’d be OK with living in his house after what we did in his hotel room together?
“She’s dead, Scarlett. Lucy. Whoever the hell you are.”
“What?” No wonder the kids looked so upset when I asked about their mom. I’m an ant. No, I’m smaller than an ant.
He blows out a breath and glances over his shoulder to make sure his kids are still in the house. “There was a mix-up with the paperwork. It asked for the name of my kids’ biological mother and for some reason, she was also listed as my wife.”