Page 14 of One Night With The Nanny

The car came to a halt and Mia threw a quick “Byeeeee…” over her shoulder as she slid out and the door was shut behind her. Max lost sight of her almost immediately on the crowded sidewalk.

“You used to kiss me goodbye,” he said with a heavy sigh.

“To the office?” the driver asked as he pulled away from the curb.

“Please,” Max replied distantly, now that he was free to ponder what had drawn him to Reid.

Max wasn’t going to admit that he was hoping the gorgeous mirage at the bar was an escort when he saw him. Reid had caught Max’s eye when he swanned into the hotel’s main entrance and passed through the grand salon on his way to the bar, a striking vision in dark teal velvet. He was why Max had headed to the bar, instead of out the front door and into a waiting limo: he wanted to see if there was something interesting inside that pretty package and if it might cheer him up.

The suit was sartorial perfection, but it merely complimented what was underneath. It could easily have been too much and the kind of ensemble that would “wear the man.” Not on Reid. He wore the hell out of that suit and he looked even better when it was on the floor.

And it only took Max a moment, when their eyes touched, to see that there was a lot inside that suit and that beautiful body. People spent their whole lives learning how to project the confidence and competence that had radiated from Reid. That had captivated Max, and it had been Reid’s dry humor and wit that had kept him enthralled throughout the evening.

It had only been a surprise that Reid wasn’t a high-end sex worker because he certainly performed like one. Max had hired…a few and had engaged the services of professional Doms in the past. He preferred going home to spend time with his girls, but that was something he couldn’t command or buy. And there were times when Max craved a man’s company and the feel of another body. Having flings with random strangers came with additional risks for Max, so he usually trusted his assistant to make the arrangements with vetted professionals, who understood the need for privacy and discretion.

But Max wasn’t at all surprised to learn that Reid was a successful businessman—he had just assumed he was in a different line of work—with a sterling reputation, or that it was considered a coup to have a Marshall Agency nanny. Once Max had a glimpse of who “Wes” actually was, he understood why Reid wanted to keep his personal life separate from his business and the reputation he had built.

He was a nanny?

The contradiction delighted Max. Sensible nanny by day, sexual virtuoso by night. There was no telling how many hearts Reid had broken, but Max wasn’t letting him slip through his fingers. And thanks to Reid’s brilliantly simple plan, Mia was talking to Max again.

“I’ll send over some flowers to thank him. I do know that he likes flowers.”

5

Tuesday, 11:45 a.m. …

Dancing Lady orchids were definitely against the rules and Reid heard sirens, but that didn’t stop him from accepting the expensive floral arrangement from the delivery man at 10:52. Or, singing to it as he spritzed the bright yellow and purple petals with water.

“Those look…fancy!” Dash attempted as he leaned against the counter, smiling like an idiot at Reid’s new babies.

“They are fancy, but they’re just a thank-you gift. My plan is already working and Max’s daughter is talking to him,” he explained, hoping that would be enough to knock the grin off of Dash’s face. “They need to be repotted but I don’t want to shock them,” Reid babbled absently as he went back to singing and spraying.

Dash’s smile spread as he bounced excitedly. “I heard that he’s related to the King of England and the Romanovs!”

Reid blinked at Dash for a moment. “Aren’t you related to the Kennedys and Owney Madden on your mom’s side?”

“Meh,” Dash waved it off. “This is way cooler. Max is like an actual prince! Should I bow the next time he comes over?” He scratched his head, looking toward the fireplace and Gavin.

Gavin chuckled as he reclined in his armchair with his paper. “I think we should all bow the next time the Margrave comes to visit.”

“No.” Reid glared at Gavin. “We don’t bow to anyone in here unless the actual king shows up.”

“Do you think he might?” Dash asked breathlessly.

Reid aimed the bottle at Dash and spritzed him. “No, Dash! No bowing and no kings. This thing with Max will blow over in a few days and we won’t be seeing him again.”

There was another chuckle from the armchair. “Austria abolished their monarchy before WWII but the House of Hessen is one of the oldest and most renowned noble houses in Europe. It’s not entirely outside of the realm of possibilities for the Margrave to be pals with the King.”

“Oh! Agnes says he has two castles, a chalet, and an old abbey, plus the properties he owns here in the States. What if you moved into one of his castles?” Dash made a giddy sound. “Can we come and visit?” He crossed his fingers as he batted his eyelashes, causing Reid to rear back.

“I’m not moving anywhere. Knock it off.” He gave Dash another spritz, then set the bottle down on his way to his chair. He dropped into the seat and laughed as he tried to think of anything they might have in common, outside of sex. “My life is just fine the way it is, here in the real world, and I have a job to do. Max has a serious problem and I’m only interested in helping him save his family.”

“Right!” Dash sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest, focusing. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well…” Reid chewed on his lip as he reviewed the plan he had worked out with Max. “There’s no getting around who I am and what I do and I’m not going to lie to Mia, so we’re going to play to her curiosity. We’re telling her I’m just a friend of Max’s and I’m going over to their place tomorrow night for dinner.”

Dash’s eyes lit up. “Like a date?”

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