Page 2 of Off Limits (Alpha Billionaire)

“Mr. Anderson,” she said.

I stopped and turned. “You need to go back in there and see to my mother,” I said as flatly and as calmly as I could. I didn’t want to raise my voice unnecessarily around Max. He was already fragile from not having a nap and having to navigate a meltdown without anyone to comfort him.

“When are you planning on having a nanny? Mrs. Anderson cannot look after the boy. He is too rambunctious for her.”

I clenched my teeth and grimaced at her. I had thought she would have stepped in and helped out even a fraction. She had in the past, when Max first moved in with us, but now, she was getting more and more belligerent when it came to Max.

I rested my hand on his head. He was so tired, and nothing had been his fault. I couldn’t exactly lay blame at my mother’s feet.She was ill, and well… No, this was my fault. Clara had been clear about what her limits were. Max was not on the list of things she was willing to help out with.

“I have a temp lined up for tomorrow. I told you when I left that this afternoon’s meeting couldn’t be helped. Don’t worry, he won’t be a bother to you or my mother.”

I turned and started walking. I didn’t care if she wasn’t done speaking with me. I was done with her. My mother refused to let me look for another nursemaid-assistant. She thought Clara was perfect. And as much as Clara grated on my nerves, she was here to take care of my mother and she did a very good job at that.

I put my bag in my home office and carried Max into the playroom. I didn’t know whether it was too late to try to get him to nap or not. He was usually asleep or just waking up this time of day. I tried to set him down, but he clung his arms around my neck and whimpered.

“Okay, I’ll hold on. How about we get a story and go for a ride in the car?”

“Juice and cookie?” When he spoke, it sounded more likedeuceandookie, but I know what he meant.

“You know it.”

I checked to make sure I had my keys on me before I carried him into the kitchen. I stepped into the pantry and grabbed three juice boxes. One for him, one for me, and one backup. Max seemed to like it when we shared snacks and ate the same things, and I liked making my boy happy.

I made a quick side trip to his bedroom to pick up his favorite toy of the week, a floppy brown dog stuffed animal, and carried Maxout to the car. He happily sucked away at his juice box, clutching his doggie under his arm as I buckled him.

“You good?” I asked and gave him a thumbs up.

He nodded and fumbled with his hands trying to figure out how to give me a thumbs up back while both hands were full. I ruffled his hair and slid into the driver’s seat. His favorite story on audio was on my phone. I learned to keep a collection available at a moment’s notice. It took a few minutes to get the story playing through the car’s speakers.

I checked the rearview mirror. Max’s eyes were wide open, to the extreme. He was holding them open, trying to stay awake. I drove down the drive. By the time I pulled out onto our road, his lids were falling hard. But he was fighting it with all of his determination.

I continued until I turned onto the road that wrapped around the coast. It was a scenic drive, so I’d be able to cruise for a while without having to stop for traffic. The constant smooth drive always put Max to sleep. It was also a soothing, Zen-like drive, so I didn’t mind the peace. Sometimes, I would take this route just for the thinking time of the drive.

I checked the rearview mirror again. Max was out cold. His head fell to the side and the juice box hung perilously in his slack grip. The straw stuck to his lower lip. I chuckled. He was so tired, so adorable. I continued the drive, even though I didn’t need to. He was out. I could have turned around, but he was getting his rest, and I was getting some quiet time.

I checked the time on the dash. I needed to be home to meet the nanny candidate. I needed to turn around in ten minutes, and I could take the long drive home, or I could keep driving and takethe shortcut through town. I opted to turn around and cruise, taking in the low evening sun and the crashing waves along the shoreline.

When I pulled in, a slightly battered early century model car sat in my driveway. I drove slowly as a woman with long sun-kissed hair climbed out of her car. She turned to me and gave me a tentative wave.

I parked next to her and got out.

“Are you Mr. Anderson? I’m supposed to meet with him in about five minutes.” Her voice was lyrical.

“That’s me. I was about to say you’re early, but I guess I’m late. Would you like to help me get Max into the house?” I gestured at the car.

Her big eyes went wide, and she scurried over to the car. “Of course.”

She opened the back door, and while I couldn’t hear her exact words, her tone was soft and calming. When she stood up, Max was limp and clinging to her. He had a handful of her hair. His fingers moved back and forth as if her hair was as silky smooth as it looked.

By the time she had carried Max inside the house, I was ready to offer her the job.

2

JESSICA

Ihad never been hired on the spot before. Not for any job, ever. Not even when I worked as a shop girl in various stores in the mall. They always had to review my information and think about it. It made sense when I was in the corporate world, but in high school? My resume basically listed where I went to school and what my last job had been. It took up half a page at most. It wasn’t as if they needed to verify my college degree or whether I had actually worked for the State Bank in mortgage financing, or why I was looking to advance my career.

Of course, job hunting in the corporate world had been all about background checks and education and employment verification. And then I managed to hitch my wagon to a man I thought was a shooting star. He took me with him, and my career launched. Only, it turned out he was a disaster. He was nuclear waste on legs, the very definition of toxic.

---