Page 6 of Curvy Nanny for the Nerd

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not what anybody needs, but I’m good at my job.”

“Be that as it may,” she responded in that maternal voice that kept all the nannies in line, “Brady and his niece Layla could use someone with your particular skill set. And the address I gave you is accurate.”

“Perfect. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“I have no doubt this is the placement you’ve been searching for.”

The smile in Serenity’s voice put me on edge, and I blew out a long breath. “Anything else you can tell me? What he does for a living? What kind of hours I should expect?”

“Brady works at home so he will be there most days, but he’d rather keep the details under wraps.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes once again. “As long as whatever he’s into doesn’t put me in any danger, it’s fine with me.”

“You’ll be safe, Toni.”

“All right, then. Wish me luck.”

“Who needs luck when I have you?” Serenity ended the call and I sighed, staring at the oversized mansion until I gathered my thoughts enough to step out onto the long driveway and up to the imposing staircase.

It shouldn’t be imposing, not when it’s not as large as my own childhood home, but it felt like it was here for the sole purpose of intimidation. I didn’t like it one bit, but I knew better than most how harmful it could be to judge a book by its cover. So I inhaled deeply, let it out slowly and rang the ornate brass doorbell twice.

Two minutes later the door opened and I really wished it hadn’t. In fact, I wished I hadn’t drank anything last night, because now I wasn’t sure if the person standing before me was the person interviewing me or a whiskey induced fever dream.

He was gorgeous. No, that was too tame a word for the sight of the man standing in front of me with thick chestnut brown hair and silver-blue eyes that were equal parts stormy and dreamy. He was tall, well over six feet, yet built. His corded forearms and strong hands said he was a man who took care of himself, but the disheveled wavy hair and steel-cut jawline gave him a roguish quality that I found irresistible.

Staring at the beautiful man made me happy that I’d dressed to impress. My red leather jacket hugged my body perfectly, and the black t-shirt, blue jeans with the skinny red belt, gave me the confidence boost I needed to go up against another so-called master of the universe. I tapped my red knee high boots impatiently and met his gaze head on.

“Are you Brady?”Please, dear god let this be a brother or cousin and not the man I’m supposed to be working for.

“Excuse me?” His dark brows furrowed in confusion.

I sighed deeply. “Brady. Is that you?”

He blinked until his beautiful icy blue eyes focused on my face. “Who are you?”

“My name is Toni. Serenity sent me for a two o’clock interview.” I could already tell this was a man who didn’t bother with niceties or details. He worked hard and that was it. “Are you Brady with no last name?”

He nodded absently, looking over my shoulder. “The interview isn’t until two.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s ten minutes until two.”

Brady stared at me with knitted, dark brown brows. His pale gaze looked me up and down, assessing me carefully before his gaze landed on my face. “Okay.”

“I’m here for the nanny position. Only the nanny position.”

His lips twitched. “Come on in, Antonia.”

“Toni,” I corrected and stepped inside, ignoring the way his subtle, masculine scent worked its way into my nostrils before settling into my brain.

“Antonia is such a great name. Regal. Royal.” He nodded for me to follow him and I did.

But I did not admire his long, lean runner’s build. And I absolutely did not notice that his jeans fit as if he was sewn into them this morning. In fact, the moment we entered his office, I barely noticed him at all. The room was decorated in dark wood, black and brown leather with brass accents. It was a man’s room, loaded up with books and computer equipment. “If you like the name, I’m happy to call you Antonia.”

His lips curled into a grin. “Maybe the living room would be better,” he said before turning and exiting his office, leading meback the way I came into the sparsely decorated living room. “So, Toni. Your qualifications are quite impressive.”

Duh. “Thank you.”

“How soon can you start?” His question was abrupt, and if coming from someone else, I might have felt suspicious, but I suspected he was just an abrupt kind of guy.

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