He sees my reaction and twists, then leans his elbows on the table.

“Having second thoughts, Miss Reed?”

“I—um, maybe.” Mr. Lucky Hartwell is a badass biker—the definition of the wrong kind of man, and one I should not get involved with no matter how badly I need this job.After everything I’ve been through,I can’t afford to get involved with another man like the last one.

“Yeah, I ride, and yeah, I’m in a club. But you have nothing to worry about. My club never comes here. I’m barely home myself.”

My eyes shift to the photo of those innocent children. I need a job, and maybe they need me, too. But this is a big gamble. “Um…”

“All I’m lookin’ for is someone to take care of my girls. That’s it. I’m not gonna hurt you. I promise.”

“What’s the pay?” We haven’t discussed the details. Maybe this isn’t worth it, not that I can afford to be choosey. I’m literally homeless.

“Room and board, and one-fifty a day.”

I clear my throat. “A hundred and fifty dollars a day? And that’s for five days?” I’m quickly trying to do math in my head.

“Seven days, actually. You’ve got to be available at all times. I could be called out at a moment’s notice.”

“Called out?”

“By my club. They call, I’ve gotta go.”

“Oh. So, that means I’d never get a day off?”

“Well, I’m sure we could work that out. Plus, the girls are in school from seven-thirty to three. You’d have that time to yourself.”

“Is there anything else you’d expect besides caring for the girls?”

“Cooking, cleaning, laundry…”

I lift a brow. “That’s a lot more than just being a nanny.”

“I guess it is. Okay, fine. Two-hundred a day, but that’s my final offer. Deal?”

“Deal.” Inside, I’m jumping up and down. As my heart settles, I wonder how he earns his money, but I’m not sure I want to know. Right now, I’ve got deniability on my side if the cops come knocking. The less I know about him, the better. “When do I start?”

“Right now, if that works for you?”

“Perfect.” I glance around. “Where do I put my things?”

He stands. “I’ll show you.”

I follow him through the kitchen, which is connected to a family room with a fireplace and an entire back wall of windows overlooking the bay.

“Wow. It’s beautiful.” The sun sparkles on the water, and I see a long dock with a covered area at the end. “It faces west, doesn’t it? I bet you get gorgeous sunset views. Is that your dock?”

His eyes follow mine. “Yeah. Feel free to use it. Both of my girls can swim like fish, so don’t be afraid to let them out on the dock. But it is too cold in Mobile Bay for swimming right now.”

“Good to know. I mean about their ability, not the water temperature.”

“Right. Come on.” I follow him down a hall and up a flight of stairs to the side of the house that faces the road. “This room on the left is the girls.”

He opens the door, and I see two twin beds under the windows. Everything is girly pink. Cute stuffed animals sit against their pillows.

“And this one is yours.” He opens the door across the hall.

There’s one queen-sized sleigh bed set against the far wall, with two windows at the back of the room. There’s a dresser and a mirror opposite the bed.