Page 25 of Single Dad's Hot Nanny

When I rounded the corner, I stopped in my tracks. There was no Poppy or Amber, just one woman with her back turned to me. I was hit with a sense of déjà vu. Not too long ago, I experienced this same surprising and strange attraction to thebackof a woman… It was like when I met Jane.

This woman had the same shade of long blonde hair, except hers was up in a messy ponytail. She was about the same height as Jane and had the same curvy… wait a minute. I blinked. I’d know that body anywhere after spending an entire night worshiping it.

My gaze dipped, taking in her round, voluptuous ass. It was a work of art. I went lower to her legs that were left bare by a pair of cargo shorts. Those legs… I knew them too. Alarm and disbelief surged through me as I took a few steps toward the women. No way! Jane Roberts was not…

The woman turned around, wearing a bright smile and holding a tray. “Poppy, the cookies?—”

When our eyes locked, she made a strangled sound and dropped the tray. The clatter of metal hitting granite echoed, but I barely registered the sounds. My entire world seemed to have narrowed down to the woman standing in front of me. I wasn’t supposed to see her again. I shook my head as if to make her disappear. This couldn’t be happening…

“Y-you,”she stuttered.

“Andyou,” I growled.

“I can’t believe you fired her, Michael.” Amber threw her arms up and then proceeded to glare at me as if she wasn’t the one who messed up with the hiring process.

“Amber, I suggest you pipe down and remember who’s the boss here.”

She immediately toned down her attitude and took a seat in one of the armchairs. I glowered at her from behind my desk. We’d taken our discussion to my office, so Poppy wouldn’t hear. Of course, she probably wouldn’t notice if we went at it right in front of her because she was too busy crying her eyes out because Mia had to leave.

I’d had to watch the two say goodbye, and it was goddamn heart-wrenching. Poppy had begged her to stay and then asked why she couldn’t be her nanny anymore. To Mia’s credit, she didn’t throw me under the bus. Instead, she had calmly and sweetly explained things in a way a six-year-old would understand without giving away that she and I had met before.

The two then hugged as if they’d known each other since Poppy was born, and Mia even got misty eyes… and her misery looked genuine. I couldn’t wrap my head around how Poppy bonded with her so fast. When Mia walked out the door, the water works had turned on full blast. I felt terrible making my daughter so upset, but I had to let Mia go.

Amber crossed her legs and went into professional mode. “Can you explain to me exactly why you fired her? Because she wasperfect.”

My scowl melted away as a tinge of unease crept in. I couldn’t tell her exactly why, but as the person who I’d given controlof the nanny hiring process, I suppose she had some right to know…something.

“Perfect?” My eyebrows shot up. “I thought we agreed that the next nanny would be the opposite of all the others. Mia is not older or matronly.” She was young and attractive… entirely too attractive.

Amber folded her lips, and guilt flickered across her face. “Alright, so I didn’t stick to the new rules. It’s just that Mia showed up, and Poppy instantly fell in love with her. You saw how sad she was to see Mia leave.”

“I saw.”

“Then why not give Mia a chance? You should have at least evaluated her for yourself since you don’t trust my judgment.”

“I never said I didn’t trust you, Amber.” Hell, I was fortunate to have an assistant who obviously cared about my child as much as I did. She was like family to Poppy and me. “I just don’t want to lose another nanny the same way I always do.”

“I get that. That’s why I put Mia to the test. I didn’t tell her who you were.”

My eyes snapped to her face. “What?”

Amber nibbled on her lip. “Okay, hear me out…”

“What did you do?”

“I hid who you were from Mia even after I interviewed her. I went as far to make sure she didn’t even know what you looked like. I figured that was a part of the problem before. You know, in this age of technology, everyone looks everyone up. That’s why plenty of women apply for the nanny job with calculating agendas. Get a job working for a hot billionaire…”

My eyebrows nearly touched my hairline at thehot billionairebit coming from my assistant.

She shrugged and continued. “And eventually scheme their way into your bed. People are like that. So, I came up with a solution. Sure, Mia isn’t who you prefer, but she’s all aboutPoppy. I told her your name was Michael Jackson, and all she did was raise an eyebrow before she went right back to engaging with Poppy.”

I snorted my amusement. My assistant was insane.

“She didn’t care who you were because she was as smitten with Poppy as the kid was with her.”

“Amber…” I sighed.

She held up a finger. “Please, let me finish. I kept an eye on her in your home. She didn’t snoop or ask questions. She came in, did her job, and went home. Her interactions with Poppy were the sweetest. I’ve never seen Poppy take to someone like that so quickly. Do you know what?”

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