Page 61 of Single Dad's Hot Nanny

Her gaze dropped away from mine, and I frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Of course. I should get dressed.”

My eyes narrowed on her, but I didn’t dig into her about the uncertainty I saw flickering in her eyes. “I’ll distract Poppy while you make your escape.”

25

MIA

Casual…The word has been taunting me for weeks after I fell into acasualaffair with my boss. When Michael threw out that word after our night together, I had mixed feelings. I wanted him sexually with every fiber of my being, so the fact that he wanted me back was a relief. However…casual?!I was already in love with the man, for Christ’s sake. I felt as if I’d thrown myself into a headfirst free-fall toward impending heartbreak. That was me… always reckless when it came to matters of the heart.

I groaned as I rested my forehead on my apartment door. Now, I had to pretend not to be madly in love with my boss each time we had amazing sex. Could I be that good of an actress, and for how long?

“Mia?”

I lifted my head and fixed my expression at the sound of my neighbor’s voice. Spinning around with a bright smile, I greeted her. “Kim!”

She beamed as she hurried toward me. “I haven’t seen you in so long.”

“Yeah, I’ve moved on to a live-in position. I’m just here to check on the place.” Since my salary was so generous, I’d beenable to afford to hold on to my apartment. I thought the smart thing to do was to keep it in case things didn’t work out with Michael and Poppy, but that thought was depressing. Wanting to stay with a family I worked for forever because I’d fallen in love with them probably wasn’t healthy… But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t put myself in some kind of trouble or crazy situation, would I?

“That’s great.” Kim moved in for a hug, and I embraced her.

“It is.” When I pulled back, I looked at her with pure gratitude. “It’s all thanks to you, Kim. I can’t thank you enough for recommending the job to me. It’s the best I’ve ever had, and it’sstable.”

She smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“So, how are you?” I asked.

“Great.” She rocked back on her heels and crossed her arms over her chest. “And what about you? Is everything okay? You know… other than with the job?”

My eyebrows furrowed as I studied her. “Sure. Why?”

“It’s just that I’ve seen this guy at your door a few times.”

My heart dropped.

“He looks…” Kim nibbled on her lower lip. “I don’t want to sound judgemental, but he looks shady as hell, Mia.”

Fuck me sideways.

“Are you sure it wasn’t Logan?” Maybe the asshole had finally resurfaced.

“I know your sleazebag ex-boyfriend. I’m positive it wasn’t him. Besides, this guy has a lot of tattoos. I’d never seen them on Logan.”

Nausea rose like a massive wave even as I tried to work through my confusion and terror. I knew exactly who she’d seen. The man had shown up to threaten me so many times, I saw his wretched tattoos in my sleep. What would he be doing at my apartment, though? I’d paid every cent he claimed my ex owed.I’d been so relieved when I handed the last of the money over to him two weeks ago. Finally, I was free… but apparently not…

“I see. Well, I’m not sure who that person is.” I cringed inwardly at the lie. My neighbor wasn’t privy to the trouble I was in, and I wanted it to stay that way for her safety. “But if you think he looks shady, stay away from him.” I implored Kim with my eyes. “Don’t engage with him at all.”

“I haven’t, and I won’t. I’ve only gotten looks at him through the peephole. The first time I saw him, he gave me a bad vibe, so I didn’t open the door to tell him you weren’t here.” Kim peered at me intently. “Are you sure everything is okay?”

“Of course. Maybe he had the wrong door.”

Kim shrugged, but she didn’t seem convinced. “Alright. Well, it’s good to see you, Mia. Take care.”

“You too.” I watched her open her door and disappear inside. All the while my heart hammered so fast and hard, I thought I’d go into cardiac arrest. Collecting my wits, I got my door open with trembling fingers and stumbled inside. I felt unsafe all over again. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to looking over my shoulder every time I dropped by my apartment. What more did that man want from me?

As I leaned against the door and pulled in deep breaths, I noticed something under my feet. It was a piece of paper. I bent down and picked it up. My heart sank as I unfolded it. In scrawled handwriting, two words stood out like a warning:

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