Page 10 of Bad Nanny

“Don’t start, hmm?” Nora’s voice was teasing, and I side-eyed her as Gabriel walked across the garage toward us. “Those jeans. Goddamn.”

His denim molded to his muscular thighs as if they were tailor-made, and the T-shirt he wore clung to all the right places. Once again, his allure had me forgetting how to breathe.

I shook my head, dismissing the traitorous thoughts. Gabriel was my employer, a single dad, and the CEO of a billion-dollar company. He should not be the center of some twenty-three-year-old puppeteer’s fantasies. I had to be professional, even if my sister was right about the jeans.

“Need a hand?”

I need more than your hand.

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.” My voice soundedunnaturally high, like I was about to voice a puppet. Her name would be Betsy Bee, the bumbling fangirl.

“You must be Nora. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Gabriel extended his hand to my sister, and I watched their facial expressions for any sign of attraction.

Did the smoke from my burned Pop-Tarts do something to my brain? That had to be the cause of my attraction to this frustratingly complicated man. I didn’t even know how old he was or if he was even single, yet here I was, about ready to drop to the stamped concrete driveway and spread my legs in invitation.

I chastised myself, forcing my feet to move. I was here to do a job and to be a responsible adult, not to swoon over my boss, like some heroine in a romance novel.

Hoping physical labor would knock some sense into me, I bent and picked up the box I’d set down. “Should we go through the house or around the side?” The studio apartment was directly behind the garage and shared a wall with the main house’s kitchen.

“Around the side would be best.” Gabriel reached for the box, his hands momentarily covering mine to take it.

A surge of heat spread through my body, and I nodded, feeling the sudden need to fan myself. I really hoped it was the sun that was to blame for my overheating and not him. He headed off around the side of the garage, Nora right behind him with a plastic tote.

“Snap out of it, Hastings.” I yanked a suitcase full of clothes from the back seat and nearly fell backward on my ass. “Shit.”

“Hi.” I nearly jumped out of my skin, hearing the softvoice from behind me. Delaney had appeared out of nowhere, like one of those children in horror movies.

I spun around, thankfully seeing bright blonde pigtails and blue eyes, instead of dirty jet-black hair and possessed eyes. “Hey, girlie. Did you come out to help, or are you looking for your dad?”

She took a tentative step forward and peered into my almost empty back seat before putting her hand on the top of my suitcase. “Daddy said you play with puppets. Are they in here?”

Oh, did he now?

“I make themandbring them to life.” I smiled down at her as her eyes widened. “We can make you a puppet like the ones you see on Sesame Street.”

Delaney’s face lit up with excitement. “Really? Can we make it right now?” Though her voice was still as soft as it had been at the coffee shop, at least I could make out what she was saying.

I laughed, feeling my heart swell at the sight of pure joy on her face. “Not right now, but we can definitely plan it for another day. We’ll have to go to the craft store and get all the things to make one.”

Her face fell, but I didn’t know if it was from me telling her no or the thought of going to the store; Gabriel had said she didn’t do well away from him, but surely, it couldn’t be that extreme.

“Sweetie, what are you doing out here?” Gabriel came around the corner, his eyes landing on the two of us.

The brief flash of uncertainty on Delaney’s face morphedinto a smile. “Daddy! We’re going to make a puppet!” Her volume almost reached excited-child level.

Gabriel stopped in his tracks, an unreadable expression crossing his face. “That’s great, sweetheart.”

Delaney put her hands together in a prayer, a hopeful look on her face. “Can I please help?”

“I have some lighter things you can carry for me, if it’s okay with your dad.” I wanted to start handing her stuff, but if I overstepped before I’d even started, we’d be reloading all of my belongings.

Gabriel’s expression softened as he looked down at Delaney. “Be careful. I’m sure Josie has some things that can easily break.”

I opened my trunk and handed her two pillows. She held them like prized possessions and shuffled off toward the studio.

Gabriel watched her disappear before turning his attention to me. “She’s having a good day today and was very excited when I told her you were going to be her nanny. She seems to really like you.”

“Because I play with puppets?” I raised a brow and handed him a laundry basket full of puppets—the ones that I hadn’t hidden.

---