Page 13 of Bad Nanny

I stood on the patio,tongs in hand, preoccupied with the state of the grill...and my fucking brain. I’d had the brilliant idea to invite Josie to dinner, so Delaney would be more comfortable when I went to work in the morning.

Then I’d had the genius idea to cook dinner myself, instead of ordering something or having my personal chef come. What had I been thinking?

My grilling skills were decent enough, but my mind was fixated on the possibility of ruining the meal. The heat from the grill seemed to taunt me with the possibility of the steak and vegetables burning to a crisp as I put them on and shut the lid.

The same could be said about my decision to hire Josie. She was young and inexperienced, but Delaney’s response to her had been so enthusiastic, I was trying my best to push my doubts away.

I couldn’t deny the potential for my daughter to become overly attached to Josie, but Delaney’s excitement filled the house with a lightness we’d lost and had been struggling to find. So many things about this could go wrong.

I turned at the sound of the patio door sliding open, and Josie stepped out. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find her attractive. It had been a long time since I’d let my gaze linger on a woman, but I found myself taking in her long legs and curvy figure every time I laid eyes on her.

“Hi.” Her smile woke something in me that had long been dormant. “Need a hand?”

I sure do.

Wanting to kick myself in my own balls for the inappropriate thoughts of her wrapping her hand around my cock, I grabbed my beer and took a long swig. “I think I’m good, as long as nothing burns. But I wouldn’t mind some company. How are you settling in?”

“Great! Thanks again for the food; you didn’t have to do that.” She took a seat at the table.

I’d gotten her the basics—condiments, eggs, butter, sandwich toppings. I don’t know why I did it, since I hadn’t done it for the other nannies. “Anything you don’t like, you can put in my fridge, and I’ll eat it. Want something to drink?”

“Sure. I’ll have what you’re having.”

I should have sent her to track down Delaney and maintained a professional boundary. Instead, I opened the mini fridge in my outdoor kitchen, grabbed her a beer, and opened it. Our fingers brushed as she took the bottle and an electric current zipped up my arm.

It wasn’t the first time I’d accidentally touched her andfelt something, and judging from the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks, she felt it too.

“Thanks.” She immediately brought the bottle to her lips and took a long drink. If only I were that bottle. “I’m a little surprised you offered me a drink.”

I didn’t take my eyes off her mouth as I lowered into the chair next to her. “Why is that?”

“Your list of rules in the binder said absolutely no drinking while working, and on my own time, it must be moderate and responsible.” She set down her beer, a smile playing on her lips. “Doesn’t seem responsible to be drinking with my boss.”

I thought the request for a live-in nanny to be responsible with their extracurricular activities was reasonable. Instead of relaying that to her, my brain decided to glitch. “Rules are meant to be broken.”

“Is that a challenge, Mr. Badden?” Her tone was light, but the spark in her eye suggested she was up for it.

“It might be, Ms. Hastings.” I took a sip of my beer, feeling the tension between us shift into something that it shouldn’t have.

Was I going to sit here and flirt with the nanny who was seven years younger than me? How long had it been since I’d flirted with a woman? What I needed was an alcohol rule for myself.

No, I needed a nanny-is-off-limits rule.

Despite trying to ignore how beautiful she was, I leaned back, taking in her relaxed posture and the way her hair cascaded down her shoulders. “Delaney seems excited for you to look after her tomorrow.”

Josie’s face softened at the mention of my daughter. “She’s a sweet girl.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her open up so quickly to someone new. I think it’s more than just the puppets.” I didn’t realize it at the time, but from the moment Josie pulled Penelope out of her purse, I knew she was someone special.

Josie’s gaze locked with mine. “I have a pretty good track record with opening people up. You might be next.”

My heart rate picked up, and a smirk tugged at my lips. “And how do you think you’ll manage that?”

Josie leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see. But I’m pretty resourceful, and I always find a way to get what I want.”

Her words were like a red flag to a bull, and I felt my self-control fraying at the edges. “Be careful, Josie. I’m not as easy to crack as Delaney.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Her gaze never wavered, but her cheeks pinkened. “I think you’re a tough nut that’s never been properly cracked.”

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