Page 9 of Bad Nanny

“I have high expectations, Ms. Hastings. I only want what’s best for my daughter.” He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest.

Was I ogling his arm porn? Yes, yes, I was. No one would ever be able to convince me that men weren’t aware of their appeal when they did that. I bet Gabriel had his fair share of gray sweatpants too.

I tore my gaze away from his arms. “You can call me Josie.”

“Josie.” The rumble of my name from his lips sent a shiver through me, and it felt like the atmosphere between us had shifted.

You’re pathetic. He’s going to be your boss.

Following him out of the studio and down the hall to the foyer, I couldn’t help but be a little excited, despite my initial reluctance. With the money I earned and was able to save from not paying rent, plus the money from my online puppet endeavors, I’d be able to get a nice place without my dad wondering where the money came from.

While my dad did spoil me and my sister, he wasn’t going to fork over thousands of dollars for rent when I didn’t even have a job. He’d had a hard enough time when I told him going out of state for college would cost over sixty grand a year. He didn’t say it outright, but I knew the real reason he’d balked at the cost was because I was going for puppetry.

“I’ll send over an electronic version of the binder tonight, as well as an employment contract. Tomorrow, my assistant will be in touch with you about where to get your fingerprints done.” Gabriel stopped in front of the door but didn’t open it yet.

“Thank you, Gabriel.” My voice carried the weight of promise I hadn’t expected to give.

He opened the door and extended his hand. I took it and, for a moment, our eyes locked. I swore there was a flicker ofsomething, but he dropped my hand after a quick, firm shake.

Everything was so formal with him. His house, his demeanor, the way he spoke. Someone needed to bring a splash of color to Gabriel Badden’s beige life, and I was about to be that person.

Chapter 4

Eggplant Earl Spills His Seed

Josie

My heart spedup as I turned onto Gabriel’s street, my car packed with belongings. It felt like moving into the dorms all over again, only the most necessary items coming with me. Nora, my moving and unpacking assistant for the afternoon and evening, was in her SUV behind me.

When my dad had offered to help me move, I’d made the excuse that I wanted to spend time with my sister. I’d just gotten back to Los Angeles from Connecticut, but she was moving in less than a month to start her new job as the skating coach for the Tri-State Titans in New York.

Nora was one badass bitch, and I was so proud of all she’d accomplished since the accident that took her dreams away. That accident took a lot away from our family, including our mom.

The gate was open, and I backed into the driveway, thankful the new car my dad had bought me as a graduationgift had backup assist. The last thing I wanted was to leave wheel divots in the lawn or back into the garage door the first day I was here.

As I got out, I knew I was in way over my head, but there was no backing out now. Throwing myself into a job to cover up Sarah Swoon was borderline ridiculous. How did porn stars and adult workers tell their families that’s how they earned money? Imagining my dad’s disappointment was enough to make me take it to my grave.

At least the job would be easy and give me another stepping stone on my way to complete independence. Being away from home for four years was a start, but living with roommates and not really needing to worry about all the bills wasn’t exactly being out on my own.

I just hoped I didn’t burn down Gabriel’s house with any toaster mishaps.

“This...isn’t what I’d imagined.” Nora got out of her SUV and joined me next to my car. “It looks homey. I expected a metal box.”

Laughing, I opened my back door. “A metal box would fit his personality better. It’s bigger than it looks too. He didn’t give me a tour of the whole place yet, but it has five bedrooms and four bathrooms.”

Nora pressed her key fob to lift the back door of her SUV. “Let me guess, you looked it up on Zillow?”

“Of course I did. I was curious about when he bought it.” Surprisingly, he’d lived here for years, not just once he had sole custody of Delaney. Considering the meticulous interior and lawn, I never would have guessed he’d owned it for a while; it looked like a brand-new house.

“Someone’s a stalker.”

“Shut up. You’re worse than me.” I shoved her, and she laughed just as the garage door opened.

“Holy shit. He’s even hotter in person,” she muttered under her breath.

A flush crawled up my neck with an unexpected spike of irritation. “Nora, don’t start.” I hefted a box of stuff from my back seat, placing it on the ground next to the back tire. Why did the thought of my sister lusting after him irk me?

Gabriel wasn’t even my type and was out of my league. So, why could I easily imagine his face softening with a smile meant just for me? Not that he ever smiled, but if he did, it would be magnificent. Too bad he was all business, all the time.

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