Page 18 of The Spice Play

“I took Matty to Home Depot and he wouldn’t let me leave without it. He insisted we needed it for protection,”Sebastian said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. But that corner of his mouth quirked up again, and I could tell I’d hit on a soft spot for him. He also thought it was funny enough to break through his composure, at least alittle. “I swear, sometimes I look out my window at night and think there’s a person out here. Scares the shit out of me.”

Something in what he said clicked — he’d left my apartment hastily last week and said he needed to get home. That made far more sense now that I knew he had a kid, and for a second, my guard dropped, that overwhelming feeling of being inadequate abating just a hair. But there was still the question ofwhyhe hadn’t bothered to call me, and why he was acting so differently now. Could I genuinely handle being around someone this muchagainwho made those shitty feelings flare?

“At least it keeps the crows at bay,” I offered, snickering to myself.

“It doesn’t. They just perch on the helmet,” Sebastian chuckled, and I had to do a double take — he was actually chuckling while speaking to me again.Okay, this is an improvement, even if he is an asshole.

“Nelly! Meet Carl!” Matty chirped, nearly tripping over himself.

“Hi, Carl!” I called, waving at the scarecrow enthusiastically.

Sebastian shoved a key into the glass doors of the guesthouse, turning it and sliding them open. “Come on,” he said, motioning for me to follow without looking back.

I entered after him. The space was large, larger even than my apartment. It was decorated exactly like the main house — stained wood flooring, dark grey walls, and black leather furniture made up the living room. The kitchen was finished with black marble countertops and dark woodcabinetry, and the fact that it was afullkitchen with an oven, dishwasher, fridge, and cooktop was a dream. I only had a microwave and convection oven back in my apartment.

The bedroom had an en-suite bathroom with a full walk-in shower and a luxurious jet-filled tub, and the four-poster bed made me wonder if there was a similar one in Sebastian’s room. He hadn’t taken me in when we’d passed it, only motioned toward it vaguely and saidthat one’s mine.

On the other side of the guesthouse, a little office jutted off the living room, and behind it, was a smaller home gym.

“So, there’s a pathway that runs behind Carl and goes around to the fence on the side of the house. On your days off, if you want to stay here, you’re welcome to use that to come and go if you don’t want to go through the house. Otherwise, you’d be welcome to go between the main house and this one whenever you want,” Sebastian explained, his eyes locked on Matty out the glass doors as he did cartwheels in the yard.

“That sounds great,” I said carefully, my gaze flicking between him and the view he was watching.

“Sounds like there’s abutcoming.”

I sighed. “But… are you sure you’re happy about me working for you?”

His gaze snapped to mine instantly, his nostrils flaring out. “Why would you say that?”

“I just mean that it could be… I don’t know, awkward for you,” I explained, fidgeting with the bracelet around my wrist. “I don’t want you worrying that I’m some kind of… what did that guy call it? Puck bunny?”

His mouth formed a hard line. “I can handle a bit of awkwardness, Penelope. It’s fine. I just need someone to reliably watch my son, and if you can do that, then we shouldn’t have any problems.”

I rolled my lip between my teeth, tempted to bring up what had happened as a thing to point to and saythis probably wasn’t a good idea. But I didn’t. I needed the money, even if we ended up hating each other. I could laugh and joke my way through it and be a good nanny for Matty. “And you’re serious about the pay?”

“I am.”

“Then I’ll take the job,” I said.

Sebastian held my gaze, his eyes flicking between mine. “You’re happy with the hours?”

“Yes.”

“And you like Matty?”

I grinned up at him. “How could I not? He’s adorable.”

He nodded slightly, letting out a breath I didn’t know he was holding. “All right,” he sighed. “You’re hired.”

“Oh, there is one thing I should tell you, but you’ve already hired me, so I guess it’s fine,” I smirked, pushing the glass door back open and letting in the sounds of Matty’s idle chatter to Carl the Goalie. Sebastion’s eyes narrowed.

“What? What is it?”

“I’ve stolen, like, athousandRolex watches,” I said, stifling a laugh at my own joke as I stepped through the door.

He rolled his eyes at me. “If I have to live with bad jokes, then so be it.”

Chapter 8

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