Page 20 of The Nanny's Bossy Billionaire

I didn’t see her for the rest of the day and even Lisa didn’t once come upstairs after her nap. How Brooke managed that is beyond me, but having seen her with Lisa, whatever else Brooke might be pretending to be, she does know her way around kids.

I’d figured Brooke would have to come upstairs to tuck Lisa in before leaving and debated speaking to her then, but when she called my house phone instead, saying Lisa was now asleep and would I be kind enough to move her to her room upstairs, I knew she’d been too hurt to face me.

Who is this girl?

After she left, I’d caved and had someone look into her. It didn’t take long at all.

I found out that she has only had one boyfriend in all of her twenty-four years. Some douchebag named Phil and they broke up two years ago. She teaches in a school and doesn’t go on dates and hardly goes out clubbing.

Could it be that what happened between us is the first time she’s ever done such a risqué thing?

She was certainly tight enough to make me believe that. I think of how her too-snug, clenching walls felt around my cock and her raw, uninhibited passion, as though she couldn’t help herself, the way she came apart… I want that again.

I wonder if I’m the only other man she’s ever been with and I find I’m perversely pleased by that possibility.Slow down, caveman.

Also, her brother owes some three hundred grand gambling debt. Apart from her usual job, she’s applied on many job sites for work.She’ll run herself ragged trying to pay off that debt. The more I find out about Brooklyn Sofia Lewis, the more of an asshole I feel.

And suddenly I know what I have to do.

The next day, Brooke is still avoiding me and is even more guarded in her interactions. I hate it. When I offer to take them out for ice cream after they return from their walk on the rooftop, Lisa hops up and down in glee, but Brooke begs off, saying she needs to clear up toys and make Lisa’s dinner, much to Lisa’s disappointment.

“Do you want us to get you anything?” I ask her.

“No, I’m good thanks.” She doesn’t meet my eyes and is already moving toward the kitchen island. When she gets near enough, I gently grab her forearm, stopping her.

“Brooke, I’m trying to apologize,” I say.

“Are you? How clumsy of me not to notice.” She glances pointedly at my hand on her arm. I let go of her arm, but she stays.

“You’re not going to make it easy, are you?” I chuckle. “Alright, I’m sorry.”

“Whatever for?” She walks toward the kitchen.

I move toward the counter to face her.

“Whatever made you cry yesterday.”

“I wasn’t crying.”

So stubborn, I think. “Okay, still, that was no way to speak to you.”

“I’m sorry I hit you,” she replies.

“Don’t worry about it. I deserved it.”

“Still—” she begins.

“Uncle Xavi, can we go now?” Lisa is impatiently hopping from one foot to the other.

“Sure, buttercup.” To Brooke, I say, “Seriously, it’s fine. Sure you don’t want anything?”

“No, really. Ice cream isn’t really my thing.”

What is your thing?I want to ask. And suddenly I find myself wanting to know all of her ‘things.’

Later that afternoon, after Lisa and I return from getting ice cream, and Lisa is with Brooke at Zoey’s penthouse, Ryan swings by to return my keys.

He’d takenThe Lexi, my catamaran yacht, out for routine servicing. He’d custom-built the thing for me, and I swear he’s more attached to it than I am. Might have something to do with all the partying we do on it.

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