Page 1 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Nanny

Chapter 1

LACEY

Fat drops of rain fell from heavy gray clouds that covered the sky like a thick blanket. It had been pouring nonstop all morning, and everything was slick and drenched.

With a high-pitched screech, a car pulled up from behind, spraying a cascade of rainwater from the puddles on the road that landed across the sidewalk. I leaped out of the way, pressing myself against the door of a nearby shop. It was no use, and I still ended up with dirty water soaking through my boots and jeans.

My heart thudded in my chest, and I wanted to shake my fist at the car, but it was no use. As it vanished into the distance, the car's bass rattled the road with its rhythmic thud. The driver inside was oblivious to the chaos he left behind him.

Everybody else on the sidewalk walked past me at a brisk pace, paying the car no mind. The first thing I noticed when I first moved here was that everybody was in a hurry to get to their destination. Was this what it was like to live in the big city? Was I going to eventually become numb to the daily indignities I would encounter on the streets?

On the other side of the road, tucked in between the towering glass skyscrapers of downtown Huntington Harbor, I spotted my target. The cozy little coffee shop was barely bigger than a shack. After an entire morning of walking around in the rain, the inviting glow from inside and the familiar coffee bean logo announced the shop as a port of safe harbor for weary commuters. Bean Brewing and Sipping's chain of shops was always a welcoming place to hang out. It didn't matter if I was in a small town in the middle of Nebraska or a bustling city like Huntington Harbor.

As soon as the light at the crosswalk turned, I dashed from the shop doorway and ran across the road. A bell over the door let out a tinkling ring as I stepped inside. The warm interior was a sharp contrast to the bone-chilling humidity outside.

Safe inside, I finally noticed that the icy rain had completely soaked through my clothes to the skin. Even the calming jazz music that floated through the air was not enough to muffle the wet squelching sound my shoes let out with each step I took.

"Welcome to Bean Brewing and Sipping," announced the barista behind the counter. "Customers are welcome to use our restroom. You can freshen up and wait here until the rain lets up." She shot me a pitying look. "Huntington Harbor is famous for flash rainstorms. It'll be over and sunny outside before you know it."

"Is it that obvious that I'm new to the city?" I thought I fit in so well with the other residents in the city. One of the first things I did after I arrived in Huntington Harbor and moved in with my roommate, Katie, was to buy new clothes to replace my dated wardrobe from back home. Looking down, I judged my outfit. I was wearing a pair of loose jeans and a designer leather jacket that Katie and I had found for twenty bucks at a thrift store.

The barista smiled. "It's the shocked and confused look on your face. Don't worry, we've all been there."

I shot her a weak smile, embarrassed that my status as a country bumpkin radiated like bad body odor.

I glanced around the coffee shop. Despite this location's notoriety as the chain's first location, it was oddly empty except for a few customers. At the far end of the dining room against the back wall, a tall intimidating man sat alone. He was busy working on his laptop. The cup on his table was empty and the beverage it had contained was long consumed, leaving the top of it lined with a dried ring of coffee-stained milk foam. Two empty crumpled packets of sugar were on the table next to the cup.

He was good-looking, with broad shoulders and a strong muscular body that filled his perfectly tailored gray suit. His dark hair was clean cut and every strand was styled into place. I would have said he was handsome, except he was burning a hole into me with his fiery copper eyes. He reminded me of a predator, like a wolf or mountain lion stalking his prey.

I probably disrupted him from whatever work he was doing on his computer. Power and arrogance radiated off him in waves. The guy looked like a stuck-up finance bro who worked in one of the towering office buildings next door. On his wrist, he wore a large silver watch that I guessed was worth more than an entire house. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. His type, as I already discovered, was a dime a dozen in the city. They acted like they were gods and looked down on anybody who didn't make as much money as them. People like me.

Ignoring him, I walked over to the counter. "Let's see, I'll have a flat white, please."

I paid for the order and the barista slid the key to the restroom across the counter.

"Your order will be ready in a couple of minutes. The restroom is down the stairs to your right."

I muttered my thanks and disappeared in the direction she indicated. Thankfully, the restroom was a private room instead of a row of stalls. Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I cringed at the drowned rat staring back at me. I looked like I had just crawled out of the sewers. No wonder the asshole out there was judging me so hard.

Pulling a wad of paper towels from the dispenser, I wiped the droplets of rain that clung to my glasses. Then, as best as I could, I toweled my hair and neck before wringing the water out from my shirt. What I couldn't get out, I tried to dry with the blowing hand dryer. My shoes were a lost cause though. What a pity. I really liked the ankle-length suede boots. Not that it mattered much, since I was going straight home as soon as the rain stopped.

The only reason I had to brave the horrible weather and come downtown was to record my employment interview and sign some forms at Discreet Talent Connections Agency. All of the agency's clients were powerful people and celebrities who had little time to find their own employees. A posting from the agency was my best bet at a job that paid enough to cover the bills.

Signing up to become a personal assistant for some rich businessman wasn't what I had planned on doing with my life, but I needed money. I couldn't mooch off Katie without chipping in for my share of the rent. Besides, living off instant ramen and frozen peas was quickly losing its novelty. This situation was only temporary. All I wanted was a well-paid job that didn't demand too much of me mentally and covered my living expenses while I finished writing my paranormal romance novel.

By the time I stepped back out into the dining room, my order was waiting for me at the counter. The rich nutty aroma of the freshly brewed coffee hit my nose. I picked up the cup with care, making sure the coffee didn't slosh over the lip and admired the latte art of a heart on the surface.

Maybe I should train to be a barista? Working in a coffee shop seemed like it would be fun. I shook my head. Knowing how clumsy and forgetful I was, I could already picture myself scalding my hand with hot steam from the espresso machine and mixing up everybody's orders.

I turned around to find somewhere to sit, only to let out a yelp as I crashed into somebody. My coffee tumbled out of my hand and splattered all over the crisp gray silk suit of the man who was standing right behind me.

The coffee had to be scalding hot, but he didn't even flinch as it soaked through his shirt and suit. Some of it splashed back onto my jacket before dripping onto my boots. Great. Just what I needed.

It was the guy who had been staring at me when I entered the coffee shop. I hadn't heard him make a single noise. How did he sneak up so close to me?

He put his hands on my shoulders to steady me. "Is it a custom in Oklahoma to go around tossing your coffee at strangers?"

"Only those who sneak up on me like a creeper." Ignoring the warmth of his hands seeping through my jacket, I shrugged off his grip.

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