Page 44 of The Billionaire and the Nanny

“Go big or go home, Sweetness.” That smile. Cocky, big, and gorgeous. I hatehim.

I cross my arms. “Not sure if you know this, but this is a quiet neighborhood. We…” I gesture behind me. “Are a humble family who isn’t impressed with luxurious antics.”

“Alright, so I shouldn’t have blared the horn, but I had to find you. I need to talk to you, Penelope. Come with me and we’ll go somewhere quiet.”

“I don’t want to see you.” My heart hurts saying that, because it’s not true. For over a week, I’ve imagined Ethan changing his mind, becoming the man I wanted him to be of his own free will. But I don’t want to hurt anymore, and seeing him makes me feel like I’m being torn open all over again.

“Wow. Cold. I’m impressed. It’s like I don’t even know you,” hesays.

“Yeah, well…I learned from the best.” Suck on that, Townsend.

After a moment of looking off down the road, he says, “I deserve that. But I still need to speak toyou.”

“We’re fine right here,” I say. Anything he wants to say, he can say it in front of my family. Speaking of spoiled brats, he’s used to getting whatever he wants, but he’s on my territory now. If he wants to speak to me, my front stoop is a perfectly good location. I whip around and walk back to the steps, shooing everyone back into the house. Then, I sit on the front steps.

“Alright, I guess we’re going to talk right here.” He sits next to me, and a whiff of his aftershave slides under my nose. I love that smell and fight the urges my body is beginning to feel. My body doesn’t know shit, and that’s why I got hurt in the first place.

“Did you find her a good home?” I ask, staring straight ahead at the black limo. I almost choke on the question.

“I did,” he says softly.

The moment he says it, I start getting up. “I can’t do this, Ethan. I can’t listen to anything you have to say if she’s not a part of your life. I’m sorry.”

He takes my hand and sits me back down. “I didn’t say she was adopted.”

My eyes connect with his—crystal clear and full of what I hope are good intentions. It’s so hard to tell when emotions are running amuck in my head and heart. “She hasn’t? Why, what’s wrong? I would think any family would want her immediately.”

He nods. “I’m sure that’s true. And I kept thinking that I was going to hand her over to the agency as planned. But each day I kept postponing it, to the point where Wilson finally called me on my shit. He told me that I’d fallen in love with her and with you. He told me that she’s my daughter and you’re her mother, and I knew he was goddamn right.”

I stare at him uncomprehendingly.

His eyes have teared up but he smiles a little.

My chest vibrates with a feeling I can’t even name. It’s more than happiness, it’s like elation or joy. Yes, joy. “Ethan, are you sure? You can’t just say things that you know I want to hear. Please don’t mess withme.”

Swiveling toward me, he takes my hand and caresses it with a thumb. I look down at our hands. I want so much for it to work out, but I can’t go through this hurt again. I just can’t. Suddenly, I realize that’s the same feeling Ethan had the night of Lilly Belle’s accident, like he couldn’t go through with the pain again. He couldn’t lose yet another person he loved.

“I’m not messing with you, Penelope.” And then he moves away, stands, pulls something from his pocket, and kneels down in front ofme.

When he opens the black velvet box, I see the biggest diamond ever shimmering atme.

“Holy shit,” I gasp, but it’s not because of the diamond. I’m staring at Ethan’s eyes, and his smile, and I realize this is allreal.

And then he asks me, and I sayyes.

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