Page 31 of The Billionaire & the Nanny: Part 4

Alana

“So, there’s nothing between us?”I march into Kase’s office. I don’t care that he’s only been home five minutes or that it’s been a whole day since that old man came to visit. I’ve been stewing ever since I overheard that weirdo conversation.

“Good evening, Miss Frasier. I’m doing well. How are you?”

Trying to disarm me, show me the error of my ways. Well, I’m done. Done with his crap, with his secrets and his pretending that there’s nothing going on between us. I’ve seen the looks across the rooms, I’ve felt the brushes of his body against mine as he’s reaching for his son, and I’ve felt the tension straining between us, the one you can cut with a Play-Doh knife, it’s that palpable.

“Why did you tell Mr. Roper that there was nothing between us?”

“Really, Alana?” Kase slams shut a desk drawer and pivots his eyes on me. “I mean, really? You seriously wanted me to tell my father-in-law, the father of Liam’s late mother, that you, the child’s nanny, and I have engaged in sexual situations?”

“Well, not exactly like that, no.”

“Then, what? What did you want me to tell him?”

“I don’t know…” Tears burn at my eyelids, but I won’t let them fall. I refuse to let him see any weakness in me. “I just…did you have to be so adamant about denying it, though?”

“Why are you bringing this up now?” he asks. He looks so gorgeous in his pants and buttoned gray shirt, cuffs rolled up, drink in one hand.

I wish I could just forget this. Just go on with my job like I’m supposed to, but I couldn’t take it any longer. “Because I’ve played your game, Kase. I’ve ignored everything we did, just like you wanted me to. But in that room…” I point to the sitting room where Kase and his father-in-law spoke just yesterday, the same place where the old man advised Kase to treat me like shit. “You smiled at me when Liam wanted me to pick him back up. You appreciated me at that moment.”

“I did. I’ve never denied that, Alana. That doesn’t change the fact that I would never admit to anything so personal to a man I barely know.”

“Barely know?”

“Yes, for all his position in my life, I barely see the man. You can’t expect me to tell him that I’m banging the nanny when his daughter just passed a way a few months ago. You’re not making any sense, hon.”

Hon?

Maybe I’m reading into this too closely, but he never calls me that, and there was a touch of sweetness to it. I know this is about more than the way he denied me in front of Roper. Of course, he’s right—he couldn’t just put that out in the open. I would’ve denied our relationship, too, if someone other than my mom or best friends asked me straight out.

But it’s not just that bothering me. It’s the whole secrecy. The whole bringing me into his life on one hand, but on the other, keeping me strictly out of it. “Why weren’t you happy with what he told you?”

“Which part?” Kase stands and walks over to me, hands in pockets. So cool and collected. I so wish I could adopt his demeanor. He stands in front of me looking so sexy and unaffected. “Were you listening in when you should’ve been minding your own business?”

“I was just in the kitchen, Kase. I can’t stop my ears from hearing. Why don’t you want to take over your wife’s business? It doesn’t make any sense. If I were you, I’d be doing cartwheels.”

“Good thing you’re not me.” His smirk borders on a growl, and I have to contain myself from letting my emotions show.

“What does that mean?” I ask.

“Alana, listen…I know you’re smarter than the average nanny.”

“That’s because I’m not a nanny,” I blurt, even though that’s not fair to other nannies the world over. There’s nothing about being a nanny that makes anyone less smart, but I can’t flick the fucking service chip off my shoulder. My parents were in service, and now looks like I’ll be in service forever, too.

“Yes, we’ve been through this. You’re naturally inquisitive, you want to understand everything, and you also seem to care about my life, but I’m telling you now—the less you know about my life, the better.”

“Why?”

“Why, what?” I can see he’s getting irritated with me, but I can’t seem to stop myself. I was a runaway snowball before I even waltzed in here.

“Why is it you can wedge your way into my room, into my bed, do whatever you want with me, bring me into your office and demand sexual favors from me, but you can’t answer a single question of mine? Do you think that’s fair?” Feeling bolder than ever, I step farther into his office. He’s not more important than I am—we’re equals—and there’s nothing wrong with my wanting to know more about him.

I think I deserve a few answers.

But Kase hovers over me, raising his hand to point. “You know what? I can be nice once, I can even be nice twice, and I have infinite patience, but right now, you’re pushing my buttons, Alana.”

“Good, maybe someone should.”

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