Page 20 of Teasing

Vivi loves to tell me I’m insane. That seeing the best in people and situations is just setting myself up for heartache, but I refuse to live my life that jaded.

Maverick glances down at the baby monitor on the table and shakes his head. “Briar Rose likes you, so that’s a plus already. And you know ASL. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a nanny who knows how to sign.”

He’s talking to himself, even if it sounds like he’s talking to me, so I don’t bother to answer. Instead, I let Maverick work it out. “You’d have to sign a contract and an ironclad NDA. We can discuss salary?—”

I stop him before he goes any further, and my stomach drops. “I’m sure the salary will be more than fair, and I’ll sign whatever you want, but I’ve got a few nonnegotiables.”

“You’ve been thinking about this?” There’s no missing the accusation that’s back in his tone, and it should probably piss me off, but really, it makes me sad for him.

“No. I haven’t been thinking about this. Believe it or not, I haven’t really been thinking about you. Shocking, right?” I cock my head to the side and smile sweetly. “I teach art at the assisted living facility in Sweet Water a few days a week.” I lick my lips as I breathe in deeply to calm my rapidly increasing heart rate. “My father lives there. The classes are typically less than an hour, but if I have Rosie during those days, I’d like to bring her with me. She can help me teach the class. I’ll set her up with her own station next to mine. I think she could have fun doing it.”

He stares at me silently for one beat, then two, before he nods. “You can’t let her eat anything while she’s there. And no one can touch her. Her peanut allergy is severe, and we don’ttake chances. I’ll go over all of it if you decide you really want to do this.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.” Funny that this is the first time I’m actually getting annoyed. “Life if too short to fake it, Maverick. If I say it, I mean it.”

His lips tip up on one side, and if I thought his earlier smile was sexy, it doesn’t hold a candle to this one. This giant tank of a man is dangerous in all sorts of ways, and none of them are because of his lack of trust.

“Too short to fake it... I like that.” He holds out his hand for me to shake, and I slide my palm against his and have to hold back the crazy tremor that desperately wants to work its way through my body. One moment of skin on skin... Rough, calloused skin against my soft, smooth palm, and a fire that’s been dormant for a long time flickers to life.

Oh... this is going to be a problem.

“Camp starts Monday morning,” he tells me.

Yeah . . . I know.

“Guess I’ll see you Monday then, boss.”

No way Vivi will ever believe this . . .

MAVERICK

Waking up at the ass crack of dawn isn’t something I like doing, but it gives me time to get a workout in before Rosie gets out of bed. So like it or not, I do it. I’m generally the only person up this early. At least I thought I was. But as I come out of the basement gym and shut the door behind me, I stop and stare. Or more accurately stare at Jamie, who’s also staring at something through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the family room. He doesn’t even turn around when he hears me coming, and I know he hears me. “What the fuck are you doing?”

I look over his shoulder and—fuck me.

“Seriously, man? You’re fucking creeping on Emmie?” I ask, knowing the answer because I want to be creeping on Emmie too. Goddamn. She’s in tiny, little pale purple bootie shorts and a matching sports bra, and she’s bent over Ryker, fixing some fucking yoga pose in my backyard.

“Sunrise yoga,” Jamie murmurs. “I didn’t think he was serious. But I get it now.”

Yeah. I try to avert my eyes, but I’m pretty damn sure that even dead, my eyes would still be stuck on her. She’s all long, toned muscles and golden, tanned, flawless skin, with softcurves I want to touch... but I’m not fucking going there, and neither is Jamie.

“Stop staring at my new nanny.” I smack the back of his head and force one foot in front of the other as I walk away.

Dipshit follows me into the kitchen and hands me a bottle of water, then grabs one for himself.

I catch it, and he stares at me in disbelief. “Your what?”

My laugh comes out harsh.

I might still be in denial that I agreed to this.

What the fuck was I thinking?

Right . . . That I was out of options.

“You heard me. Emmie is going to start as Rosie’s new nanny tomorrow.” I turn and pull the protein powder from the cabinet, then stop and look at Jamie. “That means she’s off-limits, Murphy. If you try to get with my nanny, I’ll rip your head off and shove it up your ass. Got it?”

Just the thought of him hitting on Emmie rubs me the wrong way.

---