She gives a nervous laugh, her voice tight with a tension I don’t understand, but don’t like at all. “Actually,” she starts, and I hear her shift, her clothing rustling, “I need to speak with you about the nanny position.”
I straighten up, my eyes narrowing. Her voice has taken on that professional tone she used the first day. But under that, I can hear fear. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Well…I hope you’re not too upset….”
I wait, tension tugging at my previously relaxed muscles.
“Gertrude isn’t able to make it this week after all.”
I let out a frustrated grunt. I need to get back to work. I’ve sold a casino to my Las Vegas rivals and have plans to sell two more in order to arrange a marriage between my oldest sister Katarina, and one of the Smith brothers. Their eldest brother is a duke in England, and myfather, power-hungry fuck that he is, has agreed to the match because being part of a royal family is his ultimate goal.
It's how I’m finally going to draw him out.
But what he doesn’t know is that I’ve promised the Smiths two more casinos and a potential second marriage. It would remove my sisters from my father’s influence and cut his financial ties to my business, in addition to allowing me to go legitimate. Once he finds out…
Once he finds out, he’ll try to take back his business. It will be the opening I need to end this once and for all.
“Don’t worry,” she keeps talking, her voice breathless in a way I’ve never heard her sound before. “I’m going to fill in myself while I search for a long-term nanny.”
I stop. Ava under my roof? Tucked in my house with my daughter? “You’re going to come stay with me, milaya?”
“Well. That’s the awkward part. I’ll be there professionally and…”
My brows lift. Is she trying to tell me I’ll have to behave? I’m a man of iron control and infinite patience.
But I’m also a shameless opportunist. If the potential arises to further my cause, I’ll take it. “I promise not to do anything you don’t wish for me to do.” She’ll want everything I give her.
“Good. Because you’ll be my employer, and I cannot fraternize even over the phone. It would be highly unprofessional. And our professions are of the utmost importance.”
I pull the phone from my ear, looking down at it as I try and puzzle that one out. What does she know of my profession? I bring the phone back to my face. “Indeed.”
She gives a nervous laugh. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow at eight in the morning?”
I run a hand down my bare chest, my muscles bunching with tension. Having Ava here is a dream come true. But something is wrong. I can hear it in her voice. “Tomorrow at eight.”
“All right then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Ava?”
“Yes?”
“Say my name.” It’s a simple request, but she hasn’t spoken it since we got on the phone and I want to hear it now.
“I don’t?—”
“Say it,” I softly command, already noting, that for all her professional confidence, she bows to my commands.
“Dimitri,” she scoffs, irritation or anger lacing her voice. What the actual fuck? Did I push her too fast? She seemed really into the intimacy on our last call.
I breathe out through my nostrils. I’ll have to find out more tomorrow. Maybe I’ll spend the morning here, going through Anna’s routine. “I’ll see you tomorrow, milaya.”
“Tomorrow.” She hangs up then, leaving me to look down at my phone again.
I scrub a hand down my face, frowning, when my phone rings again.
This time, it’s Trent, one of my foremen. He came with me from Russia, a former man of my father’s. “Yes?”
“Sorry to bother you so late, avtoritet.”