Page 4 of King of Malice
I’m about to hang up when I hear him hesitate. “Ava.”
My mouth twitches as I wait for what’s coming. Hopefully not another dinner invitation. Steve’s cute enough but I’m just… “Yeah?”
“Are you sure you want to do this? Track her down? I know it’s not my business, but she puts you through hell…”
I bite my tongue, wanting to tell him he’s right, it’s none of his business. I’m not paying him for advice. I draw in a slow breath of airthrough my nose and then let it out. “She’s my sister, Steve. The only one I’ve got.”
“All right,” he says in a voice that makes it clear he’s shaking his head. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
“Thanks.” I hang up, relieved I’ll have answers soon. The nice thing about giving him so much work is he’ll be quick. Temps For Us is a priority customer.
I’m about to return to the kitchen to put my lunch in the fridge and get started with my day, when my phone rings.
Stopping, I pick it up. “Temps For You, this is Ava, how may I help you?”
“Ava,” A man says on the other side of the line with the kind of deep baritone that moves through me like a shiver. “What a beautiful name.”
I’ve heard that line a million times, but it’s the first time that it makes me feel something other than irritation. A warmth slides through my stomach settling between my legs.
I don’t date. I’ve tried a couple of times, but it doesn’t really work for me. I can’t relax enough to enjoy myself.
But this man, with his eastern European accent and his honey-rich voice has my heart skipping a beat, wondering why I don’t give it another try.
“Thank you. Very kind. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”
“Dimitri Ivanov.”
“Mister Ivanov?—”
“Call me, Dimitri.”
“Dimitri,” the name slides off my tongue as it dances over the back of my teeth. “How can I help you?”
“I’m hoping to hire a nanny.”
I find myself biting my lip before I answer. “In that case, you’ve called the right person.”
He laughs, warm and low, and the ache between my legs actually throbs. “Excellent.”
“I’d like to collect some information, Dimitri, and then I can schedule a visit to your home to complete the intake interview.”
“How long will all this take? I’m in a bind with my daughter and her care.”
“I can send someone as early as tomorrow or the next day for short-term care, but if you’re looking for someone you hope might take the position permanently, the more time I take with the placement, the more likely the pairing will be successful.”
He pauses for a moment. “A short-term option would be most helpful. And we can proceed with your plan for a long-term solution. But I’m a quick decision maker myself, and if I could meet the candidates, I’d quickly know which would suit my family.”
My lips purse. I take pride in being good at my job. In addition, when clients choose incorrectly, they very much forget they are actually to blame. “A possibility we can discuss when we meet.” I flip open my calendar. “I’ve got a spot open at three-thirty this afternoon if you’d like to move forward with the intake?”
“That sounds excellent. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Dimitri, I’ll see you then.” I shift, wondering if he looks half as delicious as he sounds.
He makes this masculine rumble in his throat that has me pulsing all over again. “I look forward to it, Ava. This afternoon.”
The line goes dead. But it’s at least a minute before I place the receiver back in its cradle and start for the kitchen to finally put away my lunch. It’s not even nine in the morning and this day is already crazy.
Then again, it’s got all kinds of potential to turn absolutely insane.
