Page 49 of The Nanny and the Don
“It’s good. Is Ms. Devy coming to eat with us too?” he wondered.
“Not this morning. She’s resting,” Sicily explained.
I’d made French toast, sausage, and eggs and invited Sicily to eat breakfast with me and the kids. I wanted to give Devlan a chance to sleep in for a change. I imagined if she was the mother of my children and I never helped with the kids, we would be in divorce court in no time. I didn’t want her to get burned out or feel like I didn’t appreciate her contributions around here.Today I would show her my appreciation better than I could ever explain it.
Once the kids were good, I made a plate for Devlan and put it on a tray next to a glass of orange juice and a bottle of water.
“Keep an eye on your sister for a second, King,” I instructed, knowing that Sicily would be there. I wanted to instill a protectiveness over his sister into him early.
Balancing the tray, I moved down the hall until I was standing in front of my bedroom door. I turned my back and nudged the door open before walking inside. Devlan was still knocked out, so I sat the tray down on the nightstand and sat on the side of the bed.
“Dev,” I called, leaning down to kiss her sweet face.
“Hm?” she responded without even opening her eyes.
“Wake up, baby. It’s time for breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” Her eyes popped open.
Sitting up straight in the bed, she snatched the covers up over her chest and looked around the room.
“Hey, hey what’s wrong?” I asked, drawing my brows together in confusion.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“It’s a little after nine.”
“Oh my God. I gotta get the kids,” she said, sliding to get out of bed.
Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her body to mine and kissed the side of her face.
“The kids are good, Devlan,” I assured her.
“I know they’re starving by now. I can’t believe I overslept.”
“They’re fine. I made breakfast.”
“Youmade breakfast?” she questioned.
I leaned back and put my hand on my chest as if I were offended. “Don’t sound so surprised.”
“I can’t help it. I’m almost speechless.”
“Prepare to find your voice,” I said, reaching over and retrieving the tray from the nightstand.
“Breakfast in bed?” she sang.
The smile on her face was worth everything I was risking just to see it. There were two dome-covered plates on the tray. I removed the first one to reveal the food.
“I did some research over the past couple of weeks and found that the average salary for a nanny is between three and five thousand dollars a month,” I revealed as I stood and removed the second dome. “You’re invaluable to me and the kids, but I figured the least I could do was double that, starting with back pay.”
“Steel,” she whispered. “What’s this?”
“Not enough but I hope it’s a start,” I replied.
“Ten thousand dollars though?”
“The salary is completely negotiable. I just want to make it clear how much I want you here and don’t know what I would do without you. I also want you to know that you are not a prisoner here,” I said, swallowing before I continued. I had to say what was on my chest before I lost the nerve.
