Page 22 of Worst Nanny Ever
He gives me a wry look that prompts me to roll my eyes.
“I’d nanny for you for a little while, if you want, especially if you’re going to keep overpaying me. It’s not like I have any super important career plans to run back to.”
He size me up for a long moment and then frowns. “Why’d you really quit Big Catch?”
“I was sick of working with my brother,” I say, leaving it at that. It’s true, at least. “I love him like crazy, but it was too much.”
He nods. “I get it. I’d never work with my sister. But you might want to check on your old staff. They seemed seconds away from mutiny. The new floor manager accused you of encouraging public fornication in one breath, and in the next, he said he wants to give you a call for the official passing of the torch. So you can look forward to that.”
“What’s his name?”
“Eugene,” he says with a smile, as if he somehow knows this will delight me.
“An elderly man named Eugene replaced me?” I ask.
“How do you know he’s elderly?”
“Can you be named Eugene without being elderly?”
He inclines his head as if to concede the point, then adds, “He wears corduroy pants.”
“Youdowant to make my day,” I say, grinning back at him. “Where did they even find him?”
“I’m sure you can use your delightful charm to get the whole story out of him,” he says, his arm pressing against mine with the slightest pressure.
“Oh, you just bet I will. That old geezer won’t know what hit him.”
He shakes his head as he laughs, revealing his birthmark for a half second before his hair slides back into place, hiding it from me again. I want to find it with my finger, trace it, but I’m grateful to report that I have some self-control left.
“Your brother seemed pretty nice, though. He helped us move our equipment.”
My scowl deepens. “Of course he did.”
“I know, that bastard, right?”
I shove his arm again, feeling the delicious muscle he’s honed by banging rhythmically against those drums.
I whistle and slide my hand up and down his bicep. I do it to tease him, I think. Or maybe to tease myself. I had a few one-night stands after the whole Jonah mess, but I haven’t slept with anyone for months—a near record for me. Haven’t really wanted to. “Will you look at that? All that banging pays off.”
He gives me another headshake, but the corners of his mouth lift. “You’re pretty good at evading questions.”
“So is Ollie, and I’m guessing he gets it from you. The three of us could spend a cozy evening evading questions.”
“That sounds kind of nice actually,” he says. “Would you like a drink?”
“Hoping it’ll loosen my tongue?”
“Maybe,” he replies with a smile.
“It probably would, so no. I’m not staying here tonight.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you did,” he says, his dark eyes on me. I feel a quake of awareness. Is he asking what I think he’s asking? Or is he just offering me his couch?
Either way, I know what the answer needs to be.
“I’dmind,” I say.
He gives me a solemn nod, his gaze still hot on my flesh.
