Page 18 of Crush
“Great. I've got a game tonight, which means you'll be on your own once the kids come home from school. Can you make it by three o'clock?”
“Sure can.”
“Good, then I'll have some time to show you around before I have to leave. Don't worry about staying the night just yet. We'll start you off slow—and make sure my kids don't drive you up the wall.”
I laughed. “Sounds good! I'm your girl.”
He smiled. “Good to hear.”
Chapter 6
Shea
I held the door open for Brynn as we left the cafe.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile so warm it could melt an old, grizzled heart like mine.
Yeah, I wasn't sure about her when I first sat down for that interview. But she'd won me over, especially with the way she handled that overzealous fan. That took me by surprise—I didn't think she had it in her. And frankly, I figured the kids could use someone like that after Estel let them get away with bending the rules.
But Brynn? She didn't seem like a pushover.
She had spunk. And sass. And smarts.
Andbeauty. Not that looksought to matter when choosing a nanny for my kids. But fuck me, it sure was easy to catch myself staring at her.
Most importantly, she didn't make a big deal out of me being a hockey player. She didn't even ask me about it. And shehadto have known after that guy asked for a selfie.
“Okay, so I'll see you in a few hours,” Brynn said as we parted ways.
But I didn't want to leave her just yet. I wanted to find a way to keep her by my side. Reaching into my pocket, I found my car key fob and pressed the unlock button. My Bentley Bentayga, parked right in front, beeped at us.
“Need a lift?” I asked casually.
“Ooh,” she giggled, almost teasingly. “Thanks for offering, but I drove myself. But hey, nice ride, Shea.”
I felt like I'd been caught, somehow. Like she'd seen right through my lame attempt at impressing her. Jesus, how old was I again? I was as hopelessly lost with women as I ever was.
I shook it off. “Just making sure. I'll see you soon.”
“Bye!”
***
Back at home, I had some time to kill before the game. Instead of my usual pre-game routine—a big lunch followed by a nap—I found myself picking up the house, so Brynn wouldn't think the Ellis' lived like a pack of wild animals.
And then I cleaned myself up, shaving away my scruff.
On game days, I have to be at the rink before the kids even make it home from school. So I texted the kids to let them know that they could expect to find a new nanny when they got home from school. I told them to be on their best behavior so they wouldn't scare her off.
By the time I'd finished, Brynn was at the door.
“Hi, Shea!” she said cheerily.
She'd changed from her interview attire into something a little more casual—blue jeans and a black frilly blouse. They weren't revealing items, but I could tell that the girl had a heck of a figure.
I waved her in, fighting off the urge to sneak a peek at her butt as she stepped past me.
Control yourself, you old dog. She catches you doing that, and you're done. You're no better than all those sex-crazed boys on the team.
