Page 27 of Bellini Born

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“Did I forget to mention the part where it’s a live-in position? Meals and lodging are included.”

Summer’s eyes bulged. “Live-in? As in, I would live”—she gestured around the room—“here?”

Chuckling, I nodded. “Not in my office, but you’d have your own living quarters upstairs. And I would be more than willing to negotiate a monthly stipend, so you have spending money.”

The way her gaze shifted, I could tell she was grasping at straws, trying to come up with any other excuse to say no. But I was a master at chess, and though she might not realize it yet, I’d already declared checkmate.

“Shouldn’t you run this by the girls’ mother first?”

Those words sucked the air out of my lungs like a vacuum, and I stiffened, causing Serafina to let out a whimper.

Voice hoarse, I confessed, “Their mother passed away.”

“Oh.” Understanding dawned, and her blue eyes filled with that familiar look of pity. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Ducking my head in gratitude, I seized the opportunity to play on her sympathy. “The girls need a stable female presence in their lives. Bianca’s burned through almost a dozen nannies in the past eight months.”

I saw the exact moment that timeline sank in, and she pieced together that Allegra’s death had coincided with Serafina’s birth. Though she was probably imagining some kind of medical complication as the cause instead of the truth—that my late wife’s connection to my family was what got her killed—and I wasn’t about to scare her away by correcting her assumption.

It was far beneath a don to beg, but I found myself doing it anyway. That’s how badly I—and apparently my daughters—needed her.

Playing on the pity in her eyes, I let emotion leak into my voice. “Please, Summer. Say yes. For Bianca.” I bounced the baby in my arms. “For Serafina.”

My soft appeal seemingly breached her defenses, and her shoulders sagged on a sigh. “Okay.”

“Thank you.”

“So, uh, where do we go from here?”

Pulling my cell from my pocket, I fired off a quick text to Enzo before returning my attention to the woman standing opposite me. “I’ll have someone drive you home so you can pack, and then they’ll return to retrieve you in the morning.”

Her plush lips parted. “You want me to start tomorrow?”

“I’m the CEO of a large real estate enterprise. Business never stops, and neither do I. That means long hours spent in my office downtown, and as much as I love my daughters, I’m not able toget much work done with them underfoot. The sooner you start, the better. For everyone.”

Under her breath, she mumbled, “Hot Daddy CEO. Almost forgot.”

My ears perked up immediately. “What was that?”

Wide eyes snapped up to meet mine. “Nothing,” she said in a rush, pink tinting her cheeks.

Learning that the attraction I felt wasn’t one-sided gave me confidence that convincing her to stay would be even easier than I thought.

“Knock, knock!” Enzo’s voice was accompanied by the sharp rap of his knuckles on the doorframe.

Turning to him, I said, “Please escort Miss Reynolds home, and coordinate what time is best to retrieve her and her belongings in the morning.”

Dark eyebrows rose high on my cousin’s forehead. “New roommate?”

“New nanny,” I corrected.

The jackass crossed himself. “I’ll make sure to light a candle for you, Miss Reynolds.”

“It’s Summer,” she prompted.

Enzo flashed her a dazzling smile, stepping forward with his hand extended. “Enzo Bellini, at your service, Summer.”

Summer slipped her palm against his, and a warning growl worked its way through my chest. He might be my blood, but I didn’t like anyone touching what was mine.