Page 16 of How to Win the Wild Billionaire

Earlier this evening, she’d bathed Olivia and read her endless stories trying—and failing—to distract her from the loss of Mr. Fluffy. Finally, at the end of her rope, she’d allowed Liv to watch her favorite TV show. Leaving her to it, Bay, staying in hearing distance, had gone outside to think, knowing that she needed to make some tough decisions. Bringing her sketch pad—because thinking was so much easier when her hands were busy—she’d contemplated her options, idly drawing the ballroom at The Vane as she considered her next move.

But her thoughts had kept veering to Digby’s lips on hers, remembering the feel of his strong biceps under her hands and the silky texture of his wavy hair. Remembering how sexy it had been feeling his stubble on her skin as he kissed her jaw was far more fun than contemplating her return to the world of engineering.

She’d spent five years at the university studying a subject she hated just because her father told her she shouldn’t, that she’d never succeed, that it was a man’s job...

Stupid.

Pulling her thoughts back to what was important, she’d tried to reach Busi again, relieved to hear her old friend’s voice. But Busi hadn’t any good news for her—the partners had recently resolved to place a freeze on new hires. There weren’t many openings in the sector either, Busi had told her and, because she had little experience, she might find it difficult to find a position.

Awesome.

Having had enough of reality and unable to deal with any more bad news, Bay had allowed her thoughts to drift back to Digby again, recalling how good he smelled, of expensive products containing spice and lemon and something that made her brain shut down and her ovaries sit up.

Nobody had ever made her feel as out of control as Digby Tempest-Vane did.

And he should be the last guy in the world she should be attracted to. He was a player, flitting from model to actress to celebrity to princess with astounding regularity. He had a reputation, deserved or not, of being a playboy, irresponsible or, as her grandmother used to say, a flibbertigibbet. Flighty, flirty and yeah, charming.

She didn’t trust charming.

But that hadn’t stopped her traitorous body from wanting to plaster itself against his broad chest, to bury her nose in his strong neck, to explore the ridges of his ribbed stomach or the strength of his thighs.

Oh, Lord, she was in so much trouble.

And she knew this because, right now, although she should be thinking of his outrageous and frankly amazing proposal, she was also thinking of how he would look naked. Pretty wonderful, she imagined.

Argh! Really?

Right, time to act like an adult, Adair.Think!

He was offering her a hell of an opportunity, a way to establish a career doing what she loved, but how could she take that up without neglecting Liv? The little girl was wary of strangers and she hadn’t been lying earlier—she hated being separated from Bay.

Working long hours for Digby, or anyone else, would be impossible. She needed to spend time with Liv—that was nonnegotiable. Her mental well-being was all that was important.

Along with feeding and clothing her and educating her and...

Rock, let me introduce you to Hard Place.

Bay pushed her hand through her hair, feeling like a hundred years old. Sometimes the responsibility seemed overwhelming.

Today I signed off on new hires from Human Resources, including a three-month contract for an American looking for temporary work as a waitress...

Digby’s mind was, obviously, operating at warp speed. He rarely, she supposed, heard no, and she guessed that finding solutions to problems had to be something billionaires excelled at. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be so rich, right?

She tightened her grip on her knees and waited for him to continue, interested in what he had to say but knowing that, eventually, he’d walk out of her house and her life.

That was just the way life worked. He was a rich, free-as-a-bird playboy; she was a broke, single mom trying to survive.

“The waitress I hired has a degree in early childhood education and has experience working in her mom’s playschool in San Francisco. What if I hired her to look after Olivia?”

Bay blinked, not sure if she’d heard him correctly. “What?”

“We have specialized programs at The Vane to entertain children so that their parents can eat in our Michelin-starred restaurant, drink cocktails on the veranda with other adults or take quality time on their own. We do have family-friendly areas, obviously, but we aim to keep the kids entertained and I employ specialized staff to do that.

“I have a team of au pairs at the hotel but let me employ the American to look after Olivia, exclusively. She can join the playgroup if she wishes to. I don’t know anything about three-year-olds, but don’t they need the company of their own kind?”

Bay’s lips twitched at his choice of words. But he wasn’t wrong, it would be good for Liv to play with kids her own age.

“If you need to see her or spend time with her, it’s a ten-minute walk across the grounds to the buildings, ditto if she needs to see you. You could work, knowing she’s safe and cared for and in easy reach.”

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