Page 9 of Nanny for the Silver Fox

"Hello, Mr. Angelos."

"Yes, sorry to be calling so late, Cassidy."

"It's fine." My stomach tightens with nerves. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry, but the owner cannot rent to you."

My heart sinks. After all the searching I had done for a place, it had come down to this one.

"What?! I'm supposed to move in on Saturday, and my job starts Monday."

"I know." He sighs. "There are some new issues with the property that aren't up to code. They can't rent to you or anyone."

"Thank you for letting me know," I say as calmly as possible, even though my insides are trembling.

"I'll resume looking first thing in the morning, but I doubt I can find you a place on such short notice. The New York rental market is a bear. You should consider staying in a hotel for a few weeks or with a friend."

Staying in a good hotel and New York will cost a fortune. My dad can afford it, but I don't want to ask for that huge amount of money. Especially not after he paid for all my schooling.

"Okay, thanks. I'll figure something out." I take a long sip of beer.

"Sorry about this." He pauses for a moment. "Let me know if there's anything else I can do."

I disconnect the call and take a deep breath. This was not how I imagined my first day of vacation to be. Tears prick my eyes, but I refuse to cry in public. I swallow hard and take another deep breath before exhaling slowly.

A smooth, baritone voice says, "Maybe I can help."

I look up and see Ivan standing in front of my table. "What are you doing here...Evan?"

"I thought I'd try this place for dinner." He frowns and sits across from me. "Sometimes I give women fake names, so they don't get all clingy and crazy after."

I roll my eyes. "Perfect. Such a gentleman."

"I promise women a good time, not a relationship." He leans forward, and his sparkling hazel eyes capture mine. "But I want to help you with your little problem."

I furrow my brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He flags down a server and orders a beer. Once she is gone, he says to me, "You can stay with me until you find an apartment. My penthouse has plenty of space."

"Thanks for the offer, but I can't stay somewhere a hundred women have stayed before." I cross my arms and sit back in my chair. "Besides, I don't want to listen to you having sex with different women every night."

Ivan levels me with a wicked grin. "Your room will be on the other side of the house. You won't hear much, but..." He reaches across the table and takes my hand. He rubs his thumb along my inner wrist. My heart jumps, and my breath catches in my throat. "You can always wear earplugs if it gets too noisy."

I snatch my hand away and stand up. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass." I quickly grab my purse and turn around to leave.

"Wait!" Ivan says, but I keep walking.

He follows me out onto the boardwalk. "Cassidy, I can help you. Just let me."

I turn around and look up into his eyes. His expression is earnest. He pushes a lock of hair from my face and leans toward me. The overwhelming urge to kiss him comes over me. He takes my chin between his fingers and leans forward. His warm breath fans my cheek, and heat pools within my core.

"Think about it," he whispers softly, before letting his hand drop and taking a step back.

I take a deep breath and turn away, my heart pounding and mind racing. I quickly walk away, unsure if I can survive an entire week with Ivan, let alone live with him indefinitely. That would have to be the worse solution possible. Surely there must be some other way…I can’t possibly consider solving my problem with another problem.

Or should I?

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