Page 4 of Billionaire's Fake Plus One

When they’re gone, Lucien nods at the armchairs in front of his desk. “Take a seat.” I perch on the chair and stare at him, ignoring the nervous flutter in my stomach. What now?

“How did you do that? Tell them apart, I mean,” he asks, and I relax marginally. “You only met them once a few years ago. Even Mrs. Garrett has a hard time telling them apart sometimes.”

I smile at him and tap the corner of my mouth. “Maddie has a birthmark. I saw it when applying the gloss on their lips two years ago, and I guess it just stuck in my memory.”

His eyes drop to my mouth and linger. I squirm, resisting the urge to lick my suddenly dry lips. His eyes dart away quickly like he just realizes where he’s looking; and when they meet mine, his tawny eyes are distant and aloof.

“Smart. People rarely see it.”

“Yeah. I knew to watch out for it,” I admit. “Although, another trick I had up my sleeves is their height. Maddie is taller.”

“To Millie’s great annoyance,” Lucien adds, his lips quirking up a little, and I relax even more. He gets this soft look in his eyes when he talks about his kids. It makes me think he might not be so bad after all. “I’m not going to keep you here long. Just a quick briefing of our expectations.”

I sit up straighter and utter, “Oh, okay.”

“I have to go back to the city tomorrow morning because I have several flights booked back to back. Mrs. Garrett will be around if you have any questions, but you’ll basically be on your own with the girls.”

“Okay. That’s not going to be a problem.”

“Good. They generally wake up by seven, seven-thirty, but you can sleep in tomorrow since I’ll be around. I’ve got them. They’re fiercely independent already, so all you have to do is supervise while they get ready. Mrs. Garrett will cook every morning; you just need to heat their food before you feed them.”

I take out my phone and quietly type as he gives me more instructions. “None of the girls have allergies. Millie will try to get out of eating her vegetables by saying she has an allergy, so don’t listen to her.

I chuckle, and he gives me a slight smile before continuing with the instructions.

3

Daily Update Rachel! I got here safely and the view from my room is nuts!

The next morning, I make my way downstairs around eight am. I’m surprised to see the girls are already dressed. Maddie is busy setting the table so Millie sees me first and grins at me excitedly. “Willow!” Her sister glances at me and gives me a more reserved smile.

Lucien walks in, carrying two small plates of food. He nods at me in greeting as he places the plates on the table. I follow him back into the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”

“Can you help me carry the food out?” he asks, nodding to the few bowls and plates left on the kitchen Island.

“Of course.” I pick up the bowls he indicates, and he carries the last of the plates, leading me back to the dining.

“I was going to get Millie to call you after setting the table. I don’t like the girls eating alone, so when I’m gone, you’ll have to join them for their meals. Like I said yesterday, Mrs. Garrett is in charge of making the meals, so you don’t have to cook unless you want to.”

We arrange the bowls and plates on the table. Lucien dishes his plate and indicates I do the same. “I noticed your car isn’t in the garage; you didn’t bring it along?”

I bite my lip as I glance down at my plate. “I don’t have a car.”

He takes a bite of his food. “You’ll need to drive the girls around. You can take the SUV Mrs. Garrett uses. It has their booster seats installed already anyway, and it’s safe. Can you drive?”

“I have a valid driver’s license, and I’m a decent driver. Not perfect by any means, but I’ve never gotten into an accident. I only have a few tickets for parking in the wrong places.”

He nods. “I’ll drop the keys for you before I leave.”

The only sound is the scrapping of utensils as we finish our meals. The girls are surprisingly quiet, only sneaking looks at me when they think I’m not looking, and whenever our gazes meet, they dissolve into giggles. It’s so cute, I find myself chuckling at their antics. When we’re done eating, I insist on clearing the table and washing the dishes. It’s the least I can do, after all.

As I finish arranging the dishes in their respective racks – under the girls' delightful gazes – Lucien walks back into the kitchen, dressed in black trousers and a crisp white shirt, carrying a small overnight bag. His hair still looks wet and is slicked back, putting his face in stark relief to his coif. His amber eyes are mesmerizing, and I lick my lips as I take him in. He looks good enough to eat.

When I glance up, our gaze meets, and he arches a single brow. My face heats up at being caught checking him out. Thankfully, he doesn’t make a big deal out of it. He drops his bag on the countertop and gets on his knees, beckoning his daughters forward.

“You girls, be good for Willow, okay? Listen to her. No fighting.” They nod their heads slowly, their expressions a bit somber. “I love you,” he adds in a whisper and leans in to kiss each one on the top of their head. They wrap their arms around him and whisper it back. My heart melts as I watch them interact. The way he loves his kids and is so open with them makes me wonder if maybe we had just started off on the wrong foot two years ago.

I shake my head. I suddenly feel like I’m intruding on a private moment, so I slowly turn away. They walk him to the front door where they wave him off, watching until his car disappears around the curve, leading to the gates.

---