Page 10 of The Mobster's Nanny

“Hello?”

Linda picks up after the third ring, and I recognize her voice right away, even though it sounds lower and tenser than when she was here. Maybe she’s busy or doesn’t feel well, and that’s one of the things that I didn’t think about. At such an old age, she may have problems with her health—but well, it’s too late to change my mind now.

“Hi, Mrs. Linda, it’s Matteo. Do you remember me?”

“Oh,” she says, and it doesn’t sound very happy. “Right, of course. Mr. Messina, I remember. How are you?”

“I’m good, Mrs. Linda.” I press the phone to my ear, leaning on the kitchen counter with a frown. “I’m calling to ask if you are still available for the position I offered. To look after—”

“Oh,” she says again, this time with even more distress. “Oh, of course, Mr. Messina, I—uh, I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t accept your offer.”

Huh? It’s been less than a week, and I told her that I’d be in touch.

“Have you found someone else?”

“No, no, of course not, I’m only…I have to leave Chicago for, uh, for personal reasons.”

What? She didn’t mention any of that when I asked her about her plans for the near future. I can’t help the mixture of surprise and disappointment rising in my chest. Linda didn’t strike me as an irresponsible woman, but I guess I was so impressed by her calm and professional demeanor that I failed to notice her flaws.

“I see,” I say after a momentary pause. “Well, it’s a shame you aren’t available. Good luck with your travels, Mrs. Linda. Goodbye.”

I hang up before she says anything else and, for a moment, just stare at the surface of the counter, listening to my own sensations. Disappointment, confusion, frustration, and…relief. It’s as if I was clinging to that last excuse to follow my own wishes, and now that I don’t have that obstacle, I can do what I wanted to do without hesitation.

So I take a deep breath, skim through my laptop to pull out the list of candidates and, with odd excitement in my fingers, I dial the number.

“Hi, Liss? It’s Matteo. Are you still interested in the position?"

Chapter 4 - Liss

I finish my second cup of coffee and grab a mint just a few seconds before I turn into Matteo’s driveway. Damn, it’s so pretty.

His lawn is bathing in lingering dew and early morning sun, and the shadow of the house is stretching down the property. I shiver in the chilly morning air as soon as I get out of the car and pause to take a deep breath, feeling the buzz of excitement that woke me up this morning.

God, I'm here again.

Matteo Messina has taken the bait—and it's the first and most important step on my way to ruin him.

The thought sends a hot wave of exhilaration through my veins, and I straighten up, hide my smirk, and dust off my pullover while walking to the door. It's time to start my first day at work as the perfect nanny for Romeo.

Just like the last time, Dolce greets me with excited barking from behind the closed door even before I ring the doorbell. He pushes his nose into the crack as soon as Matteo opens the door, and before I know it Dolce rushes past me in a flash of golden light.

"He was waiting all morning. My bad." Matteo chuckles, scratching the back of his head, and turns to look at me. "Well, good morning, Liss. To be honest, I didn't expect to see you so early."

My ear catches hoarse notes in Matteo’s voice, and the thin bathrobe he's wearing doesn't help me to keep my attention to myself. He must've woken up not so long ago, that's why his voice sounds so seductive, but those notes still make something inside of me tighten. Goddamnit. I've always had a thing for men with low, commanding voices—but obviously not for someone like him. God, not this bastard.

So I force myself to send those stupid thoughts away and focus on Matteo’s dark brown eyes with an apologetic smile. "Good morning, Matteo. I hope it's alright that I'm here. I just wanted to make sure I have plenty of time to get Romeo ready for school."

"Ah, sure, sure, it's not a problem." He shakes his head with a chuckle and steps back, gesturing for me to come in. "Romeo is still waking up, so maybe you could help him with that. Dolce! Come back home!"

Matteo lingers in the doorway, waiting for Dolce to trudge past him inside and shake off the morning dew before walking over to sniff me. What a good boy!

"I usually don't let him outside on his own," Matteo says, walking past me to the living room and readjusting the tie of his bathrobe. "He likes to munch on some gross things. Are you hungry, Liss? I'm making breakfast."

"Oh, you don't have to," I say automatically, tearing myself away from Dolce only to see Matteo enter the kitchen, his curly hair and sharp cheekbones glistening in the sun coming from the window. God, why does this asshole have to be so handsome?

"It's alright, don't be shy," he murmurs, checking the fridge. "We'll be happy to share."

"No, I mean, I can make breakfast, don't worry." I walk into the kitchen after Matteo, keeping a distance between us, and look around. Yes, I can find my way around here. "I see you have a toaster oven. Would you like to try one of my favorites?"

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