Page 18 of Reputation (Tempt)

And I wanted to see if I could make her grin, so I leaned into the lyrics. Going all out with my performance. Showing off. Which was completely ridiculous since she was the nanny and I was her boss. I wasn’t supposed to try to impress her, yet I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

I spun Brooklyn around the room, and she laughed and laughed. It was times like this I wondered how Trinity could just turn her back on her daughter. And how she could justify using Brooklyn to get more money. I’d give up my entire fortune, I’d make a fool of myself, for even a moment with my daughter.

When the song finished, Emerson was in awe. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

I leaned in and rasped, “Wouldn’t you love to know.”

For that brief beat between songs, we were frozen in time. Our eyes were locked, and everything else ceased to exist. She drew in a jagged breath, and my eyes darted to her lips.

God, I want to kiss you.

So. Fucking. Bad.

But then “I Knew You Were Trouble” blared through the speakers, and it felt like a reminder. A warning.

My reputation was already hanging on by a thread. And I’d seen way too many careers derailed by sex scandals to let mine follow that path. Not to mention the effect it would have on my daughter. I shuddered.

Nothing had happened. And nothing was going to happen. If I was smart, I’d stay far, far away from my daughter’s nanny.

CHAPTERFIVE

“You weren’t kidding. This is like a Broadway production,” Kendall said, zooming in on the image of Brooklyn’s Rumpelstiltskin costume on my phone.

“Right?” I laughed.

Brooklyn’s school play was tonight. Kendall had given me a ride home after yoga. A few paparazzi had been hanging around outside the yoga studio, but I’d ignored them as I had most of the rumors swirling about Nate. Though today had definitely been more intense—more paparazzi. More insistent with their questions.

“One of the parents is a costume designer,” I said. “And she volunteered to make them for the school.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but damn.” She handed back my phone, and it was reassuring to know that I wasn’t the only one who felt out of place in this world of wealth and privilege.

“I know.” I went over to my closet, digging through the options. “I mean, what am I even supposed to wear to something like this? This school is…” I blew a raspberry. “Next level.”

And typically, the only time I was at the elite private school was for pickup or drop-off. But tonight, I’d be streaming into the auditorium along with the other parents.

“Well, yeah, I mean, most of the parents are celebrities or business moguls, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s got you so nervous?” Kendall asked.

“I just want Brooklyn to do well.” I was both nervous and excited to watch her perform onstage. She’d worked really hard to memorize the lines over the past month, and I knew she could do it.

“Is that all?” she asked.

“I’ll probably be one of the few nannies in attendance. I just—” I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I’m worried it’s going to spark even more rumors.” There’d already been enough gossip about Nate’s “hot new nanny.” Hell, Kendall had heard the paparazzi shouting questions at me about my relationship with Nate after yoga. Perhaps Nate had been right to ask me to tone down my social media.

“Who cares?” she asked. “You know the truth. And people are going to talk, regardless.”

“I know, but what if it gets back to Brooklyn?” I grabbed a dress from the rack and held it up.

She pulled a face at my outfit suggestion. “Boring.”

That was what I’d been afraid of.

Kendall rested her palms on the mattress. But when I held up another outfit choice then cast it aside with a huff, she appraised me with keen interest.

“What’s that look about?” I asked.

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