Page 36 of Reputation (Tempt)

“Oh yeah.” Brooklyn laughed. “Especially when Dad and Emmy sang a duet.”

I scowled, wishing she hadn’t decided to share that tidbit. My family’s interest was definitely piqued.

“Duet, huh?” Sloan asked, brow arched in question. She’d been needling me almost nonstop about Emerson since I’d asked for her help acquiring the damn Hermès.

Fortunately, Brooklyn didn’t leave anyone time to respond, saying, “We’re going to watch Christmas movies after this.” She turned to me. “Right, Dad?”

“Yep.” I nodded. It was tradition.

“Will Emmy be joining you for that, too?” Graham asked with a sardonic twist to his lips.

“Of course!” Brooklyn said. “Want to say hi?”

“Of course,” Jasper said, mimicking Brooklyn’s tone.Fucker.

Brooklyn carried my phone to the living room, and I trailed behind. I could hear Emerson talking with my family, jumping into the conversation and teasing as if she was one of us. I was certainly coming to view her as family and not an employee, though I knew it was dangerous to blur those lines.

The night of Brooklyn’s slumber party was proof of that. Emerson and I hadn’t spoken of it since, and everything had gone back to normal. And that was part of the problem.

Since our almost-kiss, I found it harder to act like everything was “normal.” I didn’t want to hide my feelings for her. I was sick of putting on an act when I was at home. When she was around. Pretending I felt nothing for her beyond her role as my employee.

So when Jasper flirted with Emerson—again—I had to clench my fists to keep from smashing the device. He was an incorrigible flirt. A playboy. And he thought she was hot.

Hell, so did I. But she was my daughter’s nanny. And I kept telling myself that kind of thing never ended well.

I could think of only one instance in which it had—Alexis and Preston. Preston had been Alexis’s nanny, and when they’d first started hooking up, I’d figured he was only interested in Alexis’s money. And she only wanted him for sex. How wrong I’d been on all accounts.

But that was how jaded I’d become since my divorce. My fame didn’t help.Before, women had been after me for my money. But now that I was an actor and executive producer, they wanted even more from me. A role in a movie. Aninwith the studio. Whatever.

Emerson placed her hand on my arm, and my eyes were glued to the spot where our skin touched. “Nate?”

“Yes?”

“Graham had a couple questions for you about the Huxley Grand Abu Dhabi.”

“Oh.” I blinked a few times and turned my attention back to the screen, where my cousins were studying me with keen interest.Fuck.“Sure.”

“Oh, come on.” Jasper slugged Graham’s arm. “It’s Christmas. Do you ever stop working?”

“Someone has to keep the family business running,” he shot back.

Sloan rolled her eyes. And Jasper scoffed. “Of course.”

Emerson jumped in, perhaps wishing to dispel the growing tension. “Is it true that the Huxley Grand Abu Dhabi is larger than Buckingham Palace?”

Graham nodded, a spark of appreciation in his eyes. “The Queen of England was once a guest in the suite where you’ll be staying.”

Great.And now, thanks to Emerson’s interest in the Huxley empire, Graham would likely be interested in her too.

The thought was laughable. I hadn’t seen Graham date someone in years. Not since he was in college. So I had no idea what his type was or if he even had one. But I had a feeling that as much as he might appreciate Emerson’s protectiveness, loyalty, and interest in the Huxley Hotel empire, her energy would be overwhelming for someone as grumpy and brooding as him.

“Holy…wow.” Emerson said, bringing my attention back to the conversation.

“There are more than 6,000 square meters of 22-karat gold leaf,” Graham continued, always happy to talk about the Huxley empire he oversaw. “And the wallpaper is pure silk. Imported from India.”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful,” she said, her voice full of admiration. “And hopefully we won’t have any more issues with paparazzi posing as staff.”

A muscle twitched in Graham’s neck. “We better not. I’ve taken additional measures to prevent it.”

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