Page 43 of Nanny for the Bossy Billionaire

“So, you mentioned you had a difficult childhood. What was that about?”

“Oh wow. I’m guessing the soft question portion of our outing is over.” She laughs, but the sound is humorless.

“I’m sorry. Did I overstep?”

“No, you didn’t. It’s just that there isn’t much to tell. I grew up wealthy and my parents had certain expectations of me. Very specific expectations. When I let them know I wasn’t interested in following the plan they set for my life, they basically disinherited me and kick me out of the house.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“So why are they still in your life? I mean, you went back home for Thanksgiving.”

She shrugs. “At the end of the day, they are still family. They are the only family I’ve got.”

“I can understand that. I don’t have any family. I was an only child and my parents died a couple of years ago. Neither of them had any siblings, so I am the only one left. I definitely get wanting to have your family in your life. It’s commendable. But, I also don’t think I would be capable of that after what they did to you.”

“You don’t know what you’re capable of until you’re confronted with the situation.”

“I guess you’re right…”

Althoughwe only planned to have breakfast together, Naomi and I end up spending the entire day together on the beach. We walk and talk endlessly. I worry that we will run out of things to talk about, but that never happens.

I’ve always known that Naomi is an interesting person, but spending the day with her is showing me just how phenomenal of a person she really is. She’s intelligent, funny, witty, wise, ambitious, kind, and so mature for her age.

She’s the kind of woman I could really fall in love with, and it’s scaring me to death. I’m falling for an employee who is half my age. In the back of my mind, my subconscious is telling me that this will never work; that there is too much going against us. But consciously, I’m hoping that’s wrong.

Naomi is too special of a woman to just let go. And us together makes a weird kind of sense.

I just hope we can make it make sense in the real world.

15

NAOMI

Maybe it’s the holiday season, or maybe it’s just Reid, but the past two weeks have been magical.

Reid and I have taken every opportunity to be together. It’s not only the sex, although that has been phenomenal. I don’t know if they give out awards for sex, but Reid should win one. That man knows how to play my body like a violin. I can’t get enough.

I thought that when I lost my virginity it would be an anti-climax, but that hasn’t been the case. Every time Reid walks into a room I practically vibrate with need.

Anyway, like I said, it’s not all about the sex. We spend time together, having deep conversations. Sometimes we just sit together for hours, no talking, and it doesn’t feel awkward at all.

Cooking to me is such an intimate affair. I only cook for myself really, and the people I care about. That now includes Reid. I’ve cooked for him a couple times. The first time was so nerve-wracking. It wasn’t anything elaborate; just some fresh homemade pasta in a creamy lobster sauce, but I was so concerned that he wouldn’t like it. I was wrong to worry because he practically licked his plate clean.

We’ve gone out a couple of times to dinner. It’s so cute because I can tell that every time we do, he’s trying to impress me. We’ve been to a couple Michelin starred restaurants, and although the food was amazing, I was just happy to be with Reid.

As amazing as everything has been, there’s still the complication of what brought me into his life in the first place. This new romance has been a good distraction from my goals. I let myself get carried away and forgot that the real reason I stayed was to get in with Chef Aranda.

It has occurred to me that I could ask Reid to reconsider introducing me now that we are in a good place, but I kind of don’t want to. It would feel like exploiting our relationships somehow, and I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to jeopardize what we are building.

Still, I have to find a way to get to Chef Aranda. Cooking is still my passion. Although I love caring for Ethan, it’s not my dream. It’s not what I gave up my family for.

It’s good having Reid in my life, but I can’t allow him to consume me. I can’t throw away my aspirations because of him.

After the holidays, I’m going to have to refocus.

Speaking of which, Christmas day this year was probably the best I’ve ever had because I spent it with Reid and Ethan. He sent away all the other staff and the three of us spent the day together in his home, which he had professionally decorated. There was fake snow and Christmas lights everywhere, a gigantic Christmas tree, wreaths, garlands, and mistletoe all throughout the house. It was a real winter wonderland in California, complete with the smell of pine and snow. I don’t know how the decorators managed to do that, but they did.

---