Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
“Addison Parker?”
“That’s me.” I take his offered hand, and he helps me out.
“I’m Errol Hubbort. I run the McRae home.” Home is putting it lightly. This is more than a home. It’s massive.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Trust me. The pleasure is all ours. Come.” He tries to hurry me inside.
I grab my bag. “Can you wait for me?” I ask the driver, just in case I need to get the heck outta here.
“Not necessary.” Errol closes the car door. “We have a driver here. Ben can take you anywhere you need to go,” he adds. I eye him. Not that it matters now. My car is already pulling away. “We need you.” His shoulders drop. The older man's expression almost makes me want to laugh. Errol does seem harmless. To be honest, he looks desperate for my help. I may be being naïve, but I get a good vibe from him.
“All right,” I agree.
“Thank God.” He lets out a breath.
“Is it that bad?” Maybe I should be worried. Have children overrun the house?
“You have three men trying to take care of a baby. It’s not going great.” I snort a laugh.
“Only the one?” I really have no details on this family.
“If that woman shows up with another—” Errol scoffs, shaking his head.
“The mother?”
“If you can call her that.” He opens one of the double doors, motioning for me to enter. The place is as lovely on the inside as the outside.
“So she’s not in the picture?”
“I’m sure she’ll pop up if she needs some money.”
"Oh my goodness, did she just abandon her baby?" My heart breaks for the baby. I know what that's like. Hopefully, though, the dad will step up beyond only hiring a nanny.
“Like it was last season's Birkin.” I didn’t know that a Birkin could go out of season. Not for how much they cost.
I run my hands down the lavender blouse that I got from Kohl’s, making sure it doesn't have any wrinkles. The mother of the baby would probably die if she saw my Kate Spade bag that I found in a thrift store. I thought I hit the jackpot when I laid eyes on it.
I follow Errol down a wide hallway. There are beautiful paintings hanging all along it. I fight the urge not to touch them, wanting to check to make sure it’s secure for a toddler with wandering hands. This place will need a few changes.
“Oh.” My ears perk up when I hear a cry.
“She’s this way.” Errol and I move swiftly toward another pair of double doors, but this time, they are open. A man in a suit stands with his broad back to us in front of a larger desk. Even from behind, I can tell his suit is expensive. The crying has stopped, but I can hear the baby still fussing.
“Sir?” I assume the man is Carr. He turns to face us, tenderly cradling a baby in his arms. That's a positive sign.
My breath catches at the sight of him. Holy crap. The dad is good-looking. That’s actually an understatement; he’s freaking hot. It doesn’t help that he’s got a baby tucked snuggly to his chest. Or that his suit fits him like a damn glove. In his arms, that baby appears tiny.
“You’re the nanny?” he asks. I’m not sure if I should be offended by the question. Is it because I appear out of place here?
“The one you needed at the last second.” As the baby girl begins to fuss more intensely in his arms, I move closer to him.
“I fed her and changed her. I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“Did you burp her?” He lets me take her from his arms.
“Yes, I’ve tried but nothing.” I place her over my shoulder, gently massage the center of her back, and then begin a firm, up-and-down pat. She lets out a giant burp. I smile while Carr’s eyes go wide.
“Excuse you,” Erroll replies dryly, but I can tell he's teasing.
“You’re hired,” Carr says. “You’ll move in today. Call Ben. We'll send someone to get her things.”
Well, isn’t he bossy? Why is that kind of hot when it should be really annoying?
“I never agreed to take the job.”
“That so?” Carr stands up a bit straighter.
“Do you always get what you want, Mr. McRae?”
“Yes,” he says without hesitation. It doesn’t come out cocky.
“Then parenthood is going to be rather challenging for you.”
“I’m adept at making deals. It’s what I do.”
I have a feeling he can do a lot more than that.
Chapter Five
CARR
She’s too pretty. That’s my first thought. My second thought, immediately chasing after the first one, is I can’t screw this up. I shut down the first thought and all my screaming Neanderthal instincts to club her over the head and drag her to my man cave and head for my checkbook.