LITMIR.BIZ

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you okay?” she asked before she could stop herself.

      “Fine,” he bit off. “You don’t look more than twenty-one.”

      With a smile, she shrugged. “It’s hereditary and I’ll take that as a compliment.”

      His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. “It wasn’t meant to be one.”

      Crossing her arms, Darcy glanced down just as Iris gripped Darcy’s jeans and pulled herself up. The little girl with bouncy dark curls started toward the other side of the living area, which was immaculate.

      Where were the toys? The random blanket or sippy cup? Other than that stuffed lamb, there were no signs a child even lived here. Even if they had moved in just a few days ago, wouldn’t the place be littered with baby items?

      Beyond that, from what she could see, the house was perfectly furnished, complete with fresh flowers on the entryway table and the large kitchen island she could see across the open floor plan.

      “Perhaps you have an older, more experienced worker?”

      The man was testing her patience. Withholding a sigh, Darcy focused her attention back on the sexy, albeit frustrating, guy. “I’m the only one available for the job at this time.”

      Not a lie. She was the only one—period. Just last month she’d had to lay off her final employee. Letting her grandmother’s staff go had been heartbreaking, but the money simply hadn’t been there after several of her clients had changed agencies. They had been like family and had all worked so well together. Fortunately, everyone understood Darcy’s predicament and Darcy happily gave each of them glowing recommendations for other jobs. Hopefully she’d be able to get Loving Hands back on its feet and slowly bring her workers back.

      “Listen,” she told him, steeling herself against any worry or doubt. She wasn’t going to borrow trouble yet. “I realize I look young. I understand how you only want the best for your daughter. However, everything I do will be monitored by you since I’d be staying here. You see something you don’t like or you believe her care is not up to par, let me know. That’s what the trial period is for.”

      Colin glanced from her to Iris, who was now smacking her hands on the coffee table as if playing the drums. Darcy wasn’t about to give him a chance to answer, because she might not like the one he gave.

      “I’m here now and from the dark circles under your eyes, you need to rest.” Darcy smiled, hoping he was not going to put up a fight. “I can take over while you take some time for yourself.”

      She waited a beat, her heart pounding. Would he send her away simply because she wasn’t an old lady wearing an apron and sensible shoes?

      Colin rubbed his eyes then raked a hand over his face, the stubble on his jaw bristling beneath his palm. Why was that sound so...erotic? His eyes settled on her again and she refused to look away, refused to step back or show any fear. This was her livelihood, her only option of getting out of the depths of hell she’d fallen into. Though being thrust into a lifestyle she’d dreamed about for years, a lifestyle that was completely impossible for her to have, was a whole other layer of hell.

      When the silence stretched between them, hovering in the air like an unwelcome guest, Darcy was convinced he was going to show her the door. After what seemed like forever, Colin nodded.

      “I’ll give you today to prove yourself.”

       Two

      Never before had he allowed someone to steamroll him into going against his instincts. Yet a determined woman with enough killer curves to fuel any man’s fantasy for every lonely night had done just that.

      Perhaps it had been her sensual body that had him caving and ignoring common sense. But Darcy had something else he admired—tenacity. She wasn’t giving in and she made very valid points as to why he should keep her around.

      Such as the fact that he would be monitoring her every move while she was here. Perfect, just what he needed. Watching her every move might very well be his undoing. He’d wanted to figure out who he was as a man while he was here in LA, but this unexpected lust was an angle he hadn’t considered.

      Colin clasped his hands behind his head and continued staring up at the vaulted ceiling in his master suite. Sunlight spilled in through the sliver of an opening in his blackout blinds. He hadn’t even bothered getting beneath his navy duvet because he knew his mind simply wouldn’t shut down, and getting too comfortable didn’t really matter. Napping in the middle of the day really wasn’t something he did, but he was exhausted.

      Rest wouldn’t be his friend for some time, he feared. He’d needed a nanny fast. Based on previous families his assistants had interviewed, Darcy was the best option. Unfortunately he hadn’t had time to do a full background check on individual people, so he’d just placed a quick call to one of his assistants. Hopefully more information would come back within a few hours, but his gut said he could trust her.

      When he told her she’d gotten the job, at least provisionally, she’d returned carrying one tattered old duffel bag. Didn’t women have two bags just for makeup alone and another two for shoes? How the hell did she fit everything into one bag that looked as if it would fall apart if accidentally bumped the wrong way or dropped too hard onto the floor?

      Before he’d come up to his room, Colin had offered to help her inside with her things, but she’d dismissed him. When she came in with so little, he’d assumed she had more in the car. She assured him she had it all under control and she only had the one bag. There was a story there, and if she was staying around he’d get to the bottom of it. Money was apparently an issue, so he’d be interested what her background check showed.

      The cell on his nightstand vibrated. Glancing over he saw his brother’s name lighting up the screen. Not what he needed right now.

      With a grunt, he rolled to his side and reached for the device. “Yeah,” he answered.

      “I assume by your chipper greeting you’re still on the nanny hunt and not resting?”

      “I may have found someone,” he replied, not adding that this someone would most likely keep him awake at night.

      Stefan laughed. “As usual you’re not going into details. Fine. I figured you’d have given up by now and be ready to return home.”

      “I’ve only been gone a few days. I think you know I wouldn’t give up on anything that soon.”

      Returning home only meant going back to the life of status he’d never wanted, raising his daughter in a setting that would consume her and stifle her growth. As the current duchess, she’d be in the spotlight at all times. He remembered how irritated he’d been growing up when he couldn’t just go out and spend a day at the beach. He’d always been escorted by bodyguards, which seriously put a damper on his teen years and his ability to sneak out to have some alone time with friends—not that he didn’t invent some pretty creative ways to lose the guards.

      His parents had been wonderful, but still they’d had duties to fulfill, which often kept them away for weeks at a time. Then his mother had passed away from a tragic car accident and his father had been even busier, pouring himself into work and serving the people of the island in an attempt to fill the void.

      Colin wanted to be there fully for his daughter. He wanted to form a bond that was so strong she would know just how much he loved her and that he would always put her needs first. Even before the crown. Which reminded him, his brother was still on the phone.

      “I know you’ve never wanted this title,” Stefan continued. “You do realize that no matter where you live, you’re still a prince, but if I die and you’ve renounced the title, our cousin will assume the position? He’s the last person Galini Isle deserves.”

      Why couldn’t he just have a simple life? A life without the worry of an entire country on his shoulders? A small country, but still.

      Again,

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