4. Dante
Chapter 4
Dante
“ L isten, Ricardo. I’ve heard you out, and now it’s your turn. I will not, under any circumstances, add one of your paramour’s designs to my clothing line. Tell me you understand.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, jaw clenched to avoid snapping at my creative director. The man was brilliant at his job, but right now, he was testing my patience.
“I understand, Dante. Love you, but just consider it. Sven isn’t just a boy toy; he’s talented. I sent you his portfolio, so please, look for yourself. Gotta go. Toodles.”
The call ended, and though I was relieved it was over, his abrupt ending irritated me after he'd spent fifteen minutes pleading for something I wasn’t inclined to give. My temples throbbed; I rubbed them in small circles, silently willing the pain away. I didn’t have time for a headache.
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. My eyes fell shut briefly. There was never a moment of peace or quiet, never a down moment to simply relax. The bell sounded again, and I groaned.
“Dotty!” The housekeeper had been doing triple duty lately, and I knew I was asking too much, but the incessant doorbell was about to drive me mad.
Dotty didn’t answer, and when the bell rang for a third time, I shoved out of my office chair and marched to the front door, ready to unleash my frustration on whoever stood on my doorstep. I yanked the door open with such force it smacked against the frame and bounced back. “What in…what are you doing here?”
Familiar blue eyes and long, golden blond hair met mine. Her smile slowly faded into something akin to contempt but disappeared too quickly to be genuine.
“You’re Mr. Rush?”
My lips curled into a smile. “Here for your payday? Well, you can forget about that. No matter how you try to twist things so that the accident was my fault, no insurance company or court will make me give you one dime.” I glared at her, furious that last night’s fantasy of this woman with the smart mouth was the last I’d have, because I simply didn’t do gold diggers or money grabbers.
She nodded, her long hair bouncing slightly around her shoulders. “That’s a cool speech. Did you practice it in a mirror or something?”
My gaze narrowed. How was she able to get under my skin so effortlessly? And why was she still smiling? “Excuse me?”
“That speech, it was pretty good. Did you practice it?”
I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling even slower until every angry breath was gone before I opened my eyes. “What are you doing here?”
She sighed. “I’m trying to find out if you’re Dante Rush so that I’ll know if I’m in the right place.”
“You’re not here about the accident?”
Her face lit with annoyance, making her look like an adorable, angry mouse—the least frightening thing I could think of. “Are you, or are you not, Dante Rush?”
“I am.” I would play along with this charade, but only because I was curious where she would take it. “What can I do for you?”
She sighed, her smile growing more determined. “This is unfortunate, but I’m Lucy Lions, and I’m here to interview for the nanny placement.” Her tone was confident and even, gone was any trepidation.
I watched her closely for a long moment, taking stock of everything from her long blond hair that reached her elbows to her big blue eyes that were almost too big for her delicate face. She had a tiny button nose, lips that bordered on too full. Her soft, sun-kissed skin suggested she spent a lot of time under the Texas sun. I couldn’t help the direction my thoughts took when my gaze dropped lower, taking in the soft pink t-shirt she wore and the near painted-on jeans that showed off fewer curves than yesterday but still enough to make a man’s blood pressure skyrocket. Hot pink sneakers completed her look. It didn’t seem like she was trying to look sexy, but she had unfortunately achieved it all the same.
“You’re the nanny?”
She nodded slowly. “I am a nanny, yes. Whether I’m the nanny for your daughter remains to be seen.” There was a challenge in her gaze, in the tilt of her chin, as if she knew I was ready to send her away.
“Come in.” I stepped back, but she didn’t advance. “What now?”
“I’m just trying to figure you out. Is the nanny position still on the table as of right now?”
I appreciated her tough stance, her courage. But I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing that I was desperate for help. I couldn’t.
“Only one way to find out.” Indecision showed on her face before she stepped inside and handed me a copy of her resumé. “Tell me about Lena.”
I frowned. “I’m the one doing the interviewing, Ms. Lions.”
“So am I,” she shot back with a saucy smile. “We both get to decide if this arrangement will work for us. I can overlook your actions, provided I feel that I can provide your daughter with what she needs.”
“You can overlook my actions? The traffic incident, you mean?”
She shrugged. “Is there something else you did that I should know about?” Her lips twitched, and it was all I could do not to kick her out on her round, luscious ass. “So, Lena?”
I glanced at her resume and saw that she was qualified with a master’s degree in addition to years of experience, even a couple of years teaching kindergarten. She had innovative ideas for children with learning difficulties as well as gifted children.
“Impressive.”
“Right?” She laughed when I looked up at her, and I wondered if anything could wipe that smile off her face.
“Follow me.” I figured that inside my office, the desk would provide both a physical and figurative barrier between us, which would hopefully make it easier to conduct a professional interview.
“Of course,” she mumbled as she stepped inside the office.
“What?” My brows dipped into a frown at those two little words, so filled with derision. “You find something wrong with my office?”
“Not at all,” she answered with a smile. “I’m actually not at all surprised that this is what your office looks like. So, tell me about Lena.”
“Don’t corral me, Ms. Lions.”
She shrugged. “It’s a habit born from spending too much time with children.”
I sighed, refusing to touch that attempt to goad me. “Lena is great. She’s bright and bubbly, but she’s also headstrong and determined to be the boss of her life.”
Her smile was beautiful as she listened. “Pushing boundaries. It’s to be expected, but nothing behavioral, I presume?”
“No. Not even a fight over bedtime. Most nights.”
Lucy nodded. “Are there any particular subjects you want Lena to learn or skills to improve?”
“Good question. She’s a great reader, and I guess it’s too soon for math or science, so what I would like is for her nanny to let her help with tasks that will teach her practical things and encourage games that will do the same.” None of the other previous nannies had asked these types of questions, and I began to feel hopeful.
“Do you have a chef?”
My brows dipped. “Excuse me?”
Lucy smiled again. “I’m just wondering if there’s someone who might throw a fit if Lena and I were to make cookies or dinner. Cooking is an excellent way to teach basic math through counting and measuring, plus science.”
“Science? Really?”
“Baking is chemistry. Too much baking soda in cookies and you’ll have puffy, bitter cookies. Too much butter and they will spread too much and become globs instead of golden and crunchy. Science.”
Interesting. “Congratulations, Ms. Lions, you’re still in the running.” I stood from my seat, and she mimicked my moves.
“So are you, Mr. Rush.” She laughed when I froze and glared at her. “Put that scowl away, please; it doesn’t scare me. Are we off to meet Lena now?”
I nodded. “My scowl scares everybody,” I growled at her.
“I’m sure that at whatever high-powered job you hold, people tremble when they see you coming. To me, you’re just a dad.”
I frowned. Whatever high-powered job you hold. Did she not know who I was? Did I care? Not really. It was refreshing to be around a woman who spoke her mind and didn’t bend over backwards to please me. Even though I wouldn’t mind bending her over backwards. Enough!
“Lena, sweetheart, can you come into the sitting room, please?”
“Coming, Daddy!”
Lucy & Dante’s story continues here.