Chapter 3
CHAPTER
THREE
CLAY
I stepped into Sunbreak Security’s offices with Maverick by my side.
Rafe rushed out to greet me and escorted me directly back to one of the conference rooms.
“Sloane’s just finishing up on a call, he’ll be in shortly but Monroe Hayes is waiting for you.”
I grunted. Of course, Sloane would leave me to meet with Monroe on my own.
The second I opened the conference room door, the woman inside startled.
She spun around so fast the office chair she'd been leaning against rolled into the wall behind her.
"Sorry," I said with what I hoped was a somewhat apologetic grin. "Didn't mean to scare you."
Her hand rested against her chest for half a second before she dropped it. "It's okay,” her voice steady despite the surprise.
Monroe looked at me, then at Maverick who instantly whined and ran to her like he’d just seen a long lost friend.
“Oh,” she laughed. “Aren’t you just the sweetest thing?”
Maverick jumped up, putting his paws on her shoulder and licking her face like he didn’t know better.
He never greeted strangers. He’d tolerate them, on occasion. Give them a sniff in approval. That was about it. This damn dog had clearly been spending too much time with Kaleigh if he thought the rules didn’t apply to him.
“Maverick, platz,” I commanded.
He immediately sat down but not without letting out a huff, letting me know he was clearly annoyed that I stopped him.
“Ooo. Who’s a good boy?” Monroe cooed and smothered Mav with attention.
While she was occupied, I took the time to study her.
She looked to be in her mid to late twenties.
Long strawberry blonde hair, pulled back in a pony tale that still hung over her shoulder. A few loose strands framed her face. The SBS t-shirt she was wearing was clearly too big. Rolled up at the sleeves and tucked into the waist of her fitted black pants.
She was barefoot, a pair of black heels laid on the floor next to her like she may have just kicked them off.
No jewelry except for a pair of simple gold stud earrings. No wedding ring…not that I was really looking.
Okay, that’s a complete lie. I most certainly was trying to figure out if she was married.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
Her eyes finally lifted to meet mine.
Green, like palm leaves with tiny golden flecks of sunlight peeking through.
And when she smiled at me again, something in my chest shifted.
Absolutely the fuck not.
She was too young and not my type.
Not that I had a type anymore.
What I had was a four-year-old who needed a nanny. A mortgage. A dog that shed enough fur to knit another dog. And a job waiting for me to get my shit together and get started.
The last thing I needed was to notice that Monroe Hayes had the kind of smile capable of making a grown man forget why he'd walked into the room.
Monroe wiped her hands on her pants, smearing Maverick’s fur across the fabric as she crossed the room.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Wilder.” She held out one hand. “I got a little distracted by Maverick. I’m sorry about my outfit too. Spilled a little coffee on my shirt, so Rafe gave me this one.” She pointed to the SBS shirt.
I shook her hand. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.” I cut my gaze to Mav. “He knows better. Not sure what got into him.”
Monroe smiled. “Aw, I think he was just trying to make friends.”
I huffed. Maverick didn’t need any new friends. Neither did I.
“It’s just Clay, by the way. None of this Mr. Wilder shit.”
She tiled her head back and laughed, the sweet sound felt like music to my ears. I vowed right then and there that I’d do everything I could to make her laugh again.
“Clay. Got it.”
Fuck. Hearing her say my name was even better.
There’s no way I was already a fucking goner.
Something in my gut told me that hiring Monroe was a terrible idea. Instead of telling her that Sloane made some kind of mistake and walking away, my dumbass pulled out a chair and sat down instead.
“So, Sloane tells me you’ve got an impressive childcare background.”
Monroe bit her bottom lip, nervously and sighed. Shit. I really hoped this wasn’t where things were about to go south. Sloane sounded so sure about this.
“Between me and you?” she asked, looking around like there might be someone else watching, or listening in.
Truth be told, there probably was. Or there was at least a device recording in the event information needed to be retrieved later.
Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I’m probably more qualified to babysit your daughter, than I am for the admin job. But, what I might lack in experience, I promise you, I can make up for it in tenacity and drive. I am a very fast learner too.”
That statement shouldn’t have affected me at all. But it did.
My cock twitched, reminding me that it had been awhile and even though I may be a full-time dad right now, I was not dead or blind. My attraction to Monroe? It was inconvenient as hell. And would need to remain completely off the table…and out of my bed for that matter.
I shifted in the chair. “Guess it’s a good thing that Sloane already hired you. I hope you signed your paperwork so he can’t change his mind,” I teased with a wink.
A wink?
Jesus Christ.
I didn't wink.
I glared.
Since when the hell did I wink?
And more importantly, where the fuck had all my common sense gone today?
Clearly I must have left it at the bottom of my coffee mug back home or something.
Monroe blushed. “Actually. I did. Sign paperwork, I mean. He said that you would give me the address to report to Monday morning at six a.m. sharp. Though he did warn me that you may actually require that I come by sooner to formally meet your little girl and all that jazz.”
My brows rose in shock. “Did he now?”
She nodded. “I was hoping that maybe she was coming with you. But, I can totally understand why you’d want to vet me first.”
It was official. I was going to kill my new boss before he even handed me my first assignment.