Page 1 of Nanny for the Cowboy

ONE

Clover

“This is entirely your fault. You completely derailed my original idea!”

Kyle’s voice echoes through the street outside the office as he screams at me. I flinch back slightly, praying that he calms down and I don’t have to call security on my own business partner.

“Kyle, this was a misunderstanding. I wasn’t trying to sabotage you or anything like that.”

I hold out my hands like I’m trying to appease a wild animal.

“It was a risky proposition for McCormick to begin with. We knew that going in. Not to mention that you didn’t even take my advice. You did the opposite, even though I warned you not to.”

As much as I don’t want Kyle to fly any more off the handle, I’m not taking the blame for his shitty decision. Jabbing his finger at me, I have to actually back up so that Kyle doesn’t poke me in the chest.

“That’s bullshit! You cost us—me—this client! The bulk of our revenue!” The growl in Kyle’s tone is completely unlike anything I’ve heard before, and my heart pounds in my chest. “My wife, Clover! You cost me my fucking wife!”

I shake my head. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Yeah, because it couldn’t get any worse, right? Barbara left me! That’s on you!”

“Barbara left? I…Kyle, I’m sorry, but you can’t possibly think that’s my fault.”

I can sense people watching the screaming match as they pass by on the sidewalk outside the building, curious gazes lingering on us.

“I won’t be collateral damage, Kyle!” He starts pacing in front of me. “I won’t go down into financial oblivion with you!”

Abruptly, the man who once begged me to be a part of his company faces me with a sneer plastered over his face. His brown eyes flare wide, almost…crazed.

“If you don’t fucking fix this,” Kyle points at me again, right up in my face, “I’m going to make your life a living hell. After what you did, you fucking owe me, Clover.”

“Excuse me,” someone on the street interrupts, “are you two alright?”

Kyle turns his wrath on the dark-haired woman, his finger now in her face. “This is none of your fucking business, bitch.”

He’s not paying attention, and I don’t know why, but the instinct to run the hell out of there hits me hard. I seize the opportunity and run around the corner.

My car is parked in the garage behind the building, and I fucking sprint to the thing, not giving a shit if it snaps the heels on my only pair of Louboutin shoes.

I trusted him. I…what the hell is happening?

Pressing the button on my keys repeatedly, I use the chirp coming from my car to find it and practically leap inside when I see the little Kia.

My heart is still screaming in my ears, and the panic crawling up my spine is enough to nauseate me. I’ve never seen Kyle act like that, and frightening is sugar-coating it.

Turning over the ignition, I grip the steering wheel and get the hell out of there as quickly as I can. I just want to be back in my apartment.

For two years, Kyle has been my business partner, and now he’s threatened me because of a sour exchange with a client.

One he is guilty of at that.

It’s clear Kyle is blaming me for his misfortune, but why? He’s never been so unhinged before.

“Just get back home. He’s just upset. It’ll be fine.”

There’s not a fiber in my being that believes what I just said. That was notfine. And the one thing I know to be true about Kyle, above all else, is that he’s ruthless about getting what he wants.

But what the hell am I supposed to do? Do I really think that Kyle’s going to come after me? Over some unfortunate business with a client?

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