Page 42 of Bully Wolf's Nanny
It had been at that moment that she had started falling in love.
So to see him now, pacing in the bedroom that he had given her, his jaw tight and his eyes shining with some emotion she had no name for…
It unnerved her.
He stopped at last, his back to her, the hard lines of him silhouetted against the window. His breathing was heavy, his shoulders moving up and down with the force of each lungful. His fists were tight at his side.
“Francesca is staying” was all he said.
Daisy’s heart plummeted.
But it was okay. She had prepared for this. She had expected this.
“I understand,” she said, proud of how her voice remained steady. “Will my services still be required?”
He did turn to face her then, his jaw set, his eyes chips of steel. “What are you talking about?”
“My services,” she repeated, her nails biting into her palms, “now that Francesca is here to look after Gracie. Will my services still be required?”
“Daisy, that’s not…of course they still will be. Francesca doesn’t know Gracie, doesn’t know how to look after her. And I’m too busy, I’m right in the deep end at work.”
“So I’ll teach her,” Daisy said with a firm nod, “understood. I’ll make sure she knows everything she needs to know to look after your daughter.”
His throat bobbed. “Daisy, why are you speaking like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re some kind of robot.”
“I’m not speaking like I’m a robot. I’m speaking like your employee.”
“My employee?”
“Yes, Nicolas. Your employee. I am your employee. And now that Francesca is here, I suppose I’m her employee, too. And I want to reassure you that I will do my utmost to deliver a professional and excellent quality of service.”
He let out a harsh breath of air, arms folding across his chest, eyes narrowing. For a while, they didn’t speak, just looked at each other. It was as if his eyes were drilling into her very soul.
Eventually, she lost whatever battle of wills they were engaged in, and shifted on her feet. “Is there anything else?”
“Is there anything else?” he repeated, but not as a question. His voice was incredulous, calling her out, the weight of what had passed between them heavy on the air. Daisy pressed her lips together tight, tears pricking her eyes.
“I’m Gracie’s nanny, Nicolas,” she said, a cold chill running over her skin, “that’s why I’m here. That’s my job. And I want to do it well. That’s it.”
He regarded her for several long, agonizing moments, his muscles clenching, his mind whirring. She could see the battle he was fighting as plain as day on his face.
“Nothing has to change, Daisy,” he said at last. “I don’t want things to change.”
“But they have to,” she replied. “Gracie’s mother is here. That’s a good thing. For Gracie. We can’t lose sight of that.”
He looked away, his eyes slightly glazed, but nodded stiffly once.
“If that’s what you want.”
“It is,” she said.
Even though the only thing she wanted in that moment was for him to take her into his arms and kiss away all the fear. All the pain.
“Understood,” he said, and strode out the room, his arm brushing against hers as he passed. She fought not to lean into his heat.
