Page 8 of The Forbidden Sitter
“Yeah, Gannon likes his little slice of wilderness out here in the sticks.” It wasn’t really the sticks—just the HollywoodHills.
At the door, we were met by the butler, who introduced himself to me asAshe.
“Who in this day and age has a butler?” I hissed to Brad as we walked through a dizzying maze of rooms until we came upon one that had cartoon sounds coming out ofit.
He justshrugged.
Ashe gave me a smile. “Mr. Gannon is in there with his newson.”
With a nod, he left us to enter the room on our own. My brother pushed the door open. “Here she is,Gannon.”
The back of the man I might soon be working for was all I saw. Dark hair that was kept short and neat gave way as he turned, and the darkest blue eyes looked at me as he gotup.
“Brooke, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He came toward me, and a small boy with huge blue eyes and a tearstained face immediately jumped off the couch and scurried over to stand beside him, sliding a pudgy arm around the man’s long legs. It was obvious the poor little guy was bewildered at having lost his mother and gained a stranger for a father all in the same day, so he was terriblyanxious.
“Hello, Mr. Forester,” I greeted him, then smiled at the toddler. “Hithere.”
Thumb wedged firmly in his mouth, the boy attempted a small smile aroundit.
“Please, call me Gannon. And this is my … son,Braiden.”
“Hey there, Braiden.” Brad hunched over and stuck his hand out. “I’m your Uncle Brad. It’s nice to meet you.” My brother took the little boy’s hand and shook it, making the kid giggle before he pulled his handback.
His giggle was every bit as adorable as hewas.
His father chuckled in a way was anything but adorable. Deep and husky, it was sexy ashell.
I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. I didn’t think this way. I didn’t find older men attractive. So what was happeninghere?
Sure, Gannon Forester was tall. Like six-foot-three or something. Sure, he had broad shoulders and the rest of his torso tapered elegantly to a waist that wasn’t exactly narrow, but smaller than his wide chest. Long legs, covered in blue jeans that clung to some pretty great looking muscular thighs, made my gulp. The man was a masterpiece in a white t-shirt and faded blue jeans. And barefeet.
Even his feet aregorgeous.
It was then I realized I had looked the man over, all the way down to his naked feet. I quickly snapped back and pointed to the sectional the two had gotten off of. “Should we discuss the arrangement?” Someone had to take over this interview, and it might as well beme.
“Of course,” came the words from Gannon’s chiseled lips. Yes, even his lips looked as if they were cut from marble. His features were sharp, yet soft around his gorgeous eyes. Blue pools that were surrounded by thick, dark, lush lashes. Any girl would die to have those natural lashes. Lashes the little boy had, too, I noticed after another glance. The boy finally disengaged from Gannon’s leg and wandered back over to the couch, where he had a battered children’s book and a sippycup.
“You and your son are nearly identical,” I found myself saying. “He’ll be a real lady-killer one day.” Then I found Gannon’s eyes on mine. The slightest hint of a sexy smile was on his lips. I realized what’d I just said. Ahhh …crap…
I looked away, feeling shy as Gannon began my interview, “So the job pays whatever you want it to. You’ll have a bedroom that will adjoin the one I’ve had set up for Braiden. It’s right across the hallway frommine.”
My brother interrupted. “A bit close, don’t you think,Gannon?”
Those blue eyes raked across me as they swung to meet the lighter blue eyes of my brother. “It’s for the boy, Brad. I want him to feel safe. After all he’s been through, I want him to feel safe, secure, andloved.”
When my brother scoffed, I felt offended for the man immediately and came to his defense in a heated rush, “Brad! Don’t act that way. It doesn’t matter what he’s done personally, all these years. He’s a father now. He’s just thinking of his littleboy.”
“Sorry, sis.” Brad still looked suspicious, even as he apologized. “You’re right. Sorry,Gannon.”
Gannon chuckled lightly. “Wow. A real tigress you’ve got there, Brad. And one I’d love watching over my little boy.” His eyes fell on me once more. “Please tell me you’ll take the job. I’m being totally serious when I say you name the price and I’ll gladly pay it. I have no idea what the going rate is for sitters, but I want you to be the highest paid one in the history ofnannies.”
“I have to have Tuesday and Thursday mornings off until eleven,” I told him, in case Brad hadn’t. “I have class for one hour each of those days, and it’ll take me until then to get back out here. Will that be a problem?” I chewed my lip, nervously hoping that would not put me out of this once-in-a-lifetime jobopportunity.
“Not at all,” came his quick reply. “I’ll adjust my work schedule to go in a bit later on those days. Any other accommodations I need to know about? Oh, and you’ll have a car to use too. You can take it to school and anywhere else you want togo.”
“I have the car my brother just gave me a few days ago. I don’t need your car. And I don’t need a boatload of money either. Five hundred a week is fair, since you’re also providing room andboard.”
Gannon shook his head. “No. No way to only five hundred. I tell you what; how about a thousand a week and you let me pay off any student loans you have and pay for the rest of your college? It’s only fair to you. You’re going to school to learn how to take care of kids after all. I want to help you dothat.”
