Page 8 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
She pulled it out and dropped it on the bed. Should she ask him what she should bring? Or should she pack a few different things and hope for the best? Option two sounded good. With her mind made up, she darted around the room, throwing stuff in until she got to the toiletries. Half a bottle of shampoo? It would have to do. Once she had everything together, she lugged it back into the living room.
He lifted his gaze and patted Ellie’s diaper bag sitting next to him. “I figured while you were packing, I’d get her stuff together.”
Wow. He’d just done it. No asking at all. “Thank you. I’ll need to stop on the way and pick up some more formula.” She crossed the small area and unzipped the bag. “Not that I don’t trust you; I just need to double-check.”
“I get it. Some weird guy packing stuff. It’s not like I’m Mary Poppins.” He stood and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve got three diapers left.”
He began to speak again, and she pointed her finger at him. “I know what you’re about to say, and I can buy them. You’ve already gone above and beyond.” She zipped the diaper bag up. “How do you know all this stuff about babies?”
“That’s how I made extra money when I was a kid. It started with me watching my two younger siblings and went from there.”
Well, that made sense. “I guess stock boy wasn’t your thing?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “No.” He picked up the car seat. “I guess we have everything. Are you ready?”
“Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe I should just stay home.” She couldn’t believe she’d agreed in the first place. That smolder must have had more power than she first thought.
His shoulders sagged, and the corners of his lips quirked down. “I really wish you would.” Puppy dog eyes? That was worse than a smolder. How could a man so sweet be so diabolical?
“Don’t you give me those sad eyes. That’s not fair.”
“What?”
She groaned and leveled her eyes at him. “Really?”
He shrugged, shooting her a half-smile. “I believe we’ve had this conversation already. A man has to do—”
“What a man has to do.” She finished his sentence. “Your mom and I are going to have a serious talk about your powers. Wielding them on unsuspecting people is wrong.”
A chuckle rumbled from his chest. “In all seriousness, my family will love you, and you won’t regret coming. I promise. Don’t second-guess yourself. You’re a great mom, and Ellie will be loved on to her heart’s content.”
Molly nodded. She did want that for Ellie. “Thank you. I guess we’ll come.”
His face lit up. “Sure. You ready?”
Nope. She sure wasn’t, but she suspected he’d cry if she backed out. Okay, maybe not cry, but one more puppy dog look, and no court on earth would hold her responsible for kissing him. It was going to be a long, long holiday season.
* * *
Two hours later,and they were just getting out of Dallas. They’d been caught in the rush hour traffic. Molly had quickly recanted her opposition to the car seat as vehicles zipped by, changing lanes like they were in a live version ofThe Fast and the Furious. She’d braced her hands on the dash several times because he’d slammed the brakes to avoid hitting someone more than once. It was harrowing, to say the least.
Now, out of the heart of the city, there was still traffic; it just wasn’t as crazy. “Is it just me, or was that really bad traffic today?” Molly asked.
He grunted a laugh. “It wasn’t just you.”
“And the car seat…maybe you were right,” she mumbled the last part of the sentence.
Cupping his ear with his hand, he said, “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Molly lightly smacked him on the arm. “You heard me.”
“Yes, but my ego needs you to speak a little louder.” He chuckled and lifted his chin to look in the rearview mirror. “I’m glad we got the rear-facing mirror. I like being able to check on Ellie.”
Going to the store with him was more like shopping with a five-year-old.Nowas not his favorite word at all. The man could pout like a pro. Along with formula and diapers, they got a host of things Ellie just had to have. A toy for her car seat, a couple of warm onesies, a hat—because her little ears would get cold—and the mirror. Oh, and a teddy bear. All little girls needed a teddy bear. Apparently, that was a rule Molly was unaware of.
“Thank you for the onesies and stuff. I just feel bad you keep spending money on us,” Molly said.
With a shrug, he said, “This is my love language, apparently. I mean, not that I love you or that…” He groaned and scratched the back of his neck. Josiah had to be the cutest man on the earth. The way the tips of his ears turned pink when he was embarrassed was adorable.
