Page 21 of Fifth Avenue Fling

“Marcus obviously sees something in you…”

My pulse goes wild as I try to cover my nervous energy with a cough. I’m as much in the dark as Quinn on that one.

“And I trust his judgment.” Quinn sits and relaxes back into his seat, folding one leg over the other to rest on his knee. “You work five days a week, but you need to be flexible. I need my staff to be proactive, meticulous, and use their initiative. That includes my domestic staff. If I say you need to be somewhere at a certain time, you’ll be there ten minutes before. If I ask you to do something, I ask once.”

If he’s telling me this, does it mean I’m still in the running?

“Yes, sir!” I smooth my palms down on my skirt. I feel like I’m being recruited for the army.

“You’ll have your own living quarters, all-inclusive,” he drawls. “Food and expenses are paid for on top of your wages.”

I try not to react. Or pass out on his floor. That salary plus no bills… I’m going to be the richest nanny maid in the United States.

Quinn excels at unreadable expressions. With that poker face, it’s no wonder he owns casinos. His home security system showed me more emotion.

Me? I’m the opposite. I have a face that lets out all my secrets.

“You’re on probation.”

“Of course.” I nod breathlessly. I’ve done it. I’ve bloody got the job. “For how long?”

“For as long as I deem necessary.” He stands from the couch and moves to the large glass table near the window. After grabbing a large bound booklet and phone, he returns and hands them to me. “This is your instruction manual put together by my long-term help, Mrs. Dalton. You’ll find all your tasks listed here.”

I take the worryingly thick manual in my hands as he looms over me, hands in his pockets, watching my every move.

This is the second time I’m eye level with his dick.

“She’s very detailed,” I murmur,leafingthroughthepageswithoutreadingthem. I hate when people ask me to read something in front of them.

“A quality I expect from my team. Bear that in mind.”

“Yes, of course. Absolutely.” My lips curve into a tight smile. “I’ll digest this.”

“Tonight, please, since you start tomorrow morning.” His brow lifts. “Do you have a boyfriend? Girlfriend?”

I shake my head, blushing.

With his hands in his pockets, he strolls back to stand, staring out the window. “Anyone you date will be vetted. When you date, it will be outside this house. I don’t let men stay, even in the staff quarters. That’s a hard rule for my daughter’s sake.”

“Sure.” I can deal with celibacy if it means living in an Upper East Side townhouse. Living under the same roof as Killian Quinn is terrifying enough.

He turns to face me again. “I put a lot of trust in my staff, but if you violate that trust, my security staff will be here in minutes. Cameras are all over the property.”

“Everywhere?” I’m not taking a dump with Quinn’s security team watching. “Even the bathrooms?”

“No, not the bathrooms. Your living quarters are exempt, too.”

I glance anxiously around the room. “But I’ll be watched all the time?”

“No.” His lips quirk as he leans against the window ledge. It’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a smile. “That’s by exception. The security is as much for your benefit, Miss Kelly, as it is mine and Teagan’s. Every room in the house has a panic button. My team will show you how to invoke an emergency. You’ll also install an app on your phone to alert my team immediately if you’re in danger.”

“Panic buttons?” I echo, bewildered.

“I’m in the public eye. It comes with the territory,” he says dryly. “I want you to feel safe here.”

It’s the first bout of compassion I’ve felt from him.

“I’m not planning to do anything to violate your trust, Mr. Quinn.”

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