Page 38 of The Billionaire and the Nanny

“It’s delicious,” I replied, bending to kiss her on the tip of her chocolaty nose. “My compliments to the chef.”

“You have to kiss Tia, too. It says so on her apron,” exclaimed Maddie. “Look!”

Sure enough, Tia’s apron said ‘Kiss the cook!’

She took it off hurriedly and threw it on the work table.

“Let’s slice up the brownies, honey,” she replied, without looking at me.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. I was going to fire the person who brought that stupid apron into my house. I didn’t even want to hear that word in conjunction with Tia anymore. Wasn’t it enough that these thoughts tortured me in my dreams? Did they also have to do it during the day and in front of my family?

Before I could steal a piece off the cooling rack, a horde of wildebeests invaded my kitchen. When the dust settled, I saw that it was just our two resident idiots, but they had already grabbed the tray of brownies and held it out of my reach.

“Put that tray down right now, you idiots,” I ordered, rolling up my sleeves.

I’d ram their fat heads into the oven if they tried to steal my brownies!

Luke snorted in derision and grabbed a huge piece off the tray. He took a big bite but howled in agony the next minute.

“It’s so fracking hot!” he squealed.

“Language,” I snapped, covering Maddie’s ears.

“It’s okay, Daddy. He didn’t say fuck. He doesn’t have to put a dollar in the swear jar,” she said sweetly.

I closed my eyes in despair. How was I going to keep my baby’s ears clean with these foul-mouthed morons in my house?

“Mmmmm! These are the best brownies I’ve ever eaten,” moaned Marcus.

My eyes flew open at the mention of brownies. In plural. How many pieces had the greedy bastards eaten already?

“Step away from the tray before you lose that hand,” I snarled, and Luke pulled his hand away hastily as I grabbed the biggest piece.

Maddie and Tia were giggling helplessly, and Aunt Fee came in clucking in disapproval.

“Can the three of you stop behaving like cavemen? Honestly, it’s as if you’ve never eaten brownies before,” she scolded. “The rest of these are for us girls. You boys can bake another batch if you want more. Come along, girls. I have a pitcher of cold milk in my room.”

Before we could stop her, she carried the tray out of the kitchen. Maddie trotted after her obediently, and the two stooges raced after them arguing all the way to Aunt Fee’s room. Meanwhile, Tia began to clean up the mess they had made.

“Don’t you want to get yours before they eat up the last crumb?” I asked.

She shook her head with a smile.

“I don’t think I should be eating brownies. I’m on a diet,” she explained when I shot her a quizzical look.

“Why? Do you have an eating disorder?” I demanded.

Tia scowled at me.

“No! I have a can’t-stop-eating disorder,” she replied sarcastically. “That’s why I’m getting fat. My new clothes are already getting tighter.”

“So buy some new ones. And stop calling yourself fat!”

“Or what?” she snapped.

Then her eyes darkened as she remembered. And so did I.

She had said something similar about herself the night I brought her here, and I’d warned her not to put herself down in my hearing. She had reacted the same way.

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