Prince Daddy & the Nanny by Brenda Harlen Read Free Book Online

who had banished her from the music room earlier.
    â€œIs there something wrong with your fish?”
    Hannah was so caught up in her introspection that it took her a moment to realize that the prince had actually deigned to speak to her. She looked down at her plate now, startled to notice that her meal had barely been touched.
    â€œOh. No.” She picked up her fork, speared a chunk of red snapper. “It’s wonderful.”
    â€œAre you not hungry?”
    She was hungry. The muffin and coffee that had been her breakfast en route were little more than a distant memory, and the meal the housekeeper had prepared was scrumptious. But not nearly as scrumptious as the man seated across from her—
    She felt her cheeks flush in response to the errant thought. “I’m a little nervous,” she finally admitted.
    â€œAbout seafood?”
    The teasing note in his voice surprised her, and the corners of her mouth automatically tilted in response to his question. “No. About being here…with you.”
    â€œWith me,” he echoed, his brows drawing together. “Why?”
    â€œBecause you’re a prince,” she admitted. “And I’m not accustomed to dining with royalty.”
    â€œI’m a princess,” Riley interjected, lest anyone forget her presence at the table.
    â€œIt’s only a title,” her father told both of them.
    â€œThat’s easy to say when you’re the one with the title,” Hannah noted.
    â€œMaybe,” he agreed. “But the matter of anyone’s birthright seems a strange reason to miss out on a delicious meal.”
    She scooped up a forkful of vegetables, dutifully slid it between her lips. “You’re right—and it is delicious.”
    She managed to eat a few more bites before she noticed the princess was yawning. “Someone looks like she’s ready for a nap,” she noted.
    â€œI don’t nap,” Riley informed her primly. “I have quiet time.”
    â€œRight, I saw that on the schedule,” Hannah recalled, noting that Brigitte had indicated “nap” in parentheses.
    And then, as if on schedule, the little girl yawned again.
    â€œI think you’re ready for that quiet time,” the prince said, glancing at his watch.
    His daughter shook her head. “I want ice cream.”
    He hesitated.
    â€œPlease, Daddy.” She looked up at him with her big brown eyes.
    â€œActually, Caridad said something about crème caramel for dessert tonight,” he said, attempting to put off her request.
    â€œI want ice cream now,” Riley insisted.
    â€œOne scoop or two?” Caridad asked, clearing the luncheon plates from the table.
    â€œTwo,” the princess said enthusiastically. “With chocolate sauce and cherries.”
    The housekeeper brought out the little girl’s dessert, but as eagerly as the child dug in to her sundae, Hannah didn’t believe she would finish it. Sure enough, Riley’s enthusiasm began to wane about halfway through, but she surprised Hannah by continuing to move her spoon from the bowl to her mouth until it was all gone.
    â€œCould I please have some more?” Riley asked when Caridad came back out to the terrace, looking up at the housekeeper with the same big eyes and sweet smile that she’d used so effectively on her father.
    â€œYou can have more after dinner,” the housekeeper promised.
    The upward curve of Riley’s lips immediately turned down. “But I’m still hungry.”
    â€œIf you were really still hungry, you should have askedfor some more chicken, not more ice cream,” the prince told his daughter.
    â€œI didn’t want more chicken,” she said with infallible logic.
    Hannah pushed away from the table. “Come on, Riley. Let’s go get you washed up.”
    â€œI’m not a baby—I don’t need help washing up.”
    It seemed to Hannah that the young