Urgent: One Nanny Required (Crimson Romance) by Olivia Logan Read Free Book Online Page A

hand. Far from the classy ladylike actions he was probably accustomed to, but it was safer than wondering what that look meant. If, in fact, it meant anything other than he thought his son’s new nanny was a messy Bessy.
    • • •
    “Belle, that man looks like you!” Theo squealed, his eyes staring at something behind her.
    “Theo!” Nick’s exclamation drowned out by Theo’s excited squeaks.
    Looking around at all the old and new Hollywood memorabilia, she glanced behind her at a close-up photo of a pair of good-looking guys holding Oscars. She narrowed her eyes at the figure on the right. The light had picked up on the caramel gold of his eyes, his high cheekbones and olive skin adding to his unusual attractiveness. He did look familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
    “It’s just the eyes, Theo. Lots of people probably have my eye color or something like it,” she said, smiling warmly at his disappointed expression that he hadn’t stumbled on some great discovery. She caught Nick’s gaze flicking back and forth between the picture and her face. Pulling a wide-eyed “What?” expression, she turned back to Theo who was now happily coloring in the place mat.
    “What were we talking about again? Oh yeah. It’s a bit different here from the UK though, isn’t it?” The casual question had her stomach dip again. He’d probably noticed her dragging behind on the walk, positively melting into the pavement, unused to the weather and the distance.
    “Different, but not necessarily a bad different. The weather, for sure. And the length of the blocks,” she admitted drily.
    “Yeah, those are killers,” he agreed, lifting his drink up to his lips. She stared fascinated as he drank, his Adams apple bobbing with each swallow; grateful for the distracting arrival of their food.
    They ate hungrily in silence. The food was amazing. It beat the heck out of her frozen Mexican dinners back home.
    “Dad, can I have some quarters? There are some arcade games over there.” She looked in the direction of Theo’s gaze at the three machines.
    “Sure, why not. You’ve got twenty minutes. Stay where I can see you,” Nick replied tossing some quarters over the table.
    Leaning back against the cracked red plastic booth, she eyed him across the table. He was staring at Theo, who had begun animatedly shooting zombies.
    “Thank you for bringing Theo to the studios,” he began, eyes now fixed firmly on her.
    “No problem. A trip to the studios is the tourist-y thing to do, right?”
    He leaned back, studying her. “Yeah, I guess it is. When you’ve been here so long, you stop thinking like a tourist,” he paused, his eyes serious. “But that’s not what I meant. Between work and school, I don’t get to spend a lot of time with Theo like this, despite giving studio passes to the other nannies.”
    “That’s easily explained. I’m not like the other nannies. Theo hasn’t run away once.” she said with pride.
    Smiling, he twirled the cup around in his hand, her gaze focusing on the movement of his wrist. Guilt at the mean thoughts she had toward him now gnawed away at her.
    “To be honest, I didn’t just bring him here to do the tourist thing,” she found herself admitting. “Theo missed you. You were only together one day before you had to go back to work.”
    “You think I don’t know that?” His voice stayed cool and even as he kept on staring at the half empty glass.
    “Look, Nick, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just felt like I should confess the real reason I bought Theo here.”
    He raised his eyes from the glass and arched a brow. “You felt the need to confess?” His lips tilted upwards as he seemed to find the idea funny.
    “Yes, and trust me, I don’t normally confess anything. I don’t have anything worth confessing, for that matter,” she finished hurriedly.
    This only proved to be a potential greater source of amusement for him and pushing the glass aside, he leaned forward,