Billionaire Needs Nanny Read online

  Billionaire Needs Nanny

  River Laurent

  Billionaire Needs Nanny

  Copyright © 2019 by River Laurent

  The right of River Laurent to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the copyright, designs and patent act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious, any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  978-1-911608-37-0

  Contents

  Blurb

  Acknowledgments

  1. Hannah

  2. Hannah

  3. Hannah

  4. Christian

  5. Hannah

  6. Hannah

  7. Hannah

  8. Hannah

  9. Christian

  10. Hannah

  11. Hannah

  12. Hannah

  13. Hannah

  14. Christian

  15. Hannah

  16. Hannah

  17. Hannah

  18. Hannah

  19. Hannah

  20. Christian

  21. Hannah

  22. Hannah

  23. Christian

  24. Christian

  25. Hannah

  26. Hannah

  27. Christian

  28. Hannah

  29. Hannah

  30. Hannah

  31. Hannah

  32. Christian

  33. Hannah

  34. Christian

  35. Hannah

  36. Hannah

  About the Author

  Also by River

  Blurb

  I’m a nanny and I’m telling you now, some jobs are just created in hell!

  Your boss is so hot, your panties combust and burn your skin. You put the fire out by avoiding his peacock green eyes and those sensuous lips. The way his tongue came out to caress that forbidden bottom lip… Oh, God. You scold yourself for those impure thoughts and promise you will not take a bite of that forbidden apple.

  Then you meet his daughter and she takes an instant dislike to you. It’s okay, you tell yourself. You’ve always liked a challenge. Anyway, you’re a child whisperer, and there isn’t a child in the world you cannot tame.

  But then you meet the ex-wife…

  Like I said, some jobs are created in hell.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank You

  Leanore Elliott

  Brittany Urbaniak

  Kristin Moran

  Chapter One

  Hannah

  I adjusted the skirt that stopped at my knees and made sure my button-down top wasn't showing too much cleavage. I knew I was fiddling with my outfit because my stomach was in knots. I pushed back my stray honey-blonde hair and tucked it behind my ear. Why did every job interview make me so unnecessarily nervous? I’d done them a good hundred times by now, but that didn’t matter. Each new one was the same—a jittery mixture of excitement and fear in the pit of my stomach.

  Why, I don’t know…. I was good at what I did.

  Hell, I started off as a babysitter when I was eleven years old, and as I grew older, I just kept on doing it because I loved kids so much. I was a natural when it came to understanding and handling them. I was like one of those horse whisperers, only I was doing it to children. There wasn’t a child yet, I hadn’t managed to befriend or love.

  Maybe I was extra nervous with this one because my employer would be Christian West. He was one of the richest men in California, a billionaire. And he was paying well above the going rate. Working for him would mean I’d be financially stable for a few years, and I could really use all the stability I could get after taking on a mortgage on the little apartment I lived in.

  I locked my cozy home, walked down two flights of stairs, and out into the glorious morning sunshine. Slipping into Betsy, my trusty old Mini, I gave her a little pep talk about making it without any stops to my destination. Betsy was old, you see, and couldn’t make long drives anymore. My father gave her to me when I first learned to drive. I still remember that day. Dad had tied a massive pink ribbon around her. She was a secondhand car and there were a few scratches on her even then, but I was so happy I started crying.

  Christian West’s house was about an-hour out of town, but I was sure she could make it. I turned the key and she spluttered to life.

  “Good girl,” I whispered.

  It was Sunday and the streets were mostly quiet. Like the trooper she was, Betsy made it to the most impressive set of black gates I’d ever seen. Someone must have been watching for my arrival because the gates swung open, and I drove through. After parking in the circular driveway, I stepped out of my car and glanced around at the impeccable landscaping. Wow, how wonderful to live in such utterly beautiful surroundings. I mean I loved my little home, but this… Wow! It was truly something else.

  I adjusted my hair in the rearview mirror quickly and once I was sure there wasn't a strand out of place, I snagged my resume, straightened my spine, and got out. Taking a deep breath of fresh morning air I began to walk up to the big double doors. It was so peaceful and quiet my heels were loud on the driveway, filling the still air with a noise that felt foreign to it.

  "Okay Hannah, you can do this."

  The house was huge and dramatic. White stucco walls bordered with dark green perfectly manicured greenery made the three-story high structure look sleek and modern. Everything was done with such perfect detail and precision that I knew without a doubt it would be just as immaculate on the inside. I was pretty certain the owner of this piece of real estate was high on the OCD scale.

  But I could deal with OCD.

  I raised my hand towards the doorbell and suddenly felt paralyzed with fear. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. You can do this Hannah. You’re good at this remember? I took another deep, calming breath. He’s not an ogre. Just a man who needs help with his daughter. I exhaled. When I felt like I had my nervousness under control, I pressed the bell and waited. Shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I tried to think positive thoughts.

  The door swung open and a man appeared.

  I sucked in a breath of sheer amazement. Oh, my God! He was gorgeous. Far, far more gorgeous than any photo I had seen on the net. And he was tall. Very tall. I wasn't a short person at all, but he made my five foot eight look like nothing in comparison. I knew he had to be at least six foot four, maybe even five. I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t. I just never expected him to answer his own door. It completely took me by surprise. I was expecting a housekeeper, or butler, or whoever rich people hire to answer their doors. I gaped at him like a demented goldfish.

  He had shimmering emerald green eyes. They burrowed into mine. "Hannah Gray?"

  I shook myself awake. "Yes," I said in a weird voice. I never realized I could sound that squeaky. I swallowed the frog in my throat, and hurriedly shoved my hand out toward him. "Yes, yes, that’s me, Hannah Gray. You must be Mr. West. I'm here about the nanny position," I blabbered unnecessarily, since he obviously knew who I was.

  He took my hand and a shot of electricity ran up my fingers. My eyes widened as I fought the instinctive impulse to pull my hand away.

  Christian West’s lips pressed into a straight line, as he looked me up and down.

  Suddenly, I felt self-conscious about my outfit. I shouldn’t have worn this blouse. It made my breasts look even
bigger than they were, and this skirt was too fitting… I should have worn something longer. Something that wouldn’t have made his eyes grow frosty. I forced myself not to tug my skirt down under his disapproving gaze.

  "You're early," he said coldly, as he released my hand and stepped back.

  "I hope that's not a problem," I mumbled. “I was…umm…anticipating more traffic. I hope I’m not disturbing you. I can go away and come back in twenty minutes.”

  "It's fine. I just wasn't expecting you yet. Come inside."

  Chapter Two

  Hannah

  I stepped over the threshold and he closed the door behind us. The sound echoed down the hallway.

  “Follow me please,” he instructed distantly.

  I nodded and followed him meekly enough, but hell, was I all eyes or what? He was dressed in a blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It showed off muscled forearms. Not the kind body builders pumped up on steroids had, but the kind that woodsmen or fishermen had. Years and years of hard labor. In his case, I guess, training.

  The expertly cut shirt didn't hide how stupendously built he was. The dark slacks he wore fitted him perfectly and showed off his firm full ass. Firm full ass? What the hell was I thinking? Stop having inappropriate thoughts! This is probably going to be your boss, you nincompoop. Biting my lip, I quickly glanced back up and forced myself to glance around as we walked down the hall.

  As I expected, the whole place was professionally and tastefully decorated. It was like being inside a magazine spread. Very beautiful, but it seemed to miss that personal touch and warmth of a real home. My own place was cluttered with crap I'd brought back from vacations, photos with my family and my friends, and an assortment of random things I'd found in junk shops and fell in love with. It definitely wasn't as immaculate and beautiful as this house, but it was warm and inviting. And it was all mine… at least while I kept up the mortgage payments.

  We reached his office. The door was already open. He walked in and waved to a chair across his desk. As he went around it, I settled down into the insanely plush chair. Instead of sinking into it, I was careful to keep my back straight. On his desk was the first signs of a family. A photo of a little girl. I guessed that was his daughter.

  "Can I get you anything, Hannah?"

  The way he said my name made shivers run up my spine. I opened my mouth to answer, and his eyes flickered up and down my body again. I watched his tongue slip out and caress his bottom lip, and I could have sworn he was attracted to me too. The thought was enough to make me force my thighs together. "No, I'm okay," I said without stumbling over my words… too much.

  Mr. West nodded and pulled out a paper from a stack on his desk.

  I already knew it was the resume the agency had sent on my behalf. Enclosed was also a copy of the thorough background check I'd submitted to. It was very intrusive, but it came with the territory. You could never be too careful with who you allowed around your children. They were the most precious things you had.

  "I see you have a lot of experience," he said, looking over the sheet in his hands. "And your references are glowing.” He pierced me with a look. “Someone actually said you were a heaven send for her twins."

  I waved a hand modestly. "They were lovely kids, honestly. I never had much of an issue with them, and whenever I did, they were actually easy to calm down. I always got along with kids."

  "Uh… huh… what about difficult children? Have you taken care of any?"

  I nodded. "Of course. I've been taking care of kids since I was eleven years old, so it's almost impossible not to run across a problem child or two."

  He leaned forward in his chair and rubbed a hand over his dark, deliciously stubbly chin. "How do you handle it?"

  It was clear he had absolutely no idea how gorgeous he was when he did that. I cleared my throat. "I usually find some common ground with the child and go from there. Most of them just want to be heard, want extra attention, or have been a bit spoiled and need to have their limits laid out for them. When they see that someone understands them, then they go right back to being their amazing selves."

  Christian pursed his lips as he looked back at my resume. “Hmm…”

  I was caught between the uncomfortable feeling of wanting to climb over the desk and sit in his lap and the acute sensation he would rather not hire me even though he knew I would be great for the job.

  I wished I could just come out and ask what the problem was, but I didn't want to make it weird.

  He finally put the document down on his desk and glanced up at me. Once more, his eyes took me in like he was taking a mental picture of every inch of me.

  He was making it so hard for me to focus.

  "I would sometimes require you to work all week. I work till late at night and I need someone reliable for Annie in the evenings. Would that be a problem?”

  "I don't mind putting in the extra hours."

  “I might need you on some Saturdays as well."

  "I can do that," I chimed in quickly.

  “I live in the city for most of the week and only come back here on the weekends, which means you will be working most of the time at my place in the city. Are you all right with that arrangement?”

  “No problem.”

  I could tell he still wasn't completely sold on the idea of me as his daughter’s nanny, but I knew he was wrong. I would be great. Especially, if she was as difficult as he was trying not to show she was. It would be a challenge I would enjoy. Besides, the job had great pay and benefits. Not to mention the boss was so hot I could stare at him all day. What more could anyone ask for?

  Stop that!

  "Is there anything else I should know about the position?" I asked politely, so things wouldn't stall out.

  "My daughter means the world to me," he said slowly. He leaned back in his seat and seemed to grow a bit tenser. "Annie's had a… well… hard time lately, so she can be difficult sometimes. I want to make sure that won't be an issue for you."

  I shook my head. "Not at all. As I said before, I’ve worked with every range of child. From troubled to special needs. I don't have a problem with any of it. I have a lot of patience and some techniques to help keep them calm, distracted, or whatever it is that they need."

  "You seem very sure of yourself," he commented, as that big beautiful hand came up and rubbed at his square jaw again.

  I sat up a little taller. "I take pride in what I do. Taking care of kids gives me purpose and makes me happy. I’m good at it, Mr. West. I promise you won’t be disappointed if you hire me."

  His eyes seemed to pry into my very soul as he picked up the sheet with all of my info on it and tucked it into a folder.

  My heart sank. I knew he wasn't sold on me. I clutched my purse a little harder. I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I had practically pleaded for this job.

  Then he looked up at me with those incredible green eyes. They were clear. He had made a decision. "Call me Christian, and when can you start?"

  I stared at him in surprise. Was he really asking me to work for him? His expression was so guarded and cold. I still couldn't tell what he really thought about me, but hey, at least he was giving me a chance.

  I smiled at him. An unguarded, ecstatic smile.

  Then for a fraction of a second, he seemed to soften. Then that shroud of mystery fell right back into place. He put the file away in a drawer.

  I watched him lock it, then look at me with an expectant expression, before I realized I still hadn’t answered him. "Oh! I can start tomorrow. I have a clear schedule."

  "Good," he replied, as he pushed back and stood up. ""You can turn up at my apartment in the city. The address is on the last page of your contract, but before we finalize anything, or sign any paperwork you should meet Annie."

  I stood up and shouldered my purse. "I'd love to."

  “Have you had the chickenpox?”

  I smiled. “Yes, I had it as a child. Life-long immunity.”

/>   “Good. Annie is recovering from a bout of measles.”

  “Poor kid.”

  “Indeed.”

  We walked through the vast house without speaking, our shoes echoing in the silent hallways.

  Through an open door, I could see the kitchen was huge and spotless. When I glanced through large ceiling to floor windows, I spotted a huge pool in the backyard. It felt as if the house was expanding. The more we walked the more there was to see.

  It felt uncomfortable to me to be walking together without conversation, but it clearly suited him. I shot him a sidelong glance. I was so intensely aware of him, my skin throbbed. I had never felt this way about any man before.

  We climbed a grand marble staircase and walked down a corridor.

  Christian knocked on a door lightly before he opened it…

  I melted at the sight of the little girl. One day, she would be a heartbreaker, but at the moment she was just the cutest, most beautiful angel I ever saw. Actually, she looked a lot like him. Her raven hair pulled into a ponytail and her green eyes were big and round. She was utterly, completely and totally adorable and she knew it.

  His eyes had softened and he smiled as he looked at her. So much love and adoration poured from the stern man that I could feel it in the air. He crossed the room.