Though the bed had been comfortable, she hadn’t slept well, which showed in the dark smudges beneath her eyes.
In her reflection, Delaney didn’t see her sister Alyssa’s stubbornness or Brooklynn’s cheerfulness. There was no trace of Cici’s determination or Kenzie’s thirst for adventure.
None of her sisters’ admirable traits stared back at her. All Delaney saw was a woman nervous to walk downstairs and face her new employer. She and Charlotte were already friends, but Mr. Aylett was intimidating, exacting, and demanding. The day before, she’d watched him fire Charlotte’s former nanny on the spot.
Would one misstep cause her to suffer the same fate?
Certainly not for the same reason. Delaney was more watchful of the children in her care than that so-called caregiver had been. She understood what the slightest distraction could cost.
She was great with kids. It was adults she had a problem with, especially intimidating ones like her new employer.
She took a deep breath and blew it out, trying to blow her fear away with it. “You can do this.”
Her reflection smirked at her as she headed for the door.
A small, octagonal window at the end of the hall let in enough light for her to make her way to the staircase. The banister, floors, and molding all gleamed with the patina of age and dignity.
Mr. Aylett had given her a quick tour the night before. Charlotte had accompanied them, her quiet presence distracting—and worrying. Delaney needed to know more about her, but Mr. Aylett had seemed reluctant to say much in front of her.
After the tour, he’d told Delaney to meet him in the kitchen “first thing,” and then retreated to his office to work.
How was she supposed to know what time “first thing” was? Better early than late. He didn’t seem the type of man to sleep in.
She reached the foyer, flanked by a sitting room and an office, and headed down a wide center hallway lined with black-and-white photographs of people from past generations.
A dining room on her left boasted a long, heavy table with carved legs surrounded by twelve matching chairs. In the center of the table, a vase overflowed with blue and lavender silk hydrangeas. An empty crystal decanter and matching glasses stood on a side table against the far wall. She crossed to it and lifted one of the glasses to see the bottom. Sure enough, there was that distinctive mark…
“…did you think was going to happen?”
The angry tone had her spinning
Mr. Aylett was walking down the hallway but must’ve seen her out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, then backed up and stepped into the doorway. He wore only gym shorts and tennis shoes, a towel wrapped around his neck, his phone pressed to his ear.
The man had broad shoulders and defined muscles in his chest and abdomen. His hair was damp, his skin flushed and healthy.
He was beautiful. And eyeing her like he’d caught her casing the place.
He spoke into the phone. “I’m blocking your number. Stay away from me.” He ended the call and glared at Delaney. “What are you doing in here?”
His voice held the same angry intensity.
Hadn’t he told her the night before to make herself at home?
She set the glass down. “Just looking.” At least her voice didn’t shake. “These pieces are similar to…” Her words trailed at the flash of fury in his gaze. “Is something?—?”
“Similar to what?”
“My mother has glasses like these. I was looking to see if they were the same.”
“Those are antique Waterford passed down from my great-grandfather. They’re incredibly valuable.”
Annoyance pricked her skin, but she kept her tone even. “Unless they were custom made for the Aylett family, it’s possible they’re the same.” She nodded to the phone he held in a white-knuckled grip. “Everything okay?”
“It’s none of your business,” he snapped. Then took a breath. “Sorry. It was just a former colleague. She took me by surprise, and…” He shook his head. “Once again, I have to apologize for my rudeness. My mother would be appalled.”
His abrupt shift was jarring, but nothing like the sight of her employer without a shirt on. She tried to focus on his face, but her gaze kept flicking downward.
The crystal was pretty, but this man was a work of art. That thought had her cheeks burning.
