She narrows her eyes at me. “You’re not going to tell everyone, are you?” She huffs. “Damn it. I knew I should have parked somewhere outside of Smuggler’s Rest. But I was too tired after my shift to go driving around the island.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“But…”
“Why do you assume there’s a condition to my promise?”
She snorts. “Because I’ve known you most of my life, Zane Raider. You Raider brothers gossip worse than the ladies who work at city hall.”
“We don’t gossip.”
She rolls her eyes. “What do you call telling everyone on the island about your brother accidentally wiping his ass with poison ivy?”
“Hilarious.”
She giggles. “It was pretty funny watching Kai walk around with his jeans hanging off his ass.”
I pause a moment to enjoy how beautiful she is when she smiles. Sloane is always beautiful, but when she smiles, the entire room feels lighter.
“About this idea…”
She holds up her hand. “I don’t need handouts.”
“Good. Because I wasn’t planning on giving you any.” There goes my Plan B. I straighten my back and stick with Plan A. “How about you move in here?”
She barks out a laugh but sobers when she notices I’m not laughing. “You’re not joking?”
“No.”
Her brow furrows. “You want me to live with you? Mr. I Don’t Let Women Sleep After Sex Because It Gives Them The Wrong Idea?”
I bristle. I’m not ashamed of being a player, but she makes me feel as if I should be. “I don’t lead women on.”
“I never said you did.”
I open my mouth to argue – she implied otherwise – but arguing with Sloane won’t get me what I want.
“Let me clarify. You wouldn’t live here for free.”
Her eyes flare. “What exactly are you proposing?”
Her dark brown eyes sparkle with interest and I fist my hands before I reach for her. Off limits, I remind myself. Sloane Wilder is off limits.
She deserves flowers and chocolates and cuddles in the morning. Not a man who impregnated a woman he doesn’t even remember.
“You become my nanny.”
“I thought you were giving Adele back to her mom.”
That’s my plan. Or it was. I don’t know. Things are getting confusing. I don’t try to explain to Sloane, though. She already thinks I’m a jerk.
“I’ll have Adele with me for the foreseeable future.” There. It’s not a lie.
“I can’t be your full-time nanny. I already have a job.”
“You work in the evenings. I work during the day. You can watch Adele during the day while I’m at work.”
“I have to be at work before most offices close for the day to help with the after work crowd atRumrunner.”
