As she finished doing the dishes, he sat at the table with Audra and Ryder. The kids filled in math worksheets while he worked on his laptop. The only one who seemed unhappy with their guest was the cat. Tiny had disappeared after they arrived home. Most likely he was under a bed.
Blaise glanced from the computer to the kids’ worksheet. Concern filled his gaze.
Talk about adorable.
He must have noticed a mistake because he reached his hand toward Ryder’s paper before pulling it away.
Blaise bit his lip.
Poor guy, he didn’t know what to say or do.
He’d suffered enough through the dance class, soccer game, ice cream shop, and dinner. He’d even removed his shoes like the kids had when they arrived home.
The least she could do was help him out. “Did you both check your work?”
Audra nodded.
“Oops.” Ryder raised his pencil. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he erased something.
Blaise’s relief was palpable.
She faced the sink to keep from laughing.
After Hadley loaded the last plate into the dishwasher, she glanced at the microwave clock. “Okay, kids. It’s time to get ready for bed.”
Blaise perked up. “Does this mean it’s almost time?”
“To read a story?” she teased.
“Ha ha.”
Too bad she wasn’t joking, but he’d been better with the kids than she thought he would be. He hadn’t been silent after he sent Lex to a hotel to rest and wait for his call. Blaise had even eaten two servings of the crockpot turkey chili.
“You laugh now,” she joked. “But just you wait and see.”
He glanced at the time. “After story time?”
She nodded. “We can talk business.”
A brilliant smile crinkled the corners of his eyes and took her breath away. No man should look that hot. At least, finding him a wife wouldn’t be that difficult. He checked all the boxes.
? Gorgeous
? Nice
? Smart
? Rich
She never made the final decision about taking on a client until talking to the person and making sure what they wanted aligned with the service she provided. So far, though, she had no reason not to want to work with Blaise. And yes, spending the additional time with him was helping her feel that way.
The arrogance he’d displayed during their phone call wasn’t something new to her. That level of cockiness often went with the job title and net worth. Yet, she appreciated the way he’d toned it down in front of the kids. Well, other than at the soccer game about keeping score, but Audra had been too busy playing the game on her tablet to pay attention to what they were discussing.
He dressed well, but Hadley didn’t know if he chose his own clothes or hired someone to shop for him. Either way, the style worked for him. Some clients needed fashion makeovers before dating because a wardrobe needed more than shorts, sweats, jeans, graphic T-shirts, and hoodies.
“Finished,” Audra said.
“Me, too.” Ryder placed his pencil on the table. “You know what that means.”
