Franny sighed, grabbing my hand to lead me around the granite countertop toward Rosy’s door. “She’s not. Daddy and Hades always say she’s busy, but every time I go in there, she gives me candy.”
“That’s …” Hades wiped a hand over his face. “She shouldn’t be giving you sweets.”
And right before we could walk through the arched white door, it swung open. And there stood a tall, beautiful brunette with red lipstick and a black and white apron on. Her smile was measured as Franny ran to her side and hugged her waist. “Hello, Hades.” She didn’t even wait for him to answer before turning to give Archer a hug, and then she swung her gaze over to me. “And you must be Ms. Darling?”
“I am. Just got up and am not dressed at all for the day, though. If you see me in my pajamas, I’m just Mia.” I wasn’t sure if I should have shrunk under her assessment. The woman didn’t look like she’d just rolled out of bed like I had.
“Is that rule for all of us?” A voice rolled smoothly through the room, so deep and in control that Archer, Hades, and Ms. Rosy straightened right away.
I whipped around to find Jameson staring at my legs … or my pajamas. I wasn’t sure which. I thought I caught a hint of fire in his eye before it was gone as he blinked once to look up at me. “Getting started early, then?”
“Daddy!” Franny ran over to him excitedly. “We checked Mia’s room for bad guys. I can call you Mia now too since we’re not in school, right?”
I smiled at her and nodded.
She carried on talking to her father, “I cleared the perimeter while she talked with Grandma and met Malek.”
“Malek … my mother was in your room?” Jameson asked me as he casually scooped his daughter up. Somehow, a man in a business suit holding a little girl made my ovaries ache like they shouldn’t, especially when I saw tattoos on his wrist, like he wanted his dark side hidden but it crept out anyway.
“Franny wanted them to meet me, I guess.”
“Guess that’s what I get for taking a work call rather than seeing my mother out. Well, seems the tour is well on its way even earlier than we anticipated.” I didn’t know if he was chastising us for not keeping to the schedule, but he kept his expression unreadable.
Rosy must have felt the tension because she cut in, “Makes sense since Franny rises with the sun and had your mother all to herself while you made a call after breakfast. I’ll have pancakes ready for you in just a minute, and what would you like to drink?”
“Oh, I can help myself. I don’t eat much in the mornings.” I tried to be strict with my diet and didn’t want her going out of her way to learn it when I was more than used to waiting on myself.
“Rosy cooks for all of us, and a hearty breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” Jameson said as he walked over to a table and pulled a chair out, lifting a brow as if he expected me to take his cues. Arguing with my boss shouldn’t have been on my agenda, but I found myself staying right where I was as I turned to Archer.
“Do you eat what Rosy cooks, Archer?”
He smirked at me and rubbed his jaw before answering. “I eat at home, Darling.”
“Oh, well, I’m sure you make your own food there. I can cook for myself here too.” I winked at Rosy, who took it upon herself to smile before she ushered Franny into her hidden kitchen for what I’m sure was another treat. Hades followed with a frown on his face.
“What cupboard are the cups in?” My question was mostly directed at Archer. I trusted that he’d answer me even if Jameson wouldn’t. He pointed to the cupboard next to him, but when I opened it, I saw most of the shelves had wineglasses and cocktail glasses. The only logical cup I would have wanted to drink from was high up on a shelf I could barely reach.
I stretched and even went up on my tiptoes for the closest glass, but thankfully Archer was close enough to grab it for me.
His suit was a breath away from brushing against me before I heard his name rumble out low from across the room. “Archer, go check to see if Rosy has given Hades and Franny more sugar than the daily limit. I’ll need a minute to discuss the schedule with Ms. Darling.”
Archer stepped back without handing me the cup but murmured, “Good luck” before he did.
Rosy’s kitchen door swung closed behind him, leaving me alone with Jameson. His gaze burned into my back. I could feel how it singed each part of my body. And then I heard his footsteps, slow and casual, as if he had nothing else to do with hisday. Shouldn’t he have been at work rather than dressed in a suit at seven fifteen stalking his nanny?
I wouldn’t turn around, because it felt like that’s what he wanted, felt like he was willing me to focus on him when he wasn’t the focus of my job at all. Instead, I reached up for the glass again and stretched as far as I could, my shirt rising up enough that when his suit brushed against my back and when he reached past me to grab it effortlessly, I felt the material against my bare skin.
“All the drinking glassware is in Rosy’s kitchen because she enjoys serving everyone. She takes pride in her job. As I’m sure you do too.”
He held the glass in front of my face, not backing up at all, but rather caging me in and waiting for me to respond. He smelled of sandalwood and leather and luxury all wrapped into one perfect specimen.
I breathed him in before I murmured, “Thanks.” Grabbing the cup with my eyes shut, not wanting to turn around and face him while he was this close, I tried for a quietthank youbut the words that bubbled out instead were, “But I can reach my own cups in the future.”
“Really?” His breath was near my ear, so close I could feel it on my cheek. “Because you were about to let Archer grab it for you without a problem.”
“Yes, well, Archer and I are friendly.”
Jameson’s hand came down hard on the counter, so loud and abrupt that I jumped, but his other large hand immediately drifted over my midsection as if to soothe my concern. “Define friendly, Mia.”
