“Hmm,” I say, pretending to consider this. “You know, I’ve heard that stomachaches often get better after a yummy breakfast and some fresh air. Let’s try that first, and if you still feel bad, we can talk about staying home.”
Nora sighs dramatically and sits up, her curls a wild tangle around her face. “Fine. But I’m not eating eggs. They’re gross.”
I smile, recognizing the small victory. “How about waffles instead?”
Her eyes light up, and I know I’ve found my leverage. Twenty minutes later, she’s dressed, her hair somewhat tamed, and she’s happily demolishing a plate of waffles in the kitchen while I pack her lunch.
At 8:55, we’re standing at the end of the driveway, waiting for the bus. Nora bounces on her toes, suddenly excited about school now that she’s fully awake and fed.
“Will you be here when I get back?” she asks, looking up at me with those big brown eyes.
“Of course,” I promise. “I’ll be waiting right here at three o’clock.”
The yellow school bus appears around the bend, and Nora adjusts her backpack straps. “Don’t forget!” she calls over her shoulder as she runs to meet it.
I watch until she’s safely aboard and the bus disappears from view, then head back to the house. The mansion is quiet now, all the brothers apparently gone for the day.
“Would you like breakfast?” the chef asks, rounding the dining room table to meet me.
“That would be nice. Thank you,” I say gratefully. This is a service that would be hard to get used to. I’m used to skipping breakfast or throwing a single slice of cheese on a piece of measly old bread.
I sit at the dining room table and unlock my phone. Seeing a text from Kieran- my heart jumps immediately at seeing his name.
“Did Nora make it onto the bus?”
“Yes. She ate breakfast and got on the bus, no problem.”
“How did you get her to eat breakfast without a fight? ”
“I’m not giving away all my nanny secrets. I’d be out of a job.”
“”
The simple laughing emoji shouldn’t make my stomach flutter, but it does. There’s something surprising about seeing the stern, serious Kieran using emojis.
It seems almost... endearing.
The chef sets a perfect omelet in front of me, along with a cup of fresh coffee. I’m just taking my first sip when the front door opens and closes. Footsteps echo across the marble entryway, and then Elias appears in the dining room doorway, still dressed in his suit from earlier, his amber eyes finding me immediately.
“Good morning, Francine,” he says, a small smile playing at his lips. “I see you’ve survived your first night in the wolf den.”
Ten
FRANCINE
I feelheat creeping into my cheeks as Elias stands in the doorway, as we make eye contact. He doesn’t look away, and my entire body warms under his gaze. His gaze is assessing as it travels over my face and down my chest.
He has a patient, calculated interest that somehow makes my heart beat faster, and I can’t help it.
“Good morning,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. “Yes, so far, I’ve managed to avoid being eaten.”
His lips curve into a smile as he shrugs off his expensive coat, revealing a perfectly tailored navy suit underneath. “Well, that needs to change, doesn’t it?”
My face heats, realizing what I’ve just said. Fuck my life. I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.
“No, I didn’t mean…”
“Your coffee, sir,” the chef says, appearing instantly and setting down a cup of black coffee in front of the chair next to mine. It happens so smoothly, so automatically, that I realize this must be Elias’s routine to coming home at this exact time for his morning coffee.
