“Well, that was easy,” Zaha chuckles. “You don’t want to mix all three? Drive me nuts? Build a Frankenstein?”
“No. I know what I want.” I’m not looking at Zaha anymore, and Mia blushes the deepest red. I’m tempted to change my mind and ask for curtains in that exact shade.
Zaha checks something on her tablet. “I can get everything delivered within forty-eight hours. If you can vacate your room for a night?—”
“I think I can scavenge for an extra bed somewhere in the house.” I glance at Mia again.
Her eyes go so wide they might pop out of their sockets. “Stop it,” she mouths, and the best I can do, rather than laugh out loud, is grin like a fool. She’s been torturing me all day, so let’s call this payback.
“Perfect. Then we can strip your room tomorrow, polish the floors, prime the walls, let everything dry and set. We’ll install the furniture and decor the next day. Sounds good?”
“Very. My daughter’s at school from eight to six. Can you work around that so it doesn’t disrupt her routine?”
“Of course. I’ve heard you did a number on your bathroom, so that might take an extra day or two. My team will access it, and we’ll do our best to stick to that window.”
I stand, not wanting to be rude, but desperate for some alone time with my nanny. “Zaha, you’ve been a dream. If Lily's on board, we might redo the whole house. And I promise, no death threats next time.”
She throws her head back and laughs—a loud and unexpected sound that startles both me and Mia.
“My job here is done. I’ll go check the upstairs bathroom before I head out. Need to call suppliers and go on a shopping spree next. My favorite part.”
“Sure. I’ll show you the way.”
After Zaha leaves, I spread the design printouts across the kitchen island. Mia bounces over, eyes lit up, hands clasped in front of her. “Okay, fine. I love it too.”
She sounds helium-high, joy straining her vocal cords. I chuckle at her excitement and press a hand at the small of her back, reeling her in. My pinky itches, aching to trace lower, just as a contractor passes us by with an, “Afternoon, sir,” reminding me we’re not alone.
Mia’s got the energy of the Energizer Bunny—she’srelentless, ridiculous, and somehow exactly what I need. I don’t say it out loud. She’d either not get the reference, and I’d go ten shades grayer, or she could mistake it for a joke. It isn’t. It’s a whole-hearted compliment.
Her spark is contagious. And it’s been a long time since anything caught.
We sit side by side on the kitchen stools, studying the 3D renderings of what my room will look like.
“Can you believe she can make all this happen in just a couple of days?” Mia mimes a head explosion and pulls another grin out of me.
“It’s just a fresh coat of paint and new furniture.” My pragmatism flares up.
“Still.” She flips to another page. “Are you sure you don’t want to change anything? You should have it your way. You’re the one paying for it.”
Oh, I know.My nanny is very high maintenance. I think she’s inherited bad habits, working for a billionaire. Everyone she’s hired has been both incredible and horrifically overpriced.
“I really liked this color.” I point to the dark forest green. “The wallpaper too, with those palm trees. And this bed.” The canopy one. I can already picture her tied up there. Splayed out. Begging.
“What else?” Her tone’s so invested I try to think of something else, something I can say out loud, but I’ve got nothing.
“I don’t know about the details. I just liked it.”
“Look closer. It’s your bedroom, Preston. This is supposed to be your new sanctuary.”
Mia rises and stands behind me. I feel her before I hearher—heat humming against my back. “Can you lower the stool so I can touch you? Let’s see if I’ve learned anything.”
I do, and her breath ghosts across my ear. I wonder if she can spot the goosebumps crawling up my arms.
Her hands land on my shoulders, firm from the start. What starts as a grunt finishes as a moan. She’s getting too good at this. I need to hold her to the full body massage I saw on her spreadsheet.
“I’m sorry. Your shirt is—Would you?—”
Gone. Out of the way. Can’t keep my cool when the question removes layers between us.
