by Sky Winters
But she knew she didn’t have any time for that. She needed to get on this mess and get it sorted out.
“There you are!” said Kelsey, seated at the kitchen bar of the massive apartment she shared with Jeff. “You sleep okay?”
“Honestly,” said Jessie. “I have no idea how well I slept. I feel like I’m in a total daze.”
Kelsey got up and came over to Jessie, placing her hands on her shoulders.
“I know you’ve been through a lot. But like I said, you can stay here as long as you need. Jeff’s gone for the weekend, so it’s just me and you, okay?”
“Thanks,” said Jessie, “but I want to get out of your hair as fast as possible.”
“Jess,” she said. “Calm down, it hasn’t even been a day since your entire life has been turned upside down. Give yourself time to get your head together.”
“I know, I know,” Jessie said back, taking a seat at the kitchen bar next to where Kelsey had been seated. “It’s just that I don’t have a job, I have barely any money, and I’m living at my friend’s place. You’re great and I appreciate what you’re doing so much, but until I at least have a job, I’m stuck in place.”
Kelsey poured Jessie a tall mug of coffee and set it down on the counter in front of her. Jessie wrapped her hands around the mug, the warmth pleasant on her skin.
“Hmm,” said Kelsey. “You ever worked before?”
“Just serving jobs here and there when I moved to the city,” she said.
What Jessie wasn’t saying was that dragons didn’t work, unless they had positions at the top of their fields. They tended to have vast fortunes that had been passed down over the centuries, and by being a broke dragon shifter, Jessie was a real anomaly. Her time waiting tables would’ve earned her scorn and shock from her peers.
But Kelsey didn’t need to know any of that. The less she knew about Jessie’s shifter life, the better.
“You could always get another one of those jobs,” said Kelsey. “New York’s full of restaurants. And you’re a total babe, you could have a gig before the weekend is over if you want.”
Jessie smiled at the compliment.
“Thanks, but if I took a waiting gig it’d be weeks before I even started making money. And God knows how long before I had enough saved to get my own place.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” she said.
Then Kelsey’s eyes went wide.
“I know! Have you ever babysat before?”
“Yeah,” said Jessie, thinking back to the time as a youth when she watched the children of the LA shifter elite, back when her father and brother were still alive. “But it’s been a while.”
“That would be perfect,” she said. “There are tons of rich families in the city looking for live-in nannies. You could get hired by one of them and they’d have you move into their place. That’d solve your living situation problem, and you wouldn’t have to worry about rent – you could make a ton of money and save it all up!”
Jessie crinkled her forehead in thought. She had to admit, it was a good idea.
“Sounds great, but I have to find these rich families now.”
“Oh, I know where to look,” said Kelsey, plopping in front of the computer. “I have an account on this nanny website where people are always posting ads. You can just update it with your information and start looking around.”
“Perfect,” said Jessie.
“Here...,” said Kelsey, tapping away at the keyboard and bringing up the information. “You can use me and Jeff as references.”
Jessie went right to it, filling in the information as best she could.
“Oh, and one more thing,” said Kelsey. “Look up and say ‘cheese’!”
Jessie glanced up in Kelsey’s direction in time to see her friend snapping a picture of her.
“Need one of those, of course,” said Kelsey.
“Geez, a little warning would’ve been nice,” said Jessie.
“Nah,” said Kelsey, her eyes on her phone. “You look great – your surprise looks like serious professionalism. I’ll send the picture to your email.”
Jessie opened the picture, which she had to admit, didn’t look half bad, and added it to her profile. Soon, she was done and ready to browse.
She let her eyes move over the postings, noting that most of them required at least two or three years of experience.
“I think most of these are out of my league,” said Jessie. “They want pros.”
“Keep looking,” said Kelsey as she sipped her coffee. “You never know.”
Jessie kept on, but still found that they all seemed to want more experience than she had. But right as she was about to give up hope, one caught her eye.
“Brooklyn Firefighters Need Nanny For Triplets – Potential Immediate Hire.”
“This one’s...weird,” said Jessie.
“Which one?”
Jessie read the title out loud.
“Triplets?” asked Kelsey. “And three firemen?”
Hearing the word “firemen” spoken out loud reminded Jessie of the three men she’d seen at the bar last night. Three gorgeous guys, all of them seemingly interested in her.
She considered the possibility that they were the ones behind the posting, but dismissed it. But she knew she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t interested in seeing them all again.
“That’s weird,” said Kelsey. “Three firemen raising triplets?”
It was odd, Jessie had to admit.
“I don’t know,” said Jessie. “Firemen are all about camaraderie. Maybe they live together and look after one another’s kids.”
“But they’re triplets, right? Were they all born at the same time or something? They all had kids at once? Where are the moms?”
Jessie nodded, agreeing that they were all very good questions.
“No idea,” she said. “I know exactly as much as you do.”
Jessie looked through the ad.
“No experience needed,” she said out loud. “Says they want the right girl, and that they’ll know her when they see her.”
“There you go!” said Kelsey.
“But what’re the odds of me being the ‘right girl’?” asked Jessie.
“Who knows?” asked Kelsey. “But the worst they can do is say ‘no’.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Jessie. “Okay...filling out the application now.”
“And make sure you include the picture,” said Kelsey.
“I know, I know,” she said.
A few minutes passed and before too long, Jessie had the information filled here.
“There,” she said, tapping the mouse and hitting ‘Send’.
“Nice work,” said Kelsey. “Now get your phone turned back on – you never know when they’re going to call.”
“If they call,” corrected Jessie.
“Come on – you’re going to need a better attitude than that,” she said with a smile. “Now let me make you some breakfast.”
Jessie went to her phone website and paid her bill. After about fifteen minutes her phone was back on, the smell of eggs and bacon filling the kitchen as Kelsey cooked.
“Got it,” said Jessie. “Cost money I barely have, but at least I have a functioning phone.”
“One step in the right direction,” said Kelsey.
Jessie folded her hands on the counter, wondering what she was going to do with herself. But before she could give the matter too much thought, her phone buzzed on the kitchen counter.
“That you?” asked Kelsey.
“Yeah,” said Jessie, surprised. “No idea who the hell would be calling me now.”
She picked up the phone and saw that it was from a Brooklyn number. Hesitantly, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Hello. Is this Jessie Carver?”
The voice on the other end was deep and sensual and gorgeous. Just those words were enough to make Jessie feel tight and hot down below.
“Um, yes it is,” she said. “Ma
y I ask who’s speaking?”
“My name’s Brock Grecian,” he said. “I’m calling about the application for a nanny that you sent us.”
Jessie’s eyes went wide.
“Who is it?” Kelsey mouthed.
Jessie pointed eagerly to the computer, then made a “shush” gesture with her finger on her mouth.
“Holy shit!” mouthed Kelsey.
“Yes,” said Jessie. “The posting looked intriguing.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely that,” he said. “And I’m sure you saw that we said we were looking for the right girl.”
“Mhmm.”
“I think you might be her.”
“Is...is that right?”
“Maybe. We’ll have to see.”
“Okay,” said Jessie, still flustered. “I’d love to come in for an interview. I know it’s the weekend now, but Monday would be−”
“What are you doing today?”
Jessie wasn’t ready for that answer.
“Today?” she asked. “Nothing planned.”
“Can you make it to Brooklyn at 5PM?”
“I...I think that’s definitely possible.”
“Great. We’ll interview you tonight and take it from there if you seem like you’re a good fit. I’ll text you the address. Good talking to you.”
“You too.”
Then the line went dead.
Jessie slowly set down the phone, still reeling from the conversation.
“Was that one of the guys?”
“It sure was,” said Jessie.
The phone buzzed in her hand with the address.
“They want to meet tonight,” she said.
“Holy shit, tonight?” asked Kelsey.
“Yep.”
“Then we need to get you ready!”
CHAPTER 4
JESSIE
Jessie stood in front of the towering condo in Williamsburg, the glass and steel building shining in the evening sun.
She was half-convinced that this had to be the wrong place. After all, how could three firemen live in a place like this, a place which, judging by its exterior, had to be one of the most expensive and exclusive buildings in Brooklyn?
Jessie checked the address again, and sure enough, this was it. She looked in through the twelve-foot-tall glass doors, seeing a lobby packed with important-looking men and women coming and going.
“Here goes nothing,” she said to herself after taking a long, deep breath to calm her nerves.
She stepped into the lobby and, after checking in at the front desk, was directed to an elevator down at the far end of one of the hallways.
“Which floor?” Jessie had asked.
“Penthouse,” said the attractive, well-dressed male attendant. “There’s only one button. We’ll let them know you’re on the way up.”
Once inside the small elevator, Jessie took a look at her reflection in the stainless steel walls.
Kelsey had done a hell of a job getting her looking good, she had to admit. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied into a neat, professional pony tail, and her business skirt outfit fit her perfectly – it had been a happy coincidence that she and Kelsey were the same size.
Jessie was a little taller, however, and she wondered if the few extra inches of exposed leg was perhaps a little too risqué for an interview for a nanny job. But she knew all her clothes were as good as gone – it was not like she had any other clothing options. Either a skirt too short or pants that showed off ankle.
Tension built in her stomach as the elevator went up and up. She knew that so much was riding on getting this job. Her life was in shatters, and being able to work would allow her to get her life back on track.
The doors opened, revealing a stunning penthouse apartment, the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the East River and Manhattan beyond. The apartment was decked out in modern stylings, and she could tell right away that it was a place where men lived. But there were also plenty of kids’ toys, signaling that it wasn’t a total bachelor pad.
She stepped into the apartment, no one there to greet her.
And that’s when the smell hit her.
Jessie closed her eyes and was soon wrapped up in that intoxicating, alluring scent that she knew all too well.
It was the scent of alphas. Thick and musky and manly and irresistible, she felt her skin grow warm as she took it in. It smelled like sex and cinnamon and everything else wonderful. It was a scent so perfect that it almost seemed designed to appeal to her senses, and hers alone.
Jessie realized that this was no normal home – dragons lived here.
Once the intoxication from the scent faded, panic gripped her.
There were alphas in this home, she realized. Alphas that she knew she’d be unable to resist, and alphas who’d be unable to resist her. She panicked, wanting to flee and stay all at once before anyone saw that she was here.
A deep, low, and familiar voice spoke out, however, and she realized that it was too late for any of that.
“Hello. You must be Jessie.”
She gasped as the man entered and she realized who he was.
It was one of the firemen from the bar.
One of the alphas.
He was tall and wide-shouldered, with a beefy chest and slim waist. His hair was short and dark, like she remembered, his eyes like small drops of chocolate in a pool of cream. His nose was slim and sharp, his lips full and wide, and his jaw made up of hard angles. A small smirk was on his sexy lips, as if he was in on a joke that Jessie didn’t know about. He was dressed in a stylish, fitted, white, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his ropey forearms. Gray slacks and a pair of shiny black dress shoes completed the look.
She was so turned on by him that she could hardly stand it.
“Um, yes,” she said as he approached, her heart thudding in her chest. “That’s me.”
He extended his hand toward Jessie and she took it. His skin was rough and warm and his grip strong.
“Come in,” he said, releasing her hand. “Have a seat.”
He gestured to the long dining room table in front of the windows that looked out onto the city.
“My name is Samuel Stone,” he said.
Then a small smirk formed again on his lips.
“Of the Stone clan.”
“You...you know I’m a shifter?” she asked.
She realized right away it was a silly question – her scent announced her presence before she’d had a chance to.
“Of course I do,” he said. “I knew you were a shifter when I saw you at the bar. We all did.”
“‘We’?” she asked.
He gestured again to the table.
“Have a seat,” he said. “We can get into all of that in due time.”
She took a seat at the far end of the table and Samuel took a seat at the other end. He had a folder tucked under his arm and he set it in front of him, opening it up.
“I knew we’d find the right girl eventually, and I figured it would be a shifter,” he said, “but we didn’t expect it to be a dragon.”
“How do you know I’m the right girl?” she asked. “We just met.”
“Good point,” he said. “I have a sense about these things. But you’re right – we still have plenty to discuss.”
It was strange to Jessie that Samuel was a fireman – dragons tended to work in fields like politics and finance. He had the elegance and refinement of a dragon, but there was a roughness to him, one that suggested he wasn’t scared to work with his hands. It was an intriguing combination.
“So,” he said, “let’s get right to the most pressing matter – you’re a dragon. And judging from your scent, an omega.”
“I am,” said Jessie.
It was strange to her to be discussing her dragon nature out in the open like this after keeping it hidden for so long.
“And your clan?”
“The Carver clan,” she said.
“I’m not familiar,” said
Samuel.
“We’re an LA clan.”
Then she corrected herself.
“Were an LA clan.”
He crinkled his nose in confusion.
“Does that mean....”
Jessie cleared her throat and spoke.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m the last living member of the clan.”
“I’m...sorry to hear that,” he said.
“It’s okay,” she said. “It happened years back. I moved to New York to get away from it all.”
“And considering I’ve never heard of you, I assume ‘getting away from it all’ means that you didn’t want to live in the shifter society of the city?”
“That’s right,” she said. “Other shifters have taken too much from me for me to even want to be a part of that world.”
He nodded in understanding.
“I think I can empathize,” he said. “But we don’t need to get into personal matters like that.”
He closed the folder, sat back in his chair, and folded his hands on his lap.
“There are six of us in total,” he said. “Myself, Rick, and Jonas are the alphas. Sarah, Alice, and Jane are the triplets. How do you feel about that arrangement?”
“It’s a lot of people,” she said. “And you’re the only one here right now?”
He nodded.
“I told the other guys to take the girls out for lunch while I got to know you better.”
He sat forward.
“Let me tell you a little about our situation,” he said. “I’m from the Stone clan. Rick is from the Weaver clan, and Jonas is from the Stern clan. The three of us, years back, claimed the same omega mate. Our children were the product of that union.”
Jessie nodded. She’d heard of such arrangements, in which three alphas would all...contribute to the same children. The children produced could be extremely powerful.
“But our mate passed – we don’t need to get into all that. There were three of us, so we figured that we could raise the girls all on our own.”
“That didn’t work out?” she asked.
He shook his head.