“There is nothing wrong with that if it’s what you like, JoJo. But I certainly hope your future employer appreciates you as much as I do.”
Chapter 3
Hanish had finally found his nanny. She would be arriving at any moment, and he could barely contain his excitement. JoJo Morris was one of the most accomplished nannies in the world. Hanish had outbid multiple wealthy families for the chance to have the woman look after his son, offering her three times her regular salary to come work for him. He knew it would be worth every penny.
“I want you all to make yourself scarce,” Hanish told his crew.
“I want to meet the woman who will be better for Tor than our robot nanny,” Yuki said.
Hanish scowled. “Anyone would be better than a robot.”
“Do you doubt mine and Zephyr’s expertise?”
“As an engineer and scientist? No. But as an inventor of nannies? Yes. Now, I meant it when I said to make yourselves scarce.”
Ragnar grumbled, and Yuki and Raiden snickered as they left the room. Zephyr didn’t give him a second glance. His primary counselor and ship science officer, Zephyr, was satisfied with the nanny’s qualifications and agreed with Hanish that she would be a suitable caregiver for Tor. Having Zephyr’s approval was important to Hanish. His old friend and longtime first counsel had never steered him wrong. It wasn’t that the others’ opinions didn’t matter; they just didn’t matter as much.
Hanish sat in the front room, watching Tor swing back and forth in the baby swing Everly had given him. Tor squeaked and smiled, chewing on his fist with his newly developed teeth.
“I hope I like her too,” Hanish said, speaking to the child as if he were actually communicating. Tor had not yet received his mental-link implant in the back of his brain, something that could only be fitted on mature dragons. Until then, Hanish had to communicate with his son verbally. So far, the child’s verbal communication skills were infantile.
There was a knock at the door, and Hanish shot to his feet. He smoothed out his pink polo shirt and khaki pants and strode to the front door. He swung it open and found a woman with chocolate-brown hair pulled back in a tight bun. She wore a dark-gray skirt suit and thick glasses. She blinked at him several times, leaning away as if his energy alone had pushed her.
Then she regained her composure, reached out her hand, and introduced herself in a strange accent. “Good day. You must be Captain Storm. I am JoJo Morris.”
“Yes, of course,” Hanish said. Her very presence sent a thrill of awareness through his being. His inner dragon screamed, and Hanish grew confused. “Come in.”
He led her down the hall and into the sitting room, where Tor continued to swing back and forth.
“This is my son, Tor Storm.”
“How often do you leave him in the swing?” JoJo asked, approaching the child.
“A few hours a day. I was told it is fine for him and can be soothing for children his age.”
JoJo eyed him up and down. “I would not leave him unattended in these devices.”
Hanish was taken aback. Everly had not mentioned anything about not leaving him. Besides, Hanish had only left him briefly to open the door. JoJo’s suggestion that he was inattentive to his son immediately sent a lightning bolt of anger down his spine.
A great rumbling resounded from the basement, and smoke billowed up through the basement door. Yuki and Zephyr stumbled into the room, coughing and choking on the billowing smoke seeping into the living room. JoJo immediately picked up Tor and escaped out the French doors into the yard. The smoke wafted out of the house. Raiden jumped headlong into the front yard from the second-floor balcony, rolled on the ground, and shot to his feet. JoJo’s face was marred with abject horror.
Ragnar, the largest member of the crew, burst out the oak front door. Unfortunately, he didn’t bother opening it first. The wood splintered and cracked under his feet. Akash, the only one who had stayed in the house, backed out the front door, spraying a fire extinguisher behind him as he went.
“I put out the fire in the basement,” Akash announced. “If I hadn’t, the entire place would’ve burned down.”
“What is going on here?” JoJo asked as she tried to soothe the wailing infant in her arms.
“We were working on an experiment. Since Hanish doesn’t want a nanny robot, we’ve been working on something else.” Yuki wiped soot from his brow.
“A nanny robot?”
“I told them I don’t want one,” Hanish said, scooping his son into his arms. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked, staring down Yuki and Zephyr.
“We are attempting a continuation of Cato’s work on the human antibody vaccination,” Zephyr explained. “We can’t wait forever for Flora to finish her thesis.”
“Human vaccination?” JoJo asked as she produced a teething ring from her pocket and handed it to the child. Tor happily munched away on it. “Are you scientists or doctors?”
“Yes,” Hanish said.
“No,” Zephyr and Yuki said at the same time.
“Which is it?” JoJo asked. “Yes or no?”
They repeated their answers again, this time making the opposite claim. Hanish shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. His crew was not making a very good first impression. JoJo just stared at them, but he decided it was best to remain quiet for the time being.
The smoke finally stopped blowing out of the house, and everyone but JoJo, Hanish, and Tor went back inside. Akash poked his head out the empty hole that had once been the front door and shouted across the lawn, “It’s all clear.”
“Akash says it’s clear,” Hanish said.
“It is not healthy for a child to live in such a chaotic environment,” JoJo informed him. “I arrived just in time. There will be no dangerous experimentation in the house when the child is present. Is that understood?”
“I can’t possibly…”
JoJo charged toward the house without another word. All Hanish could do was follow her, still bouncing Tor in his arms. JoJo took her bag from the living room and made her way up the stairs. She quickly found the nursery and opened the windows to let out any lingering smoke.
“He will have his meals at nine, noon, three, and six,” JoJo said without looking back to make sure he was still behind her.
This woman must have eyes in the back of her head.
“Then he will be put to bed at seven p.m. sharp,” JoJo continued. “His nap times will immediately follow his meal times. He will have a bath every night and a change of diaper when necessary. Are you agreeable to that schedule?”
Captain Hanish, prince of the House of Storms, was used to being listened to and having his orders followed. He was over a thousand years old, had slept in stasis for a million years, and had been head of the house and of his crew for almost that long. He had never in his life been spoken to the way that this nanny—his employee—was speaking to him now. He opened his mouth then closed it, unsure of what to do.
“Have I made myself clear?” she asked again.
“Yes,” he said, completely confused.
Is she working for me, or am I working for her?
“Very well, then. I will now take over the care of the child. I would like you to give me your schedule so I know when you will spend time with him.”
“Okay.”
“As for the other men who live in the home…” She turned to him, her hands folded in front of her. Her appearance was severe and dour, yet there was something about her sharp demeanor and exacting behavior that Hanish found terribly attractive.
He shook his head and blinked, trying to brush away the preposterous thoughts. Not only was this woman overstepping her bounds, but she was also irritating and obnoxious, and he should probably fire her on the spot. However, his dragon did not agree in the least. His inner beast wanted nothing more than to rush across the room, pull the severe little woman into his arms, and plant a hot, passionate kiss right on her stern mouth.
“What about
the other men in the house?” Hanish asked.
“How involved are they in the care and upbringing of young Tor?”
“They’re my brothers,” Hanish said.
The dragons of the House of Flames, who had awakened from stasis months before the House of Storms, had told everyone they were all brothers. So far, it had worked out for them. Dragons of Dragonia didn’t use last names the way humans did. They went by their house name, and they’d continued the tradition on Earth. Hanish was called Hanish Storm. Ragnar was called Ragnar Storm, and the other men used Storm as their last name as well. Even though the men were not technically related, it was easier to call themselves brothers.
“And do your brothers participate in caring for Tor? How involved are they in his life?”
Hanish was taken aback by her question. “As much as any uncle would be.”
“I’m trying to gauge the child’s sphere of influence and whether or not those influences are healthy for him.”
“I assure you, the men of my house are excellent influences for my son. There are no better.”
“I wasn’t suggesting they weren’t. But from what I saw today, I question the safety of the child’s environment.”
Hanish couldn’t completely disagree with her on that point. Yuki and Zephyr were constantly running experiments, creating inventions, and working with semi-dangerous chemicals. Explosions like the one earlier were not uncommon. Hanish was not a man of science, but he had a great deal of respect for the practice. He wouldn’t dream of trying to limit his primary counselor or the work of his engineer.
“The environment is safe,” he assured her. “This is our life. And if you cannot adapt to our environment, then this might not be a good fit.”
JoJo didn’t reply. She simply ran her hands down her dark-gray suit jacket as if smoothing out a nonexistent wrinkle, then cocked her head to look at him. “Very well.” She put her hands behind her back and pursed her lips. “I can be on the first plane back to London in the morning.”
Hanish let out a long sigh then gritted his teeth. From what he understood, this woman was the best nanny he would find anywhere. She was worth every penny he had offered to pay her. He had to decide fast—his crew or his nanny. It was one of the most difficult decisions of his life. He would have to break it to his men that they needed to be more discreet, which they probably should be, anyway. JoJo was a human. They couldn’t let her know that they were dragons from another planet.
“Okay, I will meet your demands, Ms. Morris,” Hanish said. “But I expect the utmost care for my son. He is my number-one priority. We will do everything in our power to accommodate you. And if you have things under control here, I need to go speak with my crew—er, my brothers.”
He handed her the baby before turning on his heel, completely flummoxed. Had he just let a human take control of his home, his crew, and his family? This can’t be happening. Hanish charged away, shaking his head as his inner dragon roared that this woman was everything he’d been waiting for. Indeed, he knew she was the nanny he’d been waiting for.
But it wasn’t just that. There was something more, something deeper, something full of lust and passion and power. His inner dragon demanded that JoJo Morris, the irritating, bossy woman with the strange accent, was his mate.
Chapter 4
JoJo was unsurprised by Captain Hanish’s response. She had enough experience to know that his was a common reaction for parents in need of her services. But if she was going to take care of Tor, the first thing she needed to do was ensure the household was under control. From what she’d seen so far, the place was in total disarray. By all accounts, it was an extremely well-appointed household, but she’d noticed that the carpets probably hadn’t been vacuumed since the men had moved into the place. There were dirty dishes stacked on every surface, and the child was in a diaper that hadn’t been changed since that morning. She was sure that Captain Hanish meant well and wanted to be a good father. However, he was failing dreadfully.
He had hired her and offered to pay her three times her usual salary, and she had come all the way from England to take the job. JoJo wasn’t in a big hurry to return home, but if he wouldn’t listen to her, she certainly would leave. There was nothing worse than working at a job in which she couldn’t do what she was hired to do. Parents employed her because of her expertise and skill. And there was no point in trying to do the job if they wouldn’t allow her to do it.
The look on Captain Hanish’s face had been priceless when she’d given him an ultimatum. For a moment, she’d thought he was going to send her away. She had not been bluffing. JoJo Morris was not a woman who bluffed. But she would have been disappointed. She had already invested a great deal of time and energy into coming to America and taking the position, turning down several other excellent offers in the process. But that wasn’t the only thing.
As much as she loathed to admit it, there was something deeply attractive about Captain Hanish. She’d noticed it the first time she’d laid eyes on his photograph. Not only was the man extremely attractive and alluring, he also had an undeniably compelling presence. It certainly didn’t work on her, but she had to admit it held a certain appeal. She scoffed at herself. These thoughts were all quite ridiculous. She had a strict policy against ever getting involved with an employer. The possibility of them ever becoming romantic was completely off-limits. It would never be a consideration.
She looked down at baby Tor and smiled. He was an attractive young boy with a big smile and was in desperate need of appropriate care. “Let’s get you cleaned up and have some lunch, shall we?” she cooed at the baby.
She gave him a bath, put him in a clean diaper, and dressed him in fresh clothes. Now the child looked more comfortable. He was having issues with teething, but JoJo had an old recipe she’d learned from her great-aunt Mary. She rubbed a bit on the child’s sore spots, giving him much-needed relief. With that done, she picked Tor up and held him on her hip.
Looking over the nursery one last time, she spotted a toy out of place on the floor. JoJo winked once and waved her finger at the toy. It levitated through the air and plopped back into the toy chest.
“That’s better.” She smiled at Tor. “It’s good to keep the nursery tidy.” Tor squeaked and smiled, tugging on the lapel of her jacket. “I’m glad you agree, young man. I think we’re going to get along quite well.”
She took Tor down to the first floor and began to investigate the surroundings, quickly finding the kitchen. She opened the cabinets to inspect what Captain Hanish had stocked for the child. She found the usual baby foods. They seemed to be from good, healthy brands. In the refrigerator, there was a bottle of some mysterious milky substance with a label that read “formula” across the glass. She lifted the bottle and sniffed the contents. It smelled extremely sweet and creamy. JoJo blinked several times, not knowing what it was she was smelling. She would have to ask Captain Hanish about it. She certainly wouldn’t be feeding Tor anything full of sugar.
JoJo placed Tor in his baby seat and gave him a sippy cup of water. Then she began to spoon mashed peas into his mouth. He didn’t approve of the peas at first, but with patience and persistence, JoJo finally got him to eat his healthy lunch.
“That’s a good boy,” JoJo said. “You’re doing well.”
After Tor was done with his lunch, JoJo was getting him cleaned up when Hanish entered the kitchen.
“Captain Hanish, I need to ask you what kind of formula you’re feeding Tor. If you are giving him too much sugar, it could explain any behavior problems he’s experiencing.”
“That’s his formula,” Hanish said flatly. “He needs it.”
“But what is it?”
“We make it specifically for my son.”
“Was it created by your crew of scientists?” JoJo asked, looking for clarification.
Hanish poured himself a cup of coffee. “Yes.” He did not look happy. But there was a certain gleam in his eye that said something else, something s
he wasn’t prepared to notice.
JoJo cleared her throat, trying to brush off the obvious attraction they had for each other. It was so ridiculous. They had nothing in common. Hanish was certainly not the type of man she ever felt attracted to. She liked men who were intellectual, accomplished, and… English. Captain Hanish was obviously an American military man with a boorish and demanding personality. They would never get along, even if she didn’t have a strict policy of never dating her employers.
“Would you mind if I asked your science officers about the ingredients?” she asked.
“What do you want to know?”
“Is it full of refined sugar?” Her voice was more exasperated than she’d meant it to be.
“Certainly not,” he scoffed.
“Good. That’s all I needed to know.”
He looked down at his son then back at her. He seemed to be at odds with himself. She would prefer if he were happy with her performance. But if he wasn’t, then he could always let her go, no matter how much she wanted to stay. Even if Hanish drove her to distraction with his devastatingly good looks, JoJo had to stick to her principles. “Very well, then. I will include a bottle in his feeding routine. He’s just eaten an entire jar of mashed peas. He was quite hungry.”
“Tor doesn’t like peas,” Hanish said.
“He didn’t at first, but eventually we got them down.”
“Are you forcing my son to eat things he doesn’t like?”
“Of course not.” She was extremely offended by that suggestion. “You can get what you need from a child if you are consistent and patient. I stand by my methods. I would never force a child to do anything unless he was being naughty and needed to be disciplined.”
“Disciplined?”
“A child Tor’s age will not require discipline. But when he is a bit older, in his toddler years, it is possible there may be cause for time-outs.”
Hanish grunted and frowned.
“I assure you I am the best in my field. I know what I’m doing.”
Hanish: House of Storms (Dragon Guardians Book 6) Page 2