by Skye Jordan
“When is he supposed to be back?” Roman asked.
“I expected him to be here when his head of security told me to come right over, but he’s not, and no one’s giving me a straight answer on when he’ll return. He’s supposedly on some kind of training mission in the wilds of his forty-acre jungle. Seriously, this man may very well have the most amazing life ever—a multimillion-dollar company in its infancy, an amazing estate in a country that hasn’t seen war in over fifty years, and a band of brothers to play with in the jungle. He has to think he’s died and gone to heaven.”
“Don’t get any ideas about moving to paradise,” Roman told her. “You’re way too young to retire, and we all know you don’t want to have anything to do with marriage and babies. So get the job done and come home.” A click sounded in her ear. “Gianna is on the other line. Sam, keep me updated. Everly, we’ll see you in a few hours.”
“They just called my flight,” Ian said. “Signing off.”
Once Roman and Ian disconnected, Sam said, “The kid’s really cute. Sucks that her mom died.”
“That would depend on the mom.”
“You’re so jaded.”
“I am,” she said absently as her mind shifted directions. “How are the Seavers and Gianna connected?”
“I imagine the head of an interagency task force would cross paths with a senator on the Senate Armed Services Committee.”
“I suppose. I guess I expected them to be closer. This isn’t exactly a small favor.”
The sound of footsteps on the concrete behind her alerted Everly to the security guard’s approach.
“Incoming,” she murmured, letting Sam know she wouldn’t be speaking directly to him.
Everly turned and worked up a smile for the guard, even though she knew he wouldn’t return it. He’d been a stoic guy from the beginning. Decker was six foot six inches of muscle. He was black, he was intense, and to any woman who hadn’t spent her entire adulthood around men like this, he would be extremely intimidating.
“I was just going to come and find you,” she told him as if she hadn’t noticed him watching her every step for the last hour. “Mr. Hix is obviously too busy to see me today. I’ll call tomorrow and make another—”
“I just spoke with him. He’s on his way back now. It’ll only be another five or ten minutes. I apologize for the wait. Are you sure I can’t get you anything to drink? The cook just made fresh iced tea.”
“No, thank you, I’m fine. Is Mr. Hix’s daughter here? I haven’t seen her.”
“She’s with the housekeeper.”
“Why don’t you send her out? I’d love to get acquainted with her,” she lied.
“You’ll have to wait until Mr. Hix returns.” Clearly not a conversationalist, he took up residence in the shadow of the veranda again.
Everly wandered past the twenty-five-meter lap pool. Its infinity edge looked out over the ocean, where she had no doubt a spectacular sunset dazzled Hix and his daughter every night. All the rooms on the lower level had floor-to-ceiling glass panels, which were now open, blending inside and outside into one glorious space. The modern home had been decorated in grays and whites with simplicity and style. The overall effect was Architectural Digest meets tropical paradise. Since she didn’t know any men with the level of taste the design had to require, Everly assumed he’d purchased the house this way or had it decorated.
“I’ve counted twenty-seven CCTV cameras on the exterior,” she told Sam.
Her teammate whistled through his teeth. “Add those to the eighteen we found on the fences, and you’ve got one paranoid dude.”
“The file makes it sound like he’s got a lot to be paranoid about.”
Before she’d returned from Syria, the team had run a night surveillance op to evaluate how easily they could drop in and grab the girl. It hadn’t taken them long to realize Hix had put all his special forces training into play when he’d set up the home’s security system. So now Everly stood on the millionaire’s pool deck waiting for an interview. She would search for Hix’s weak spot so the team could exploit it to get the girl out.
Men’s voices trailed in on the warm breeze. Laughing, ribbing, discussion over the op they’d just completed. Everly knew the sound well.
“He’s finally inbound,” Everly told Sam. “If this had been a real job interview, I would have bailed after ten minutes.”
“What are you wearing?”
“You think to ask me that now?”
“You didn’t go too sexy, did you? He won’t like that. It would be an automatic no.”
Everly laughed softly. “I’m not sure if I should be pleased that you think I could dress too sexy or if I should be pissed you accuse me of doing something so stupid.”
“Chill, chill. It just popped into my head,” he muttered. “Just remember, sweet, wholesome, smart—but not too smart.”
“Sam, shut up.”
The men’s voices grew closer and joined the familiar sound of metal against metal and canvas against leather. The band of brothers finally crested the last hill toward the house. There were six of them, and every one of them wore that shit-eating, what-a-blast smile. They were also splattered with a rainbow of color, which told Everly they’d been training with wax bullets.
“I was yelling in your ear,” one guy was saying, “‘Capture, don’t kill. Capture, don’t kill.’ What part of ‘capture, don’t kill’ didn’t you understand?”
More laughter peppered the air. Everly stared out at the ocean as if she didn’t hear them coming, but she knew the instant they saw her—their conversation dropped in pitch. The sprinkle of low, sexy laughter made Everly wonder if she’d gone too sexy after all.
She glanced down at the sundress she’d picked up at a boutique in the airport. Buttery yellow with a large, abstract floral pattern, it certainly wasn’t frumpy and it fit her well, but nothing about it screamed sex kitten. They were probably just being men and weren’t used to having young women around the property. Sam hadn’t been able to locate any romantic relationships in Hix’s life, which only meant he hooked up away from his daughter’s impressionable eyes. Points for Hix.
But that kind of behavior wasn’t consistent with the picture painted by his file, provided by Senator Seaver, of a man who said inappropriate things in front of his four-year-old daughter and frequently missed visitation days to hang out with his friends at bars.
Everly had to remember she wasn’t here to make judgment calls. She was here to do a job—bring Mirabella home to her grandparents, who had sole custody of the girl.
Decker crossed the pool deck toward the men. All stopped and huddled for a conversation Everly couldn’t hear. Every man was focused on Decker; every guy except Hix. He stared directly at Everly with a decidedly what-the-fuck expression.
She clasped her hands behind her back and let her gaze drift back to the deep-blue pool, turned her back on the men and strolled the deck. “Someone’s not happy I’m here,” she told Sam. “Maybe I should have gone sexier.”
When she faced the house again, Hix turned away from Decker and addressed the guys. He said something to the effect of “Go ahead, I’ll catch up with you.”
The guys took one more look at Everly, then said something to Hix he didn’t like much.
“Oh joy,” Everly muttered.
Now she had to convince him it was in Mirabella’s best interest for her to stay, and prove to both herself and Hix she qualified as a nanny. Everly had a feeling this operation was going to feel ten times longer than it actually lasted.
She kept her gaze on the pool while Hix continued the conversation with Decker. “I feel like I’ve lost before I’ve even begun. Tips to win him over would be helpful.”
“You have every skill he’s looking for,” Sam told her. “At least in your résumé. Multilingual, experienced with children, humanitarian background, intelligent, well-traveled. The only thing he could hold against you would be your age and looks.”
Which sh
e could do nothing about.
“Our intel paints him as a narcissistic, arrogant, money-hungry chameleon,” Sam said, “so appealing to his ego might work. Maybe awe over the company he’s built? The house? His money?”
Everly had taken on so many personalities over the years, she sometimes forgot which one was the real her.
“I’ll wing it.” At least she would if she got the interview. The way he and Decker were talking, she was pretty sure she had a fifty-fifty chance of being escorted off the property before he even spoke with her. And that would just plain suck. “I’ll play off him.”
Hix sidestepped Decker and started toward her.
“Here we go,” she said on a sigh, then turned to face him as he approached.
She offered a polite smile, but he didn’t return it. His expression was all business, and it wasn’t exactly pleasant business either.
Everly let her arms fall to her sides, prepared to offer her hand if he pulled some manners out of his ass. He’d kept her waiting and now approached with obvious attitude. Bad attitude.
He was filthy, covered in mud, paint, and sweat from the training exercise. He was also in full gear with an M4 over his shoulder and a Glock hugging his thigh.
She couldn’t deny it. The guy was ridiculously hot all worn out from running around the jungle chasing fake insurgents. That didn’t mean it was okay to be a dick to a guest, even if the guest was a prospective employee, but his scowl told Everly he hadn’t gotten that memo. She was in for some rough interaction.
Knowing that up front, Everly purposely relaxed. Purposely smiled. Purposely let all offensive hostility melt away and braced internally for whatever he threw at her.
When he was still fifty feet away, a little voice squealed, “Daaaaaaad-dyyyyyy!”
A tiny human who could only be Mirabella ran out of the house, straight toward her father, the skirt of her sundress flying out behind her.
This ought to be good.
Everly crossed her arms and watched as Hix stopped on a dime and focused all his attention on his daughter. The girl ran straight at him with no sign of slowing down, then threw herself at him with utter carelessness and unwavering confidence.
Everly drew a sharp breath and found herself stepping forward. But Hix’s M4 hit the ground a second before he caught the girl. He faked a dramatic effort to hold all forty pounds of her. Stumbling backward, he teetered on the edge of the pool before he fell in—just laid flat out on the water, fully clothed and geared up. He and Bella disappeared beneath the surface and a surprised half laugh popped from Everly’s mouth.
She moved to the pool’s edge with the intention of helping them out, but when they surfaced, both Mirabella and her father were laughing.
“Oh my God,” Everly said, hand over her heart. “Are you okay?”
Hix didn’t look at her. He seemed utterly mesmerized by his daughter’s baby-toothed grin, her flashing melted-chocolate eyes and glowing pink cheeks.
It was clear this was a routine for the pair.
“We’re fine, aren’t we, Bella?” He tossed her in the air, and she giggled until she plunged below the surface again. He grabbed her and tossed her again. More giggles, more smiles. The absolute joy on their faces, a true one-eighty for Hix, made Everly look at him differently. She was glad she hadn’t decided on an approach strategy with him, because he’d just demonstrated a very different man than she’d been expecting.
“’Gain,” Bella begged. “’Gain, Daddy.”
“One more time, then Daddy has to work.” Another round of giggles and splashes later, Hix collected Bella and lifted her to the pool deck. Then he planted his hands on the edge and hoisted himself—and all his gear—from the pool.
If she’d thought he was hot ten minutes ago, sweaty gear and all, he was now mouthwatering, wet from head to toe, black T-shirt clinging to an extremely well-muscled torso, dark hair slicked off his handsome face.
Everly had spent her entire adulthood around sexy, muscular, driven alpha men. During that time, only a dozen had intrigued her. Only three had infatuated her. And even that had worn off quickly. She considered herself immune to muscle, confidence, and swagger. But this…this softer side of the alpha dog she’d expected was surprisingly charming. Disarming, even.
“Mirabella,” a woman called from the kitchen, where she stood holding a towel. “Time for lunch.”
Hix didn’t introduce Bella to Everly, just gave Bella a tap on the butt with “Go on, monkey.”
The dripping, intoxicatingly carefree Bella hopped and skipped across the pool deck on her toes, where the older woman wrapped her in a big towel and hugged her close as she rubbed Bella dry.
Hix bent to pick up his gear, straightened, and finally met Everly’s gaze head-on. The intensity of his stare created sparks beneath her ribs. The joy he’d had for his daughter was gone. He’d switched back into sullen alpha mode.
He didn’t welcome Everly, didn’t introduce himself, didn’t apologize for keeping her waiting. He didn’t even offer her a smile.
“I’m going to clean up. If you can stay, we’ll talk when I’m done. If not…” He shrugged, as if to say, Your loss.
His dismissal rankled. Everly didn’t answer immediately. She met the challenge in his gaze and kept her voice level and light when she said, “Not exactly the warm Costa Rican welcome I’m used to, but I’ll wait.” When he angled toward the house, she added, “For a little while longer.”
Austin showered and changed into jeans with his mind fighting to focus on all he’d gleaned from the training exercise and the woman here to interview for the job as Mirabella’s nanny.
He was pulling on a white oxford when Decker knocked on the open bedroom door. “Austin?”
“Come on in.”
Decker offered him a few sheets of paper. “Her résumé and references.”
“Shit, you mean she’s not gone?”
“Nope.”
“Fuck.” He finished buttoning the shirt, tucked it in and fastened his belt. “Dude, I told you what I’m looking for, and she’s not it.”
“You barely even met her.”
“I don’t need to, I can already see she’s way too young and way too pretty. She’s also not local—her eyes are as blue as the damn ocean. This job is already boring as hell. You and the guys don’t need a woman like that around to distract you.”
Decker sighed. “Boss, all due respect, I’m going to quit if you don’t hire a nanny already.”
“I thought I fired you last week.”
Decker’s eyes flashed with humor, but he didn’t crack a smile. The only person on this property that could make Decker smile was Mirabella. “You’ve gone through two dozen interviews. You know the guys love Bella to death, but we can’t keep up with our own training regimen, not to mention maintenance on the property, with that little imp underfoot. ‘Decker, up!’” He imitated Bella’s voice, which was hilarious coming from this warrior. “‘Decker, read me.’ ‘Decker, I hungry.’ The surveillance software needs to be updated, and there are still two cameras out on the perimeter. It’s a little tough to concentrate with Bella begging me to color with her.”
Austin exhaled a dramatic sigh. “It’s so hard to be loved.”
“Just give this woman a chance, please.”
“I don’t exactly have a choice, seeing as she’s still here.” He took her résumé but didn’t look at it. “Where is she from?”
“She’s American, but she’s been traveling since she was a kid.”
“You know I don’t want an American.”
“I’ve vetted her inside and out. Called every reference dating back ten years. She has no ties to the Seavers. I don’t see any obvious weak points for exploitation. Of course, everyone can be bought, but her integrity is impeccable. She’d be a great role model for Bella. She’s sweet, strong, smart, and she’s got spunk.”
She was also sexy. He hadn’t missed the way her dress fitted to beautiful curves. Her bare arms, shoulders, and le
gs were tanned and toned. Her dark hair had been tied into one long braid and pulled forward over her shoulder. And those eyes, big, bright, and vivid blue. She would be a wicked distraction for every male on the property.
“I’ll talk to her,” he told Decker. “But don’t expect her to stay. Line up the next candidate. Preferably a woman over sixty.” Austin started toward his office. “I can feel you rolling your eyes, buddy.”
Decker, ever respectful, didn’t bite back, but Austin appreciated the man’s frustration. Valentina, Bella’s previous nanny, had been gone a month, and they were all feeling the strain of keeping up with their duties while everyone pitched in to care for Bella. It wasn’t an ideal situation for his daughter either. She needed more time and attention than most children her age.
He entered the office and found… He glanced at the résumé. Everly. Everly Callaway. Miss Everly Callaway had her back to him, her gaze skimming his floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Against his will, Austin’s gaze slid down her body.
“Someone likes to read.” Her murmur trickled down his spine. Her voice was smooth and soft, with a sexy, languid quality. Some women had bedroom eyes, Everly Callaway had a bedroom voice.
“Where are you from, Ms. Callaway?” He sat behind his desk, dropped her résumé there, and grabbed a pen to take notes. He scanned her job history to keep his eyes off her backside.
“All over.”
When she faced him, Austin gestured to a chair across from the desk. “Have a seat.”
She took her time getting there. He wasn’t sure if her movements were calculatingly sensual or if she naturally prowled like a jaguar, but either way, Austin’s caged libido growled in response.
“I understand you’re American.”
“Born American,” she said, sliding into the office chair and crossing her legs. “But I’ve spent less time in the United States than I have in other countries.”
“Why so much travel?” He looked up, searching her pretty face for tells or nervous tics, but Everly gazed back at him relaxed and focused. She had a high-frequency energy, as if she revved on high beneath the calm exterior. And she had the most electric-blue eyes he’d ever seen.