Billionaire Daddy's Contract: A Single Dad and Nanny Romance

by Melissa Chetley

  However, Audrey has more than paid me back in full ever since that incident. Her constant work efforts in handling Teagan’s daily needs have made my life so much easier that it’s my turn to return the favor to her now. She probably doesn’t realize it yet, but I seriously intend on doing whatever it takes to keep her around. I won’t screw up a second time -- I just can’t.

  I’m going to make sure that precious smile on her face lasts forever.

  I’m going to make her happy.

  Epilogue: A Few Months Later - Audrey

  Jesus Christ.

  My head slowly shakes back and forth at the unfamiliar reflection in the tall mirror. Perfectly curled locks that look fresh out of a hair salon, flawless makeup touch-ups that make my skin look like it’s practically glowing, and a gorgeous golden gown that sparkles from every angle -- I can barely recognize myself in this appearance and outfit that Crane has picked out for me. A slow and heavy sigh parts from my red-stained lips as I give myself a long, hard look in the mirror. Even with all of the fancy parties and gatherings that I’ve been attending on a regular basis, I still can’t get used to the glitz and glamor no matter how hard I try.

  The whole forced dress-up just makes me feel like an utter phony and fraud.

  Yet I intently focus and stare at the reflection as I practice my best smile. If there’s anything that I absolutely cannot mess up on tonight, it’s my welcomes and greetings to the hundreds of important people who are specifically coming out to see Rylan for his birthday celebration. And as if that wasn’t already nerve-racking enough for me, I have to constantly be prepared to stand under the spotlight for the entire night because I’m his girlfriend. I can already feel a slight migraine building up in my head from the tiresome thought of having to entertain strangers all night long.

  Ugh.

  I try to close my eyes and relax myself when a loud knock arrives at the door which is shortly followed by the sound of a familiar voice: “Miss Scott, the guests are all starting to arrive,” Crane informs.

  “Oh, good,” I nervously state as I walk over to open the door for the butler. “So, how do I look? Do I look good enough to be standing next to the amazing and handsome, Rylan Bennett?”

  “You look stunning, Miss Scott. You have nothing to worry about,” the man kindly smiles.

  “You know, I don’t know why I bother to even ask you sometimes, Philip. You would probably give me the same exact answer if I were in a tracksuit finishing my last sweaty mile in a marathon,” I playfully scoff while the butler responds with a hearty chuckle. “Anyway, let’s get this over with. Where am I meeting Rylan again?”

  The beaming expression on Crane’s face swiftly fades as soon as I ask him the basic and simple question. He takes a moment to clear his throat before he says, “Unfortunately, Mr. Bennett won’t be able to join you at the front just yet. He’s still getting ready, so you’ll have to greet everybody who arrives on your own for now.”

  Great.

  Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse -- they do.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “It’s all right. I think I can handle that. No sweat,” I weakly state with a shrug. “Besides, how hard can it be? It’s like being a greeter who stands in front of a store. All I have to do is say ‘hello’ to every single person who walks through the door, right?”

  “Right,” Crane responds in an unconvincing tone.

  Despite the overwhelming amount of anxiety and unease that I feel in my chest from having to face Rylan’s enormous guest list by myself, my feet begin to move toward the entrance of the hall. I can see the bright headlights from all of the vehicles pulling up to the doors before I even fully make it down the stairs along with a few of the guests who are already starting to step inside. My eyes bulge from the sight of the growing crowd as I hurry down the rest of the steps to greet everybody who is walking through. I quickly put on my practiced smile and begin to receive each guest in Rylan’s absence.

  "Hi, it’s so good to see you! Thank you so much for coming tonight."

  "Welcome! It's been so long since we’ve talked. How have you been?"

  "Hey! It's so great to see you again. Rylan and I really appreciate you coming out here for the celebration."

  However, no matter how many people I wind up speaking to, it seems like guest after guest simply continue to walk into the venue one right after another without an end to them. The situation becomes so tiresome and tedious that I can begin to feel a dry and itchy sensation slightly building within my parched throat from the nonstop talking that my voice is doing. And to make matters even worse, it also doesn’t help that I can hardly remember any of the conversations much less any of the dozens of faces that I’ve encountered in the past few minutes and moments which could definitely bite me in the ass later. Though I have no choice but to hold the fort down while Rylan is absent -- even if every single interaction that I have with these people pretty much flies by like a vague blur and distant memory to me.

  There's really nothing I can do except endure the unfavorable circumstances with a professional smile until the man of the hour finally decides to show up.

  A numb feeling fills my cheeks as I maintain my delighted grin and positive glow in front of the steady flow of guests. I swap over from my greeting smile to my parting beam for a group of individuals who have decided to head inside the venue first for drinks when a sensual female voice abruptly steps forward to greet me: "Long time no see, Audrey."

  "Hello-"

  I quickly turn back around to welcome the oddly familiar sounding voice, but my words are cut short once I set my eyes on the woman who has approached me. A dark haired beauty with an imposing presence that naturally draws the attention of the surrounding crowd around her -- it's the same striking and exotic woman who had harassed me with her small posse at one of the previous parties. Panic spreads through me as the smile swiftly drops off my face. I don't know what to even say. My stomach just naturally tosses and churns from the unexpected sight of the intimidating woman who has her two villainous cronies hanging right behind her, the uninterested duo not even bothering to say hello to me in spite of the eye contact that I make with them.

  "It's been a while, hasn't it?" The gorgeous raven-haired woman breaks the silence with her seductive and accented voice. "I believe the last time we saw each other was when we had that tragic little water spill. Do you remember that embarrassing accident?" she innocently asks with a smile.

  I clench my teeth and force a smile back at the petty woman. She's obviously trying to get underneath my skin in front of all of the guests, but I won't let her rile me up so easily.

  "Oh yeah, that little water spill. Couldn't forget about that one even if I tried," I plainly respond.

  The nameless beauty blankly stares at me with a slight scowl on her lips. She's upset -- upset over the fact that I remain unfazed and unbothered by her less than subtle methods of mocking me. The bitter glare that she has directly pointed at me is so sharp that I can practically feel it in my bones. But I simply keep my firm gaze on the woman without backing down, the scene of her displeasure filling me with the confidence to stand tall.

  I silently revel in the small victory that I win over the hateful stranger when she suddenly scoffs and begins to take off the fur coat that is sitting on her shoulders. She grabs the piece of outerwear with one hand and shoves it right into my chest while smugly adding: "Anyway, you can help us with these coats, right?"

  The blunt and rude gesture provokes a gasping giggle from the two women who are still standing behind her and watching the tense situation unfold. Yet they quickly follow suit after seeing the woman make her bold move as they start to take off their own coats with the full expectation of my cooperation as well. The temperature in my cheeks instantly heat up from the pressure and burden that is abruptly being placed upon me. All I can feel is my heart rapidly beating from the stress of deciding whether or not I should oblige to their request
in order to avoid making a scene or if I should just refuse them and direct them to someone else who can take their coats.

  "Uhh, you can walk in and hand your coat over to one of the workers-"

  "I mean, what's the difference?" the woman brusquely interjects while her piercing eyes continue to stare me down in a condescending manner. "This is still your job anyway, isn't it?"

  Whoa.

  I instinctively flinch and recoil from the curt sound of her voice which also happens to draw some attention and glances from a few of the guests who are passing by. It's obvious from her sudden and reckless outburst that she's not planning on taking my suggestion as a valid answer or alternative at all, especially since her hand and coat are still pressed up against my chest. I softly sigh as a cold sweat starts to build within my palms from the stubborn display and stance that the woman is choosing to take in spite of the particular time and place that she is currently in. She really intends on seeing this unreasonable demand of hers all the way through just to get the chance to control and humiliate me.

  But before I can even open my mouth to tell the bitter and resentful woman that she's mistaken about the kind of individual she seems to insist that I am, she further adds in a grim and hostile tone of voice: "Just because you hang around Rylan all day like a little puppy doesn't make you one of us. Anybody can tell how much you don't belong in a place like this no matter how many expensive brand name outfits you put on to hide it. You're just a pig with lipstick on. You're not fooling anyone but yourself."

  The vile words that spill forth from the stranger's lips cut deep beneath my flesh -- so deep that my chest is slightly aching from the haunting echoes of her declaration. Her stinging remarks hit so close to home that even the small glow of confidence that I once had within myself is already beginning to quickly vanish and fade away, and all that is left behind is a painful reminder of how many insecurities I have in trying to blend with this world of the rich and famous. But even though that cruel and aloof gaze of hers makes me feel incredibly exposed and vulnerable, I know better than to listen to her unwarranted insults which are clearly meant to provoke me. The best thing I can do for myself right now is tolerate her verbal abuse with a tightly clenched fist and a bite of my tongue.

  I take a deep breath and prepare to give the heated woman a cool and composed response to her spiteful spew when I notice somebody walking toward us. My eyes naturally turn to the slow approaching figure in the light grey suit and with the cold and hollow expression on his face. I feel a pleasant rush running through my chest from the moment I set my sights on him. Although he displays that same old sour look in his facial appearance, I still can't get over how handsome and charming he looks when he isn't acting like a huge jerk.

  "Rylan," I call out his name in a low voice as the tall man takes his place right beside me. The fresh scent of his musk and cologne gently drifts over and fills me with a calming sensation. His warm presence always seems to be able to put my nervous heart at ease regardless of the type of situation I'm stuck in.

  However, Rylan's timely entrance and appearance forces the trio to become silent as their eyes all grow large with surprise. Even the exotic beauty subtly withdraws her coat from my chest as though she were not trying to intimidate me merely moments ago. All of the mean scowls and disgusted stares simply disappear at once when they realize that Rylan is standing next to me. I can only quietly shudder and question the way in which they can change their masks so quickly from one expression to another in the blink of an eye.

  "Mr. Bennett," the dark-haired woman pipes up with a brilliant smile. Her grin is so bright and dazzling that I can hardly believe that she's the same person who was insulting me only minutes earlier. “Happy birthday-“

  But before the woman can finish giving her birthday greetings to Rylan, he holds up his hand to stop her. "Thank you, but you ladies can hold onto your own coats because you won't be staying for long," he nonchalantly says.

  My jaw instantly drops from the unexpected announcement as I turn my head toward Rylan who looks completely serious about his decisive statement. But the immense shock that runs through both my body and my mind is no match for the pure astonishment that is written all over the women's faces. They look absolutely appalled by Rylan's words and choice of action, the overwhelming disbelief in their expressions almost comical.

  "Wh-what do you mean by that, Mr. Bennett?" one of the women standing in the back hesitantly asks while a nervous chuckle pours from her lips. "We were all invited to the party-"

  "You were invited," Rylan swiftly corrects. He allows his firm words to settle before he decides to take a giant step forward where he inserts himself right in front of the group of women. "But let's get one thing straight here. Nobody gets to talk to Audrey like that and think that it's acceptable behavior in front of me. I don't care who you are or who you think you are. You will apologize to her."

  The delicate albeit indignant sound of Rylan's deep voice makes the trio jump up in panic. Yet instead of admitting to their wrongdoings, they awkwardly lower their gazes and heads. A tense silence lingers in the air and atmosphere for a while until one of the women finally speaks up and weakly says, "S-sorry."

  "Don't say it to me. Say it to her," the man snaps and shakes his head.

  Rylan's blunt tongue and assertive tone somehow manages to convince the two women in the back to mutter a word of apology to me. Even though the two clearly seem reluctant to say sorry in the first place, I still accept their lackluster apologies with a brief smile and nod of my head. The fact that they had to yield and apologize to me is enough of a win for me to be done with them. However, I can tell that Rylan isn't completely satisfied with the result from the way he continues to keep a close eye on the person who I had already least expected to say anything -- the nameless woman with the incredibly strong vendetta against me.

  But even she eventually concedes as she looks straight into my eyes and utters in an unenthusiastic voice: "I'm really sorry, Audrey. I hope you can accept my apology for the rudeness that we have shown you."

  The unforeseen apologetic statement that the dark-haired beauty makes forces a sudden pause out of me before I lightly shrug and respond, "Apology accepted."

  My lips curve into a limp smile at the pitiful sight of the woman who was once towering over me like an ominous character. In fact, the mood actually feels a whole lot worse now that Rylan has involved himself in the matter by demanding apologies from the women as if they were children who were caught acting out. The somber expressions on their faces tell it all. Though Rylan remains unbothered by their bitter scowls and wastes no time flagging down the first employee he can find after getting the satisfaction that he needed.

  "Would you please kindly escort these ladies back to their vehicles?" Rylan asks of the concierge who nods his head as he starts to direct and guide the women toward the exit.

  A highly content and pleasant sensation sweeps across my chest while I watch the ladies puff out their chests and proudly shuffle away in the direction from which they came from. I can't deny feeling a bit of smugness from the karma that has finally caught up to them, even if most of it is due to Rylan's intervention. And even though the grudge-holding woman gives me one last passing glance before she walks off with the click of her heels following behind her, I don't feel threatened by her. My spirit can't be easily shaken or broken when Rylan is standing by my side and strongly supporting me -- not when I can feel the full extent of his love for me emanating through his persistent efforts.

  "Thank you, Rylan. But even I think what you did was a little excessive. Even if they did deserve it for causing so much unnecessary drama," I say.

  "That was excessive to you? I actually felt like it wasn't enough," Rylan scoffs. He turns back around to face me, the indignant look in his blue eyes no longer present.

  My chest tightens up from the way the aloof gentleman stares deep into my eyes with a sly grin on his lips. The effect that his smile
has on me is lethal and deadly. I can't tell if it's because of the display of dominance that I just witnessed or something else about him, but Rylan seems even more attractive and handsome than usual to me today. The captivating sight of him in a nice, clean-cut suit never gets old for me, even though he wears them almost every single day to work. There's just something about a man in a perfectly-fitted suit which naturally excites me.

  However, I can't allow Rylan's charming good looks to distract me from the more pressing and urgent matters at hand. Especially since I feel like I am partially to blame for some of these concerns.

  "Aren't you worried about the rumors that those women might spread or the trouble they might cause you because of what you just did? If you ask me, they don't seem to be the type to take rejection like that very well," I note.

  "What exactly do I need to be worried about when they're the ones who were being rude to my girlfriend? I honestly would love to see what they have to say about me," he smirks.

  "Rylan…"

  He just doesn’t get it.

  I shake my head while moving away from the entrance to prevent the guests from overhearing our conversation. Rylan follows closely behind me as he warmly greets a few of the guests who happen to be on their way into the venue. He maintains a professional and hospitable demeanor toward every single person he runs into until we manage to head over to a more private and empty area where we immediately go back to arguing with each other.

  "So what should I do then, Audrey? You can't honestly expect me to just stand there and watch them treat you like that. Besides, it's my birthday. Shouldn't I be able to do whatever makes me happy tonight? I'm not trying to ruin my special day here by dealing with annoying and unwanted guests," Rylan reasons. He raises a brow and smiles at me while patiently waiting to hear my response.