She thrust out her hand. “Harlow, how lovely to meet you. I’m Liv Ellis. Do come on in.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Ellis.”
We bypassed a wide open-plan living space that had an amazing view of Central Park, the sun just beginning to set over the trees, casting the green space in a lovely orange glow. Wow. Imagine waking up to that every day. For sure, that was a sight you’d never tire of.
We turned into a thickly carpeted hallway with doorways on either side. “You have a lovely home,” I said, even though I’d barely seen it.
“Why, thank you,” she said. “Although it isn’t mine. It’s my son’s.”
Before I could process the words, she ushered me into a high-ceilinged room with large picture windows that also opened out onto that fabulous view. But it wasn’t the view that forced the air from my lungs and thickened my throat. It was the man standing beside a large fireplace.
Him.
Mr. Wall Street.
The man from the bar.
No. It couldn’t be.
In a panic, I glanced over my shoulder, hoping for an escape route, only to find his mother standing directly behind me. She closed the door and gestured to a comfortable-looking sofa.
“This is my son, and Annie’s father, Oliver. Sweetheart, this is Harlow Winter.”
I almost blurted, “Sorry, there’s been a terrible mistake”, except I caught the plea in his eyes, silently begging me to play along. No doubt if I left before the interview had taken place, he’d have to explain to his mother the reason why. Well, one thing was certain; they wouldn’t offer me the position now. I rarely drank, but he wouldn’t know that. If I wanted to hire someone to take care of my precious child, I wouldn’t pick the girl who’d downed several gins, blabbed to an entire bar about her relationship and career troubles, then kissed a stranger.
Not that I could ever take this job, even if an offer was forthcoming.
“Nice to meet you,” I said primly.
Relief that I’d decided to go along with the duplicity swarmed his dark-blue irises. “You, too,” he murmured, walking over to shake my hand.
He sat across from me, joined by his mother. She opened a file and removed my résumé, scanning the neat, typewritten pages.
“So, Harlow, why don’t you start with telling us why you left your last position.”
I almost choked. My eyes darted to his. I expected to see my horror mirrored in his navy gaze. Instead, amusement played around his lips. I knew what those lips felt like. Firm, warm, inviting.
He leaned back and rested his right ankle over his left knee, his arms coming across his chest. Heat rushed to my face at the memory of how inappropriately I’d behaved. I’d thought last Thursday was the worst day ever, except this one was quickly taking the lead.
“I had a difference of opinion with my employers,” I said, deciding I’d concentrate on his mother for the rest of the interview. Easier and far less embarrassing for both of us.
His mother’s scrutinizing gaze locked on mine. “What kind of a difference of opinion?”
Fuck. I refused to lie, even if the truth wasn’t something I particularly wanted to discuss in detail.
“I’d rather not be gratuitous, Mrs. Ellis,” I said. “Let’s just say that the male parent’s conduct left a lot to be desired, and the duties he had in mind most certainly weren’t in my employment contract.”
Mrs. Ellis’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness.” She clasped a hand to her chest and turned her attention to Oliver, then looked back at me. “Well, that isn’t something of concern here. I brought up my son with manners, and to respect women.”
Yes, I know.
She harrumphed. “Some people truly are foul individuals.”
I nodded and offered a faint smile. “Yes, they are.”
She scanned the papers in her lap. “Let’s move on, shall we? Tell me, what made you want to work with children?”
The rest of the interview went off without a hitch. After I’d been questioned for forty-five minutes, Mrs. Ellis slotted my résumé into a folder and placed it beside her.
“Do you have any questions for us?”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe so, no.”
“Would you like to meet Annie?” she asked.
I smiled. “I’d love to,” I said, partly because to give any other answer would come across as strange, and I had a genuine interest in what Oliver’s daughter looked like. Would she have her father’s dark, wavy hair and swoonworthy blue eyes, or had she inherited her mother’s genes?
“I’ll go fetch her,” Oliver said.
His mother patted his hand. “No, no. I’ll go. You chat with Harlow.”
Oh god.
She left the room. An oppressive feeling descended, and I avoided Oliver’s eyes while I nibbled on my bottom lip and picked at a piece of fluff on my best suit. Until today, I’d called it my lucky suit. That would change soon.
“I’m sorry,” Oliver said.
I brought my head up, meeting his intense gaze. A fluttering set off in my belly, but I clamped down on it. Just because he seemed like a nice guy on the surface didn’t make him one. My problem was I trusted too easily and always ended up on the receiving end of a steaming pile of shit. Well, no more. I was sticking by my mantra that all men were bastards, even if they came packaged as a stunningly handsome single dad.
“You have nothing to apologize for. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come. But my agency only mentioned a Liv Ellis.” I glanced away. “I feel like such an idiot.”
“Please don’t,” he said. “It’s not a pro—”
The door burst open, and in came Annie, clutching her grandmother’s hand. No denying Oliver was her father. She was like a miniature version, only with feminine features. Same dark, wavy hair, same navy-blue eyes. Same strong, determined jaw.
She wrenched free and ran over to me. “Are you going to be my new nanny?”
Blindsided by her directness, I widened my eyes. “Well, um—”
“I know Daddy and Nanan have been interviewing other people, but I didn’t get to meet them. That must mean they like you.” She sat beside me, staring up at me with beseeching eyes. “And if my daddy likes you, then I like you.”
My chest tightened. What an absolute sweetheart.
“I’m going to miss Nanan a lot when she goes away,” she continued, her declaration accompanied by a lip wobble. She peeked quickly at her grandmother. “But Nanan told me that she’d find me the bestest nanny in the world to take care of me and Daddy until she comes home.”
I sneaked a peek at Oliver. He was watching me intently, his fingertips stroking his chin, deep in thought. I tore my gaze away.
“I’m sure you will miss your Nanan, Annie,” I said, purposely ambiguous with my answer. It didn’t matter whether they offered me the position. I couldn’t take it. I’d always be the woman who drunkenly kissed a stranger, and he’d be on edge waiting for me to jump him again. No, it simply wouldn’t work.
“But whoever gets to take care of you is so lucky.” I put my arm around her and gave her a quick squeeze.
She grinned. “Do you want to see my bedroom?”
I cut my gaze to Oliver and his mother. He still had that intense look on his face, a direct contrast to his mother’s beaming smile and encouraging nod.
“I’d love to,” I said.
“Yay!” Annie grabbed my hand and tugged me to my feet.
After she’d excitedly shown me every single toy she owned and pulled all her favorite games out of an enormous stack in one of her closets, we headed back downstairs. My heart felt uncomfortable, sitting heavily in my chest. This job was perfect in every way, and I’d already connected with Annie.
If only I hadn’t gotten drunk.
If only I hadn’t made a fool of myself.
If only I hadn’t kissed Oliver.
What a fuckup.
We returned to the formal living room to find Mrs. Ellis alone. Where was Oliver?
&n
bsp; “Ah, there you are,” she said. “Are you sure you don’t need to ask me anything else?”
“No, Mrs. Ellis.”
“Excellent,” she said. “I’ll see you out. Annie, say goodbye to Harlow, then go eat your dinner. Your father is in the kitchen preparing it.”
I almost choked. Jesus. He’s man of the fucking year.
I crouched to Annie’s level. “Bye, sweetheart.”
“Bye, Harlow. I will see you again soon, won’t I?”
I refused to lie to her, so I pinched her nose instead, drawing an adorable giggle from her. “Be good.”
“Okay,” she said good-naturedly, skipping out of the room.
“She’s beautiful,” I said.
Mrs. Ellis nodded, pride oozing from every pore. “She certainly is. The center of our lives. I will miss her terribly.”
“There’s always FaceTime or Skype,” I said.
She smiled. “How right you are.”
We returned to the foyer where she shook my hand. “I’ll be in touch very soon, Miss Winter.”
The tone of her voice and the firmness of her grip showed she’d come to a decision, and no doubt, when she made the offer and I declined, it would leave her terribly confused. Still, I couldn’t help that. You reap what you sow. That had been a favorite mantra of my mother’s growing up when I’d come home with yet another disappointing report card from school.
For the first time, I understood what she meant.
I rode the elevator back to the lobby and exited onto the street. The sun had set while I’d been inside. I glanced up at the building, beyond frustrated at myself for screwing up such a wonderful opportunity.
Halfway to the subway, my cell rang. I tugged it out of my coat pocket and glanced at the screen. Here we go. “Hey, Tamara.”
“Great news, Harlow. You nailed it,” she enthused. “They loved you and want you to start as soon as possible. I’ll get the paperwork sent over tonight. If you can get it back to me straight away, I’ll work late to push it all through.”
I gave a long, low sigh, my heart thudding dully against my ribs. “I’m so sorry, Tamara, but I can’t take it,” I said, my tone flat and dull.
Life sucked. Sucked.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Tamara demanded. “Of course you’re taking it. It’s perfect for you.”
“It is absolutely perfect,” I agreed. “I can’t go into the details of why, but I can’t accept the position. I’m sorry.”
I cut the call and immediately switched my phone off. I knew Tamara. She wouldn’t leave it there, but I needed time to think before I faced the ensuing interrogation.
What am I going to do now?
4
Oliver
“I don’t believe it,” Mom exclaimed, crazily waving her phone in the air.
“What don’t you believe?” I asked, shoving Annie’s plate closer to her. “Eat another sprig of broccoli and then you can get down.”
Annie pouted. “I don’t want any more.”
I sighed. She’d been acting up ever since Harlow left. I still had reservations about Mom offering her the position, but Annie had been so taken with her that I’d put my own reticence to one side and gone with the right course of action for my daughter. And besides, it was clear to see the affinity Harlow had with kids. She had that intangible ability of being able to engage on a level kids understood. A rare and precious gift.
“You can go, Annie,” my mother said.
I glared at her for overruling my decision as Annie beamed, scrambled off her chair, and skipped out of the kitchen, delighted at having gotten her own way.
“What the hell, Mother? I’m trying to teach her she can’t always do what she wants.”
Mom made a calming motion with her hands. “Normally I’d agree with you, but I didn’t want her to hear this.” She sat on the seat beside me and tossed her phone on the table. “Harlow declined our offer.”
“She did? Why?” I played along, even though I knew the precise reason Harlow had declined a job she urgently needed.
Mom shrugged. “I have no idea. Her agency just called. When they rang to make the offer, she told them she couldn’t take the job. No further explanation, just a straight no. It makes no sense. She didn’t give me that impression at all.” Mom rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know what we’re going to do, Oliver. None of the others were remotely suitable, and Annie took to Harlow. So did I.” She narrowed her eyes. “Did you say anything to upset her when I went to fetch Annie?”
My forehead creased. “Like what?”
She patted my arm and let out a deep sigh. “Ignore me. She was so perfect, that’s all.”
An idea quickly took form. I needed to talk to Harlow. I agreed with Mom that we’d found the best candidate even if, from my perspective, she wasn’t the ideal candidate. We’d always have that unsolicited kiss between us, but we were also both adults. I had to convince Harlow to accept our offer. The thought of starting from scratch, especially given some of the potential candidates a bunch of top agencies in New York had sent, filled me with dread.
“Mom, I need to go out for a couple of hours. Can you watch Annie?”
“Always, darling, but what’s so urgent?”
I gestured dismissively. “A work thing I forgot about. I won’t be long.”
Mom gave me one of her looks. “And this is precisely why we need to find a live-in nanny.” Her lips pinched in at the sides. “I’ll have to cancel my trip.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” I said. “We’ll figure it out.”
I slipped my cell phone in my pocket and grabbed a set of car keys. I made a detour to my office and sorted through the résumés on my desk until I found Harlow’s. I scanned the address, calculating it would take me about forty minutes to drive there providing I didn’t get caught in heavy traffic.
I had to park a couple of blocks over from her place, and as I made my way to her apartment, I rehearsed my speech. Somehow, I had to convince her that our brief crossing of paths last Thursday shouldn’t stop her from taking the position. I also knew she needed the money, and like any good businessman, I would use that knowledge to my advantage.
One thing I couldn’t allow to happen was Mom canceling her trip. She deserved a life of her own, and by God, I wouldn’t be the one to stand in her way.
Harlow’s place was on the tenth floor. I checked the numbers on the doors as I walked along the hallway, locating the correct apartment about two-thirds down. I rapped twice and waited.
When she opened the door, her eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline as she realized it was me standing outside.
“Can I speak with you for a moment?” I asked.
“Ah, um… sure.” She rubbed her forehead, then stepped back, inviting me in. “Have a seat.”
I glanced around. The apartment was small but neat and tidy with floral cushions dotted about and soft drapes at the window. I chose the chair, leaving the sofa free for her. She sat primly, her back pole-straight, her knitted hands resting in her lap.
“I believe you turned down our offer of employment,” I said, deciding that cutting to the chase was the best course of action. She’d know the exact reason I was here anyway. No point skirting around the issue.
She pulled her bottom lip in, her teeth repeatedly grazing over the soft skin. “Yes.”
I brushed my fingertips over my chin. “May I ask why?” I wanted her to tell me, rather than make an educated guess. I mean, I could be wrong and she had another, perfectly legitimate reason for turning down the job.
She laughed, the sound bitter and short. “You have to ask why?” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry about what happened last week. I feel like a klutz and an idiot. I want you to know that I’m not in the habit of getting drunk and throwing myself at strangers. It had been a very tough day.”
“I’m aware.” I quirked an eyebrow in an effort to put her at ease. Before she’d kissed me, we’d enjoyed some fun banter together. No
reason why we couldn’t have a perfectly good working relationship. And as I sat before her, my resolve hardened, despite my initial hesitancy. I had to find a way to convince her that her actions last week didn’t matter.
Because they didn’t matter.
She stroked the space between her eyebrows. “See, this is what I mean. Even if I accepted the job, every time you looked at me, you’d see the inebriated girl who told half the bar about her relationship and employment difficulties, and then kissed you without invitation.”
“And that means we can bypass the ‘getting to know you’ stage.”
She shook her head. “You really are crazy.”
“I believe we established that as well.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. “Yes, we did.”
I leaned forward and dangled my hands loosely between my thighs. “What happened, happened. Forget it. What matters, to me at least, is that out of the ten potential candidates we saw, you were the only one we allowed Annie to meet. And the fact she took to you so quickly is a huge comfort to me. Kids have a sixth sense about people, and if you’re good enough for my daughter, then you’re good enough for me.”
She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. I took the opportunity to reassure her about something else that could be on her mind.
“I might not be a single mom, nor a lesbian.” I waggled my eyebrows. She laughed, this time more naturally. “But I can one hundred percent reassure you that you will not have to deal with any kind of inappropriate behavior from me. I believe we can build a professional working relationship. Maybe even, over time, become friends.”
I spoke the truth, too. After what Sara did, my trust in women had been well and truly erased. Betrayal would do that to a man.
Thanks for that, Sara.
Harlow lowered her head, her lips pressed tight, and then she expelled a long, drawn-out sigh. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I do. You’re perfect for this role, and I’m in the habit of getting my own way. You wouldn’t want to be the one to break my winning streak, would you?”
She grinned, shaking her head. “Crazy, crazy man.”
Enraptured: A Billionaire Romance (The ROGUES Series Book 2) Page 3