Italian Escape with Her Fake Fiancé

by Sophie Pembroke

  “Well, Mr. Manelli. You’re certainly not what I expected.”

  “What were you expecting?”

  The masculine voice from the left made her jump. She pressed her hand to her chest, not knowing whether to die of embarrassment or laugh because she’d been caught talking to a dog.

  She chose dignity and turned, offering her hand. “Mr. Manelli?”

  But when she raised her gaze to meet his, her heart stuttered. Tall and slim, with perfectly cut short black hair and piercing dark eyes, he was polished but also sexy and male. She could picture him in a bedroom lit only by a few white candles, pouring wine into expensive flutes, turning lovemaking into an art.

  She blinked. Where the heck had that come from?

  “Yes. I’m Danny Manelli. And you must be Marnie Olsen, my two o’clock nanny interview.”

  “Yes.”

  He shook her hand once, a crisp movement, before he released her and walked to his desk. He picked up the puppy. “Oswald, we’ve talked about this. Your bachelor’s degree isn’t enough. You have to go to law school and pass the bar before you can edit documents.”

  His sense of humor surprised her. The puppy wiggled around in his arms until his pink tongue could reach Danny Manelli’s face. Then he licked his clean-shaven chin. His tail wagged. His fat tummy jiggled with the frenetic movement. He didn’t seem to know what to do with his big paws.

  Marnie put her fingers to her lips to hold back a laugh. They were quite a pair. The gorgeous executive and the wiggly puppy. Except—

  Oswald? She frowned. He definitely had the dog’s name wrong.

  “That dog’s not an Oswald.”

  Danny Manelli looked at her as if she’d stolen his last cookie. “Excuse me?”

  “He’s a Wiggles,” she said, walking over to pet the puppy. His ears perked up. His tail wagged wildly. His oversize paws hung over Danny’s forearms. Considering their size, Oswald/Wiggles had to be a yellow Lab.

  “You’re a Wiggles, aren’t you, sweetie?” She took the furry ball of energy from his owner, and the dog rewarded her with what felt like eighty rapid-fire chin licks. “Oh, and I see someone hasn’t gone to obedience school.”

  “I had a dog as a child. He never went to obedience school.”

  “Where’d you live?”

  “Upstate.”

  She winced. “Small-town living is very different than Park Avenue. You’ll be taking Wiggles for walks with your little boy. He’s going to see other dogs. Run into people he doesn’t know. As playful as he is,” she said, as the dog enthusiastically squirmed in her arms, “he’s going to make contact, and when he does, it might not always end well.”

  “I thought you were a nanny.”

  “I am.”

  “Not a dog expert.”

  His cool voice sent fear shivering through her again. Danny Manelli was offering three times her usual fee for this job and she needed the money. She also liked the idea that this assignment could turn permanent. She didn’t want to lose it over a throwaway comment.

  “Lots of the people I worked for were dog owners. That’s why I’m familiar with the system.”

  “Then maybe you should train him?”

  The fear rose again. She hated that she was so uncomfortable around new people. She could blame Roger Martin. Let her dread take over and apologetically stumble her way through the interview—

  Instead, she forgot all that, raised her chin and looked Danny Manelli in the eye. This was her dream assignment. After a few months of probation, she could have full-time employment. It could mean working with the same child the whole way through his teen years, getting to know him and his family, while making enough money to set some aside. She refused to let it slip through her fingers.

  “That’s a job for a pro.”

  “You’re telling me I need to hire someone?”

  “Or enroll him in a school. There are some excellent choices. I can get you a list.”

  “I guess I’ll have to take you up on that.”

  Her muscles relaxed. Her breathing returned to normal. For a few seconds, neither spoke. Danny Manelli studied her face as if trying to determine her honesty. Or maybe because nobody had ever told him what to do. Whatever his reason, she stood still under his scrutiny. If he assessed character from a person’s face, she would give him time to realize she might be nervous, but she was honest.

  Danny reached for the puppy and she handed him over. “Please sit.” He pointed to the seat across from his desk. “Excuse my lack of focus. The past few months my life sort of imploded.”

  “Discovering you’re the parent of a two-year-old would be difficult.”

  “It’s more than that.” He put the pup on a small dog bed at his feet and gave him a chew toy. “And if you’re going to work for me you need to know.”

  “Okay.”

  “I was recently told I was adopted.”

  “Oh.”

  “I now have a biological father who wants to be in my life, as well as adoptive parents who raised me, who deserve the place my biological father is usurping.”

  “That’s awkward.”

  “You don’t know the half of it.” He shook his head. “My biological father is Mark Hinton.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Mark Hinton? The guy who faked his death?”

  “He claims he didn’t. That his boat had stalled, and he got himself to safety and never saw the news or went on the internet for the months he was gone.”

  “Wow.”

  “Oh, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. He’s a lot like a tornado. When he comes in, he crashes into everything. And he brings an entourage of bodyguards. Everyone in the family has them now. Nosy and ridiculous as he is, he dug into my personal life, found my son and decided that was reason enough to upend the lives of at least eight people.”

  Marnie sat back, not knowing what to say. As someone who had worked in other people’s homes, seen other people’s problems up close and personal without ever getting involved, she would normally answer with something neutral and benign. But this was an interview and, undoubtedly, he wanted her reaction to what he’d said about his father, the infamous Mark Hinton.

  But for the life of her, she couldn’t think of an appropriate response. Her mom was an alcoholic, her dad a real estate mogul accustomed to everyone doing his bidding. When living with her mom had become embarrassing, he’d packed up himself and her brother and gone. He’d wanted Marnie to come with them, but she’d stayed, one more day, unable to leave her unconscious mom for fear she’d die. The next morning when her mom had awakened, still not quite sober, she couldn’t reach her husband—who wasn’t answering her calls—and she’d shattered into a million tiny pieces. She’d found an A.A. meeting and she’d been sober since.

  Yet her dad hadn’t come home. He’d also refused to see Marnie or let Marnie see her little brother. He’d called her a defector.

  She cleared her throat. “I know a bit about parental drama.”

  “This isn’t drama. This is a man who comes in and takes over people’s lives. You’ll be dealing with him.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll be fine. Without breaking confidences, I can tell you I’ve handled a few difficult grandparents. Plus, one of the big perks of being a nanny is that I can always take the child and retreat to the nursery. It’s a subtle but effective way of showing an adult like a grandparent that if he missteps, he loses time with the child he came to see.”

  Danny smiled—his first real smile since she’d entered the room—and it transformed his face, melting the severe lines in his forehead and around his mouth. “That’s perfect.”

  Her heart flipped over in her chest. Attraction rippled through her, surprising her. Though she’d dated on and off in the six years she’d been at university, it had been a long, long time since she’d had an instinctive reaction like t
his. Part lust. Part longing.

  Longing for something she couldn’t have.

  No. Something she wouldn’t risk. Not when financial security was at stake.

  She schooled her face. Landing this job didn’t merely provide room and board. It secured her future. Attraction was nothing but hormones. She knew firsthand the trouble they could cause.

  So, no thanks.

  “Nannies always do what’s best for the child. Including sanctioning their grandparents.”

  He sniffed a laugh. “It still sounds perfect to me.”

  “Your little boy will be my responsibility. I don’t take that lightly. I also don’t let people push me around.”

  She’d had enough of that to last a lifetime. Running scared. Changing high schools. Using her mom’s maiden name—

  She stopped her thoughts. She knew her mind kept jerking in the direction of her secret because of the building. The memories it evoked.

  She put herself back into interview mode and said, “I can handle anything your new father dishes out.”

  * * *

  Danny laughed. Really laughed. For the first time in months, he felt a little bit of the burden that had become his life chip away. Not only did he have full custody of his son, but he was in the process of hiring a nanny who would make their time together a fun experience.

  The last woman he’d interviewed had looked so much like Mary Poppins, he’d almost hired her on the spot, especially considering she had a great résumé. To be fair to the other candidates, he hadn’t. But the choice was a no-brainer. He was selecting the nanny who knew how to care for his child, so he wouldn’t have even one worry. He could simply enjoy raising his son.

  Now this woman—Marnie Olsen—was showing him she could do the job too. Despite being so young.

  He looked across the desk at her. Average height. Average weight. In an average floral print dress, blazer and black shoes. Her red-brown hair had been pinned into a knot of some sort at her nape. But she couldn’t hide or tone down her lush lips, or the vivid green eyes that watched him carefully.

  As they should. If she became Rex’s nanny, she’d be knee-deep in Hintonville. The crazy world that had taken over his life. Because of Mark, he’d discovered his son, had two half sisters and was about to get a new stepmom when his dad finally married the love of his life.

  But also because of his dad, his adoptive parents felt out of place. Though Danny was trying to smooth things over, he was angry with them for never telling him he was adopted, not warning him that he was the child of a crazy billionaire. Or that someday his life could implode.

  In case Mary Poppins didn’t take the assignment, he had to interview Marnie Olsen as if she would be entering that messed-up chaotic world.

  “The agency sent you to me because they believe you are one of three people qualified to do this job.”

  “Yes. They told me.” She smiled. “Typically, though, I just get assignments. I don’t go on interviews.”

  “This is a long-term thing. My son’s mother is about to become a vice president for a bank in Europe. It’s a huge opportunity for her and we decided that I was the better candidate to have custody of Rex.”

  “Mrs. Harper said the assignment could turn permanent.”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No. I’ve just never worked with the same child for a year, let alone long term.” Her lips lifted into a beautiful smile. “I love children. I’m fully capable of stepping back when an assignment is over...but it would be wonderful to help raise a little boy, watch him grow and learn.”

  Danny’s heart took a funny leap. She was gorgeous when she smiled and her green eyes lit up. He knew instinctively that Rex would love her and, truth be told, if Danny had to have another person living in his home it would be nice to have someone so pleasant.

  Mary Poppins slipped a bit on the desirability scale.

  He cleared his throat. “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

  Something flickered across her face. “Myself?”

  Confused by her hesitancy, Danny sat forward. “Your past assignments.”

  Her smile returned. “I put myself through university as a part-time nanny. It was good money and I could refuse assignments when I needed to study for midterms or finals or do a paper.” She shrugged. “I’ve been with all kinds of kids. I’ve nannied babies and toddlers and children I took to school.” She paused for a second. “Never had a teenager though.”

  “But you have handled toddlers?”

  “The terrible twos are nothing to me.”

  “Terrible twos are scaring me silly,” Danny said, wincing. “So far Rex has been a perfect angel. But I know trouble is coming.”

  “Trouble is in the eye of the beholder. All kids can be naughty. All kids experiment. The real bottom line is how you react. For instance, if your little boy unravels all the toilet paper, and you explain to him that you know how much fun it is to spin the whole roll to the floor, but that’s wasteful, then he learns something. But if you find him in the bathroom surrounded by white tissue, and you go ballistic, you only confuse him.”

  Considering how Mark had upset everyone’s life, he really liked the idea of his son being raised in a quiet, gentle environment. “I get that. My mom was a learn-your-lesson disciplinarian. My dad was a yeller. I learned so much more from my mom.”

  “Precisely.”

  “So, what’s your favorite part about being a nanny?”

  “The kids. I like to get down on the floor and play. I love when they’re talkative because they have such an interesting perspective on life. Everything’s new to them.”

  “Rex would love that.”

  “It’s fun for me too. I have been known to create some really great finger paintings.”

  He laughed.

  “And my mom still puts them on the fridge when I bring them home.”

  “You sound like someone who should be a teacher.”

  Her face glowed but she sniffed. “No. I love working one-on-one with the kids I’m nannying. I’ve been studying the latest research on things like the effect of art in a child’s life. Music, painting, sculpture, dance...” She nodded at Oswald. “Even pets. The close relationship of a caregiver gives me the chance to expose a child to all those things and watch him or her grow.”

  That was exactly what he wanted for Rex. With all the money in the world at their disposal, his son could be, have or do anything he wanted. Having someone who would expose him to art, teach him to look around and enjoy, would be amazing.

  He fought the urge to change his mind about hiring Mary Poppins, a nice, middle-aged woman who’d raised five kids. Marnie was young and happy. He wasn’t saying Mary Poppins had a face like a prune... But there was a certain resemblance. His entire life his son would have anything he wanted. Rex needed someone to teach him to appreciate it.

  Danny leaned back, angling his elbow on the arm of his chair and resting his jaw on his closed fist. “I’m doing second interviews...with Rex at my penthouse tonight.” He hadn’t planned on asking Marnie to come to his penthouse, but something in his gut told him she was the one. It had to be wrong. Mary Poppins had the best résumé. Still...

  He didn’t remember his instincts ever being this strong.

  “I was planning on having all the candidates come to my house tonight.” He shook his head, hoping the instinct would go away. It didn’t. If anything, it got stronger. Plus, he was working with a service. Not one-on-one with the nannies. If Marnie didn’t pan out, he could call her boss and exchange her for Mary Poppins.

  “But I don’t think there’s a need for that. I’d like to hire you.”

  Her mouth fell open. She gaped at him for a few seconds before she said, “Oh my gosh! That’s wonderful!” She bounced up from her seat. “You won’t be sorry!”

  He hoped he wouldn’t be.
He waited for a ping of anxiety or a sense that he’d made a mistake, but nothing came. He wrote down the address, then stood and handed it across the desk. “I’ll see you tonight at eight.”

  Her face absolutely glowed. “See you at eight.”

  He watched her leave, his gut positive he’d done the right thing. While his brain hoped to hell he wasn’t turning into an impulsive goofball like his biological dad.

  Copyright © 2020 by Linda Susan Meier

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  ISBN-13: 9781488065217

  Italian Escape with Her Fake Fiancé

  Copyright © 2020 by Sophie Pembroke

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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