Rowyn might have been imagining it, but Eliza’s voice was a little deeper than it had been. Eliza cleared her throat as she opened the dishwasher and reached out to take the plates that Rowyn had cleared off. Their fingers brushed slightly, and they both froze. Electricity thrummed through Rowyn at the featherlight touch, and her breath hitched. Eliza’s eyes blazed with a look she wasn’t quick enough to hide.
I need this job. I need this job. I need this job.
“I need to unpack and get an early night. I read from the notes you sent that the kids are early risers, so I’ll set my alarm for a little before them. Thanks for the food.”
Eliza nodded as Rowyn awkwardly backed away and out the door. She had the distinct feeling that Eliza’s eyes were still on her as she turned to walk toward the stairs. The ridiculous part of her brain hoped that Eliza would follow her and kiss her in the way Rowyn was sure had crossed her mind moments ago. The rational part of her brain knew that would be game over for this job and for the new chapter of her life that Rowyn so desperately needed to work.
“Rowyn?”
Rowyn’s heart started hammering at the whispered words as she paused on the stairs. Was this happening? Would she let it? The answer to that question was without a doubt yes, no matter how much she tried to convince herself she had more willpower than that.
Rowyn turned and her heart sank in both relief and regret.
“You left this behind,” Eliza said as she held out Rowyn’s phone to her.
Rowyn took the phone, and they stood for a moment longer with their eyes searching each other. Rowyn knew without a doubt that all she had to do was lean forward and press her lips to Eliza’s, and they would end this night much like they had the previous. With Eliza being her boss, Rowyn was certain she would never make that move. The hunger in her eyes promised that she wouldn’t stop Rowyn from doing it.
Rowyn conjured up every last ounce of willpower that she had and averted her eyes with a quick “thanks” before fleeing to the safety of her bedroom. She would have to work on getting her hormones in check and maybe put feelers out to the agency about a new role sooner rather than later. Even if the idea of never seeing Eliza’s face again left her with an ache she was too tired to figure out.
Chapter Five
“I told you you wouldn’t always like what I had to say. This is one of those times.”
Eliza clenched her fist to hold in her frustration as she measured her words.
“I’m willing to listen to what you have to say, whether I like it or not. What I’m not willing to do is compromise on my children’s education.”
Rowyn looked as if she wanted to roll her eyes, a gesture Eliza was certain she had contained many times during the past week. The heat that simmered between them that first night had quickly turned into a different kind as they had spent day after day battling about things Eliza did not have time for. She had been concerned that the attraction between them would get in the way of Rowyn being able to do her job, but Eliza didn’t have to worry about that anymore. Rowyn looked at her with suppressed anger, rather than lust, and it was bothering Eliza more than it should.
“Skipping homework for one night is not going to compromise their education. It’s not often we get this kind of good weather in Ireland, and they’ve spent most of the day cooped up in a classroom. I’d like to let them enjoy the rest of the day out in the sun and not be stuck at a table.”
Rowyn spoke the words slowly, as if Eliza was unlikely to understand them otherwise. Eliza had not been challenged so much by anyone but her children in a long time, and it wasn’t a feeling she enjoyed.
“Skipping for one night leads to them asking to skip more. It leads to battles about homework that I only managed to get under control a year ago. I understand that to you, who’ve only been here for five nights, it might seem like a silly thing. But there are rules for a reason. You did not witness the hell we put up with before we got into a better routine with homework and it became nonnegotiable. They are doing their homework.”
Eliza made certain the last sentence held no room for arguments. Rowyn’s jaw clenched and unclenched before she eventually nodded and turned around. Rowyn’s chipper voice rang out as she checked if the kids were finished with their afternoon snack. Eliza turned back toward her office and sighed at the interruption to her day. She worked from home for the first week while each new nanny settled in. It inevitably led to Eliza falling behind in work or being unavailable for periods, which wasn’t something her team were accustomed to. She needed Rowyn to fall in line so that she could return to the office on Monday and focus solely on her job during working hours.
Eliza caught up on the several emails that had landed in her inbox in the ten minutes she had left her laptop. Sounds of laughter had her eyes drawn to the window beside her desk that faced onto the backyard. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of her children, who should’ve been arguing about doing homework, giggling as they lined up sticks beside a blanket where Rowyn sat. Questioning Eliza was one thing, completely disregarding her words was something else altogether. This would not do.
Eliza took a deep breath and got up from the desk. She attempted to calm her anger before she reached the sliding glass doors that led out to the backyard and turned the fire into an icy cool exterior instead.
“Rowyn, a word please.”
The kids’ eyes went wide, and they looked at Rowyn with something akin to pity, but Rowyn wasn’t fazed. She smiled atEliza as she strode closer.
“What’s up?”
Eliza raised both eyebrows and shook her head slowly in disbelief.
“What’s up? What’s up is I know my children, and there isn’t a chance on earth that they have finished their homework yet. You may not agree with my rules, Rowyn, but blatantly ignoring my authority is a step too far. I was very clear—”
Rowyn held out a hand and Eliza’s chest clenched with indignation.
“I’m gonna stop you for a second. I have not ignored anything, and if you’d just let me—”
“Oh, I think I’ve let you do quite enough around here unchecked. So let me be clear. Amelia and Elliot are my children. I have spent eight years working on ensuring they understand the importance of following rules, of focusing on their responsibilities and education, and of listening to what they are told. If you think I’m going to let you undo all of that in a week with your carefree attitude to life because you want to frolic in the sun, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Rowyn flinched backward as if struck by Eliza’s words. Eliza had not raised her voice, to ensure privacy from the children, but by the look on Rowyn’s face the words had landed loudly regardless.
