“No, I don’t, but I do at work, where shealso works.”
He hums, deeply unhelpful. “That is complicated.”
Complicated doesn’t begin to cover it.
I hired a designer who is too smart for my peace of mind and too fucking pretty for her own good, then somehow let the situation evolve until she’s also living in my house. I’m responsible for her salary, her job, her living situation. I’m the one who drew the hard line. I’m the one who said nothing could happen.
Then the first time we’re alone, I put my mouth on hers like I’ve lost all basic decency.
“How the hell am I supposed to avoid doing that again?” I mutter.
Maddox’s laugh comes back immediately. “Now we’re getting to the real issue.”
I pull up outside Halsey’s place and put the car in park. “There is no real issue. There is one issue, and it’s that I need to get my shit together.”
“You need to stop wanting to fuck your nanny.”
“I never said—” I cut myself off, cursing under my breath. “Fine. Yes. I want to fuck her, and you’re right, I need tostopwanting that.”
I look toward the townhouse. One of the downstairs lights is on. Penelope’s probably already by the door, coat half-zipped, shouting that my car is outside.
My chest tightens the way it always does before I deal with Halsey.
“I have to go.”
“More nanny issues?” Maddox croons.
I let out a humorless laugh. “Nah. Ex-wife.”
“Good fucking luck, Gray.”
The line clicks dead.
I sit there for one more second, hand still wrapped around the phone, and tell myself to lock it all down.
Whatever happened by the pool stays there.
Carly is Penelope’s nanny.
Carly is my employee.
Carly is off-limits.
No more mistakes.
I get out of the car and head for the front door.
Halsey opens it before I knock, like she’s been watching through the sidelight waiting for the exact moment she can make my evening worse.
She looks immaculate, of course. Cream sweater, bleached blonde hair glossy and pulled up in a bun, like she’s on her way to a date instead of handing off the child she’s supposed to be sharing custody of.
“Right on time,” she says.
I glance past her. “Where’s Pen?”
“In the living room, finishing a cartoon.” Her gaze slides over me, cool and assessing. “She told me there’s a new nanny.”
There it is.“Here we go.”
