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“No, I didn’t! I wasn’t sure if I was staying.”
The woman’s face fell. “You’re not taking the job? Oh, but you must. Miss Elle has been so much easier to deal with since Mr. Hudson told her last night that you’re coming to live here.”
“Oh. I just wasn’t sure if I was hired or not. I didn’t…” I trailed off as the woman gestured for me to come inside. “Anyway, I guess I’ll bring my things later today.”
She beamed. “That’s wonderful. They’re both in Miss Elle’s room, and I’ll show you the way.”
I followed the maid, asking, “What’s your name?” as we walked.
“I’m Betsy. I’ve been with the Hudsons for almost three years.”
“Were you here during the divorce?”
Betsy hesitated to answer.
“Sorry to ask that. I shouldn’t have.”
The other woman shrugged. “It’s natural to be curious, especially since you knew Mrs. Hudson before, didn’t you?” At my nod, she said, “I can’t say much, but it wasn’t a pretty separation. It was hard on Miss Elle, but also on Mr. Hudson too.”
“I’m sure. What kind of problems is Elle having?”
“I’ll have Mr. Hudson fill you in, Miss Lindsay.”
“Just Lindsay please.” I stopped when Betsy did, waiting as the other woman knocked before opening the door.
It took every scrap of courage I had to step inside when I heard Ben—Mr. Hudson’s—voice. I braced myself to face him, telling myself I was over the crush.
I believed that until I stepped into the room and got my first sight of him in so many years. God, he was as gorgeous as ever. If I remembered correctly, he would be thirty-four, and the first trace of gray graced his temples. It just made him sexier than ever.
The lines may be deeper on his face, but they didn’t detract a single bit from his handsomeness. They just underscored how hard the past few years had been on him. A concern I had no right to have, I reminded myself as I took a hesitant step forward.
“Hello, Mr. Hudson.” Why was it so hard to get out a simple greeting?
He inclined his head, his expression inscrutable. “Hello, Lindsay. Elle, your nanny is here,” he called over his shoulder.
A moment later, Elle emerged from what I presumed was a walk-in closet. She seemed just as shy with me as I felt around Ben…Mr. Hudson. “Hi, sweetie.”
Elle hesitated for another half-second before running across the room and throwing herself against me. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Lindsay.” She whispered the words before burying her face against my stomach.
“Me too, Elle.” I patted her back as I said the words. They were the right thing to say, but I didn’t know if they were true yet. I was glad to help Elle if I could, but I didn’t know if being in the Hudsons’ apartment was a good idea. I clearly wasn’t over the crush I’d had on Mr. Hudson, which was more dangerous than ever. Even if he didn’t feel the same, and how could he—he shouldn’t!—I could still get my heart broken from the desperate hope and the disappointment which was inevitable.
Chapter 5
Ben
Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
This wasn’t good at all. She was supposed to be a chubby, bespectacled board of a girl, not a curvy, smoking-hot young woman. Her chubbiness had melted to glorious curves that needed caressing while I drove myself inside her slick heat. The kind of curves that would provide the perfect amount of cushioning while thrusting into her.
I forced myself to look away and take several deep breaths while she and Elle were reacquainted. This was a disaster, but I couldn’t lose focus or reveal any hint of what I was thinking. The last thing I needed to do was scare her away, and if I came across as a creepy old lech, she wouldn’t stick around no matter how much she liked Elle.
&n
bsp; When there was a lull in the moment my daughter and the nanny were sharing, I took a step closer and held out my hand. When she accepted it, I had to bite back a groan at the arc of electricity that zinged my palm. “Thank you for helping us out, Lindsay. I’m sorry for the short notice.”
She smiled, and the shyness there was somehow infinitely more seductive than the open flirtation I was accustomed to from women who wanted me.
“I’m happy to help, and this was an unexpected opportunity for me. Mr. Baylor said—”
