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April was expecting a long hallway, so it came as a shock when the elevator opened directly into the light-filled loft of the penthouse.
She didn’t see anyone, so she decided to step inside.
When her eyes adjusted, she found that the outside walls of the massive space were glass, just as she had feared. A dizzying view of the tops of the other city buildings and the floating airships had her gulping down a steadying breath as the elevator doors closed behind her.
She tore her eyes from the windows and focused on the interior. In spite of the polished-concrete floor, and glass exterior walls, the place was decorated more like a farmhouse than a penthouse.
Beautiful hand knotted rugs on the floors made the open space feel like a collection of cozy rooms. Fluffy throws on every sofa and chunky wood tables and buffets added to the sense that she was somehow in a Hearth Day coffee commercial and a minimalist spaceship at the same time.
“Hello,” she called out softly.
No one answered.
She slipped her shoes off to join several other pairs on a bamboo mat, and padded further into the strange flat.
A light scent of fresh pine drifted through the air, adding to the impression of a country house.
She could just hear a voice coming from the right, so she followed it, past several sitting areas and into a massive, industrial-looking kitchen with honest-to-goodness gingham towels, where a man was leaning against the stone counter with his back to her, talking on his comms.
The man was tall and lean, with wide shoulders and hair so dark it was almost a blue-black. Something about his build made her think of the superhero comics she’d been obsessed with as a little kid. He looked solid.
“Okay, thanks,” he said into his comms, straightening up.
“The agency says the new nanny should be here by now,” he said to April without turning around.
What?
“She is here,” April replied, feeling a little confused.
“Then let her in and show her to her room,” he said impatiently, finally turning to her.
Sweet angels.
He was even more gorgeous than she had let herself imagine when seeing the very attractive back of him. And she had let herself imagine a lot.
He was so tall when he straightened up that he loomed over her, his moody expression doing nothing to mar the chiseled planes of his handsome face.
His skin was a mottled green that made her think of a tiger. As he looked at her, she swore the color deepened slightly.
But all of that paled in comparison to the feral beauty of his eyes. They were large, an amber color so light it almost seemed like they were glowing. They reminded her of the pictures of wolves in the storybooks from Old Earth.
He blinked at her once in surprise, momentarily hiding his hypnotic eyes behind long, blue-black lashes that seemed almost criminally graceful on such a masculine face.
Desire unfurled in her belly, and she felt blood rushing to her cheeks in shame. She had never reacted to a man this way, wanting him senselessly.
She didn’t even know him, and what little she did know told her he was a terrible boss.
His eyes burned into hers with something akin to fury.
Well, who could blame him? She was supposed to be here to look after his child, not ogle him.
But there was something about the clench of his jaw that didn’t look like anger. It almost looked like…
Suddenly, there was a scream like a wild animal caught in a trap, and then small footsteps pounded toward the kitchen.
April tore her eyes from his just in time to see a tiny girl, covered in purple paint, streak toward them.
