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Brandon nods proudly. “Yep. She’s hard-working, flexible, great with kids, and she has a ton of experience.”
“That’s great.” I grab my leatherbound diary and flip to the page where I’ve been keeping contact details for any potential hires. All five have been scrubbed out so far, all for different reasons. Too young, too stern, too flirtatious, too moon-eyed when they walk through the door and see my success up close. I need somebody I can trust not just to take care of Leo, but to treat me like any other parent. Apparently, that’s too much to ask. “Do you have her details?”
“Yep.” He gives me a phone number, and I note it down.
“What’s the name?”
Brandon hesitates.
I narrow my eyes. There’s only one nanny I can think of, and he knows as well as I do that I have no interest in hiring her.
“No.” I close the notebook and go back to my salad.
“Oh, come on, Ro. She’s great at what she does. Leo will love her!”
“Aren’t you two fighting right now, anyway?” I ask around a piece of spinach. “Why the hell are you trying to help her?”
“I’m worried about her.” He fidgets with his sweet potato fries, face darkening slightly.
Enough to make me lean forward sharply. Worried? “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing — or so she says. I don’t know, though. She’s been acting weird since she got back, and not just because of the engagement.” He slumps back in his chair, tucking and untucking his tie into his shirt.
He’s really worried. Of course, he is. He’s her big brother, and if that kiss is anything to go by, she isn’t acting herself. My gut flips with an irritating, indecipherable feeling. I can’t pretend I haven’t thought about her since the Hamptons. Can’t pretend I haven’t imagined finishing what we started while I’m lying in bed alone late at night, my hand around my cock. But this, now, isn’t desire.
This is something that feels awfully like concern.
“Weird how?” I question, trying to play it off as curiosity.
He shrugs. “She broke down the night of the party saying she’s low on funds. I don’t know how she burned through everything, man. She’s usually pretty sensible with money. I think something happened in Italy. Something she’s not telling us.”
It is surprising to hear she’s struggling with money. Her parents have plenty to spare — enough to put them both through college at Columbia. Unlike most of my old friends and anyone else who knows about my wealth, Brandon has never asked for a dime. He’s never had to.
Still, there’s no way I can hire her after that kiss. It would be wildly unprofessional, the exact situation I’m trying to avoid. I take Leo’s care seriously. I can’t bring Madison into her life with all that sexual frustration lying between us.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help. I’d rather employ someone who isn’t tied to my personal or business life.”
Brandon frowns. “But you’re desperate, and so is she.”
I shake my head. “Not that desperate.”
“Roman, she’d be great with Leo?—”
“No,” I answer firmly, and then I push my salad aside and open my laptop again. “If you don’t mind, I’m expecting a call. Can we catch up another day?”
He looks like a puppy who’s been left at a shelter, but I remind myself that it isn’t my problem. I’m not here to do people favors, especially not her. I’m sure she’ll have no trouble finding work, especially with her experience as an au pair.
That’s what I tell myself as Brandon slams my door without a word, anyway.
CHAPTER6
Madison
o o o
“I’m not saying that I’m the best big brother ever, but… I just might be.” Brandon walks into the living room with a dramatic flourish and folds his blazer over the back of the couch. Arthur hops up with a wagging tail like the traitor he is, getting a few smooches before he goes back to resting on my lap.
“That’s debatable.” Rolling my eyes, I tip my head back to look at him. His upside-down, hideously smug grin is wide and beaming. It irks me. He’s trying to brush his engagement with Chloe under the pristine beige rugs, and it isn’t fair. Granted, there’s nothing he can say or do that will take back the betrayal, but still. Wouldn’t hurt him to try.
