“Oh, you beautiful boy.” She took him into her arms and tried not to squeeze the life out of him with her hug. “This is so beautiful,” she gushed, and Liam chortled as she rained kisses over his face.
Pulling back, she told him, “Mama’s so proud…” A glimmer of an idea came to her then, and a mischievous little smile curved over her lips. “And now Mama will teach you a new word…”
Chapter 13
Logan couldn’t stop thinking about Tilly, couldn’t stop hearing her sweet little cries over and over in his mind, and worst of all, he couldn’t stop wanting her. He had sported an arousal ever since leaving the ranch, and it had pretty been much his constant state for the rest of the day.
Time seemed to move painfully slowly, and he had lost count of the times he reached for his phone, only to change his mind and toss it back on the desk with a silent curse. He had already acted like an idiot when he texted her this morning. He had always hated women that had a tendency to cling to him like a leech, and there he was, becoming what he had despised, and all because of what?
The fucking nanny, literally?
He had to get a fucking grip of himself, had to—
A knock sounded on the door. “Mr. Hardwall?” Jim came in a moment later. “The nanny is here.”
“The nanny is what?”
Déjà vu, Jim thought, and yet not quite so at the same time. Because unlike before, the billionaire no longer sounded furious. This time, his boss actually sounded…wary?
Like he was hearing something too good to be true, Jim realized.
Logan saw the way the older man started smirking and realized how he had completely given himself away. Shit.
“Ms. Wakefield is coming up as we speak.”
He only allowed himself a grunt this time, not wanting Jim to have even more ammunition against him. Damn old interfering man was getting more all-seeing by the day.
“Shall I turn her away?”
In the act of reaching for a new set of contracts to study, the billionaire jerked in his seat at his assistant’s words. “What? No, for fuck’s sake—” And then he saw the look on Jim’s face.
You’ve just been punk’d, boss.
The billionaire swore, and Jim smiled. Mrs. Montgomery was right, he thought complacently, and it was good that he had the intuition to listen to her. Mathilda Wakefield was indeed a very special girl for Logan Hardwall, and he could only hope things would progress further from here.
“Shall I wait for Ms. Wakefield by the elevator, sir, or would you like to have the honor—”
“She’s just the nanny, dammit.”
“You’re absolutely right, Mr. Hardwall. And as I’m too old for her as well, it would be best if I have one of our executives who’s her age to meet with her and—”
The billionaire strode past him without a word, and the door slammed shut in the older man’s face.
Mission accomplished, Jim thought with a satisfied smile.
Logan’s irritable mood only worsened by the time he made it to the end of the hallway and saw the small circle of employees and executives that had gathered around Tilly and his nephew.
Ninety percent of which consisted of men, the billionaire couldn’t help noticing darkly, and the thought gifted him with a violent urge to punch each and every one of their faces.
Tilly absently looked up, and her startled gaze was immediately captured by brooding dark ones.
Logan!
He saw her pretty face immediately glow, and the sight helped in smoothing the roughened edges of his mood. She was glad to see him. It was written all over her face, and damn if he could understand why that mattered to him.
“Excuse me please, it’s Mr. Hardwall.”
His name worked like magic, the men instantly moving back and sliding away, like the Red Sea parting open.
Because Logan was Moses, Tilly reflected with good-natured humor, and his word was everyone’s command. And since she, too, was under his authority, albeit voluntarily…
Logan’s beautiful face was shuttered when she and Liam finally reached him. “Good afternoon, Mr. Hardwall.”
The impish smile on her lips was a total contrast to her angelic face, and God, he couldn’t recall being this turned on, and the effort it took to control his urge made his voice harsher than usual as he asked, “What are you doing here?”
A part of him was already expecting her to look understandably hurt, but instead her eyes sparkled with impish mirth even as she spoke in a deceptively demure voice. “I’m so sorry for coming unexpectedly—”
Liam, having looked up and realizing who was standing next to them, immediately interrupted with childish glee. “Papa!” That one word had everyone in the office, the billionaire included, coming to a standstill.
Good boy, Liam, Tilly thought approvingly. Even now, the little boy was doing a great job, with the way his arms stretched out to his uncle, and the billionaire, unable to resist Liam’s wordless request, took the baby boy into his arms.