“And that’s exactly the reason I think you need to meet Zoe.”
“Who are you introducing to my daughter?”
I’d know that voice anywhere.
Chapter Two
Kingston Grier
I walked into the living room and froze at the sight of the blonde bombshell sitting on my sofa. What the hell was wrong with Adam? I’d been so clear about who I did and didnotwant to interview. Why wasshesitting on my couch?
Adam stood up with a pained expression. “King, this is Briar St. Clair. I have a copy of her resume and background check if you’d—”
“Can we speak in private? Adam?” I gritted my teeth and crossed my arms over my chest, blatantly not reaching for the papers Adam held out to me.
“Yeah. Sure. Excuse us, Briar. We’ll be back in a few.”
The blonde on the sofa nodded tightly as her shoulders hunched into her body. The smiling, confident woman I’d glimpsed earlier was gone. Now she was as still as a statue, her eyes wide.
I didn’t have time to smooth over my bad manners. Adam could apologize for me later. While showing the gorgeous woman the door.
I stomped over to the stairs and climbed them to my office without looking to see if Adam was following. His Chucks squeaked on the steps behind me. Reaching my office, I waited for him to enter, then smoothly closed the door. I wanted—needed—to slam it, but I didn’t take out my anger on inanimate objects. Or employees. That was what my workout time was for. Not to mention the fact that my daughter was sleeping in her room down the hall.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I bit out.
“I know it looks bad, but if you’d just listen—”
“’Looks bad?’ It looks like you’re busy flirting and not interviewing the kind of nanny candidate I asked for.”
“I wasn’t flirting. We were actually talking about you.”
“I’m sure.” I raised my eyebrows. I knew how much cachet Adam could pull by name dropping me. The fact that he’d do it, while interviewing a potential employee, in my own home, had me questioning our three-year employment history.
“Not like that.” Adam’s lips twisted in disgust. “I’m insulted you think I would do that. What we were talking about was how she never brought up you. She was only curious about Zoe. She didn’t seem to care you were in the picture.”
I rolled my eyes. Right. “And I told you I wanted to interview morematurecandidates. Nannies who have experience. What’s-her-name looks like she’s barely out of college.”
“Briarjust got her master’s in teaching. She has a bachelor’s in early childhood education and has been a preschool teacher for the past seven years. Five at her current school. She loves children and has a history of sticking around.”
“What she doesn’t have is a history of being a nanny. What the hell, Adam? She’s not who I asked for.”
“She’s the best candidate out of all the resumes the service sent over. Most of the others seem to be frustrated actors still looking for their break. At least Briar likes kids, and has made a career out of teaching and caring for them. She’s the one, I’m telling you. Briar is the one for Zoe. Just read through her resume and background check. Please.”
I groaned.
“If you don’t believe me, I still have the stack of headshots and ‘resumes’ from the other candidates for you to look through. It’ll take you less than five minutes to see I’m right.”
“Fine. I’ll look at her paperwork.” I grabbed the stack of papers from Adam.
A smug grin curved Adam’s lips. “I get that you don’t want someone attractive who’s trying to get into your bed.” Adam frowned. “Wait, that came out wrong.”
“No, it sounds about right to me,” I muttered as I glanced over Briar St. Clair’s experience. Dammit if Adam wasn’t right. She sounded perfect.
On paper.
In person, she looked like I’d always pictured the sirens in Homer’sIliad. All blonde and curvy in the right places. And that face. Somehow, she’d looked both innocent and experienced. I could easily picture a seductive pout on her gorgeous lips.
But if I hired her, I couldn’t think of her like that.