He burst out laughing. I couldn't help but smile big. Paisley was one lucky little girl.
Tate looked at me directly, and my stomach somersaulted. "Lexi, this is Paisley. Paisley, this is Lexi. I'm interviewing her to be your new nanny."
He released his daughter, and as Paisley straightened up, she looked at me curiously. "You're pretty," she said.
"Why, thank you," I replied.
She looked at my braided hair longingly. "Can you teach me how to do that?"
"Sure. I could braid it right now if you want to. Do you have a mirror here?"
"Yes." She pointed to the wall opposite the TV console. There was a mirror in the corner I hadn't noticed. I looked at Tate questioningly, and he nodded.
Taking Paisley's hand, I brought her to the floor-length mirror. "Okay, let's do it sideways. This way, so you can see what I'm doing." Her hair was silky and already brushed perfectly, so it was easy to braid it.
"Dad, can you record it on your phone? That way I’ll know how to do it later."
"Sure," he said, coming up right next to us. This was the closest we'd been since he walked me inside the house. I couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. My fingers trembled a little, and I lost my focus for a few seconds. His body radiated heat and masculinity. Just being inches away from him was messing with my senses.
"There, you're done," I said a few minutes later.
Paisley looked at her braid in the mirror, smiling broadly.
"I love it. Daddy, when are we having breakfast?"
"After Ms. Langley leaves. Why don't you go to your room and change, and I'll call you when it’s ready, okay?"
Paisley nodded, heading toward the staircase right away.
"She's very well behaved," I said once she was out of earshot and while we were still standing next to the mirror. He was a foot farther away than he'd been when he was recording but still too close for my peace of mind. I couldn't understand how his nearness could impact me so much. But I suspected Tate Maxwell was the kind of man that made an impact on a room no matter how many people were in it. He had a dominating presence that took up all the space available.
"She's a great kid," he said, looking up at me from his phone with a slight smile.
"Okay, well, I'm going to go, then. Give me a call if you think I'd be a good fit.” As we started to walk to the door, I asked, “How long do you think you're going to need to make a decision?"
"I have more interviews today and tomorrow, and I'll probably make up my mind afterward. I need someone as soon as possible. I'm working from home until then."
"Okay. I’ll order an Uber." I took out my phone and was lucky there was a car nearby. “It’s going to be here in two minutes.”
As we stepped outside, Tate offered, "I'll walk you to the gate."
“Thank you.”
We walked side by side on the porch steps. When Tate reached the gate, he opened it with one hand. Our arms brushed in the process, making me shiver. I straightened up instantly, looking up at him.
"Thank you for your time. I'll be waiting for your call." My voice was a bit uneven, and I was hoping he didn’t notice. How is this happening?
“I’ll be in touch, Ms. Langley.” His eyes darkened.
I averted my gaze. Oh wow. Is my imagination playing tricks on me, or was he checking me out again?
His presence didn’t feel magnetic right now but almost dangerous. Like if I stayed too close to him for too long, I might lose myself. And I couldn’t let that happen, could I?
I had a golden rule. I didn’t go out with parents. It seemed unprofessional, and I didn’t want the kids to think I had favorites. Paisley wasn’t at my school, but I was still sticking to my rule.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t indulge in a little daydreaming.
Oh, Tate Maxwell. Why do you have to be so hot that my imagination is already wandering to forbidden territory?
Forbidden but soooo delicious.
Chapter Three
Tate
Two days later, I was with my brothers at the Maxwell Wineries headquarters in one of the office buildings on LaSalle Street.
My passion for wines began at a young age. We grew up on a vineyard on the west side of the state. It was small, and my dad only produced wine for personal consumption, but I'd had the bug since I was a kid. I always knew I wanted to get into the wine business, even though I grew up on the floors of Maxwell Bookstores, the chain of bookstores my grandparents founded. My grandma, uncle, and parents ran it after Grandpa passed away. Ten years ago, they sold it in one of the highest transactions in that industry. My parents set up trust funds for each of us. I hadn’t touched mine—I put it directly in Paisley’s name.
Maxwell Wineries was taking off. In fact, I moved the company into this building only two years later.
It started when I rented far more space than I needed for my employees, and then gradually, each of my brothers moved their business here. Declan, Travis, and Luke also had their office in the building. Tyler often stopped by, especially during the off-season. Sam joined us whenever he was in the country.
After work, we sometimes went to the top floor where there was a bar with a view of the Chicago skyline. That was currently where we were. It was one of the perks of working in the same building.
"Man, maybe we should help you pick,” Declan said. They’d asked about my interviews and what I decided. I couldn’t tell them the truth.
I groaned, tipping back a beer. I had interviewed four candidates over the past two days, and so far, I only wanted Lexi Langley. She was the one who bonded with my daughter and who seemed to actually like children. The others had held several different jobs besides childcare. One had been laid off from her computer science research job. The other worked as a bank teller until recently, and the last one was an aspiring fashion designer. But Lexi was different. And I liked her far too much, which was a fucking problem. If she was going to be my daughter's nanny, as temporary as it was, I couldn't lust after her.
She was so damn beautiful that remembering her in that yellow dress was driving me crazy. It had looked sexy as fuck on her.
"Dude, he's lost in thought," Tyler said. "That never happens to him. Someone must have revved his engine.”
"True," Luke pitched in with more smartass comments. "You have an iron determination and focus, isn't that what you say is the key to your success? So who is she?"
"Why are you mobbing the guy? He's having a hard time picking the next sitter, knowing he'll probably fire her before the summer ends," Travis said.
“Or the month,” Luke added.
Our inability to keep our opinions to ourselves was chronic.
"I don’t fire people because I’m an asshole. Those I fire do things on the clock they aren’t supposed to. Most leave because they get tired of the job. It's tough on Paisley because she gets attached, and now the only candidate I like is Lexi, an elementary school teacher who told me upfront that she can only work until the end of the summer."
"But she’s your best candidate, right?" Luke asked. I nodded.
"Wait a second," Travis added. "He's too silent. My money is on the fact that he likes Miss Lexi a little too much. Don't you?"