Nina Singh - Reunited With Her Italian Billionaire

“Because Times Square is miles away from Enzo.”

“Which would suit me just fine, seeing as he’ll be very well taken care of between me and Curtis. If you have such urgent business, you can hardly be expected to spend any time with him.”

“I can make time. Especially since I’m in the same city.”

She remained silent a moment then lifted her chin. “No.”

“No?”

“I said no.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“I refuse to let you stay here.”

He couldn’t help his smile. “Afraid to be in such close quarters?”

“I should think that was obvious.”

“How about if I promise to behave?”

“You can behave in Times Square.”

“Are you saying I should take Enzo with me?”

Brianna’s mouth tightened. “Don’t even think about it. He stays with me.”

“Then I’m not quite sure what we’re arguing about. All you have to do is call this male nanny and tell him the offer has been rescinded.”

“Absolutely not. I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” he demanded.

She shook her head very slowly. “I don’t want to.”

He walked over and picked up the phone. “Fine. I’ll do it. What’s his number?”

“No, you can’t. Listen, you don’t understand.”

“What is there to understand?”

Her chin quivered. “Curtis needs this. He really needs the position.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“He needs the job. He just told me today that my offer couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s experiencing some cash problems and really needs the money.”

“Why is any of that my problem?”

She moved over to him and reached for the phone. Marco held on to it. “Please. I would feel awful telling him he won’t be getting the funds after all. He told me he couldn’t even afford new books for next semester.”

“You seem awfully concerned with Curtis’s well-being.”

Brianna’s hand fell to her side. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Marco understood very well. Curtis sounded like a lovestruck adolescent. Or worse, an opportunist. The young cad was probably pursuing not only his wife but also what little money she had. No doubt he’d connected her last name to the Dirici Foods empire. He was most likely using her generosity and naivety to his utmost advantage. It merely proved Marco’s point. Brianna needed his protection. She was clearly easy to manipulate.

There was only one sure way to stop the pup from sniffing around her any longer. “Tell him your husband is back.”

“That’s not going to help his financial situation,” she said a little shakily.

Marco sighed. “How about if I pay him anyway?”

A knowing look appeared in her eyes. “Yet again, that’s your solution to everything. Throwing money at it. Well, forget it. He would never accept money for work he didn’t do.”

Curtis had done quite a number on her. “We’ll tell him it’s because we’re retracting the offer on such short notice.”

“He’s too proud.”

“What a paragon. Did it ever occur to you that you might be being manipulated?”

She glared at him. “You would think that.”

He held up the phone. “Just give me his number.”

“He truly needs the money, Marco. I told him he had a full-time job.”

This was getting quite tiring. “Brianna, I’m not leaving. My son needs me.” And so did she.

Brianna nodded and looked down. “This isn’t about that.”

Oh, hell. “Fine.” He slammed the phone down. “Call him later and tell him the job description has changed.”

She looked up, searching his face. “What do you mean?”

“Essentially, he’s to be on call. I’ll ask him to come over if I need to be at the office or if there’s a business matter I’m attending to. We’ll pay him the same amount because we’re asking him to be available at all times during the week. He can either take it or leave it. It’s my final offer.”

Her shoulders dropped with clear relief and she smiled. “I’m sure he’ll take it. He told me he was really desperate for money.”

“I’m sure he is.”

“I would have felt awful, Marco. I just couldn’t tell him he was out of luck again. He said my call was like an answer to a prayer.”

A disquieting feeling settled in Marco’s chest. Somehow, he’d just agreed to help Brianna’s male nanny. This woman made him do the most foolish things. First, making him decide he’d stay, now this. “Yes, well. As long as you understand that I’ll be here for a while.”

“I understand.”

“Good. I’ll go see what Enzo’s up to.”

She stepped in front of him. “Um, I just wanted to—” She halted, looked away again.

“Yes?”

“I mean, it’s really hard to not know where your next dollar is coming from. What you did, it was—” She hesitated and returned her gaze to his face. He pondered what she’d just said about not knowing where your next dollar was coming from. Brianna had spent her childhood moving from foster home to foster home after being abandoned by her parents. That much he knew. Though not much more. She didn’t particularly like to talk about her past. He could hardly blame her. Sometimes the past was better left behind where it belonged. In that, at least he and Brianna had something in common.

No wonder the marriage had fallen apart.

“What is it, Brianna?”

“I just want to say thanks.”

She smiled and he could have sworn he felt warmth in every cell of his body. How childish of him. And he’d accused her of being easy to manipulate.

He mumbled a brief response. Then he had to make himself turn away. Before he did something really stupid.

“Really, Marco,” she said behind him.

“It’s not a big deal, Brianna.”

“Curtis would disagree.”

“I couldn’t care less what your Curtis thinks.”

“I’m just trying to say that he’d appreciate it, that’s all. And I appreciate it too.”

He turned to tell her the truth, to just admit it. He’d relented because of her.

But something else entirely came out of his mouth. “You know exactly how to get your way, don’t you?”

“What?” Brianna looked at him in bafflement. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“A flick of the lashes. A flirtatious look here and there. And I did exactly what you wanted. Your precious Curtis still has a job. And you’ve still got your feminine wiles. Let’s just move on now, shall we?”

She slammed her hands on her hips. “Why? Why did I think you were capable of any decency? You’re still exactly the same, aren’t you? Nothing’s changed.”

“Apparently not.”

“For the briefest moment back then I thought perhaps you might have grown a little. What a fool I can be.”

“Then we have something in common, after all.”

“Hah,” she barked. “We don’t have a thing in common.”

“Are you finished? I believe Enzo may be ready for bed.”

Brianna threw her hands up. “Yes. I believe we’re done.”

She stomped toward Enzo and picked him up. “I’ll be upstairs giving Enzo his bath,” she said. “After that, I’m going to bed.”

“I’ll help you.”

She whirled around.

Marco rolled his eyes. “With Enzo’s bath, I meant.”

She glared at him. “You’ll find the spare room upstairs. I don’t even want to know you’re here for the next week. Do you understand?”

Now that, Marco thought, watching her go up the stairs, would be easier said than done.

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