Linda Goodnight - The Millionaire's Nanny Arrangement

“I’d like to continue working here after my baby comes. Don’t worry. I can still provide excellent care for your daughter.” here after my baby comes. Don’t worry. I can still provide excellent care for your daughter.”

“Good.” Ryan ran a hand across the back of his neck and looked at a painting on the far wall. Anywhere but at Kelsey’s pregnant body. “You’ll let me know if anything changes?”

“I’m past six months. The only thing that’s going to change is the size of my belly. Women have babies all the time and still take care of their other children.” She blushed. “Not that Mariah is my child. I mean… I didn’t mean…”

He brought his gaze back to hers. Those charming freckles had appeared, and he was tempted to touch them. “I know what you meant. Feel free to make a nursery out of the extra room.”

“That’s so nice of you, Ryan. Thank you.”

If she didn’t stop looking at him that way he wasn’t sure what he might do. She made him feel special, important, powerful—like a man who could move mountains.

Kelsey Mason was a dangerous woman. Dangerously beguiling.

A romantic at heart, Linda Goodnightbelieves in the traditional values of family and home. Writing books enables her to share her certainty that, with faith and perseverance, love can last for ever and happy endings really are possible.

A native of Oklahoma, Linda lives in the country with her husband, Gene, and Mugsy, an adorably obnoxious rat terrier. She and Gene have a blended family of six grown children. A former elementary schoolteacher, she is also a licensed nurse. When time permits, Linda loves to read, watch football and rodeo, and indulge in chocolate. She also enjoys taking long, calorie-burning walks in the nearby woods. Readers can write to her at linda@lindagoodnight.com

Look out for more of Linda’s books, coming soon!

BY

LINDA GOODNIGHT

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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For all my friends and colleagues at Butner School. Thanks for a million laughs and a lot of great years .

CHAPTER ONE

WITH A JERK, KELSEY MASON opened her eyes and groaned. She squinted at her watch. Nearly twelve hours since her flight had been canceled, stranding her in a strange city, with no money and less hope. The armrest of the standard-issue airport chair jabbed into her back, already achy from the load she carried around her middle. Every bone in her body protested as she rotated forward and straightened.

“You talk in your sleep,” a tiny voice commented. “Sombniloquy.”

Swiveling toward the sound, Kelsey was speared by a pair of huge liquid-brown eyes in a face that couldn’t be more than six years old.

“You talk pretty big for a little girl.” Kelsey stretched, rolling her head on stiff shoulders.

“I’m a genius.” The child said it as matter-of-factly as Kelsey would have said, “I’m a teacher.” If that was true. Which it wasn’t. Not any more anyway. She was no longer a lot of things she’d once been.

Glad for the distraction and amused by the dark-haired angel in front of her, Kelsey shifted around on the miserable chair until she found a comfortable spot for her belly and said, “I’ve never met a child genius before. What’s your name?”

“Pollyanna.” A dimple flashed. “Well, not really. I’m reading that book and decided to change my name. My real name is Mariah.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mariah. I’m Kelsey.” Kelsey smiled in spite of the crick in her neck. “I loved that story, too. Have you seen the movie?”

The child looked shocked. “Absolutely not. Daddy says the book is always better than the movie so you should read before watching and then compare and contrast.”

“Daddy is absolutely right.” Wherever he was. Kelsey glanced around but spotted no one watching the little girl. The man should be arrested for allowing a child this young to run around a huge airport unsupervised.

“We’ve been stranded here in Denver all day waiting on clearance. Actually, seventeen hours and twenty-two minutes but that’s close enough to a day, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I do. I’ve been here for twelve.”

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” Fun wasn’t the exact term Kelsey would use. “There are so many interesting people to talk to. Did you know the man over there,” the child pointed, “works for the queen of Netherlands? He’s going to send me her autograph. And that lady over there is really upset because her boyfriend moved to Syracuse with his mother. She gave me a dollar to go away. I bought her a cup of coffee with it. Daddy says never take money from strangers.”

“Did he ever tell you not to talk to strangers?”

“All the time.” The child giggled, covering her mouth with both hands. Long dark curls danced around her shoulders. “But I’m discerning.”

“What if I were a bad person?”

“Are you?”

“No. I’m a teacher.” Or was before she’d given up everything to be Mark’s wife. “And I like kids. But I could have been a bad person.”

Brown eyes batted in innocence. “What could happen in a crowded airport?”

Well, actually lots of things, but Kelsey wasn’t one to frighten small, unattended children. “Bad people have ways.”

“But you aren’t bad. You’re nice. You’re having a baby. Mommies are always nice, except I don’t have one, but I’m interviewing. Would you like to be interviewed for the position?”

Kelsey laughed, though the sound was hollow and tinged with bitterness. “For the position of mommy?”

“Well, Daddy wants me to have a private tutor-slash-nanny. But I really want a mommy. My first mommy died a long time ago.” If the memory pained her, the little girl gave no indication, but Kelsey couldn’t stop the sharp pang of sympathy.

“So,” the little girl went on, “do you think you could handle both positions?”

For tutor and mommy? What an interesting conversation. And Kelsey had no idea how to respond to such a question without treading on unpleasant ground. Fortunately, she didn’t have to. At that precise moment, a harried man sprinted toward them. Tie askew, his jacket billowed out at the sides. Kelsey did her best not to notice the lean, lanky, fit body beneath.

“Mariah!”

A radiant smile lit the little girl’s face. “There comes my daddy. He’s nice. You’ll like him.”

Considering that she’d already formed a negative opinion of the man, Kelsey doubted it. Especially now that she saw him. Even without her contacts, she would have noticed this guy and run the other way—if she could move that fast. Tall and dark, with hair and eyes that matched his daughter’s, he was too good-looking. Too successful-looking, too. And she was so off good-looking, successful men it wasn’t even funny.

The child leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “He’s been really depressed lately. Almost clinical. Don’t tell him I mentioned it, but I thought you should know. It’s the whole thing with that Dallas Businessman of the Year Award and the pressure of success. Being discerning as I am, I can tell. It’s such a trial for him to deal with a genius child and run a multi-million dollar operation. So, if I can just find a mommy to keep me under control and out of his hair while he works, I’m sure he’ll be better.”