Fake-Dating The Single Dad (Gems 0f Love Book 3) Read online

  As for Nick, she could have three teeth and one eye as long as his son cared for her and she for his son. Anyways, it was only a temporary arrangement. Once the court ruled in his favor, he could stop with the charade.

  “So did you contact the agency yet?” Andrew asked.

  Nick shook his head. “No, I only got a good reference this morning. I’m calling them later to see if they have suggestions for me. But I’ll find her soon enough, I promise. Meanwhile, you could hint in front of the judge and Heather’s lawyer that I’m seeing someone.”

  Andrew exhaled. “Fine, whatever you wish.”

  Nick tapped on his table with his free hand. “Great, I’ll call you in two days.”

  As soon as he hung up, there was a knock on his door.

  Marcia, his housekeeper, peeked in. “Sir, someone is looking for you. A young woman.” She wiggled her brushy brows and pulled her lips into a grimace.

  Nick’s mouth popped open.

  A young woman? For him? He wasn’t expecting anyone. “What does she want, Marcia?”

  Marcia shrugged. “She said she’d only tell it to you in person. But, Sir, she is bonita. I can see these things. You better let her in.”

  Nick’s nostrils flared. As much as he liked Marcia’s amiable character, she shared her opinions too frequently with him.

  What did he care if Marcia thought the woman was a looker? He still didn’t want any visitors during his writing time.

  But looking at his housekeeper’s eager glint, he knew Marcia would only insist if he refused to meet the woman. He wasn’t in his most productive mood anyhow.

  He waved his hand. “Fine, send her in.”

  Marcia disappeared, and in a few seconds she was back, pushing his study door ajar.

  The woman following Marcia entered. Her long straight hair framed her face like a dark cascade, and her mouth was set into a tense line. She clutched her purse with one of her hands, while the other played with the ample skirt of her polka dotted dress.

  Who was this woman? And what did she want from him?

  He stood up and walked to her. He stretched out his hand as any gentleman would. “Good afternoon. Nick Peterson.”

  The woman accepted his greeting while her lips moved into a shy smile. It made her eyes drift in the shape of two almonds. “Hi, I’m Ginevra Biagi. Nice to meet you, Mr. Peterson.”

  Nick tried to tear his glance from her lips, which sparkled in the color of ripe raspberries. “You can call me Nick if you wish.”

  The woman’s smile widened. “And you can call me Ginny.”

  Marcia clapped a hand to her mouth, as if trying to stifle a giggle.

  Nick threw a severe glance at her, and Marcia immediately excused herself. “I have a lot to do. Let me know, Sir, when I need to let the miss out.” Marcia went out, closing the door.

  As soon as his housekeeper disappeared, the room became awfully quiet.

  Ginny’s eyes bounced between his table and the sofa in the corner of his study. Right, where were his manners? He motioned toward the sofa. “Do you want to sit?”

  Ginny twitched at the sound of his voice but then nodded. “Oh, yes, sure. That’s kind of you.”

  They walked over to the sofa and settled down.

  Ginny crossed her ankles and smoothed down her dress. Then she raised her eyes at Nick. Her irises glistened in that peculiar blue shade that only the summer sky could have after a refreshing tempest.

  Nick’s breath quickened as he stared at her.

  Ginny cleared her voice. “Mr. Peters…uhh, Nick, you must be wondering what I’m doing here unannounced, right?”

  Nick raised an eyebrow. “Well, the question did cross my mind. Do you care to enlighten me?”

  She inhaled as if preparing for some kind of big revelation. “I’m here about the nanny position.”

  The nanny position?

  Nick’s jaw dropped. How could that be? He didn’t even call the agency yet. Was it possible that Jacob’s teacher had already done that for him?

  He scratched his chin. “Excuse me, but how do you even know about this? Are you from the Happy Child Agency?”

  Ginny blushed, and Nick couldn’t avoid noticing that the pink color looked good on her.

  She shook her head. “Not really. I…uh…I heard about your need for a nanny from a mom at Riversmith school playground.”

  Nick stifled a snort. That was so typical. Women just couldn’t keep things to themselves. He’d explicitly asked Jacob’s teacher to keep his request private. And what did she do? Went gossiping about it.

  Nick knew the kind of glares he got whenever he went to Jacob’s school. Many mothers drooled over him just because he was rich. Well, more prosperous than the average wealthy folks in Riversmith, for sure. It was natural that they would discuss his private life.

  Ginny must have noticed the annoyance her announcement unleashed in him because she stirred and lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry, I can see that it was a mistake for me to be so straightforward by coming here.”

  Nick didn’t know why, but his irritation vanished at the sight of her embarrassment. “No, it’s okay. I’m looking for some help, yes. But it’s not the usual babysitting job. I’m not even sure I can find someone for it through the agency.”

  Ginny’s eyes snapped to his face, a smile playing around her lips. “Ah, really? Luckily for you, I’m not your average babysitter.”

  Chapter 3

  Ginny’s heart pounded in her throat. She almost thought it’d all been for nothing. Nick didn’t seem happy about how she’d learned about his need for a nanny. Though, he didn’t press further on the subject, so the elaborate string of lies she’d prepared wasn’t necessary.

  But then he said it wasn’t a typical babysitting job.

  That could be good, right? If Ginny had one strength, it was dealing with situations that others deemed hopeless.

  She raised her chin, her eyes darting to Nick’s. “Ah, really? Luckily for you, I’m not your average babysitter.”

  She tried to keep her voice confident and slightly upbeat, but it wavered as soon as her glance met Nick’s.

  Jeez, those moms on the playground weren’t truthful. This man was not only handsome, his looks were almost devilish. No other power could’ve created lips this tempting and cheekbones this chiseled.

  Nick gave her a slow once-over. “Yes, I would say you aren’t.”

  Ginny’s face warmed. What was she doing? There was no need to let herself be intimidated by this man.

  Yes, he was gorgeous. And yes, he was famous and rich. But she was an extremely qualified professional, and she could take on any challenging child-minding task.

  Also, if he was going to become her boss, she couldn’t be gawking at him like she’d been doing these past few minutes. She straightened. “Nick, I’m not sure what kind of challenges your son poses, but I can assure you I’m the best one for the job.”

  Nick’s eyebrows furrowed. “How so? Do you have much experience as a nanny?”

  Ginny licked her lips. Okay, fine. She might not have experience on paper, but she’d gotten herself dirty more than enough times with real-life situations involving complicated children. Like her sister and brother. “Technically, I’ve never been paid to take care of kids.”

  Nick’s forehead creased, but before he had a chance to intervene, Ginny held up her hand, “I know what you’re thinking…then why on Earth did I come here to apply for this position?”

  A bemused smile tugged at Nick’s lower lip. It made him look incredibly sexy.

  No, future employer.

  Ginny managed to slap herself back to reality before her mind wandered off. “I have a brother and sister. I also have two cousins who practically grew up in our house. Being the oldest, I was often left in charge of them. Believe me, dealing with two Italian and two half-Italian kiddos taught me everything I need to know about working with difficult children.”

  Nick drew in a breath. “Ginny, I—”

&n
bsp; Ginny waved and continued, “I’m sorry for cutting you off, but please let me finish. I have a Master’s in Education with summa cum laude from the state university. I just don’t have any teaching experience yet. I’ve applied to my dream school several times, but they refused me. I decided to do some unrelated gigs till the school accepted me, so I worked as a secretary, and I—”

  Nick leaned forward and grabbed her hand that was swinging through the air in the effort of underlining her point.

  As his fingers closed around her palm, she jerked back.

  Was he loaded with electric charges or what? The zangs of current rushing through her arm would certainly suggest so.

  Nick let go of her hand immediately. “I’m sorry. I’d like to fit a word in, if I may?”

  Ginny rubbed her forearm. “Oh, yes, of course. I’m sorry I kept on babbling like that. I just wanted to make sure you understand that I—”

  “Ginny?” Nick’s voice was soft and had a slight teasing edge to it.

  The way he said her name sent a shiver across her spine. She clasped her hand to her lips. Shoot, she was doing it again. “Sorry, yes. Go ahead. I’m quiet.”

  Nick chuckled. “It’s okay. I find it interesting about your family, and I’m sure you’d be qualified for the role of taking care of a child. The fact is, I’m not looking for a simple babysitter.”

  Ginny rounded her brows. Had she misheard that lady in the park? No, she’d definitely spoken about a nanny position. And Nick had also asked if she was from the agency. Then what was the problem? “Would you mind telling me what exactly you’re looking for?”

  Nick sucked in a breath and shifted forward. He opened his mouth, but then he closed it. He leaned back and shook his head. “No, I don’t think it’s what you’d want.”

  Ginny’s stomach flipped. What did he know about what she wanted? She needed this job. She needed to make Nick Peterson trust her enough to write that frigging recommendation for Riversmith. She couldn’t do another round of applications without some serious endorsement. Hadn’t she seen how pointless it was the past four times?

  She brushed her fingers across his knee briefly. “Try me.”

  He flinched at her touch, and his eyes darted to his leg. Then he lifted his gaze. “I’m looking for a sort of…how shall I put it? A live-in nanny. Someone who would be ready to move in with my son and me. At least for six months.”

  Ginny gasped. A live-in nanny? Like an au-pair? Seriously? Was this what he was so afraid to say?

  There could be worse job propositions than this. Ginny could very well live in this fantastic house for a few months and play with his kiddo. Especially if it meant that, next year, she would be a teacher at Riversmith.

  The lush garden she’d crossed to get to the entrance came to mind. It looked larger and better kept than the one in the school. No wonder Nick didn’t need his son to go to that lousy playground. They lived in a paradise.

  Nick rubbed his neck. “You see, I knew you’d find this offer unacceptable.” He straightened from the couch. “So I guess it’s best if I just—”

  Ginny jumped up. “No!”

  Ouch, this came out a bit loud. She adjusted her voice, then shot an apologetic glance at Nick. “I mean, no. It doesn’t sound unacceptable at all. It actually sounds very intriguing. I wouldn’t mind working as a live-in nanny as long as I get at least one free day a week. Sundays if possible, because that’s when I have a family dinner with my sister and brother.”

  Nick gawked at her with his mouth hanging. His five o’clock shadow made two darker lines around his nose. “You think it’s a good offer?”

  Ginny beamed. “Of course. I told you I’d love some experience with children. It might help my application for the school of my choice.”

  Nick tilted his head. “And which school would you like to teach in later? The one that refused you already?”

  Ginny froze. What was she supposed to tell him?

  If she went with the truth, it would be clear that she wanted to use him and his kid as a jumping board for her career. But if she lied? Well then how was she supposed to get that letter later?

  She couldn’t come out like, “You know what? I changed my mind about that dream school I mentioned, and now I want to work for your kid’s school.” It would make her look like an inconsistent nutcase.

  She chewed her lower lip. “Riversmith.”

  Chapter 4

  Nick’s eyes narrowed as Ginny’s words settled in. The dots took a moment to connect in his head, but when they did, he nodded. “Ah, I see. So you’re coming to work for me because you hope I’ll be able to endorse your application for Riversmith.”

  The guilty look on Ginny’s face was confirmation enough.

  The idea that this woman came to his house with an elaborate scheme to obtain something from him made his blood boil.

  Then his eyes drifted to her hand, which was smoothing out a tendril from her forehead, and his face softened.

  Why was he so tough on Ginny? After all, she didn’t lie to him. She admitted what her real purpose was. This was more than Heather had ever done to him.

  He froze in mid-thought.

  Wait a minute, why am I thinking of Heather in comparison to Ginny?

  Ginny was here for a job, not to start a relationship with him.

  Even if her job description should stretch to that at some point? His eyes dipped to Ginny’s lips.

  She was still chewing on them, making their color turn a hue darker. Something stirred in Nick and for a second he was sorry that he was only proposing a make-believe affair to Ginny. But almost immediately he kicked himself for the idea.

  Didn’t he learn his lesson already? Women weren’t to be trusted. Not with his heart and, above all, not with his son’s.

  It was much better if Ginny had some materialistic interest in this arrangement. It would be easier to convince her later to accept the strings that came attached to the position.

  Should he mention them now?

  No, he had to wait. First, he needed to see how Jacob reacted to Ginny. Maybe his son wouldn’t like her, and then the whole revelation would be only an embarrassing act he’d need to cover up with a non-disclosure agreement.

  Ginny bounced back and forth on her toes. “Would you be willing to do that for me after my work contract ends? I mean, if I do my job to your satisfaction, of course.”

  Nick studied Ginny’s hopeful eyes.

  This whole Riversmith thing seemed pretty important to her. Why, he couldn’t fathom. Nick wasn’t that blown away with their education system. But he knew he could help Ginny get in. She had the right credentials, and with his name and money to back her up, they would undoubtedly take her.

  He slowly nodded. “Yes, I could do that.”

  Ginny’s face lit up, and she clapped her hands. “Thank you.”

  She looked like Jacob when Nick had bought him a special Lego edition. The grin spreading on her face made Nick’s heart warm. Yes, if Ginny did the job for him, he would help her get into Riversmith.

  The idea that, if she worked there, he would see her even after their contract ended crossed his mind. What an absurd thought. It didn’t matter where Ginny was going to work in the future.

  He was only going to pretend that he liked her, he wasn’t going to like her for real.

  He shrugged. “Don’t thank me yet. First, we need to go and meet my son, Jacob. He’ll have the last word about this.”

  Ginny’s smile didn’t waver. She rubbed her hands and then motioned to the door. “Could you introduce me to him now? I'm looking forward to meeting him.”

  Nick nodded. “Sure.”

  He put his palm on the small of Ginny’s back. He meant it as a gesture of a good host, to guide her in the right direction, but the heat that swamped him at her touch made him change his mind.

  He dropped his hand and stepped forward. “Okay, follow me then.”

  * * *

  Ginny followed Nick, her eyes fixed on his
wide shoulders. Wow, he must work out a lot. One couldn't get these muscles from typing, that’s for sure.

  He took her through the spacious entrance hall toward a broad marble stair, which led to the second floor.

  She let her gaze drift from right to left to take in the place that might become her new home for the next few months.

  It'd sure be a nice upgrade from my studio.

  The decorations on the walls included mostly pictures of a young child, probably Jacob. He had adorable dimples and Nick’s dark hair, but his strands curled softly around his round cheeks.

  “Nick,” she reached for his arm to make him stop, but regretted her hasty action as soon as her fingers brushed against him.

  He flinched and almost missed the next stair.

  She drew back her hand. “Oh, so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to ask how old Jacob is.” She pointed at the nearest photo.

  Nick’s features smoothed, and a proud smile painted his face, “He’s still five, but sometimes I have the feeling he’s growing up too fast. He’s a very wise little fella, you’ll see.”

  A dark shadow passed his eyes, and Ginny thought she heard him murmur, “Being abandoned does that to a child.”

  Before she could inquire further, they arrived at a door on which a large poster of a giant robot had been taped.

  Ginny recognized it immediately. It had been her brother’s favorite cartoon growing up. Do kids of today still watch these old Japanese anime shows?

  Nick opened the door, and as they stepped in, a young boy sitting on a fluffy carpet came into view. He was building an elaborate construction from tiny Lego pieces.

  When he heard them approach, he glanced up. His eyes fell on his father, and his face illuminated. “Dad, are you coming to play with me? Done with writing for today?”

  Nick stepped closer and caressed the boy’s head. “Not yet, buddy, but I brought someone for you to meet.”

  His glance was so loving that it warmed Ginny’s heart. What did the women in the park say? Nothing is too much for him when it comes to his son.