The Billionaire's Nanny

“Hope?”

“That Blossom will find her forever home. There’s been concern she might be unadoptable. She doesn’t seem to like many people.”

He looked at Blossom, but he didn’t touch her. Much to the cat’s dismay. “I don’t know anything about cats, but she seems fine to me. Not so annoying now that she’s quiet.”

Camille approached. She handed AJ a glass with a straw sticking out. “Your protein shake.”

“Thanks.” His fingers circled the glass.

The flight attendant handed a small juice-sized glass to Emma. “A little ginger ale for you.”

“Thank you,” Emma said.

“We’ll be landing soon.” Camille motioned to the back of the plane. “Please return to your seats.”

Emma did and buckled her seat belt. The engines whirred. She waited for Blossom to meow, but the cat remained quiet.

AJ sat across from her. Sipped from the straw. “You okay?”

She nodded.

“If you feel bad again, Camille restocked the side pocket.”

Two more airsickness bags were inside. “Thanks, but I’ve never had trouble during landings.” At least not the one Emma remembered.

“We’re beginning our descent into Haley’s Bay,” the pilot announced. “Please remain seated.”

She gripped the armrests, a combination of anticipation of wanting to be on the ground and apprehension over what the rest of the week would hold.

AJ stared at her over the rim of his glass, his eyes full of concern. “The pilot’s very good.”

“You don’t have to reassure me.”

His gaze narrowed, darkened. “Why not?”

“It’s not your job.”

“I get to write my job description. One benefit of being the boss.”

“Do you like being the boss?”

He stiffened. Stared into his drink. Toyed with the straw.

“No one’s asked me that. People assume...” He shifted in his seat. “But yes, of course. What’s not to love?”

He was bluffing, hiding something, like a child who said swim lessons were fun when dunking his head under water terrified him. What other secrets was AJ hiding?

None of Emma’s business. She didn’t need to go looking for AJ Cole’s demons. She had enough of her own. But she hoped this vacation went well for him because the only thing worse than having no family would be having a family that didn’t get along. Best to make sure she knew what AJ needed from her.

She removed a half-inch binder and a mechanical pencil from her tote bag. “Libby sent me your tentative itinerary. Any changes to today’s schedule I should know about?”

He waved his hand, as if brushing aside Emma’s question. “Relax until we land.”

“Let’s confirm today’s agenda first.” She adjusted her glasses. “Then I’ll relax.”

AJ took another sip of his drink. “Read what’s on your list.”

“Lunch with your grandmother while I arrange meetings with the party rental company and florist and check into the Broughton Inn. A conference call at two, another one at three, followed by an interview at four with a technology blogger. Then you have a break until dinner with your family at seven.”

“Easy afternoon.”

“Three calls on the first afternoon of your vacation sounds more like you’re working.”

He raised a brow, as if surprised by her words. Guess Libby didn’t speak to him like that. Well, Emma wasn’t like her best friend. Not even close.

“This is a light day.” He placed his empty glass on the table between them. “I’ve limited what’s on my schedule.”

Emma guessed she had a different definition of limited from his. “If there aren’t any changes—”

“There is one.”

She readied her pencil.

A muscle ticked at his jaw.

She leaned forward. “What?”

“We’re staying at my grandmother’s house. It’ll be easier with the party planning, and my grandma thought it would be better for the cat.”

Disappointment shot through Emma. She’d been a live-in nanny so she knew what staying at someone’s house as an employee meant. But the arrangement made sense, even without the cat factored in. She pasted on a smile. “That’s generous of your grandmother.”

He leaned back against his seat, but his gaze never left her. “My grandmother loves playing hostess. She’s thrilled I’m bringing company, not to mention a cat.”

The noise level of the engines changed. She clasped her hands together. “I’m sure your grandmother’s more excited to have you staying with her. Ten years is a long time to be away.”

“What has Libby told you?”

“Not much.” A glance out the window told Emma the plane was descending. “I know you’re throwing your grandmother an eightieth birthday party. Very nice of you to do.”

“Just holding up my end of a deal.”

Emma looked back at him. “Excuse me?”

His gaze, warm and clear, met hers. “When I was eight, I wanted a space-alien birthday party. My dad said no, so my grandma offered to throw me a party if I agreed to do the same for her when she turned eighty. We shook on it.”

Emma tried to picture AJ as a boy, but looking past the handsome man sitting across from her was impossible. “You remembered that after all these years?”

“No.” He half laughed. The charming sound sent a brush of tingles across Emma’s tummy. “My grandma did. She reminded me in February.”