Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Sage read the story again and took time to get Rose settled, looking through the rest of her books. As promised, Grady retrieved her suitcases and led her to a room just off the kitchen. “This will be your room. My room is on the other side of the family room downstairs. I’m willing to give this a try, but I have to warn you, I’m not easy to please when it comes to my daughter.”
“Good, neither am I. See how much we agree already?”
Her sapphire blue eyes were locked on him with a spark that made his cock twitch. Stepping closer, he spoke in a voice so stern and gravelly it was practically a growl. “A warning, we have rules in this house, young lady. And I get the feeling you need them more than most.”
“Well, you know what they say about rules, Mr. Kane?” Sage lifted her chin, a spark of defiance lighting her eyes.
He’d never wanted to turn a Little across his lap more in his life. But he couldn’t because she wasn’t his Little and she never would be. “No, but I’ll bet you’re about to tell me.”
“They’re made to be broken, of course,” she said.
The tone of her voice was pure mischief. Oh yeah, his life was about to get much more interesting.
Grady gave her his sternest Daddy look. “I’m not sure whose rules you’ve ‘broken’ before, but you break mine, and you’ll find out exactly how hard it can get to sit down comfortably.”
She shivered at his words, and of course, his dick noticed. She definitely had all his attention now.
Sage smiled sweetly. Then, in a “butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth” tone of voice, she said, “Looking forward to it. Mr. Kane.”
“You keep using my last name like that, and we’re going to have a problem. Mr. Kane is my father, and let’s just say he’s the man I aspire to be. You may call me Grady.”
Sage got a look he’d seen on many a Little’s face. The one they got when a thought popped into their heads. She opened her lips, no doubt about to share it out loud, when she thought better of it. That was probably a good decision.
Grady held her gaze another beat, then he walked away before he did something stupid. Something like smacking her ass until she couldn’t sit down or kissing her so long and deep she couldn’t stand.
She was now going to be a part of everything that happened here. What the hell had he just done?
Chapter Three
Grady stood at the kitchen counter, pouring his second cup of coffee, wondering what the hell can of worms he’d opened by letting Sage stay. Lord help him, he was only two weeks into her being there and already regretting it.
Do you regret her being here or regret that she’s still sleeping on the other side of the house?
Yeah, that was his cock talking. And, yes, his cock could be a real bastard. He was man enough to admit it wasn’t because he didn’t want her. It was because he was starting to want her there too much.
She was only supposed to be there for the summer. And why did that make his heart clench? He couldn’t forget this wasn’t about forever. Sage was leaving at the end of the summer. Unless, of course, she quit before that. All the other nanny wannabes had.
Still, he hadn’t been sorry to see the back of them. None of them had connected with Rose. He also had the feeling all the others had been scared of him. He raised the cup to his lips. Why they would possibly feel that way was a mystery to him. And then there was Sage. She sure as hell wasn’t scared of him. And damn if that didn’t warm something in his chest that had been cold for a long time.
Sage was still here, brash as ever. He was beginning to think the question wasn’t if she would leave. He knew the answer to that one. No, the real question was how much of his heart would she take when she left. And Rose… how would that affect her?
She’d taken to Sage with a fierceness he hadn’t thought possible. She sure as hell hadn’t taken a shine to any of the other nannies. But that wasn’t true about Sage. His daughter was growing more and more attached to this new nanny every day. Not that he blamed her. Sage was amazing.
Rose wasn’t talking yet, but she was blossoming in ways that he hadn’t let himself hope for. And now that was what worried him. After all the pain she’d been through, how could he open his daughter’s heart to that kind of hurt again? They’d both endured enough heartache to last a lifetime.
Still, the squeals of joy and laughter coming from the family room made him smile. Right now, he needed to see to it that everyone got breakfast. He reached into the refrigerator for the carton of eggs, stopped, and stared.