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Most people flinch when they look at me. They avert their gaze from the scar that cuts across my face. But this girl looks at me like she’s trying to read the darkest parts of my soul.

“Mr. Sinclair, can I be frank with you?” she says.

“Something tells me you’re going to speak your mind regardless,” I say.

She blinks, caught off guard for a brief second.

“I know you think this is just a job for me, but I care about people. And when I see two little children who desperately need emotional support, I can’t turn a blind eye to it.”

“What exactly are you insinuating?”

“I wasn’t done speaking.”

I grind my teeth together.

“If we’re going to be working together, I expect to be treated with respect,” she says. “If you’re not capable of that, I don’t see how this is going to work out.”

I take a step toward her, reducing the distance between us to millimeters.

Her breath stutters now. There’s alarm in her eyes as she stares up at me, but there’s curiosity too.

“While I appreciate your concern about the children, I also expect you to respect the family’s boundaries. I have the final say in this household, and the last thing I need is for thenannyto challenge me,” I say. “Is that clear?”

Her gaze drops to my lips and remains there.

“Yes,” she breathes.

She’s standing so close that I can almost taste her now. All I’d have to do is lift my hand and tip her chin toward me. And those bee-stung lips would be all mine for the taking.

I blink.

I don’t remember the last time I wanted to touch someone, let alone kiss them.

Someone clears their throat, breaking the tension between the two of us. I glance at Helena as she approaches us.

“Miss Turner, would you like to join us for breakfast?” Helena asks.

Emma looks up at me. Like me, she has a fiery temper that’s quick to combust. I wouldn’t be surprised if she stormed out of here.

I can see the wheels turning in her head.

Now would be the right time for me to apologize. It wasn’t my intention to make her feel disrespected. But the words die on my tongue.

Emma looks back at Helena.

“Breakfast sounds lovely,” she says.

“I promise you it’s not usually this chaotic around here,” Helena says, taking the girl’s arm in hers.

“I can handle a little chaos,” Emma replies.

I watch as the women walk back into the mansion.

The pounding in my chest won’t ease up. It feels like seeing the first signs of spring after a long winter. Everything inside me feels alive for the very first time.

Before they step back into the house, Emma glances back at me. It only lasts a second, but I know I’ll remember that look for an entire lifetime.

There are forces in life that are beyond your control. Sometimes, you’re hit with a curveball when you least expect it.