Page 35 of Bellini Born

She waved a dismissive hand. “Rico will drive you where you need to go. His number can be found here.” Grabbing a different sheet of paper, she handed it to me. I scanned what appeared to be a directory, which also included Matteo and Enzo’s mobile and office numbers.

A black credit card imprinted with my name was pushed across the island next. “You’re to use this to purchase anything the girls might need while in your care. There is no limit.”

Holy shit. No limit? I mean, I knew the guy was loaded, butdamn.

Gesturing around, Teresa continued, “You’re welcome to help yourself to anything in the fridge or pantry. I go to the store on Mondays and Fridays. If there’s anything you’d like added to the shopping list, either for yourself or the girls, please add it tothe list on this tablet. You can find it set next to the fridge, and anything added goes directly to a shared note on my phone.”

She stepped over to a machine on the countertop that resembled a single-cup coffee maker. “This is the formula dispenser.”

“Uh . . . the what?” I’d never heard of such a thing.

Teresa sighed. “It mixes the bottles with the perfect ratio of water to formula.”

Jeez, rich people and their toys. Were they really too lazy to just scoop the formula into the bottle and shake it?

“It’s already calibrated to make the five ounces Miss Serafina drinks first thing in the morning, around lunchtime, at dinnertime, and before bed. So all you do is set a bottle under the spout and press this button.” I stepped closer to see where she pointed. “And it does the rest.”

I was still gawking at the bottle-making machine when Teresa pulled open a cabinet. She tapped on a box set inside. “Twice a day, before her morning nap and before her afternoon nap, Miss Serafina has rice cereal mixed with a fruit, usually apples or bananas.” The jars of baby food were visible on the shelf.

Low in the baby’s ear, I whispered, “You eat a lot for a tiny little thing.”

“She usually will sleep for about an hour at 10 AM and an hour and a half around 2:30 PM. Bedtime is 8 PM.”

“What about Bianca?” I asked, my eyes darting to the little girl who had somehow gotten herself a package of fruit snacks and was happily enjoying her snack on a stool pulled up to the island.

Bianca’s brow wrinkled. “I’m a big girl! I don’t take naps.”

“That’s okay. We can have quiet time reading stories while your sister sleeps, just us big girls.” I tossed her a wink.

Her eyes lit up at the idea of a special activity for just the two of us, and she nodded with enthusiasm. “Yes!”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Teresa began, and I gave her my full attention. “When you quit, I’m the one who has to pick up the slack. So, keep that in mind.”

My mouth dropped open, and it took a minute to regain my bearings before I protested, “I won’t be quitting.”

She let out a humph. “That’s what they all say.”

I shook my head. “No, really.”

Eyeing me up and down like she was searching for my weak spots, Teresa pursed her lips. “We’ll see.”

There was no point in arguing since she’d already made up her mind about me.

But I knew with absolute certainty that I would finish out my sixteen-month contract here, come hell or high water.

Chapter 9

Matteo

ThefirsttimeSummerpulled my focus away from work was when a notification popped up on my phone screen from the credit card company. Intrigued, I reviewed the charge, which appeared to be from a store that specialized in developmental learning supplies.

Satisfied she was taking her job as the girls’ nanny seriously, I pocketed my phone and resumed the tedious task of replying to emails. I swear, as soon as I cleared one, ten more popped up in my inbox.

Running a business of this size was no joke, and we were always making big moves. We were currently in the process of brokering development rights on a property in Denver and had made an offer on a piece of land in Montana that would be perfect for a high-end dude ranch. That was in addition to our dozens of established real estate holdings, which required constant management and oversight.

My job was demanding, requiring my undivided attention, yet my mind kept wandering to the blonde currently residing in my home, taking care of my daughters.

Before long, I found myself logging into the security camera app on my phone to see how their first day was going. My first peek in showed Summer and Bianca curled up on the chaise in the library, reading a picture book together. Serafina must have been napping.