Page 28 of Kingpin's Nanny

We watch her indulgently from the sofa, our hands still interlocked, and the feeling that he won’t let me go is even more magic than the perfect Christmas vibes of the pine-scented tree, warmth and snuggly glow of the lights on inside and darkness beyond the closed curtains.

Ivy has noticed something is different, and keeps casting curious looks over her shoulder, as she chooses the first present, which is her largest one, of course. It’s gorgeously wrapped, and after obediently reading the card—from “Uncle Lucas”—Ivy rips off the paper with all the patience of a ravenous little tiger.

She gasps then squeals with delight when she finds it’s the stables for her toy unicorns that she’s been talking about since the summer, and opens it out fully, examining each piece. She might be the niece of a billionaire, but she’s not spoiled. Ivy appreciates everything she’s given.

Lucas and she clearly have a strict Christmas tradition, and it’s that presents are opened one at a time, each person in turn, and savoured. And wonderful though her first gift is, it can’t distract her from the others under the tree. After the initial thrill, Ivy scrambles back to her feet and selects another package.

Ivy gives Lucas the box I wrapped only a few days ago, shooting me lots of excited looks as she does so.

I watch his long, elegant fingers remove the ribbon, stroking it as he pulls it out. A frisson goes through me as I remember how he touched me last night. He was gentle and rough and if I sent Ivy to bed and put myself in ribbons I wonder if Lucas would undo me too?

“Billionaires are difficult to buy for,” I mutter.

Lucas stops his unwrapping, tips my chin with one finger and looks into my eyes, pinning me with his eyes that seem silver rather than steel now. “It’s a good thing that nannies are easy to buy for, then. We balance each other out.”

Warmth skitters over my skin.

Then he focuses back on his present, sliding out the picture frame, and I hold my breath.

He takes it in for a second, then traces the abstract design I painted on the edge with his thumb. It’s a picture I drew in black pen, at Ivy’s direction, and she coloured it in. It’s a knight in fullarmour, but instead of a horse, he has a train. And then there’s a little girl in a green dress—Ivy loves to lean into her name—and a woman. Me.

“Do you like it?” Ivy asks, her unicorns forgotten for now.

“I love it.” Lucas looks up.

She beams at him. “See, there’s you, and me, and Bella.”

“Is this me?” He points at the picture of a little girl, a teasing smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

“No, silly!” Ivy exclaims, and he laughs and pulls her onto his knee for a kiss. She hugs him back and for half a second I’m left out before Lucas hooks my shoulder and drags me in too.

“Thank you, both.” The sincerity in his words makes my heart feel six sizes too big for my chest.

“Now Bella’s gift!” Ivy is almost as impatient to give me my present as she is to open the rest of hers. “I’m going to get her the one from me!” She wriggles off Lucas’ lap and the moment is done, but it was still so sweet I could have a sugar high for days from it. Probably will.

“Uh-uh.” Lucas stops her in her tracks. “There’s one in white paper under the tree that’s for Bella. She’s having that first.”

“But—”

“No.”

It’s unbelievable how hot I find it when Lucas is stern.

The present is duly brought to me, and I thank Ivy as I take it. It’s wrapped in thick, expensive-looking paper with a snowflake pattern, and tied with a silver satin ribbon. I turn it over carefully in my hands. I can’t see a label.

“This is from me,” Lucas says.

“Just you?” I ask, a bit confused.

“Yes. I bought it a few weeks ago.”

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by that given his declarations last night, but I still am. He’s still my grumpy boss, after all.

Under the paper, it’s a large, flat jewellery box covered in fine white velvet. Even though Lucas is a serious-minded billionaire, I half expect it to be a joke as I open it, and that there will be two sticky pieces of popcorn and a plastic spoon, but there isn’t.

Instead, I gasp. There’s the most stunning necklace I’ve ever seen. Clear stones and platinum twinkle in the cosy Christmas lighting.

I stutter things about how amazing it is, and how grateful I am, and he shouldn’t have. Lucas brushes all that off and picks it up from the box. Sweeping my hair away from my neck, he lays the necklace on me and does the clasp, caressing my throat as he does.