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MICHAEL

This couldn’t be happening. I prided myself on always being in control, but at the moment, it felt like any control I had slipped through my fingers because there she was, standing in front of me—the woman I never expected to see again.

I blinked, half expecting her to vanish into thin air, but she was still there, looking at me with those big brown eyes I’d stared into while I brought her to the height of ecstasy.

“Y-you,” she stuttered.

“And you ,” I growled.

Despite my utter shock at finding her in my house, the part of my brain that sometimes allowed my dick to do the thinking kicked in, and I couldn’t help checking her out. I tried to put our night together out of my mind, but I couldn’t. She’d been haunting me for weeks.

She was like a little fairy flitting around my mind, taunting me with memories of what a good time I had with her. I mean, what warm-blooded man would forget the best sex of his life? And that body of hers…

“What are you doing here?” she asked, pulling me from the lustful haze I almost got lost in.

I stared at her in sheer disbelief. “This is my house. What are you doing here?”

For a moment, panic grabbed me in a chokehold at the thought that she had plotted her way into my life on a twisted revenge mission for the way I walked out on her. I didn’t like the way things ended or how I handled the situation, but I’d been so pissed at the time.

However, my panic eased somewhat because she seemed just as stunned to see me as I was to see her. In fact, the color had seeped out of her face, and she looked as if she’d keel over at any moment. Maybe she wasn’t here to carry out some sick vengeful scheme…?

“Well, I’m the…”

“Mia!” My daughter’s voice interrupted her. “Did you get the cookies…?” She spotted me and beamed. “Daddy!”

I changed my expression of shock and dismay to delight. “Hey, my little flower.” I caught her flying frame and hugged her tight.

“I missed you.” Poppy grinned broadly, her green eyes twinkling. “Did you miss me?”

“Of course I did, Princess,” I said happily, even as I eyed the woman behind the counter.

I was more confused than ever. Mia? The new nanny… who I had yet to meet in person? But I knew her as Jane. What the hell was going on? My head spun as my brain worked to make sense of the situation.

Poppy squirmed in my arms, pulling my attention back to her. I put her back on her feet and watched her with a sinking feeling as she sprinted around the island toward her . The woman I… I shut my eyes briefly and pulled in a deep breath. Maybe it was best not to think about all the deliciously dirty things we did that night. As Poppy wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist, my heart dropped a little more. My daughter seemed so comfortable with her.

Oh fuck.

Just then, my assistant rounded the corner into the kitchen. She grinned at us as she walked to the counter and casually grabbed an apple out of the basket full of fruits, while I stewed in confusion and apprehension. I glowered at her and saw the guilt flicker in her eyes.

“Michael, I see you’ve met the new nanny.” Amber’s gaze swiveled from me to the new nanny.

I glared harder, and she gulped.

“Um… so… Michael…” She folded her lips. “Remember how I told you to keep an open mind about the new nanny?”

I lifted an eyebrow at her pointed stare. “Uh-huh.”

Amber had been left in charge of hiring this time because I typically didn’t have any luck with the nannies. It was like I was cursed or something. I had a nanny curse. This exact situation was clear evidence of how jinxed I was in that department.

Although I stayed out of the hiring process this time, I still ended up screwed because, out of all the women in LA, my assistant hired the last one I wanted. She’d hired my one-night-stand! How did that even happen? I mean… Fuck me all the way to the land of coincidences because this was a huge one… or was it…?

I stared at the woman my daughter held onto with mounting suspicion. I knew her as Jane Roberts… but she was Mia Clarke. Which was it? This imposter had been babysitting my daughter for three whole days. Who the hell was she, really?

“Amber, would you mind taking Poppy upstairs so I can chat with the new nanny?” I kept my expression cool as Amber watched me through squinted eyes.

However, she complied because she knew she’d messed up big time. “Not at all. Poppy, how about I join you for that tea party until Mia is ready?”

“Okay.” Poppy smiled up at Mia… Jane… whoever the hell she was before she disentangled herself from her and went to Amber.

Jane… Mia… watched Poppy with a little smile, which faded when she looked at me. Maybe she already knew she’d never make it to that tea party.

When I was sure the two were out of earshot, my neutral expression darkened into fury, and I took a step closer to the woman clutching the counter for dear life. “Mia is it? Just who the fuck are you?” I hissed.

Her eyes widened, and she gulped. “I… I can explain. My real name is Mia Clarke. And I had no idea I’d be working for you when I took this job. I swear.”

I scoffed. As if I bought her story. She likely figured out who I was after we parted ways and used this job opening as a way to get back at me. This could very well be one of those nightmare stalker situations. Jesus Christ. What had I gotten myself into?

“You can’t expect me to believe that.” I scoffed as I watched the woman with heightened suspicion. “And who the hell is Jane Roberts?”

Patches of pink bloomed on her cheeks, and her eyelashes fluttered down to hide her eyes.

I was almost disarmed by her reaction. Almost .

“I made up the name,” she said. “It was a combination of my two favorite authors.”

Her sheepish smile faded when I continued to glare at her.

“Are you some kind of con artist?” I asked.

She huffed. “No.”

“Crazy stalker?”

She snorted. “Of course not.”

My eyes narrowed on her. As if a con artist or stalker would admit to being one. However, as I looked into her eyes, which I knew were expressive from our night together, I was inclined to believe she was neither of those things. Still, I couldn’t have her under my employ. Not after I had her in just about every sexual position known to man.

“Right… I want you out of my house and away from my daughter now .”

“Whoa, let’s not be too hasty here.” She held up both palms as if in surrender. “Alright, I lied about my name?—”

“That’s not the only thing you lied about.”

She folded her lips. “Okay, you got me there but?—”

“Look, you can’t expect me to be comfortable with you as my daughter’s nanny after we…” Fucked for an entire night and agreed it was a one-time thing.

I scrubbed a hand over my face, and inhaled deeply to find my composure. I worked hard to regain my valued control… that only ever seemed to disappear when I was around her . “I no longer need your service as a nanny.”

She swallowed hard. “That’s not fair…”

“Goodbye, Jane… Mia. ”

We stared at each other for so long and so intensely, I was surprised one or both of us didn’t burst into flames. When my eyes narrowed to slits, she sighed her resignation and nodded.

“Right… I get it. Goodbye, Michael.”

As I watched her storm out, I was relieved that she went so easily. I would have hated to deal with the extra dramatics, especially with my daughter here. Crisis averted, it seemed. Yet I couldn’t help thinking about how Jane… I mean Mia and I got to hook up, and the incredible night we had…