Page 12 of Unexpected

“Does your mom spend a lot of time on her phone?” I asked.

I’d worked for a number of affluent families, and I’d seen the crazy hours the parents sometimes pulled. Working evenings and weekends was often the norm. And Alexis had a nice home, more than nice. It was a stunning two-story with pale wood floors, lots of natural light, and a huge pool. Considering the location and the size, I knew it wasn’t cheap.

Sophia nodded. “Like you wouldn’t believe. I asked for a phone for my birthday, but she says I’m too young.”

I nodded, though I was surprised by her answer. A number of the kids I’d nannied for had their own phones, even one as young as four. “That’s a bummer. Do many of your friends have phones?”

“Tons of them,” she said. “I’m the only one without a phone.”

I tried to school my features into a neutral expression. I couldn’t understand why anyone under the age of maybe twelve needed a phone. What they needed was less screen time and more human interaction. But, hey, I wasn’t a parent. At least Alexis seemed to have a sensible approach.

“Who would you talk to if you had a phone?” I leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“What?” She jerked her head back, scrunching up her nose. “Eww. Gross.”

I laughed, gratified by her response. But then her expression turned more serious, and I wondered what she was thinking.

I nudged her shoulder with mine, surprised by how quickly we’d developed such a good rapport. How could we not? She was a cute kid with good manners. And I was happy to do anything and everything she wanted. Only an hour into the placement—correction, interview—and I was already wrapped around her little finger. If it were up to Sophia, I was pretty sure I’d already have the job.

“I wish I had a phone so I could FaceTime with my dad.”

“You don’t get to see him much?”

My heart was beating rapidly, but I was pretty sure Sophia didn’t notice. She was too absorbed in her own thoughts.

She stared at the floor, her lips pulled into a frown. “He travels a lot for work.”

“I’m sure you and your mom both miss him very much,” I said.

“My parents are divorced.” Her voice was completely devoid of emotion, and I realized this likely wasn’t a recent thing. “My dad is a musician.”

“Whoa,” I said, latching on to how proud she was of that fact. “That’s cool.”

“Yeah. He’s pretty amazing. What do your parents do?” she asked, as if we were friends, as if she were an adult and we were having a conversation.

She seemed so mature for her age. Whip-smart and funny. She was a firecracker for sure.

I chuckled to myself. “Nothing quite so glamorous,” I said, relaxing. “My dad is a construction manager, and my mom is a teacher.”

Sophia adopted a serious demeanor. “Teachers are very important.”

I smiled. “Yes, they are.”

“Are you having fun?” Alexis asked, returning to the room.

“Oh yes, Mommy.” Sophia hopped up and skipped over to Alexis, grabbing her hand. “Preston is the best!” She frowned. “I mean, Sir Preston.”

Alexis tried to hide her smile, her eyes meeting mine over the top of Sophia’s head. “I’m glad to hear that.”

So was I.

We played for a while longer, and then Alexis said, “Hey, Soph, let’s go get some snacks. You can play a game on the tablet while I talk to Preston.”

“Mom,” Sophia whispered. “It’s Sir Preston.”

“Right.” Alexis grinned at me. “Excuse me,Sir.”

My dick twitched with excitement at the husky sound of her voice.Fuck. Down, boy.