by Meg Ripley
Damien thought quickly, realizing he hadn’t put anything in his ad about being a single father.
“I’m recently divorced, actually. It’s just Stephanie and me.”
“Oh.” The pale pink in Brianna’s cheeks deepened slightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Brianna looked troubled. “Is she dealing with it well?”
He knew she meant Stephanie, and his heart warmed to know this woman already cared for his little girl so much. “She seems to be, as far as I can tell. And I think it will be even better for her now that she has someone to take care of her full-time. I’ve been doing my best, but it’s not an easy thing to do by myself when I also have to work. It’s been nice to have the extra time with her when I work at home, though, and I think I’ll continue to do that for a few afternoons a week.”
He realized just how much he would miss having Stephanie on his lap while he made phone calls or taking a little longer to get to work because the two of them were snuggled up on the couch watching Sesame Street.
“Don’t you have any family that can help you?” Brianna clapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have asked such a thing. It’s just that I come from such a big family, and there was always someone around to help with childcare. I suppose we’re very old-fashioned in that sense.”
“It’s okay,” Damien replied, and he meant it. He had gotten very used to people asking him about both his divorce and his daycare arrangements. Since those topics were often on the forefront of his mind, it was just becoming a way of life. “My mother lives over in Burbank, but she doesn’t get around very well these days and it’s difficult for her to keep up with a toddler. Plus there’s the commute to her place, then work, and then back again. With the traffic along those highways, it’s not always worth it. I thought it might be a better idea for Stephanie to have someone permanent and reliable.”
He hoped Brianna could be that person. Stephanie certainly seemed to like her.
“That makes perfect sense to me. I look forward to getting started.”
They were silent for a moment as Damien continued to drive, but he felt there was still something in the air. It was the same electricity that had made him notice her from the other side of the airport, and he realized what it was. He felt like an idiot. He should have realized sooner.
“You’re a dragon, aren’t you?”
“I am. I hope that’s all right.”
He smiled, still keeping his eyes on the road due to the heavy traffic, but wishing he could turn to look at her once again. He wanted to see that spark again, especially now that he knew it was the animal inside her. “Absolutely. Both Stephanie and I are as well. It will be good for her to have another shifter around.”
They pulled into the garage, and Damien took Brianna’s suitcase from the trunk while she got Stephanie out of the car. It seemed that even the two of them worked naturally together, and he felt good about this. “I’ll give you the grand tour, and then you can settle in.”
Stephanie insisted on staying in Brianna’s arms as he showed her around the house. “I want you to consider this your home while you’re here. Feel free to use anything in the kitchen, the library, the pool, anything. I just ask that you please knock before coming into my office, since I might be on an important phone call.” He gestured at the heavy door that separated his home office from the rest of the living space, and then guided her into the kitchen. “I put my work number, my mobile number and my mother’s number here by the phone, should you need anything when I’m not here.”
Brianna nodded but didn’t reply as she took in the white cabinets, wood-trimmed countertops and eat-in breakfast bar that separated the food prep area from an informal dining room. The window wall in the breakfast area overlooked the pool room, and he thought he saw Brianna’s jaw drop a little. She had a similar reaction to the rest of the house, and it made Damien realize just how good he had it. He had been living in the lap of luxury for a long time compared to some, and he looked at his home with new appreciation as he showed her around.
“Here’s your room,” he said when they reached the second story and he opened the first door on the right. “It’s right next to Stephanie’s, so you can get to her easily. You have your own bathroom, as well. I hope it’s comfortable enough for you”
“It’s…wonderful,” Brianna said breathlessly. She stepped gingerly into the white-carpeted room and delicately touched the edge of the bed. “Thank you.”
He suddenly felt awkward, and he stepped back out into the hallway. “I know I said a little bit about it in my letter, but I’d like to discuss expectations a bit more. I’m entrusting you with the most important thing in my life, and I want Stephanie to be your priority at all times when you’re on duty. I don’t expect you to know every little thing about her right away, as I know it will take you a little time to get to know one another, but please remember that she’s why you’re here.”
Brianna nodded, suddenly looking very serious as she followed him into the hall. “Absolutely. I was going to ask if she has a schedule as far as when she wakes up, goes to bed, takes her naps and has her meals. I know how important that is for a little one, and I don’t want to disrupt that for her.”
She could just be saying it to appease him, but Damien had the distinct impression that Brianna really meant it. She was clearly delighted to be living in a mansion in Beverly Hills, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be a good au pair. “I have it all typed out for you. We’ll go back downstairs to my office and we can go over it.” He gestured at the staircase, allowing Brianna to go first.
“I also want to make sure you understand that I’m somewhat in the public eye due to my job. It’s not like I’m a celebrity, but people around here know who I am. When you take Stephanie out, I expect only the best behavior from you. You’re representing my family, after all.” Once he said it, Damien realized just how harsh he sounded. He started to apologize, but then he stopped himself. There was nothing wrong with being frank and forthright with someone who was going to be caring for his child. He wouldn’t have been any different had he been at work. Besides, Brianna was a dragon at heart. She could handle it.
“Understood,” she replied evenly as she followed him into his office. “May I ask what you do for a living?”
“I’m the director of A&R for Rising Star Records.” He crossed the room to his desk and picked up the file folder he had prepared for Brianna. It contained an entire packet of information he had typed up on his daughter, including her schedule, her favorite foods, and what his preferences were for her care. Some of it was very basic, but he thought it was best to cover all his bases. When he turned to hand it to Brianna, that hint of color was back in her cheeks again. He waited for the reaction he usually got when people found out what he did: shoving their demo tapes into his chest or insisting that he come to some backwater nightclub to watch their cousin sing.
“Oh. That’s very nice,” she replied as she tenderly touched one of Stephanie’s braids.
Yes, things were going to work out just fine.
Chapter Four
When Brianna woke the next morning, for a split second, she didn’t quite recognize the ceiling over her head. The bed seemed far too comfortable. But then she remembered where she was. She turned over to press her face into the pillow so no one would hear her squeal of delight, but Brianna had a feeling that these walls weren’t the paper-thin ones she was used to. With a gleeful punch of her pillow, she sprang out of her bed and got ready for the day.
Stephanie was waiting for her as she slipped into the bedroom next door. She was just sitting up on her toddler bed and pushing back her Care Bear bedspread. Her hair was a messy, dark cloud around her head, but she offered a sleepy smile to her new nanny.
“Good morning, Sunshine! Who’s ready to get dressed and start the day?”
Stephanie pointed her finger. “You!”
Brianna lau
ghed. “Yes, me. And you, too, I hope. Let’s get you dressed, and then we can head down for breakfast, okay?”
She was glad she had stayed up a little late to put all of her clothes and makeup away. The schedule Damien had given her showed that she would have a decent amount of time to herself in the evenings, and that most of the time she was needed for Stephanie would be during the day. Still, she didn’t want to waste any time getting settled.
And she couldn’t wait to find some time to call Cathy and tell her all about the new home she was living in. It was nothing like the small bungalow she had left at home, where there was barely enough space for everyone to sit—nevermind shift—comfortably. The front entryway, where the stairs curved gracefully to the second floor, was tiled in white marble and trimmed in dark wood. The kitchen was massive; so stunning and immaculate, she was afraid to even cut an apple without making a mess. Damien had opened the door that led to the massive pool while he had shown her around the house, and she had been incredibly excited to see the indoor pool with decorative tile. There were even changing areas and bathrooms off to the side, which made it seem like it couldn’t possibly belong in a home.
Even Stephanie’s bedroom was the ultimate dream room for a little girl. The Care Bears were her favorite characters, and they were plastered everywhere. Her canopy bed was draped in the colorful bears, and there was even matching wallpaper. The walk-in closet was full of dresses for every occasion, as well as plenty of shorts, swimsuits and comfy rompers. Several of the pieces still had the tags on, and Brianna doubted anything had ever been a hand-me-down.
She took her time to dress Stephanie, eager to show that she was capable of the job. Together they chose a cute yellow sundress, and Brianna even found frilly socks with matching yellow bows. She combed the little girl’s hair, surprised at how still she sat for the process, and put it up into a ponytail. Another yellow bow went into her hair.
Carrying her down to the kitchen, Brianna opened the big fridge. Damien must have had it stocked recently, because there was hardly any space left on the shelves. “What would you like for breakfast?” she asked the little girl. “Maybe some bacon and eggs?”
“Lucky Charms!” Stephanie squealed.
Just to be certain, Brianna checked the folder Damien had given her to make sure that was acceptable. It seemed a little silly to carry the file around with her, but for the first few days, it was the easiest way to ensure she stayed on schedule and didn’t accidentally give the little girl something she couldn’t have. “All right, Lucky Charms for you, and bacon and eggs for me. I’m starving after that long trip. They fed us on the plane, but the food was terrible.”
“Starving!” Stephanie echoed as Brianna set her in a high chair and turned back toward the kitchen for the cereal.
She laughed. “Yes, ma’am. My mother always told me I had an appetite like a lumberjack. What about you? Do you like to eat?”
“Eat! Eat!”
It was so easy to get a reaction out of her, and Brianna loved it. She swore her cousins had never been that fun. As she served Stephanie and started to make her own meal, Brianna found a note on the counter.
I took off early for the office. I have a lot of catching up to do now that you’re here. Please call me if you need anything. –Damien
That suited Brianna. It would be easier to get used to the house and her new job without anyone watching over her shoulder. Damien had been a bit intimidating as he explained the details of the position the day before, but she could understand. He had a high-profile job and a child whom he truly cared about. He wasn’t just hiring someone to run errands for him. Brianna was living in his house and taking care of his daughter, and it didn’t get more important than that.
Remembering what he’d said about his job, Brianna felt her cheeks heat up. They seemed to do that a lot when Damien was around, and she hoped he hadn’t noticed. She just hadn’t expected him to be so handsome—or a dragon. If his tan skin, jet black hair and chocolate eyes weren’t enough, there was his strong nose and sculpted lips. His wide shoulders and washboard abs didn’t hurt, either. He looked casual enough in his linen blazer and jeans, but she could immediately tell that he was a formidable man who didn’t put up with any bullshit.
Brianna allowed herself a smile as she thought about how hot her boss was—and what his sheer presence stirred in her inner dragon—but she knew she had to remember that he was just that: her boss. And that was exactly why she didn’t say anything about her dreams to be a singer. It wouldn’t be fair to try to use him to make her way in the music world, and he hadn’t exactly asked. The funny thing was that she had hardly given a thought to getting gigs or recording a new demo since she had arrived. Part of it was that she had been so overwhelmed with all the new sights, but she had also been thoroughly charmed by Stephanie.
Brianna brought her plate to the breakfast bar and sat next to the little girl. “What would you like to do today?” She was too young to really carry on a conversation, but Brianna had always had a habit of talking constantly to little children. Her mother had noticed this when she’d started watching her cousins and said that it made them smarter. Brianna didn’t know if it was true or not, but her charges certainly seemed to have large vocabularies.
“Walk?” Stephanie asked, then giggled as her tiny tongue elongated and forked, snapping up a clover-shaped mini marshmallow from her spoon.
Brianna’s eyes widened and she clapped for the little girl. “What a neat trick!”
Smiling proudly, Stephanie’s tongue resumed its human shape and she continued to munch on her cereal.
“I think taking a walk sounds like a great idea.” Brianna glanced out the window as she put a bite of egg in her mouth. It promised to be a beautiful day, and she had seen an entire array of sun hats in Stephanie’s closet. There was a stroller in the garage, which would make it easy, and it would be a perfect opportunity to explore her new town. “We’ll go right after breakfast.”
Half an hour later, Brianna and Stephanie set out. As soon as she’d received Damien’s letter, Brianna ordered a map of the Los Angeles area so she could get a feel for where everything was. She had located the street Damien lived on and traced her way to Rodeo Drive so many times, she could practically close her eyes and walk there. She was thrilled to find that it was a short walk, and she was even happier to see that this place was just as dazzling as she had hoped. Every single house was nothing short of grand, with palm trees growing in the front yard and carefully manicured lawns. No one had chickens running around in the yard, and she never saw a man covered in greasy clothes bending under the hood of his vehicle. The other people she saw out for a walk were dressed in bright, crisp sport clothes as they headed rapidly down the sidewalk with their tiny dogs on tight leashes, no longer entranced by their glorious surroundings. It would be an extremely touristy thing to do, but Brianna decided she would have to bring her camera on her next walk. Her family and friends back home would never believe this.
She could hardly believe it herself as she passed the Beverly Wilshire. The building was magnificent, so stately that she couldn’t imagine anyone being able to afford staying there. As she progressed down the street, she saw so many brand names that she recognized from the magazines she had been getting back home. She dared to look in the window at Harry Winston, trying not to imagine just how much those brilliant gems must cost. She marveled at the windows and signs for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Chanel. A part of her really wanted to go into the stores and actually shop. Her salary from Damien really was a generous one, but she had been working for less than a day and only had the small bit of money her mother had reluctantly pressed into the palm of her hand the day before she left. The real shopping would wait. Besides, she wanted to see everything she could.
Brianna was grateful for the ramps at Anderton Court that allowed her to easily explore the shops there while pushing a stroller, and she didn’t mind the shade, either. The sun was so close out there that it felt a
s though it was sitting on her shoulders. It was no wonder everyone was so tan, and as she looked at her ghostly reflection in a window, she realized just how much she stuck out.
Stopping briefly at a little café to get a bottle of water for herself and a juice box for Stephanie, Brianna found a bench and sat down, turning the stroller around so she could see her charge. “I hope you’re having a good time,” she said quietly. “You live in such a beautiful place, and I’m sure you don’t even know it yet. But I think you’re one lucky girl.”
Stephanie grinned, probably just because she was enjoying the sunshine and the smooth vibrations of the stroller, and she wrapped her chubby hands around the juice box.
“You know what I like the best?” Brianna leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees so she could share her secret. “I love the palm trees. Everywhere I look, there are beautiful plants. I know we’re right in the middle of a city, but I like to know that there’s still a little bit of nature around.” Granted, those plants had all been groomed and manicured into the perfection that was demanded of an area like this. Never did she see a palm leaf with brown edges or a blade of grass that was a different length than the others. She only hoped that she herself could keep up with such flawlessness.
Brianna continued her walk. She was grateful that she had always been physically active, or she might not have had the endurance to keep up with her interest. She almost didn’t want to blink in case she missed something. As it was, she knew that she shouldn’t keep Stephanie out too long, or she might miss her nap. She crossed the street and headed back, trying to memorize the way every single shop looked.
Stopping in front of the Gucci store, Brianna admired the mannequins in the window. It looked like Madonna might shop there, with its short fluffy skirts, wide belts and vivid colors. She glanced down at her own outfit, realizing once again how little she fit in there. Her jeans were a Guess knockoff, and while she had thought her striped purple-and-white shirt was cute, it suddenly seemed very ordinary. A yellow Ferrari zoomed down the street behind her, a young girl with a crop top and curly hair hanging out the passenger side driving home the point.
