The Billionaire's Nanny: A BWWM Romantic Comedy by Mia Caldwell Page A

conditions there. I figured we’d be better off trying to educate consumers on our end, explain why we were staying in India."
    We’ve stopped walking, and I’m still holding her hand.
    “You sound really passionate about it. I bet you’d make a great guide.” She’s looking up at me, the moon in her dark brown eyes.
    “I’d love to show you,” I say, and can no longer wait. I lean down, taking her head in my hand as I kiss her.
    Her lips soften into mine, returning the kiss, urgent. I pull her to me, my other hand in the small of her back, her body soft against mine.
    As I try to part her lips with the tip of my tongue, however, she pulls away. Puts her hand on my chest. “Corbin, no,” she says softly, not meeting my gaze. “I…I’m going to my room. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    She turns and hurries up the path as fast as she can without breaking into a run.
    Crap.

Chapter Six
    It’s midnight in Atlanta, but this can’t wait. The phone rings five times before Grandma picks up. Obviously I woke her, her voice is still creaky with sleep.
    “What’s happened, Vanessa, are you okay?”
    You know how you’re holding it all together and then someone who loves you says “Are you okay?” and you totally lose it? That.
    “Baby girl, what is going on, what is it?”
    I feel terrible for scaring her and that just makes me feel worse, but I manage to choke out “It’s…not an emergency…I’ll be fine…” before dissolving in sobs again, because I’m not sure I’ll be fine.
    “Are you hurt?”
    “No.” Yes, but not physically . “I’m…sorry to scare you.” I manage to get the sobs under control. I don’t think of myself as much of a crier, but when I do, it’s not a dainty sniffle. “I guess I just wanted advice. I’m freaked out.”
    “Okay, honey, what happened.”
    “Corbin kissed me.”
    I hear her sigh, like she’d been holding her breath. “Honey, wouldn’t this be a better conversation with Asia? I’m not good at this stuff.” I’d never known Grandma to have a gentleman caller even though she’s still beautiful at 75, with that tiny dancer’s body that my mother inherited.
    “I tried,” I say, sounding like a whiny teen even to myself, "but I got her I’m driving auto text response."
    “Good for her.” Grandma reminds me not to text and drive at least once a week.
    "I really needed to talk now, " I whine.
    “Okay, okay, I’m up now anyway. So. This boy kissed you. Isn’t that what you wanted? You’ve sounded pretty sweet on him since, well, since you first told me about him.”
    "Well, yes. No. I don’t know , that’s why I called!"
    She sighs again. "Vanessa. I don’t know this boy at all. I don’t know his family. But I do know about rich men that think they can just have their way with the help, take advantage of women that work for them. Can you swear to me that he’s not like that?"
    “Yes, I mean, I’ve seen no evidence of it. The other women that work here have never said a bad word or even rolled an eye behind his back. He’s only been here a little longer than I have, but I get the sense that they’ve known him longer than that. It’s one of his family’s houses, so maybe he visited as a kid.” The image of Corbin as a little boy comes to mind, all floppy black curls and big blue eyes. Also, I realize I’m babbling. “Yeah, I mean, no. He’s not like that.”
    “Okay. Did he just walk up and kiss you out of nowhere or did it happen…in a more usual way?” Poor Grandma, I can tell she’s well outside of her comfort zone. She’s always been very no nonsense with me where boys are concerned, just the facts and a healthy dose of skepticism about their motives. I went to college still a virgin, having been assured that to begin sleeping with boys too young would ruin my focus on grades. Once in college, of course, I realized that it was a risk worth taking. Grades aren’t everything. And you can always pull them up again. She used to warn