Urgent: One Nanny Required (Crimson Romance) by Olivia Logan Page A

and his lips curved up understandingly. “The rose was Theo’s idea. He Googled ‘what happens on Valentine’s Day’, and then ran out to the rose bush before I could stop him.”
    “Awww. That’s very sweet. And a nice touch,” she said, making her way across to stroke the velvety petals as she sipped the champagne.
    She turned at the sound of glass chinking against the granite countertop and saw him attempting to lift a steaming dish out of the oven. The intoxicating lemony herb smell of some sort of fish dish made her mouth water and she remembered that, despite insisting Theo eat, she hadn’t eaten any lunch.
    “Can I help with anything?” she asked, placing her own glass down and moving forward.
    “Damn this is hot!” He swore under his breath as he pulled his now-red hand away from the metal tray on the stovetop, dropping the thin towel beside the open oven door.
    “That needs cold water or it will blister,” she warned, grabbing his hand and shoving it under the cold water faucet before turning it on full blast. The powerful spray hit his hand and bounced back up, spraying them both. Shrieking with shock, she jumped back, careening into him as he maneuvered himself side ways to turn it off.
    Looking down at her dress, she could either laugh or cry. The once tomato red was now soaked through to a dark maroon. He was wiping the water off his arms and catching sight of her dress grabbed a towel, dabbing it at her chest and down her stomach. The sight of the pointless display of gallantry with a small hand towel was too much and clutching at her sides, she laughed aloud, feeling the tears roll down her face. Before she knew it, Nick was laughing too, holding onto the kitchen counter for support as he doubled over.
    “What happened?!”
    Rania straightened up as Theo came in, eyes wide at the open oven door, sopping wet floor and his father and nanny, both soaking wet.
    “Just a little accident Theo, nothing to worry about. Dinner will be ready soon.” Nick said, grabbing at another towel and calmly mopping himself up. Despite his best attempt to remain calm, Rania could see he was anything but as he kept puckering his lips, trying hard not to laugh.
    Grabbing a pair of oven gloves from a nearby drawer, she marched past him to the oven, hauling the roast potatoes out and sliding them next to the fish. “Dinner’s ready,” she called, looking across at father and son, paper towels in hand, doing their very best to mop up the floor.
    Theo stood up first, coming to stand next to her, leaning down to smell the food. “What is it?” he asked as his nose scrunched up at the smell.
    “That, my son, is monkfish with lemon and tarragon. Served with new potatoes and green beans.” She shivered as Nick came to stand behind her, his breath warm on the back of her shoulders.
    “You made this yourself? From scratch?” The disbelief must have been evident in her voice as she felt him chuckle behind her, the sound close to her ear and doing nothing to maintain her equilibrium.
    “Hard to believe anyone can be this good-looking and talented, too, eh?”
    “Mmmm, something like that,” she murmured, not trusting her voice to give her emotions away and make her sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks.
    She felt a slight movement at her elbow and looked down to find Theo had leaned against her. She made the mistake of looking up at the glass doors and bit back a cry at her reflection. Theo nestled happily against her arm, and Nick standing strong behind her. The perfect family.
    Catching Nick’s gaze in the glass she quickly lowered her eyes and clearing her throat made a grab for the spatula. “So who’s hungry?” Her voice overly bright as she tried to distance herself from the happy picture where she had no right to belong. As Theo made his way around to the table, she stepped back and collided straight against Nick’s chest. She stopped, every fiber of her being suddenly on high alert at the warm hard body