What the Prince Wants

Colin returned his gaze to Darcy who was actually staring at him. Oh, yeah, she’d asked him a question. Unfortunately, he was going to have to end this trial before it started. Having someone like Darcy here would be a colossal mistake.

Holding those bright green eyes with his, Colin took a deep breath and said, “I’m afraid I can’t use your services.”

* * *

Darcy swallowed her shock. What had he just said? The very survival of Loving Hands was contingent on her landing this job. She refused to take no for an answer. She couldn’t afford to.

She also couldn’t afford to keep making eye contact with Mr. Alexander’s baby blues. No, blue wasn’t the right word. What was the proper description for a set of eyes that were so mesmerizing they nearly made her forget all her troubles? The power he possessed when he held her gaze was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, so she kept her focus on the sweet little girl in her arms.

Holding onto a squirming Iris was difficult enough without the added impact of desire. Though she’d certainly take a dose of lust over the ache in her heart from holding such a precious child. She’d avoided working with babies for years, giving those jobs to her employees. Unfortunately, the entire staff of Loving Hands had been let go and Darcy had to face her demons head-on if she wanted to save her grandmother’s company. So, his “no” wasn’t an option.

This would be the first job caring for a young child she’d taken on since having been told at the age of twenty-one she couldn’t have kids due to severe endometriosis. She could do this...she had to do this. No matter the heartache, Darcy had to pull through.

But first she had to convince Mr. Alexander she was the one for the job.

Turning to fully face the sexy father, Darcy kept her hold on Iris, who was nearly chewing the ear off the poor lamb. A sweet smell wafted up from the child’s hair, no doubt from whatever shampoo her father used for her.

Darcy had learned from the emails and phone conversations that Mr. Alexander was a single father and new to the area. She also knew his wife had died suddenly just a few months ago. What she didn’t know was what he did for a living or where he was from. The sexy, exotic accent that made her toes curl in her secondhand sandals clearly implied that he wasn’t American.

Honestly she didn’t care where he was from as long as he was here legally and the job posting was legit. He’d offered her a ridiculous sum to live here for the next six months and care for his daughter, and that money would help her save her grandmother’s dying agency...the agency Darcy’s ex had pilfered money from, nearly leaving Darcy on the street. Oh, wait, he had left her on the street.

Darcy didn’t know what happened at the end of the six months, and with the amount of money he’d offered, she didn’t need to know.

“You can’t use me?” she asked, not ready to admit defeat. “Do you have another nanny service lined up?”

“No.”

Shoulders back and chin up, Darcy used all of the courage she wished she possessed to cross the room. Closing the gap between them only made her heart pound even more. She would do whatever it took to pay tribute to the grandmother who’d given up everything to raise her.

Darcy’s nerves had kicked into high gear before she’d even arrived here because so much was riding on this one job. Being turned away by the client hadn’t been her biggest concern, either. Darcy had truly feared she’d take one look at the child and freeze...or worse, break down and start sobbing.

Yet here she was, holding it together and ready to fight for what her ex had stolen from her. Darcy had already given up her apartment and had slept in her car those first two nights until her best friend discovered what happened. Now Darcy found herself spending nights on the sofa in her bestie’s overpriced, undersized studio apartment. This live-in nanny position would secure a roof over her head and a steady income to help get Loving Hands back up and running.

As if all of that weren’t stressful enough, her would-be employer had opened his door and all coherent thoughts had completely left her mind. A handsome man holding a baby was sexy, no doubt about it. But this man with his disheveled hair and piercing eyes had epitomized sexy single dad. Those tanned muscles stretched his T-shirt in ways that should be illegal. Not to mention the flash of ink peeking from beneath his sleeve.

The man who all but had her knees trembling and her stomach in knots was trying to send her on her way. Not going to happen.

“So you have nobody else lined up,” she repeated, praying she came across as professional and not pushy. “I’m here, your sweet little girl is much happier than when you answered the door, and you’re ready to usher me back out.”

When he continued to stare as if trying to somehow dissuade her, Darcy continued.

“May I ask why you’re opting to not even give me a chance?”

His intriguing set of eyes roamed over her face, sending spears of tingles through her body just as powerfully as if he’d touched her. It was as though he was looking straight into her soul.

Iris squealed and smacked Darcy on the cheek with the wet, slobbery stuffed lamb’s ear that had been in her mouth. Still, nothing could stop Darcy from trying to maintain some sort of control over this situation...if she’d ever had any to begin with. She had a feeling Mr. Alexander was a man who was used to being in charge. That thought alone had arousal hitting hard.

Focus, Darcy.

“Mr. Alexander?”

“Colin.” That husky voice slid over her. “Call me Colin.”

A thread of hope started working its way through her. “That would imply I’ll be here long enough to call you by your first name.”

The muscle clenched in his jaw, the pulse in his neck seemed to be keeping that same frantic pace as hers.

Before he could comment, she kept going, more than ready to plead her case. “We discussed a trial period over the phone. Why don’t we agree on a set time? That way if this arrangement doesn’t work for either of us, we have a way out.”

She’d care for Lucifer’s kids to get the amount of money she and Colin had agreed upon.

“May I be honest?” he asked, taking a step back as if he’d just realized how close they were.

“Please.”

Iris wiggled in Darcy’s arms. Darcy set the toddler on the floor to play then straightened to see Colin’s eyes still fixed on her.

“I wasn’t expecting someone so young.”

She was always mistaken for someone younger, which was normally a lovely compliment. “I turned thirty two weeks ago.”

His eyes widened as he raked that gaze over her body once more. At one time she’d been self-conscious of her slightly fuller frame. Being surrounded by so much surgically enhanced beauty in Hollywood would wreak havoc with anybody’s self-esteem.

She could still hear her grandmother’s words on the subject: Be proud of who you are, your body and your spirit. Nobody can make you feel inferior without you allowing it. So Darcy had embraced her curves and her size twelve wardrobe, meager as it may be. Besides, who was in charge of dictating what was and wasn’t socially acceptable?

Her ass of an ex had mentioned her weight. She should’ve known then he wasn’t The One.

When Colin was done taking his visual journey, he rested his hands on his hips and shifted his stance. With a slight wince, he moved in the other direction. That was the second time she’d caught him moving as if he couldn’t stand on one leg for too long.

“Are you okay?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Fine,” he bit off. “You don’t look more than twenty-one.”

With a smile, she shrugged. “It’s hereditary and I’ll take that as a compliment.”

His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. “It wasn’t meant to be one.”

Crossing her arms, Darcy glanced down just as Iris gripped Darcy’s jeans and pulled herself up. The little girl with bouncy dark curls started toward the other side of the living area, which was immaculate.

Where were the toys? The random blanket or sippy cup? Other than that stuffed lamb, there were no signs a child even lived here. Even if they had moved in just a few days ago, wouldn’t the place be littered with baby items?

Beyond that, from what she could see, the house was perfectly furnished, complete with fresh flowers on the entryway table and the large kitchen island she could see across the open floor plan.

“Perhaps you have an older, more experienced worker?”

The man was testing her patience. Withholding a sigh, Darcy focused her attention back on the sexy, albeit frustrating, guy. “I’m the only one available for the job at this time.”

Not a lie. She was the only one—period. Just last month she’d had to lay off her final employee. Letting her grandmother’s staff go had been heartbreaking, but the money simply hadn’t been there after several of her clients had changed agencies. They had been like family and had all worked so well together. Fortunately, everyone understood Darcy’s predicament and Darcy happily gave each of them glowing recommendations for other jobs. Hopefully she’d be able to get Loving Hands back on its feet and slowly bring her workers back.