A Prince of a Guy (Red Hot Royals #1)(18)

“But—”

“Go. Dry. Off.”

At the unaccustomed sharpness of Carly’s voice, Melissa blinked in stunned surprise. Then, predictably, her bottom lip started the quiver. “You mad at me?”

Carlyne sighed. She’d lost her glasses in the pool. She’d have to go after them. Her clothes were clinging to her body, and if she wasn’t mistaken, one contact lens had slipped. But none of this was Melissa’s fault. She certainly hadn’t asked for her mother to leave the country or to be left with a commitment-challenged uncle. Or stuck in the care of a runaway princess pretending to be a nanny.

Melissa’s eyes filled. “Sorry.”

“Oh, honey.” Carlyne sagged with exhaustion. “I’m sorry. It’s just that you scared me. Now we need to get all dried and changed because your uncle Sean might be home soon.”

Not that he’d been home before ten o’clock at night all week, but that wasn’t Melissa’s fault, either.

Turning to usher Melissa in the house, she stopped short.

Over the fence appeared Mrs. Trykowski’s face. She was clearly standing on something, clinging to the wood, watching them. Spying. When she saw Carlyne’s horrified expression, the woman smiled and waved. “Hellooo!”

Carlyne held her wig and tried not to think about the makeup running in rivulets down her face. Had that been an I-know-who-you-are hello? Or a hey-I-just-love-to-spy-on-my-neighbor wave?

God only knew.

Heart in her throat, Carlyne managed a weak wave and vanished into the house, certain her cover was blown.

No matter. Her two weeks were nearly up, anyway. She’d known it would have to end.

She just hadn’t known how very much she wouldn’t want it to.



NOBODY WAS MORE surprised than Sean when Mrs. Trykowski called him at the office. He transferred the woman to the speakerphone because he and Nikki were hands deep in the piles behind his desk, looking for a missing blueprint.

“Just wanted to tell you everything is going great at the house,” Mrs. Trykowski said, as if she called him every day to check in.

Sean exchanged a puzzled look with Nikki and let out a little laugh. “Good. Okay. Well…thank you.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me details?”

“Details?”

“Sure, as in what Melissa is up to.”

“Well…”

“And let’s not forget your live-in.”

“The nanny,” Sean corrected.

“Whatever you kids call it these days,” she said with a secret smile in her voice.

Nikki looked at Sean speculatively.

Sean shook his head. “Listen, Mrs. Trykowski, I’m really busy here, and—”

“They’re having a ball, you know. Laughing, giggling, playing… So, when are you going to marry her?”

“Marry—” He nearly choked. “Now just back the truck up.”

Nikki, familiar with Sean’s past and his lack of inclination to go for another relationship, grinned widely.

“She’s really just the nanny,” Sean said weakly.

“Uh-huh,” Mrs. Trykowski said kindly. “And I just had mind-blowing, head-banging, screaming sex last night.”

“Mrs. Trykowski!”

“Well, honestly, Sean O’Mara. That woman you have in your house, she’s the one to make it shine for you, she could fill it with love and laughter—”

And fire, Sean thought darkly. Let’s not forget the fire.

“That woman could really turn your place into a home. She’s no simple nanny, and you know it. Now what I want to know is, what are you going to do about it?”

“Well, I—”

“Oh for heaven’s sake.” A disgusted sigh came over the line. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be a male about this. Figures.” Another loud huff of breath. “Then don’t ask me to tell you what they’re up to again, you big, silly fool.” And she hung up on him.

“I didn’t ask you in the first place,” he muttered.

“Interesting.” Nikki was looking at him in a new light. “You and the nanny, huh?”

“Stop it.” But he had to admit, Mrs. T had spiked his curiosity. What were they doing? “Look, I’m going,” he said, picking up his keys.

Nikki’s mouth fell open. “As in…going to your house?”

“Where else?”

“But it’s the middle of the day.”

“Yep.” He grabbed his briefcase, then stopped, looking at it. “No work tonight,” he decided, tossing it onto his desk.

“You’ve never left in the middle of the day before.” She watched him walk to the door. “Don’t forget to invite me to the wedding.”



WHEN HE ARRIVED, the house was silent. His heart started a funny, heavy pounding as he moved through the living room toward the definitely empty kitchen.

Where were they?

Granted, he hadn’t been around much. Okay, not at all, but they had to be here. Panicked, he ran. “Melissa! Carly!”

Then, in the hallway, he suddenly heard it. Laughter. They were outside, in the back yard, sitting under the shade of a large elm tree, both looking happy and content.