Chapter 1

“Who the hell is Eliana?” I shout into the intercom to my secretary when I scan my day’s agenda. I just have a note in my diary: Meeting with Eliana, 10 a.m., with a goddamn smiley face next to it.

If I could get help—any help—in this office, I would be a fucking trillionaire, rather than a billionaire.

“I am,” a feminine voice says, making me look up.

Shit.

At first glance, the woman looks like a typical all-American college student, dressed in a baggy Notre Dame sweatshirt and a pair of old jeans. Nothing special, until my gaze lands on her face.

She’s gorgeous. Not the typical runway-model, I-only-eat-salad-with-no-dressing look like my ex-wife, but the striking beauty of a woman confident in herself, and her curves. Lush, bee-stung lips that practically beg to be wrapped around my cock. Large, doe-like eyes that could have any man melting in a pool of romantic mush with a single look.

Thank God, I’m not any man. I’m Lucas fucking Philip. Cold-hearted son-of-a-bitch whose emotions are locked behind a steel cage.

The woman fidgets as she moves across the large room towards me.

My cock says, Hello Eliana.

But my mouth says, “What do you want?”

She doesn’t flinch like most people would. Instead, she says calmly, “Your assistant said you’re free to talk.”

I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes because I don’t have the time or patience for whatever my secretary said. I’ve fired the woman three times, but HR keeps insisting that it’s unlawful dismissal.

Bullshit.

She’s useless. How is that unlawful?

I’m pretty sure my father put something in her contract that makes it impossible to get rid of her – he's the one who hired her. For what reason, I have no idea. Sometimes, I get paranoid and think that she's some kind of spy for him. Even though he’s semi-retired, the man is constantly in my business, never fully trusting me, despite the billions I’ve made this company.

But it’s never enough.

Not for him. And not for me.

This is where I thrive. Work. Making money.

Business is what I know. And I’m fucking good at it. Better than good. I’m the best at what I do.

It’s people that I have a problem with. Either they’re spineless cowards with no independent thoughts of their own, or they’re backstabbing cheaters who are willing to throw away six years of marriage and the love of a five-year-old girl, all for a meaningless fling with the pool boy.

My stomach twists when I think about my ex-wife. It’s been over a year since she left, but it’s still a fresh wound to my ego. Just now, instead of pain, all I feel is anger and bitterness.

And that’s what I project when I growl out, “Don’t just stand there. Tell me what you’re here for, so I can get back to work.”

Dark eyes narrow on me and her lips purse slightly before she says, “I came to talk about Lily.”

Shit. She must be the new help. The woman my mom hired on my behalf when the last nanny walked out. My cock hardens almost painfully when I think about the beauty standing in front of me sleeping under my roof for the past three weeks.

How the hell had I not seen her before now? Guilt creeps into my chest. I know how. Because I work too damn much.

Has it really been that long since I’d seen my daughter?

Fuck. I’m not getting any father of the year awards, that’s certain.

“And?” I ask, dragging my fingers through my hair and breathing out a deep sigh.

“Well, I’ve been working with her for almost a month, and you and I have never met.”

I raise an eyebrow in expectation for some better excuse for her interrupting my day.

“And?” I repeat.

For the first time since she entered my office, I see a trace of hesitation. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other and says, “I thought it would be good for us to meet.”

I’m not sure why she thinks it’s so important. I have no doubt she’ll be gone by the end of the month –– or sooner. One month seems to be the breaking point of the previous nannies I’ve brought in to take care of Lily.

My daughter didn’t just inherit my good looks, she also got my cunning ability to manipulate and control. She’s driven the previous hires away through brilliant little tactics that would wear down even the most patient of saints. As much as I hate to admit it, I have to admire the kid’s gusto. And, in all honesty, it’s my opinion that if you can’t outwit a six-year-old, then you should probably find a new line of work.

Eliana is watching me expectantly. Her tongue darts out across her lower lip, and I have to suppress the dirty thoughts that pop into my head when I think about what I want that mouth doing to me right now.

She’s my daughter’s nanny. Completely off-limits.

“We’ve met,” I say stoically, hardening my gaze and my thoughts. “Anything else?”

“I wanted to talk about Lily. I’ve noticed that she’s been…struggling, and I thought–”

“I appreciate your concern. Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do.” The last thing I need is some stranger to come in here, telling me what she thinks is wrong with my daughter. I know exactly what’s wrong. Her mother left her, and her father is a selfish bastard who has no idea how to raise a six-year-old girl on his own.

Unfazed by my dismissal, Eliana continues. “I’m taking Lily to the zoo tomorrow.”

“Fine,” I mumble, keeping my gaze down and shuffling through the files in front of me.

“I thought you could come with us.”

I grunt and look up at her. “Why?”

“It would be good for Lily. It's a school trip. There was an option for the parents to go.” She licks her lips, and adds, “And I put your name down.”

My gaze jerks to hers. “You shouldn’t have done that. I have work to do. Important work–”

“More important than spending time with your daughter?”

Who the hell does this woman think she is?

If I say no, I’m an asshole for not going, and if I say yes, I’m just an asshole.

I may have met my daughter’s match for manipulative behavior.

“Since you asked, yes, I have a meeting with the mayor in the morning and multiple meetings in the afternoon.”

And, as if right on cue, the useless secretary that I’ve been trying to get rid of walks in and blurts out, “Actually, the mayor cancelled that meeting, and I booked you out for the rest of day, so you can go.” She places a coffee on my desk, then turns to leave, just as fast as she walked in, saying, “You could do with a break. We all could.”

“Sara, get back here,” I holler. But, as usual, the woman ignores me and disappears down the hall.

Fucking hell.

She booked me out so I wouldn’t come to the office. And she calls herself a secretary? Right. Another thing to go to HR about.

Eliana is smiling at me, and there’s triumph glistening in her dark eyes. “Looks like you’re free.”

“Looks like it,” I grumble.

“Great. Lily is going to be ecstatic. We can take the car, or we can go on the school bus with the rest of the class.”

“Hell no.”

She laughs, a light, playful sound that has my balls tightening. “I didn’t think so. Lily said there was no way you would come at all, let alone ride the bus. At least I can prove her wrong on one of them.”

“Is there anything else, Miss…”

“Sanders,” she offers. “But you can call me Elly.”

I grunt. “Miss Sanders will do fine.”

She gives a small nod, then her expression turns serious. “She’s a good kid. Your mom said she has some behavioral issues, but honestly, I just think she needs more positive attention.”

“Are you a psychologist, Miss Sanders?”

Her cheeks turn a shade of red. “No.”

“Then I’d appreciate you keeping your opinions to yourself.”

Her nostrils flare slightly, and she opens her mouth before clamping it shut on whatever snippy little comment popped into her head, then gives a curt nod. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Philip. I’ll see you at home.”

At home.

A small groan bubbles up in my chest.

She turns to leave, and I can’t help but watch her firm, perfectly shaped ass as it leaves my office. And I’m almost tempted to follow her – home.

I shove a hand through my hair and curse the dirty thoughts that pop into my mind. It’s been too goddamn long since I’ve been with a woman. At some point, I’m going to need to move past the pain of betrayal that my ex has left me with.

But not now. Not yet. And especially not with the nanny.

* * *

Chapter 2

“We did it,” I say to Sara, Lucas’ secretary, when I walk out of his office, still trying to shake off the bolts of electricity that race through my body.

I’d seen pictures of the man, but they hadn’t prepared me for the effect of being in his actual presence. Lucas Philip is power. It rolls off him in waves. It’s not just his size, which is impressive. Six feet of pure muscle. Or his chiseled jaw, the rough, almost primal features, or the scorching blue eyes that sear me with an intensity that makes me want to drop my panties and fuck him right there in his office. It’s something more. A confidence that screams, I can make all your most wicked fantasies come true.

He’s your boss, I remind myself. Not to mention that he’s at least ten years older than me, a billionaire, and way out of my league.

“I can’t believe it,” Sara says, coming around her desk and peering over my shoulder as if expecting the man to come tearing down the hall at any time.

Not that I blame her. The man is more than intimidating. He’s scary as hell. But I grew up with two older brothers, and I know how to deal with men like him. Hold your ground, and never, ever, show fear.

“I thought he’d come up with some other excuse.” Sara smiles and shakes her head. “The man is so stubborn."

“Just like his daughter.” I chuckle, thinking about how similar they actually are. Right down to the sandy blond hair and blue eyes.

“I’ve never met her, but from how quickly she’s gone through nannies, I can only imagine. You must have the patience of a saint to still be working with her.”

“It’s been…interesting.” I laugh, thinking about the pranks the kid has pulled. The first night I was there, all of my shoes disappeared. The groundskeeper found them in the pool the following morning. I knew then I was going to have my hands full.

It’s been a rough few weeks. But Lily’s behavior has been better, and I feel like I’ve actually started to connect with her.

“She really is a great kid. She’s just starved for affection. It can’t be easy not to have either parent around. I feel sorry for her.” I glance over my shoulder towards Lucas’ office. “And for him.”

The man is snarly, arrogant, and obviously angry at the world. But behind the cool mask he wears, there’s pain and rejection. It’s the same thing I see in Lily’s eyes. The same thing that stirs something in my chest and makes me want to help them both.

* * *

Chapter 3

Lily is asleep when I get home from work. I tried to get home earlier, but I got stuck in a conference call with a client in Tokyo.

Guilt spirals in my chest when I open the door to her bedroom and glance in at her.

One tiny fist clutches the pink, stuffed bunny I bought for her last birthday. I reach out and stroke my knuckles across her cheek and sigh.

I’ve been a shitty father this past year. I know it. Hell, everyone knows it. But I honestly have no idea what I’m doing. At least at work, I can control things. With Lily, I feel like everything I say and do is wrong.

“Daddy?” Her lashes flutter open.

“Hey, Princess.” I crouch down beside her.

“Are you really going to the zoo with us?”

“I am.”

Her face lights up.

More fucking guilt punches through me. I lean over and kiss her forehead, brushing her curls away from her face.

“Go back to sleep.” I stand and turn to leave.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah?” I drag my fingers through my hair and glance back at her.

“I like Elly.”

It takes me a second to realize she’s talking about the nanny.

“Can we keep her?”

I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips. It’s the first time she’s shown any real connection with someone since Stacey left.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

She gives a small nod, then curls back under the covers.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” I close her door when I’m back in the hall, then start towards my room, stopping when I hear the soft beat of music coming from the other end of the corridor.

The guest room door is slightly open, light spilling out into the hallway, and a shadow darkens its path for a brief moment.

Eliana.

I tug at my tie, loosening it, and will myself to walk in the opposite direction.

Don’t even think about it, asshole. But I am thinking about it – thinking about her. And my feet ignore my brain’s warning.

I need to ask her about tomorrow’s agenda. At least, that’s what I tell myself as I stalk down the hall towards her room.

Raising my hand, I’m about to knock, when I catch a glimpse of the woman through the crack in the door.

Fuck.

Wearing only a tight t-shirt that leaves little to the imagination, and a pair of lacey, pink panties, Eliana dances around the room, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, and across her breasts.

My balls tighten and I’m immediately rock hard.

Walk away.

The woman is young. I did some research on her after she left this morning. She’s a student, just finishing up her last year in Epidemiology through online courses. Smart. I like that. But she’s only twenty-two. Almost ten fucking years younger than me.

And she’s Lily’s nanny.

As tempting as that sweet, curvaceous ass is, I need her taking care of my daughter more than I need her taking care of my aching cock.

If she saw me creeping around her bedroom, I’d probably end up with a sexual harassment suit on me.

But then, she’s the one who left her door open while she’s bouncing around half naked.

As if sensing my presence, Eliana stops dancing and looks over in my direction. Her eyes go wide, her cheeks infusing with color, and she lets out a small squeal before grabbing for a pair of pajama bottoms that lay at the end of her bed.

Shit.

“You should keep your door closed,” I growl out, unable to tear my gaze away as she struggles to get her pants on.

“I…I didn’t know you were home. I’m sorry.”

“Do you make it a habit of dancing around half naked in front of my daughter?”

“I’m not…I wasn’t…” Obviously flustered, she takes a steadying breath and straightens her shoulders before saying more calmly, “Lily has been asleep for hours. I was just getting ready for bed. And if you must know, I keep my door open because Lily has nightmares, and I want to make sure I hear her if she needs me.”

Since when has Lily had nightmares? I rub the back of my neck and wince. I’ve been gone too damn much.

“Just close it from now on when you’re changing,” I bite out, more harshly than I intend.

She gives a curt nod.

I should walk away, but instead I just stand there staring at her like a goddamn stalker, my balls aching, and my cock harder than it’s been in years.

Why the hell does this woman have such an effect on me? It’s not like I don’t have my pick of women. It’s just my luck that I want the only one I can’t have.

“Is there anything else, Mr. Philip?” she asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

I cough. “I came to ask about the itinerary tomorrow.”

“We leave at nine.” A small smile spreads across her gorgeous face. “I think you’re really going to enjoy it.”

I doubt that. In fact, spending time with her and not being able to touch her seems more like torture than fun.

On the nightstand beside her bed, her phone lights up with an incoming text. I glance down and frown when I see the screenshot that’s saved as her background.

It’s a picture of her and Lily. But that’s not what gets my attention. It’s the smile on my daughter’s face that makes my heart skip a beat, because it’s the first time since her mother left that I’ve seen that look on her face. She’s smiling so big that both her dimples are showing, as well as the huge gap where her two front teeth should be.

I pick up the phone and study the photo. “She lost her front teeth?”

“Last week,” Eliana says, moving towards me.

“I didn’t know. The tooth fairy?”

“She was very generous. Who knew that a tooth was worth so much nowadays?” Her lips quirk up in a small smile.

I nod, and hand her the phone. Our fingers brush when she takes it from me, and I see the small tremor that races through her.

“Goodnight, Miss Sanders.” Better to walk away now before I do something I’ll regret.

“Goodnight, Mr. Philip.”

I have a feeling it’s going to be a very long night, because I have no clue how the fuck I’m going to fall asleep knowing the woman is only a few rooms away.

* * *

Chapter 4

Lily comes bounding into my room just as the sun peeks through the drapes. Jumping on top of me, she gives me a dimpled smile and says, “Wake up, Elly. It’s time to go to the zoo.”

“Okay, okay. I’m up.” I tickle her and she laughs. “Why don’t you go wake your dad up?”

Her little face turns suddenly serious. “He doesn’t like when I disturb him.”

“I think today will be okay. He took the whole day off work just to be with you.”

Her eyes brighten again, and she quickly changes the subject, “Macy said there’s a new baby giraffe. It was only born last week, but it’s already as tall as Daddy.”

“Wow.”

“Did you know that giraffe’s are the tallest animal in the whole world?”

“I did.”

“Except for whales,” she continues to ramble on. “But they’re not really tall, just long.”

I try to keep a straight face as she spouts off more facts.

“Are you two still in your pajamas?” A deep voice says from the door. Lucas stands there looking hot as sin in his white t-shirt that stretches tight against his powerful chest, and designer jeans that look like they haven’t had much wear.

I’m surprised he even owns a pair.

I immediately flush when I think about what happened last night. Him seeing me half-naked. Then his brief touch when he handed me my phone. The heat of his fingers on my skin. I’ve never felt anything lie it.

Had he felt it too?

The way he’s looking at me now, all cool and aloof, I doubt it. Maybe it was all in my head.

“Daddy,” Lily says, jumping off the bed and running to him.

My heart practically melts when he scoops her up and presses and kiss against her cheek. For a moment, his gaze softens, and I see something almost vulnerable in his expression.

He loves her. That much is obvious. So why does he pull away?

“Go get dressed,” he says, putting her down. “We don’t want to be late.”

Lily nods, and disappears down the hall, leaving him standing in the doorway of my room, once again.

“Do you always sleep in, Miss Sanders?” His blue gaze is narrowed on me.

“It’s barely seven o’clock.” Is he serious?

He grunts, and turns, leaving without saying another word.

So much for the softness I thought I saw. But he doesn’t have to be nice to me. That’s not why I’m here. As long as I can get him to spend more time with Lily, I’ve done my job. It may not be the job he hired me for, but it is the one he needs me for.

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