Baby for the Billionaire - By Maxine Sullivan Page 0,131
in that powerful, autocratic body.
Her gaze dwelled for a moment on the strong shoulders, the determined jaw, then locked with his unreadable gray gaze. A shivery awareness caused her to shift her attention back to the baby wriggling on the carpet.
“I want to satisfy myself that the person looking after Dylan is the best candidate we can get.”
“And you don’t trust me to find that person?”
She thought of his track record. He hadn’t done a great job picking trustworthy people to surround himself with in the past. Dana Fisher and Paul Harper had turned out to be faithless. But she couldn’t very well remind him of that.
Instead she said stubbornly, “I’m coguardian, I have a right to be involved.”
“You’re determined to make this as difficult as possible, aren’t you?”
Victoria shook her head. “I just want to make sure you choose the right person.”
So the next day, in consultation with Victoria, Connor rescheduled the interviews. Two were set for that night and one for Friday evening. The first candidate, a young woman with impeccable qualifications, had already arrived by the time Victoria came home from work, late and flustered.
After ten minutes’ easy conversation with Anne Greenside, Connor had decided she was the perfect choice.
But Victoria clearly had other ideas. “I see most of your jobs have involved older children,” she quizzed Anne.
“I love babies,” Anne said with a sincerity Connor found convincing.
“But you can’t stay late?”
Connor had known that would be a stumbling block the moment he’d seen the woman’s resume. Despite her devotion to Dylan, Victoria was ambitious. Work would always come first. She would want a nanny who could work late. On a regular basis. He didn’t have to cast his mind back far to remember the kind of hours Dana had worked.
“I live with my invalid mother—she needs me at night. But I can start tomorrow, if that makes it easier for you and your husband.”
“We’re not married—Dylan’s not even our baby,” Victoria blurted out.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware of that.” But Anne looked curiously from one to the other.
“My fault,” said Connor easily, “I should’ve explained the situation to the agency.” He quickly filled her in.
“Poor baby.” Anne looked stricken. “He’s fortunate to have the two of you. But it’s not going to be easy for him as he grows up.”
“What do you mean?” Victoria asked first.
“He’ll always have questions—he’s not like other children now. His parents’ death has seen to that.”
“He’ll have us.”
Connor could feel Victoria’s growing tension.
“Yes, but you’re not his parents. You aren’t planning to adopt him—” She looked at them enquiringly.
Connor shook his head slowly.
“We haven’t discussed it,” Victoria said repressively.
After Anne had left, Connor said. “I like her. She’s perfect. We should offer her the position before someone else snaps her up.”
Victoria shook her head. “I don’t agree. And she’s very opinionated.”
But Anne had said spoken the truth. It was in Dylan’s interests for them to consider all points of view. But Connor bit his tongue. He should’ve expected this. When had Victoria ever agreed with him? Yet, instead of accusing her of merely trying to frustrate him, he drew a deep breath. “Her references are fantastic.”
“I still need to call and verify them. I can only do that tomorrow.” She glanced at him. “Anyway, we have to see the others. I’d like you to keep an open mind while we interview them.”
Before he could respond the next candidate had arrived. It didn’t take long for Connor to catch Victoria’s eye. She looked equally dubious.
He relaxed a little. His concerns that Victoria might oppose him simply for the hell of it evaporated.
They thanked the woman for coming and Connor saw her out.
When he returned to the study Victoria said, “She was awful.”
“Agreed.” That must be a first. He started to grin and Victoria smiled back, her mouth wide and luscious. Instantly, heat spread through him.
“I want someone older. Steadier.”
Connor forced his gaze away from her mouth and tried to focus on what she was saying. “Not too old.”
Victoria stuck her bottom lip out in that infuriating way that he’d come to recognize meant trouble.
“I can see you’ve already decided on Anne,” she said. “You should’ve waited until I came before you started the interview.”
The warmth and desire that had filled him evaporated. “Don’t be unreasonable. I didn’t start it alone by design. You were late.”
“Something came up.” But she looked abashed. “It won’t happen tomorrow.”
But when Victoria rushed home on Friday evening, it was to find that the third prospect had cancelled.