Shocking Sapphires - Ann Omasta Page 0,15

be this selfless and kindhearted.

Emotion clogged my throat, so I cleared it before I spoke––not wanting her to notice. “You’ve obviously been doing an excellent job taking care of him so far.” I paused to smile at the healthy, happy baby cradled against her shoulder.

My kind words made her beam with pride.

“I would be thrilled to have you keep taking care of him, but I would like for that to be your only job. I will, of course, pay you quite well for your time.”

Guilt churned in my gut that I hadn’t thought about paying her before. Money hadn’t been a problem for me in a long time, so it was easy to forget what a struggle it could be for so many people.

Her eyes sparkled with joy as she absorbed my words. I was disappointed when she pulled her hand away from mine, until she stood and leaned over me. She placed Scout gently into my arms before pressing a kiss to my rough cheek and whispering, “Thank you.”

I tried my best not to think about how warm and delightful her lips felt against my skin, but I was completely unsuccessful with that mission.

12

Molly

Kissing Grant––even simply on the cheek––was a mistake. I had been aware of that fact from the moment I moved to do it, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. He was so ridiculously handsome and sexy. He was also incredibly generous and kind, when he wasn’t pouting or shouting about his injury.

But he was a movie star. He was Hollywood royalty and so far outside of my league that we weren’t even on the same playing field.

It was silly of me to harbor this ridiculous crush on someone that I could never have, but I couldn’t seem to control it. My feelings for him escalated with each passing day. The more I got to know the real Grant Chandler, the more I fell for him.

Too bad he didn’t seem to have any romantic feelings for me. I was simply the nanny that was taking care of his baby while he couldn’t. Besides, why would he even consider me when he had a gorgeous bombshell girlfriend like Eva Wingate?

Sitting back down after making a fool of myself by kissing the man’s cheek, I decided that I’d let my curiosity run wild long enough. It was time to ask Grant the question that had been burning in my brain.

“Is Eva Scout’s mother?” I looked down at the floor as I asked because it was a personal question that I really didn’t have any right to ask, but that fact didn’t lessen my desire to know.

“No,” he answered simply.

Just when I was becoming concerned that he wasn’t going to expand, he went on. “Scout’s mother is a fan. She was a random one-night hookup that I honestly don’t even remember.”

My head whipped back in disgust at this revelation. Did he sleep with so many women that he couldn’t even remember them all?

My facial expression must have revealed my revulsion because he quickly went on. “I don’t normally do anything like that, but I had way too much to drink that night, and I was depressed about losing a role to Christian Hart.”

I’d never imagined the talented, cocky man before me might ever feel insecure, but his voice was clearly tinged with self-doubt when he pursed his lips and said the younger actor’s name. That bit of fragility didn’t excuse the fact that he was a cheater, though.

“So, you cheated on Eva to make yourself feel like more of a man than Christian Hart?” I guessed.

“No, it was nothing like that,” he shook his head to back up his words. “It was just a dumb mistake.”

I’d been feeling irrational flares of jealousy toward Eva Wingate, but sympathy for the beautiful actress suddenly surged in my heart. “Poor Eva must have been devastated when she found out about your affair.”

Using the word ‘poor’ to describe the gorgeous, successful movie star wasn’t something that I would have imagined ever falling from my lips, but it rang true in this moment.

Grant had the audacity to scoff before saying, “No, I don’t think she cared.”

“Of course, she cared! You two have been together for years, yet you had no trouble trampling on her heart.” I hated sticking up for the woman who seemed to have it all, but I had no tolerance in my heart for cheaters. They were the lowest of the low.

“Our relationship is a sham that we just put on