Spotlight by Eden Finley Page 0,16
even flexible on that too.
“I have my sister-in-law’s car on the days I have to pick up Chase from school, and on the other days, I figure if Kaylee and I want to go out, we can catch the bus.”
“No bus. The public shouldn’t recognize Kaylee without me, but she is known by paparazzi and superfans. I’m not comfortable—”
“That’s okay. Umm, I could maybe work it out with Brenna to get her car more or—”
“No need. On days you don’t have a car, you can take mine, and I’ll use one of my … toys if I need to go out.”
“Toys?”
“You know how some people collect coins or stamps or, I don’t know, old video games? I might collect cars. Just a little bit.”
“How many do you have?”
“Eight. Nine including the Tesla, but that doesn’t count.”
“Right. Because a Tesla is an everyday kind of car. Got it.”
Ryder smiles in a way that really makes me want to see what other cars he has in his garage.
“Is that everything?” Ryder asks. “Any more questions?”
“I think I’m good for now.”
Ryder stands. “I figured you guys could hang out here today while I work in case you had any problems or whatever.”
I pick up my bag, and we make our way back down the hall toward Kaylee’s playroom. The hallway is narrow, and our shoulders bump as we walk side by side. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, but if you’re more comfortable with us staying in for the day, that’s okay.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Yep, but it’s all good. We all have to grow to trust each other, and that takes time. It’s not like I was sent here by an agency or have references or anything. And now I’m probably talking you out of hiring me. Good one, Lyric.”
Ryder laughs. “No, I stand by my decision. I can’t explain why my gut is telling me this is the right move. I guess I’m a sucker for guys who insult me.”
I swear I hear a flirty tone in there, but then I remind myself it’s probably my dick hearing it, not my ears.
I pause outside the door. “It’ll be fine. It won’t take long to get into a routine. I promise.”
Chapter Five
Ryder
If the bigger mess Kaylee made while we went over the contract didn’t scare Lyric off, I was sure my involuntary innuendo and compliments might’ve done it.
Like it’d be impossible for you to get a date.
I cringe just thinking about it and keep trying to delete it from my mind, but it replays over and over again.
All day while I half-heartedly work on Cash’s new single, I keep an ear out for them. I have my headphones on with one ear still exposed so I can hear.
Every time Kaylee’s little laugh filters down the hallway, I want to run in there and see what she thinks is funny, but I don’t. I don’t want to be that overbearing father who uses any excuse to go check on them. It’s true what they say about parental instinct. I worry all the fucking time, and it’s exhausting.
I should be here, focusing on the sexy rasp of Cash’s voice, but instead, I want to go down that hallway and see what they’re doing.
When I finally cave and take a break around lunchtime, I find Kaylee sitting and waiting patiently at the little table next to the kitchen while Lyric makes her a sandwich.
The sight is wrong on so many levels. Not only because one, my daughter is quiet, and two, the bomb site this place was this morning is gone and replaced with a neat and tidy area where every toy is in its place, but the most important thing is the way Lyric smiles as he makes my daughter food.
I was never attracted to any of Kaylee’s other nannies before. They were pretty women, and they’d flirt with me, which was more annoying than charming, but while I reside on the gayer end of the Kinsey scale, I don’t think that’s why it’s different with Lyric.
I’m starting to regret using his number to hire him instead of asking him out. Not that I would actually go out with him anyway.
This was a mistake.
Lyric’s gaze finds mine. “I asked her if she had any allergies, and she said no. I figured the half-empty peanut butter jar meant she was right.”
“Yeah, no allergies here. At all.”
“Good to know. Landing in the hospital on our first day wasn’t on my list of goals.”
“That’s a good goal to have.