Ronnell POVBlair strolled into the living room, casually twirling a baby monitor on her finger. I’d been hunched over my laptop, trying to wrap up a document. Truthfully, I’d finished ages ago but had been waiting for her to appear, though I wasn’t sure why.I closed my computer with a decisive tap and set it aside. “Big guy already sound asleep?”“Just like a baby,” she replied, handing me the monitor. She curled up on the opposite end of the couch, pulling her legs beneath her.The monitor flickered to life, revealing Nathaniel swaddled in his bassinet. His head was tilted, lips pursed as if dreaming of his mother's milk. It was all he knew, his perfect, simple world."Do you spend a lot of time just staring at this?" I asked, positioning the monitor between us.She scrunched her nose. "Probably more than I should. When I first brought him home, his bassinet was right beside my bed. Every little peep had me jumping up. I'm a terrible sleeper, to begin with, so I couldn't handle it.
Ronnell POVHow could I have taken an axe to a situation that required a little screwdriver? How could I have been so heavy-handed? Blair wasn't one of those tough clients I usually dealt with, but I’d spoken to her like she was.“Blair—”Her head shook violently, sending her hair spilling around her shoulders. “I know I’m a terrible mother. A complete failure. Don’t you think I know that? I wasn’t ready for this. I was selfish and had him anyway because I thought I could handle it alone. Now look at me, making a fool of myself in front of my best friend’s brother, and my boss—”I was up and pulling her into my arms before I could stop myself. This was exactly what I’d been avoiding for months – holding her, touching her, and intimacy with her. But right now, she needed me more than I needed to protect my boundaries.Locked away memories of my mother’s breakdown—her days of endless sobbing—suddenly surfaced. I was holding Blair, but my mind was with Helen. The past and present collide
Blair POVRonnell was true to his word. The day after my breakdown, he handled my salary issue, and I felt like an absolute idiot for not addressing it sooner.Not only did I get a significant pay raise, but he also deposited months of back pay that he insisted I was owed.The number of zeros on my bank account was staggering. It was probably more than I deserved, but I wasn’t about to complain. As if that wasn’t generous enough, he’d hooked me up with a mortgage broker in less than a week and agreed to be my cosigner. How he managed to pull that off so fast was beyond me. It was classic Ronnell Roman charm—smooth and efficient.With the raise and lower mortgage payment came the realisation that I could still afford a nanny for Nathan. Once I had permission from Ronnell to use his home, I would set up an interview next week. Other then brief conversations about mortgages, nannies, groceries, and shaky Roy, along with notes every day, Ronnell and I kept our distance. I was perhaps fl
Blair POVRonnell was in full interrogation mode now. "Isn't it understandable that parents might be apprehensive?"Trina's response was pure saccharine. "Of course it is. I do my best to alleviate those nerves."Ronnell's reply was dripping with sarcasm. "That's a relief. I would like to ask what you would do in a few different situations. I'm sure hearing your answers would further calm our nerves."She stacked her hands on her knees. “Yes, feel free. I would be glad to answer all your questions, Ronnell.”Oh, this chick. My middle finger was twitching very hard. No way was she getting this job. I was, however, eager to see her get the Ronnell Roman treatment since he appeared equally unimpressed with her and her attitude. Ronnell rapidly-fired a couple of scenarios at her, and to her credit, she had very good answers. She clearly knew a lot more about taking care of babies than I ever did. What she didn't have was warmth. I couldn't imagine her snuggling a baby to sleep or comfor
Blair POVBut before I could get to the door, sharp cries from the baby monitor stopped me in my track. Ronnell swept the monitor off the table, checking the screen. “Nathan is awake and seemed pissed off.” He said going towards the stairs in a quick rush, like he couldn't get to him quickly enough if he didn't run. “I will get him while you let the nanny in.” “Okay, thank you.” My heart did a funny thing at the sight of Ronnell Roman bounding up the stairs to collect my son. With no time to decipher what the twister inside my chest meant, I hurried to the door. A broad man with soft eyes and flop hair stood on the other side. His smile held all the warmth Trina didn't have. “Hello, you must be Peter.” He offered his hand. “I am indeed Peter. You are Miss Blair Damien, correct?” His big hand engulfed mine as we shook. “Please, come in. And call me just Blair.” I waved around the grand entry. “Nathan and I are staying here temporarily. It's okay to ooh and ahh---i did all that th
RONNELL POV“What do you even mean by that? He wasn't even looking at me in an inappropriate way. We were just talking to each about—”“Trust me, Blair. I know when a man is interested, and Peter was. If you'd hired him, he would have been a huge problem.” She pulled back, huffing. “I can’t even feed my child without men falling all over themselves? Be honest with me, you don't look?” She asked but when I didn't reply, she leaned in, studying my whole expression. “Do you?” “We all know that I'm human with feelings of my own and not a robot.” Her mouth fell open, forming an O. “You've been ogling at my boobs, Ronnell?” “That isn't the right word, I have only had little glance here and there.” This was the most embarrassing moment of my life. Even more than when my mother showed up to my high school with pajamas and unkept hair, demanding I show her how to install YouTube.I should have picked up the skill of lying somewhere along the way, but I was my father's son. Dishonesty wasn
BLAIR POVThe week had flown by in a blur, Ronnell keeping me busier than usual. I suspected he was trying to distract me from missing Nathan.Or maybe he was just as paranoid as I thought, watching the cameras obsessively too. Either way, it was clear he was on edge about having a stranger in his home."Has Greg shown up again?" I asked as we headed to Cameron Building.Ronnell nodded. "A couple of times. Security always turns him away." He paused. "If he's smart, he'll retire to Greece and enjoy what's left of his money."I shook my head. "I'll never understand his obsession with more money. He's risking everything he's built. Eighty-four years. It's pure greed and selfishness."“Do you know what, Blair? It's not always greed and ambition that drives wealthy men to get richer.” “Then what?” I questioned.His jaw rippled. “Not every rich man started off that way.”Ronnell Roman was one of them. The information available to the entire public about his background was vague, but I had
BLAIR POVMy hands flew to my flaming cheeks. “You had spilled the quiet part so loudly, sir.” I looked around hoping that I was the only one who had heard what he had said. He held his hands out. “I'm Tyler, and I'm all about spilling the quiet part loudly.” I stared at his hands for a few seconds before shaking them. “Blair. And I regularly burst out into flames when I get a little embarrassed, so maybe, you could cool it with the bluntness.”“All right, Blair darling. You are too pretty to burn into ashes, so I would try to rein myself in, but I make no promises.” This man was blatantly, unmistakably flirty with me, and I barely even knew what to do with myself. It had been ages since anyone had come on to me. Massively pregnant, then lugging around a baby in a car seat could be quite the hindrance.I wasn't in the market to date, but I wasn't opposed to being flirted with, especially now when I didn't really love the way I looked.“Thank you. Also, it's just Blair, Tyler boy.”