Free Urgent: One Nanny Required (Crimson Romance) by Olivia Logan

having about her.
    “Dad?”
    Looking up, he saw his son, pajamas crumpled, hair tousled from sleep, rubbing his eyes at the bright light.
    “What’s up, schmoo?” he asked, motioning him over as he pulled Rania’s recently emptied chair closer.
    “I heard voices so I came downstairs,” he yawned, collapsing onto it, reaching for her empty glass.
    “It’s still only 6:30. Bit too early for you to be up yet,” Nick said as he poured out the juice and watched as his son drank greedily. “How are the lessons coming? What are you learning at the moment?”
    Wiping his mouth along the length of his sleeve, Theo leaned back, legs swinging on the large chair. “French. Rania says I need to do French first because that’s what we do at school and she wants me to be top of my class. She’s been helping me do my math, too” he said, while his eyes began to skim the kitchen for anything edible.
    “Is that right?” Nick was impressed. He hated to admit that his choice of past nannies had been lacking, but he could never remember Theo saying they had helped him with any schoolwork. “So what French words or sentences can you tell me?”
    He smiled proudly as Theo rattled off various words and phrases, directing him what to say if Theo asked him a question, and explained why he had to say
le
and not
la
when naming the things in the kitchen. He could never remember Theo being this animated about learning before. And he had Rania to thank for it all.
    “Wow, I’m impressed, kid. She’s taught you a lot and you haven’t even been on holiday that long. When you get back, you’ll be a star!”
    His heart swelled as he saw the little face light up. “Do you think so?”
    “Definitely.” He moved aside as Theo scooted off his own chair and onto his lap. The blond hair tickled his nose as he hugged him, knowing there probably wasn’t going to be much time left for this sort of thing before Theo grew up and away from him. His smart little boy, who for some reason only known to him, was now reading the nutritional information on the back of the orange juice bottle.
    Taking a deep breath, he now almost felt stupid for asking this question, especially as the answer was pretty clear; but as the parent it was his job to ask anyway. “So, do you like Rania, then?”
    Theo’s eyes were still scanning the information, so he found himself staring at the back of his son’s head. “Yeah. I love her. She’s the best.”
    Nick felt his heart jerk at the childlike simplicity of that statement. “Good, I’m glad you do.”
    “Do you like her, Dad?” Theo stopped scanning now and had swiveled around to face him, brown eyes wide and serious. He had inherited Lila’s eyes, though they weren’t the dark brown of his mother. At some point over the last eight years, they had become lighter, gold and green flecks lightening them to hazel.
    He nodded, the small action enough to pacify his son.
    “Where is she? I’m hungry. Can I have some breakfast now?” The softly spoken request, coupled with the rubbing of his hand over his tummy, was enough for Nick to not care if he was late onto the set. His son was hungry and that was enough for him.
    “Rania’s still asleep, kiddo, but I can get you some food. What do you fancy?” The dubious expression he received at the statement would have been laughable if it didn’t show him exactly what his son thought of his abilities in the kitchen.
    “Cereal. The one in the top cupboard with the chocolate in it,” came the authoritative demand.
    Opening up the top cupboard, he was astounded by the amount of cereal inside. When had he asked for all this? Lifting out a box with chocolate aliens on the front, he put it on the table, only to be met with a petulant glare. “Not that one; the other chocolate one.” Reining in a sigh, he replaced the cereal, rummaging around for another box.
    “He means the chocolate dinosaurs, don’t you, Theo?”
    His hand froze at the softly spoken voice and