Free Prince Daddy & the Nanny by Brenda Harlen

of that time fighting this unexpected attraction to her. On the other hand, the time might pass much more quickly and pleasantly if he stopped fighting the attraction. If he reached over right now to unfasten the band that held her hair back in order to slide his hands through the silky mass and tip her head back to taste her—
    â€œIs it okay to dig a moat?” Riley asked, and the fantasy building in his mind dissipated.
    He forced his gaze and his attention back to her construction.
    â€œEvery castle should have a moat,” he assured her.
    â€œUncle Rowan’s doesn’t.”
    â€œBut it should, to protect the princes and princesses inside from ogres and dragons.”
    She giggled. “Ogres and dragons aren’t real, Daddy.”
    â€œMaybe not,” he allowed. “But a moat is a good idea, just in case.”
    Riley tipped her head, as if considering, then nodded and began digging.
    â€œWhat do you think?” he asked Hannah. “Is it worthy of the Sand Castle Hall of Fame?”
    â€œAn impressive first effort, Your Highness,” she replied, and he knew she wasn’t just talking about the construction.
    â€œBut I shouldn’t quit my day job?” he guessed lightly.
    â€œI don’t imagine you would ever consider doing so.”
    He winced at the direct hit.
    â€œBut if you did, you might have a future in castle-building,” she relented. “Your spire looks pretty good.”
    His brows rose. “My spire?”
    Her cheeks colored as she gestured to the cone shape on top of the tower he’d built. She was obviously flustered by his innuendo, and he couldn’t help but smile at her.
    â€œBut your flagpole is crooked,” she said, and smiled back at him.
    His gaze dropped automatically to her mouth, to the seductive curve of her lips. He wondered if they would feel as soft as they looked, if they would taste as sweet as he imagined. And he thought again about leaning forward to press his mouth to hers, to discover the answers to those questions.
    Instead, he straightened the twig that was the castle flag and mused that it had been a long time since he’d shared this kind of light, teasing banter with a woman. A long time since he’d felt the slightest hint of attraction for a woman who wasn’t his wife, and what he was feeling for Hannah was more than a hint.
    He pushed himself up from the sand and picked up an empty bucket.
    â€œLet’s get some water for your moat,” he said to Riley.
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    When the moat was filled and the finished project adequately ooh ed and aah ed over, they returned to the house. Hannah ran a bath for the princess so that Riley could wash the salt off her body and out of her hair. When she was dried and dressed, the little girl had taken a book and curled up on her bed. Hannah suspected that she would be asleep before she’d finished a single page.
    After she’d showered and changed, the nanny ventured back downstairs, looking for Caridad to inquire if the housekeeper needed any help with the preparations for dinner. Hannah was embarrassingly inept in the kitchen but with so much time on her hands, she thought she might start hanging around while Caridad cooked. Even if she didn’t learn anything, she enjoyed spending time with the older woman.
    Unfortunately, the kitchen was empty when she entered. But more distressing to Hannah than the missing housekeeper was the absence of any suggestion that dinner might be in the oven.
    She opened the door and scanned inside, just to be sure. Then she opened the fridge and surveyed the shelves.
    â€œLooking for something?”
    She started at the unexpected sound of the prince’s voice behind her. When they’d returned to the house, she’d assumed that he would retreat to his office and stay there for the rest of the evening. That was, after all, his pattern.
    â€œCaridad,” Hannah said. “I haven’t seen her all