Babysitting for the Billionaire

  Babysitting for the Billionaire

  Sammi Starlight

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  About Sammi

  Also by Sammi Starlight

  1

  Avery

  Holy shit.

  I couldn’t believe the size of the houses as I drove further out of town. They kept getting bigger and bigger. I shouldn’t have been surprised; the nanny agency I had begun to work for catered to high-end clients. I guess I didn’t realize just how high-end.

  I glanced down at my worn jeans and plain red sweater. I was probably underdressed and would get sent home right away. I gripped the steering wheel of my car. I needed this job desperately. I had a scholarship to pay for school, but my mother was sick and we had no one else. She had health insurance, but it was shitty and covered barely anything. We were drowning in medical bills. The simple waitress job at the diner by our apartment wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

  After doing some research, I found this nanny agency and applied. I didn’t have much experience with children other than the little babysitting I did as a teenager, so I was surprised when I got the call to come in for an interview. I had to sit down with a couple of people and fill out extensive paperwork, but within a couple of weeks I received the call that they had found me a position.

  I immediately agreed to take it. This would pay three times as much money and would work around my class schedule. It was the perfect job.

  Or so I thought.

  After I accepted, I received a phone call that made me nervous. Apparently, this client had been through multiple nannies in a short time. It was a single father and I was told he could be difficult to work for. A few of the nannies also found him attractive and were fired because of ‘inappropriate’ behavior.

  They didn’t need to worry about that from me. The last thing on my mind was men. I spent my whole life watching my mother chase after different guys only to end up sick and alone. Not to mention, my asshole father who left her pregnant with me and she never heard from since he walked out the door a month before I was born.

  Sometimes I was embarrassed that I was twenty-two and still a virgin, but I was focusing on me so I never needed a man. I’ve been taking care of my mother and myself for so long, it was all I knew and I was okay with that.

  I turned down the street my phone instructed me to. There were no other houses around and I thought maybe I had taken a wrong turn when I spotted a security gate. I pulled up and pressed the intercom button.

  “How may I help you?”

  “This is Avery Gibson. I’m the new nanny.”

  “Please drive up to the house.”

  The gate lifted and I drove slowly up the winding driveway. It was gorgeous and lined with trees. At the end, I gasped when I saw the huge home. It looked like something I’d only seen on TV with windows that seemed to go on forever. I instantly feared I would get lost in a house so huge.

  I pulled to the side near the door and parked my old Toyota. I’d managed to save some money when I turned sixteen and buy the old car for a few hundred dollars from my boss at the diner. I suspected he felt bad for me and gave me a deal, but I needed a car. It had over a hundred thousand miles on it, but it got me where I needed to go and was cheap on gas. It looked out of place near the BMW parked nearby.

  I walked up to the door and before I could even knock, an elderly woman dressed in a gray maid’s uniform opened it. She reminded me of a grandma, or least what I imagined a grandma would be like since I didn’t have one. She greeted me with a warm smile that helped put me at ease.

  “Welcome to the Savage home, Miss Gibson.” She waved me inside. “I’m Edna, the head housekeeper here.”

  I walked into the foyer of the huge home and was blown away by the large winding staircase. There were paintings and sculptures everywhere but what struck me most was the dark masculine feel of the house. It lacked a woman’s touch and I could tell it was the home of a bachelor.

  “Please, come into the kitchen. Macy is waiting for you in there.” I followed her through a hallway, noticing more pictures hanging along the wall. There were no personal touches anywhere though.

  It suddenly struck me that in all of my interviews, I never actually met Mr. Savage. Maybe the rich were too busy to even meet the people that cared for their children and paid others to do that. Would I ever meet him?

  I had done a brief Google search on Benjamin Savage after I received my assignment. I discovered he was one of the most successful real estate investors in the Midwest. He had lost his wife when Macy was only six months old to a drunk driver.

  There were some pictures of him and his late wife online at various charity events. She was a beautiful redhead who Mr. Savage was so in love with – you could tell by the way he looked at her in a few of the pictures.

  I’d be lying if I didn’t admit Mr. Savage himself gorgeous. With his athletic build and face that looked like it was chiseled from stone, I could see why some of the former nannies were drawn to him. His slicked back black hair and eyes dark as night seemed to draw a person in.

  But I didn’t need to worry about that happening to me. This was a job, nothing more.

  My best friend at school gave me crap about being a nanny for Ben Savage. She wanted me to get the dirt on him. She wanted to see if the rumors about his thing for younger women were true. I ignored her pleas. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize this job.

  When we arrived in the kitchen, there sat a little girl with red curly hair eating a sliced apple and watching something on an iPad. I tried not to roll my eyes. Three years old and she already had an iPad? I was twenty-two and had an iPhone that was four years old, much less an iPad.

  She looked up when I came in and smiled at me.

  “Are you Miss Avery?” She set down her apple slice and came bounding over to me, curls bouncing. When she got closer, I got down to her level and noticed her green eyes and freckles.

  “I am.” I held out a hand. “And you must be Macy.” She put her pudgy little hand in mine and I gave it a firm but gentle shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” she replied shyly. I had read horror stories about spoiled bratty kids that the girls from this agency had to take care of. So far, it seemed as though Macy was a polite and kind child.

  She looked over my head and her whole face lit up. “Daddy!”

  I stood up and turned around to find Benjamin Savage standing behind me. He was dressed in a tailored suit and his presence seemed to take up the whole room. The serious look on his face lifted when he saw his daughter and he scooped her up into his arms when she ran to him.

  I instantly melted. Mr. Savage may be ruthless when it came to business, but when it came to his daughter, he was a big teddy bear. His love and adoration were written all over his face. His handsome face, nonetheless. The pictures I’d seen in magazines and online didn’t do him justice. I could understand why some girls would fall for him.

  I reminded myself again that wouldn’t be a problem for me.

  2

  Benjamin

  Fuck me.

  Despite my request that this nanny not be as good looking as some of the ones the agency sent in the past, she was gorgeous. I had stood in the doorway and watched her exchange with my daughter and couldn’t help but notice her girl next door look. She was dressed simply and had a worn backpack flung over her shoulder. Her blonde hair was tied back in a simple ponyta
il and from what I could tell, she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Usually the new nannies would come here dressed slightly provocatively with the intent to seduce me when Macy was sleeping.

  Sometimes it worked.

  When I received the information about this nanny, I’d also received a thinly veiled threat that this might be my last chance with the agency if I messed around with this girl. It only caused me to laugh and roll my eyes. They could pretend to care, but throw enough money at them and they would more than likely look the other way.

  It may sound conceited, but I’d quickly learned when I made my fortune that it was the way the world worked. With enough money, you could make any problem go away.

  I didn’t sleep with the nannies on purpose. I couldn’t help but be fond of them when I saw the way they cared for my daughter. Then when one wore a skirt and told me she had no panties on or another came into my study naked, I couldn’t resist. I was only human after all. There had been a couple of other girls as well.

  They were fun but the problem came when they thought they could become Macy’s new mommy and the new Mrs. Savage. That would never happen and that was when I had to get rid of them and get a new nanny.

  I tried to convince Edna, my housekeeper, to be her nanny but as much as she loved Macy like one of her own grandchildren, she wanted time to enjoy her family and have a life outside of caring for me. I was an asshole a lot of time, but I appreciated that, so I requested a new nanny. It was easy as they vetted each girl extensively so I could be sure Macy was getting the best care. She was my whole world.

  I smiled down at her as I held her in my arms. Her little arms were wrapped around my neck and her hands played with the hair near my neck. “Are you going to be good for Miss Avery?”

  I turned and looked at Avery with a smile. She blushed instantly before returning the smile quickly and then looking away. She seemed painfully shy and unlike the other girls that would start to shamelessly flirt with me the minute they walked in the door.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Avery. I’m Benjamin Savage.” I removed an arm from Macy and stepped over to offer my hand. She took my outstretched hand timidly in her tiny one.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Savage.” My eyes locked onto her blue ones and I noticed a hint of sadness and loneliness there.

  “Sir, I hate to interrupt, but you have to get going or you’ll be late.” Edna broke the spell and took Macy from my arms.

  “Right.” I cleared my throat and found my jacket draped over the chair.

  “Are you going to be home late tonight, Daddy?” Macy asked, grabbing my hand and swinging it slightly.

  “Probably, Princess. You’ll be fast asleep when I get home but I’ll come in and kiss you.” I swung her up into my arms again and kissed her cute little nose.

  Nothing was more important to me than this little girl. Since having her, she was the motivation for everything I did. I continued to build my empire so she could have nothing but the best and I could leave it to her one day.

  Macy was all I had left after the death of her mother. She had been coming home from a night out with her girls. Elizabeth was fiercely independent and that was one of the things I loved about her. She was driving herself home and a drunk driver came out of nowhere and hit her. The police said she probably died instantly.

  Elizabeth was the love of my life and her death devastated me. If not for Macy, I would have spiraled down a hole of depression and drinking.

  “Okay, Daddy.” She giggled as I tossed her into the air before putting her down. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Princess.” I glanced up at Avery who watched the whole exchange. I thought I sensed a bit of envy in her eyes at my relationship with Macy. Maybe her father wasn’t a part of her life. Great, another one with daddy issues.

  “I’m going to go show Miss Avery the playroom.” She ran over to grab Avery’s hand and started dragging her toward the stairs. “Bye, Daddy!”

  “Goodbye, have fun and be good!” I called after her. I smiled and shook my head while I listened to Macy chatter to Avery while they went up the steps. That little girl could talk your ear off.

  Edna handed me my coat. “You really must go, sir.” She was the only person who worked for me who wasn’t afraid to tell me like it was and boss me around. She kept my house running like a well-oiled machine, so I let her get away with it.

  “I’m going, I’m going,” I mumbled as I walked toward the door and out to the driver that was waiting to take me to another charity event.

  I loved to give money to worthy causes and tonight was for a children’s hospital. I only wished sometimes it was sufficient enough to write the check and I didn’t have to schmooze with Chicago’s elite. It could get so boring and often had numerous mothers chasing after me to introduce me to their daughters. Edna teased me about being Chicago’s most eligible bachelor and I hated it. I had no plans to marry again.

  As expected, the event was long and boring. A lot of money was raised to help sick children though, so that alone made it worth it. I managed to dodge a few setups by hanging out at the bar in the corner most people didn’t know was there. As a result, I’d had a little bit too much to drink. Between that and working at my office since sun up, I was tired.

  The car dropped me off at home and I went inside. It was almost midnight and the house was mostly dark. A light came from the family room that was off the kitchen. The TV was on.

  “Hello?” I called out softly. There was no answer and when I got closer, I could see Avery asleep on the couch with a textbook open and resting on her chest. She looked so peaceful and gorgeous - almost like Sleeping Beauty that Macy was so obsessed with lately. I couldn’t decide if I should wake her up or let her stay there. I didn’t want to disturb her.

  I took a moment to better check her out. I felt a little like a creeper, but I had no plans to touch her. Her breasts were full and I had to guess she was almost a D cup. What would she look like in something sexier or no clothes?

  She started to stir and I turned around to get a water from the fridge. I didn’t want to scare her and have her think I was some pervert.

  “Mr. Savage, you’re home,” she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She’d taken out her ponytail and her long hair tumbled down her shoulders. It had to be the scotch talking, but she was fucking beautiful and I wanted to bury my hands in her hair and kiss her.

  Man, I had no self-control.

  3

  Avery

  I couldn’t believe Mr. Savage caught me sleeping. Maybe it was a figment of my

  imagination, but from the intense look on his face, it seemed like he was stalking me like a predator stalks its prey.

  I threw my book in my backpack and tied my hair up in a messy bun. I was being ridiculous. A man like him who was surrounded by gorgeous women every day and had been seen with models on his arm wouldn’t be interested in a boring virgin like me.

  “How was Macy? Was she good?” He took a drink of his water and set it on the island before undoing his tie. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and ran his hand through his hair. Damn, he was hot.

  “She was an angel.” I wasn’t exaggerating either. I had no experience being a nanny but I had to believe Macy had been one of the best behaved children. We played in her enormous playroom for a while before doing a bath and then a story before bed. She only stalled a little bit at bedtime, asking for an extra story and some water. After that, I never heard another peep from her. I even checked on her after a couple of hours, afraid I wouldn’t hear her in the big house, and she was fast asleep.

  “Good.” He smiled, his love for his daughter written all over his face. He seemed much more relaxed now than he was before he left. He clutched his bottle of water in his hand and came over to sit by me on the couch. “Let me know if you need anything or have any questions.” He fished in the pocket of his suit coat and pulled out a business card. “Here’s my number. Don’t hesitate to call.”

  I took th
e card from him tentatively. “Thanks.” I shoved it in my backpack. Like I was going to call Mr. Savage. Well, unless it had to do with Macy, I guess.

  He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. I didn’t know if he wanted me to stay or was ready to be alone and I should leave. It surprised me that someone like him didn’t have a date. I’d seen plenty of pictures of him at various events with gorgeous women on his arm, but tonight he appeared to fly solo.

  I stood up slowly from the couch. “Well, I’m going to go, Mr. Savage.”

  He opened his eyes but didn’t move his head. “Do you need a ride?”

  “No, I have a car.”

  He scrubbed his face with his hand and sighed before standing up. “Sorry, I had a little too much to drink tonight. In order to avoid all the setups with single daughters, I hid at the bar and proceeded to drink too much.” He grinned at me sheepishly.

  That explained the relaxed demeanor. I didn’t know how to respond to him, so instead I stood there, an awkward silence filling the room. When he smiled like that though, I had to admit he made my knees weak.

  “I’ll walk you out.”

  We walked through the long hallway to the foyer. We stopped by the front door where Mr. Savage was standing close enough for me to smell the combination of liquor and his woodsy cologne. I stopped myself from leaning in closer and taking a deep breath. He was what I imagined a real man smelled like.

  “Thanks for watching Macy tonight. I’ll have my assistant send you a schedule of when you’re needed.” There was that smile again - the one that made my insides quiver and my nipples tighten.

  “It was my pleasure. Thanks for the chance.” I scurried out the door and tried not to run to my car. I got in and started it before glancing back up at the door. Mr. Savage was still standing there, watching me leave. I gave him an awkward wave and drove away as quickly as I could without making it seem like I was trying to escape.