“I’ll tell you what. I’ll be at the party, and if by chance Marius and I have a good time talking and getting to know one another, then I’ll call the night a success.”
“How much more do you have to know about him? You two have talked a bunch of times. Every time you’re here you talk.”
The guy I’m watching this show for appears, so I check him out for a few seconds before saying, “And all I’ve found out about him through those conversations is he’s a bust ass who’s also a manwhore. You seem to think there’s more to him than that, but I don’t get to see that guy at your parties.”
Ava sounds utterly crestfallen when she says, “I just thought it would be nice. I hope you’ll still come to the party. You don’t have to stay the night. It can just be like a regular party we have.”
“Not to worry. I’ll be there with bells on, honey.”
And just like that, she’s back to being happy. “Oh, great! Don’t worry. It’s going to be so much fun! I’ve got that new woman helping, so the boys will be safe and taken care of while we’re having a good time.”
Her mention of the new nanny makes me cringe. I had a feeling my cousin wouldn’t be a good fit, but Ava was so desperate and Sabrina jumped at the chance since she said she loved kids. I really did hope it would work.
“I’m sorry about what happened with my cousin, Ava. I didn’t think she was that flighty to leave after only a couple weeks.”
“It’s okay. I liked Sabrina, but Lynn is good too. She’s working out great. You don’t have to worry. I don’t hold anything against you for how things turned out. Sabrina found something else that worked better for her. It’s all good.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you or Matthias to be mad at me.”
“I’m positive. Seriously, don’t worry. I was really thankful for the help she gave me, and to be honest, I think she may have helped Ronan even more, so that’s a good thing.”
Ava may be my best friend, but she’s also terribly naïve. I know my cousin left the job as the kids’ nanny because Ronan got back together with his high school girlfriend. I never told Ava, but I had a feeling she might try to snag one of the brothers. Since Ronan and Marius were the only free ones available, it wasn’t a surprise she chose the youngest King.
Marius King is simply a handful to deal with. For my cousin, that would mean far too much work.
“I’m glad he’s doing better. Ronan has always been such a nice guy.”
“Oh, he’s doing great! To be honest, I really think we have Sabrina to thank for getting the ball rolling with him. Sure, Kate is the one who made him see there’s a whole world out there waiting for him, but it was Sabrina who helped him out in the beginning when she got here. So you don’t have to worry. I hold no grudge against her.”
I chuckle at the thought of Ava holding a grudge against anyone. It’s not in her DNA. Anyway, since she got the man of her dreams, she’s had a hard time being angry at anyone for very long.
A perfect life with a sexy man who gives you everything your heart desires has a way of making everything else in life seem much less important.
“Thanks. I told my aunt you would probably be cool with what happened, but she was worried. Let’s just say she wasn’t surprised Sabrina flaked. I guess parents know their own kids.”
Ava doesn’t respond to my comment, so I turn my attention back to the TV. It’s a new episode now, and from what I can see, my favorite guy isn’t in this one.
“Hey, it’s time for the boys to eat breakfast. Will I see you before the party next weekend?”
“Assuming work doesn’t grind me into dust, I could probably do something one night this week or next. Any chance you can be free? We can grab a drink or go for coffee.”
“Oh, I’d like that! Now that I have Lynn, I’m sure I can. Just let me know when. I think I hear Matty crying, so I better fly. Text me when you’re free.”
She rushes off before I can say goodbye, but that’s okay. Now I can get back to enjoying my weekend binge of my favorite show.
CHAPTER FOUR
Marius
The noisesof the house wake me up, and when I open my eyes, I’m treated to the sun streaming through the window. Throwing my arm over my head, I try to block it out, but it’s too late. My nephews and the sun have conspired against my sleeping in this morning.
I reluctantly roll over toward the blinding light and grab my cell phone off the nightstand. 8:30.
“Fuck,” I groan as I turn onto my back to read any messages that may have come in since I fell asleep five hours ago.
I scroll through the texts from friends and my assistant Sam, not caring about any of them until I get to the one from Duck. “What time are you coming today? I have to go out for a few hours, but I don’t want to miss you.”
With a smile, I notice her insistence on being grammatically correct in her texts. She’s the only person I’ve ever met who uses commas in her messages. I mentioned it once, and she thought I was making fun of her.
