Reunited With Her Italian Billionaire. Nina Singh

for money.”

      “I’m sure he is.”

      “I would have felt awful, Marco. I just couldn’t tell him he was out of luck again. He said my call was like an answer to a prayer.”

      A disquieting feeling settled in Marco’s chest. Somehow, he’d just agreed to help Brianna’s male nanny. This woman made him do the most foolish things. First, making him decide he’d stay, now this. “Yes, well. As long as you understand that I’ll be here for a while.”

      “I understand.”

      “Good. I’ll go see what Enzo’s up to.”

      She stepped in front of him. “Um, I just wanted to—” She halted, looked away again.

      “Yes?”

      “I mean, it’s really hard to not know where your next dollar is coming from. What you did, it was—” She hesitated and returned her gaze to his face. He pondered what she’d just said about not knowing where your next dollar was coming from. Brianna had spent her childhood moving from foster home to foster home after being abandoned by her parents. That much he knew. Though not much more. She didn’t particularly like to talk about her past. He could hardly blame her. Sometimes the past was better left behind where it belonged. In that, at least he and Brianna had something in common.

      No wonder the marriage had fallen apart.

      “What is it, Brianna?”

      “I just want to say thanks.”

      She smiled and he could have sworn he felt warmth in every cell of his body. How childish of him. And he’d accused her of being easy to manipulate.

      He mumbled a brief response. Then he had to make himself turn away. Before he did something really stupid.

      “Really, Marco,” she said behind him.

      “It’s not a big deal, Brianna.”

      “Curtis would disagree.”

      “I couldn’t care less what your Curtis thinks.”

      “I’m just trying to say that he’d appreciate it, that’s all. And I appreciate it too.”

      He turned to tell her the truth, to just admit it. He’d relented because of her.

      But something else entirely came out of his mouth. “You know exactly how to get your way, don’t you?”

      “What?” Brianna looked at him in bafflement. “What is that supposed to mean?”

      “A flick of the lashes. A flirtatious look here and there. And I did exactly what you wanted. Your precious Curtis still has a job. And you’ve still got your feminine wiles. Let’s just move on now, shall we?”

      She slammed her hands on her hips. “Why? Why did I think you were capable of any decency? You’re still exactly the same, aren’t you? Nothing’s changed.”

      “Apparently not.”

      “For the briefest moment back then I thought perhaps you might have grown a little. What a fool I can be.”

      “Then we have something in common, after all.”

      “Hah,” she barked. “We don’t have a thing in common.”

      “Are you finished? I believe Enzo may be ready for bed.”

      Brianna threw her hands up. “Yes. I believe we’re done.”

      She stomped toward Enzo and picked him up. “I’ll be upstairs giving Enzo his bath,” she said. “After that, I’m going to bed.”

      “I’ll help you.”

      She whirled around.

      Marco rolled his eyes. “With Enzo’s bath, I meant.”

      She glared at him. “You’ll find the spare room upstairs. I don’t even want to know you’re here for the next week. Do you understand?”

      Now that, Marco thought, watching her go up the stairs, would be easier said than done.