Taming Mr. Cold

Chapter Two: Billionaire vs the Nanny

Damon

Another nanny.

Another waste of time.

She sat across from me, legs closed, fingers laced in her lap like she had something to prove. probably because she did.

I’d lost count of how many women and men had sat in that exact chair polished, rehearsed, all smiles and empty promises.

I must admit though, she is not at all what I expected.

Wild curls, wide Amber honey flecked eyes, pink full lips.She is a smoke show and I'm very sure she doesn't know it. A fact given away by what she was wearing. Her clothes were definitely not designer, an oversized blazer practically swallowed her,and her loose trousers made it impossible to know what kind of figure she was underneath. But somehow, that kind of contrast hit me the hardest. she looked vivid, out of place in my Muted, orderly world. warm disordered and Dare I say alive.

I tilted my head slightly, scanning her beautiful face ,she has no make up on definitely not what I'm used to.

"You don't look like a nanny." I spoke my thoughts.

Wren raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realise nannies have uniform. Should I have worn a pinafore?" she fired.

Interesting.

My lips almost twitched. Almost.

A spitfire. Fantastic. Just what I needed a woman with a smart mouth looking after my child who barely spoke.

"Alright then Miss Hartley, let's see those papers and you can begin as soon I review them." I said amused.

But deep down I knew I'm getting rid of her.

She looked at me Alarmed as if I've asked for one of her toes. "About that...."

she handed me a thin piece of paper embarrassingly.

I scanned it and redirected my cold glare to her.

"No Certifications. No childcare Reference and worst of all no Formal training. you listed 'babysat my cousin's twins' under experience." I scolded.

"They were really difficult twins" wren offered. And they are alive, last I checked so I consider that a win win."

"How reassuring." I deadpanned.

she moved forward eyes burning with something irritatingly close to sincerity.

"Look, Mr.Vale I'm going to be honest I know on paper I am far from what you are looking for but I assure you, I am very hardworking person and a quick learner and for some reason children tolerate me. I won't flinch at tantrums or wiered food textures. Children warm up to me quickly.

Her words shouldn’t have mattered. I’d heard every kind of sob story and every promise of perfection. I didn’t hire from emotion I hired from results.

And yet…

There was something in the way she said it.

Something raw.

This was going to be so easy...She gave me an easy way to not hire her.

“Miss Hartley,” I began, ready to end the interview before it wasted any more of my time..."

Liam.

He hovered by the door his little fingers gripping the edge of the wall.Half shadowed and wholly silent. His big green eyes peeked from beneath messy curls guarded and unreadable, until they flicked to Wren.

She noticed him immediately.

"Oh, hey,” Wren said gently, twisting slightly in her seat but staying put, instinctively giving him space. “You must be Liam. I’m Wren. You have a cool house.” A beat. “And the best socks. Seriously. Dinosaur socks? Iconic.”

Liam blinked.

And then for the first time in weeks he stepped into the room.

I stiffened, watching in disbelief. Liam barely tolerated staff, let alone approached them. But now he was standing inches from Wren, eyeing her with open curiosity.

His little hand reached out tentative. Wren didn’t move, just smiled and said, “I’m honored, sir. Do I pass your vibe check?”

And Liam… smiled.

Barely. But it was there.

I hadn’t seen that in months.

I exhaled slowly, looking between them.

Well. Damn.

I placed her pathetic résumé on the desk. “You’re hired.”

Her head jerked up, shocked. “Wait really?”

“You probably won’t last the week,” I said, rising from my chair. “But apparently, miracles happen.”

And I walked out, leaving her staring after me, stunned.

Because the truth was I didn’t know what the hell had just happened.

All I knew was that for the first time in a long time, my son had looked at someone like he wasn’t afraid.

And the woman responsible for that

was trouble.

The kind that smiled with her eyes, carried sunshine into dark rooms, and didn’t even realize she was dangerous.