Billionaire's Jet Set Babies & The Nanny Bombshell: Billionaire's Jet Set Babies / The Nanny Bombshell. Michelle Celmer

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СКАЧАТЬ investing in my future.”

      “I understand completely.” His eyes gravitated toward his children, still sleeping peacefully in the playpen—Olivia on her tummy with her diapered butt up in the air, Owen on his back with his arms flung wide.

      “You’ve achieved your goals. That’s admirable. I’m working on my dream now.” Determination coated each word as fully as the sunscreen covered her bared skin.

      He really didn’t need to be thinking about her exposed body right now.

      Already, he was on the edge of a new deal with Javier Cortez to supply charter jets for the royal Medinas. That huge boon would take his company to the next level and free him up to set up an entire volunteer, nonprofit foundation devoted to search and rescue operations. His first love, what had drawn him into flying in the first place. That love of flying had helped him develop and patent the airport security device that had made him a mint. Once he took his business to the next level, funding and overstretched government budgets wouldn’t be an issue…

      So damn close to achieving all his business dreams.

      Yet, still he was restless. “Let’s forget arguing about tomorrow and business. We can hash that out later. Right now, I’m off the clock. I want to make the most of our time left in St. Augustine tonight.”

      “What exactly did you have in mind?” She eyed him suspiciously.

      Had he imagined her softening on the all-business stance? There was only one way to find out.

      Standing, he snagged his suit coat. “We’re going to spend the evening out.”

      “With twins? Don’t you think breakfast was pushing our luck?”

      He grinned, scooping up his groggy daughter. “Trust me. I can handle this.”

      “All right, if you’re sure.”

      “Absolutely.” He palmed his daughter’s back as she wriggled in his arms and tugged at his collar. “Wait until you see what I have planned. You’ll want to dress comfortably, though. And we should probably pack extra clothes for the kids in case they get dirty.”

      Alexa pulled up alongside him, Owen in her arms. Seth reached for the door inside—

      Until her gasp stopped him short.

      “Did you forget something?” he asked.

      When Alexa didn’t answer, he glanced and found her staring back at him with horror. What the hell? Except as she raised a shaking hand to point, he realized she wasn’t looking at him. Her attention was focused fully on Olivia.

      More precisely, on Olivia’s bulging left nostril.

      * * *

      Sitting on the edge of the hotel sofa in their suite, Alexa struggled to contain the squirming little girl in her lap while pushing back the welling panic. The whole ride up in the elevator had been crazy, with Seth attempting to check his daughter’s nose and the child growing more agitated by the second.

      How in the world had Olivia wedged something up her nostril? More importantly, what had she shoved into there?

      Alexa winced at the baby’s bulging left nostril. She hadn’t taken her eyes off Olivia for a second during their time at the pool—except when Olivia had been sleeping. Had she woken up? Found something in the playpen? Perhaps something blew inside the pen with her?

      Panic gripped her. What the hell had she been thinking, allowing herself to believe she could care for these two precious children? She willed herself to stop shaking and deal with the crisis at hand.

      Seth knelt in front of her, trying to grasp his daughter’s head between his palms. “I can get this out if you will just hold her still long enough for me to push my thumb down the outside of her nose.”

      “Believe me, I’m trying my best.” Alexa’s heart pumped as hard and fast as Olivia’s feet as the little girl screamed, kicking her father in the stomach. Her face turned red; her skin beaded with sweat from hysteria.

      Sinking back on his haunches, Seth looked around their suite. “Is there any pepper left from last night’s dinner?”

      “Housekeeping cleared away everything. Oh, God, I am so sorry. I don’t know how this happened—”

      A crash echoed through the room.

      Alexa looked at Seth, her panic mirrored in his eyes. “Owen!”

      They both shot to their feet just as a pitiful wail drifted from behind the velvet sofa. Holding Olivia around the waist, Alexa ran fast on Seth’s heels, only to slam against his back when he stopped short.

      Owen sat on the floor, blessedly unharmed, just angry. His “tower”—which consisted of a chair, a pillow and the ice bucket—now lay on its side by the television. Handprints all over the flat screen testified to his attempt to turn on the TV by himself.

      Seth knelt beside his son, running his hands along the toddler’s arms and legs. “Are you okay, buddy? You know you’re not supposed to climb like that.” His thumb brushed over his son’s forehead, along the eyebrow that still carried a scar from past stitches. “Be careful.”

      Picking up Owen, Seth held him close for a second, a sigh of relief racking through his body so visibly Alexa almost melted into the floor with sympathy. God, this big manly guy who plowed through life and through the skies alone had the most amazing way of connecting with his kids.

      What would it have been like to grow up with a father like him? A dad so very present in his children’s lives?

      Standing, Seth said, “I’m going to have to take Olivia to the emergency room. Swap kids with me. You can stay here with Owen.”

      “You still trust me?”

      “Of course,” he responded automatically even though his mouth had gone tight. With frustration? Fear?

      Or anger?

      He leaned toward her. Olivia let out a high-pitched shriek and locked her arms tighter around Alexa’s neck, turning her face frantically from her father.

      Seth frowned. “It’s okay, kiddo. It’s just me.”

      Patting Olivia’s back, Alexa swayed soothingly from side to side. “She must think you’re going to pinch her nose again.”

      “Well, we don’t have much choice here. I need to take her in.” He set down Owen and clasped his daughter.

      Olivia’s cries cranked up to earsplitting wails, which upset her brother who started sobbing on the floor. If Olivia kept gasping would whatever was in her nose get sucked in? And then where would it go? Into a lung? The possibilities were horrifying. This parenting thing was not for the faint of heart.

      “Seth, let me hold her rather than risk her becoming even more hysterical.” She cradled the little girl’s head, blond curls looping around Alexa’s fingers as surely as the child was sliding into Alexa’s heart. “You and I can go to the emergency room and take both kids.”

      Plowing СКАЧАТЬ