Nanny to the Billionaire Dragon - Cynthia Wilde Page 0,3

mattered. Between guarding the Void, handling the children, not to mention the endless details and challenges of running the largest year-round Renfair in North America, he just could not have the distraction. It was time to turn the page.

“I think that's it,” said Samantha, dabbing at the corner of her eye her sleeve. “I can wait until you hire the new nanny, then I'll leave in the morning, I mean if you don’t want me out now. I honestly didn't know, Rafe. I just wanted to borrow it. I mean I thought maybe you would like the way it looked on me…” Her eyes pled with him to forgive her.

Rafe's emotions ran the gamut from sorrow to relief to flat out anger. He couldn't decide how to answer her. Could she possibly be telling the truth? Even if she believed what she was saying, that in and of itself pointed to some major issues. None of it added up, and he was just done with it. Collecting his emotions, he spoke with as level a voice as he could muster. “Why didn’t you just ask me then? I mean, what were you doing sneaking through my things? I don’t understand and at this stage I don’t think I want to understand. If you'd only asked me, I would have bought you any necklace you wanted. I still don't even know how you found it. I'm sorry, but it is all just too weird, and I hate to say it, but I just can't trust you at this point.”

A tear rolled down her cheek as she nodded her head. “I told you, I found it in my dresser drawer, Rafe. I swear it. I didn't know where it came from. It was so pretty. I thought you would like the way it looked on me. I don’t know. I see I should have asked now. I hope, one day, you can forgive me,” she touched his arm gently. “I just felt so sure it you would like it. I just had to try it on. I couldn't help myself, but I know how it looked to you.” She walked over to the bed, closed up her suitcase, and placed it by her bedroom door. “I'm going to go check on the kids. Please let me know when the nanny gets here. I'd like to meet her if that is ok with you. I love those kids, and I just want to make sure they will be in good hands.”

Rafe watched her walk down the hall to the back courtyard where the three children were playing tag. He knew Samantha was a good person at her core. And she had tried a million times to explain herself. She had given any number of excuses, thinking maybe she was overworked. She didn’t know “what had come over her.” Too him it was simple, she had just had a tough background. He had thought if he just provided for all her needs, he would be able to help her let go of her poverty mindset. But no matter how much he gave her, it never seemed like enough. Now that she was leaving, he felt relieved. Although of course he hadn’t dated her so she could care for his kids, it had actually worked out well that way. Despite her shortcomings, she had been a great motherly figure for them. But perhaps that had complicated things too. He didn’t know, but maybe it would be good to have a nanny whose only job was to care for his kids. That would be nice and clear, and actually free him up a bit mentally and emotionally. There would be no messy romantic complications.

His Dragon growled and did a barrel roll. He had been so in his head lately, trying to hold it all together, that his Dragon was practically tearing through his skin to get out. Fine, another thing he had to worry about. He knew he needed to do whatever was necessary so he could focus on the faire and its true purpose anyhow.

So, they would play nice for the rest of the day, and then, he would get her an apartment either on site or close by the festival so she could still do her other jobs at the faire. Regardless, he needed her here, even if they no longer had an intimate relationship; she still had a job to do, like all of them.

As a shifter, Samantha was bound to the pack.