Page 15 of The Keeper

He crossed his arms. “It isn’t a don’t fall in love with me clause. It’s standard language to ensure⁠—”

Giggles erupted from my throat. I doubled over, my shoulders shaking as I tried to rein in my mirth.

I failed.

Noah scowled. “What’s so funny?”

“You,” I gasped, wiping tears from my eyes. “I cannot believe you, of all people, pulled a freaking rom-com move in real life.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

Of course he didn’t. His personality was so divorced from both the rom and com parts that he probably thought Sleepless in Seattle was a medical diagnosis.

“It’s not important. But no secret pining? Really?” I shook the contract. “You think highly of yourself.”

“It’s not based on my ego. It’s based on experience.”

“Let me guess. Your previous nannies were frothing at the mouth over you because you’re a rich, famous footballer and built like a Greek god.”

Noah’s cheeks flushed a dull red.

“Don’t worry. That wasn’t flirting,” I added. “Just objective observation. But if it makes you feel better”—I placed the contract on the closest table and scrawled my name on the signature line—“maintaining professional boundaries will not be a problem. You’re way too serious for me. I like men who know how to smile.”

Noah’s scowl deepened.

“Exactly. See?” I beamed up at him. “Not a problem at all.”

For the record, I meant it.

Noah was attractive, but I wasn't about to jeopardize a job that could solve my financial problems. Whatever had happened between us in Budapest belonged in the past. He’d made that clear.

After we finalized our contract, Noah gave me a quick tour of the house. He had to leave for training soon, and he walked so fast I had to practically jog to keep up with him.

“Besides the basics like picking her up and making her dinner, your most important task is to make sure she finishes her homework every night before bed,” Noah said. “I’m usually home by dinnertime, but if not, I’ll let you know ahead of time.”

“Got it.” I followed him up the stairs, already winded. I really needed to do more cardio.

“This is the guest room. Another guest room. Evie’s room. My room.” He pointed to the set of double doors at the end of the hall. “You are not to enter that room except in cases of extreme emergency. By that, I mean someone is dying or actively threatening your physical safety.”

“Why? Are you hiding dead bodies in there?” I joked.

Noah dipped his chin, his expression unamused.

Tough crowd.

“No entering the Dead Bodies Room unless someone is chasing me with a knife. Understood,” I said.

He sighed and continued the tour. I paid less attention to the admittedly impressive square footage and more to the unexpected details: a pastel, castle-shaped bookshelf; a vintage record player; an overstuffed armchair swaddled in a bright, kitschy print. I was sure Evie had influenced the decor, but I’d bet most of it was Noah’s choice.

Eventually, we found ourselves downstairs again, in the back of the house. The rooms were smaller and the hallways were narrower, but I liked the cozy feel. It reminded me of the vacation cottage my parents used to rent in the Lake District every other summer.

“Wow. This is a lot of…stuff,” I said, entering the, well, I wasn’t sure what it was. The room overflowed with trophies and medals Noah had won over the course of his career, as well as family photos, crayon drawings, and school reports displaying Evie’s excellent grades.

“Didn’t know where else to put it all,” he said gruffly. He sounded slightly embarrassed.

I bypassed the trophies and wandered over to the photo wall. There were dozens of pictures of Noah and Evie at home, on vacation, and at various school functions. I grinned at the one of them dressed like Gru and Agnes from Despicable Me at a Halloween party. I couldn’t think of a better costume for Noah and his daughter.

Noah stood in the corner, his shoulders stiff. Tension rolled off him in waves, but he didn’t stop me as I slowly made my way down the wall. There were photos of an older couple whom I assumed were Noah’s parents. The woman had his green eyes, and the man had his exact bone structure. The similarities were striking.