Promoted to Wife (Destiny Bay) Read Online Free Page A

that mop of shiny dark hair.”
    She smiled, waiting for him to tell her he approved.
    He glanced over the slim brown line her legs made against the yellow bedspread, and she unconsciously drew her knees together. He chuckled. “As a butler, you'd make a terrific date. How about dinner tomorrow night?”
    Terry's mouth was dry and she wasn't laughing. “You don't understand. I’ve got to have this job. I'll do it well. You have no reasonable grounds to deny me on.”
    He watched her narrowly, sorry for a moment that she hadn't been one of Johnny's bright ideas. He liked the way her blue eyes sparkled. He also liked the way she filled out her skimpy outfit. He knew he would have en joyed sharing some time with her under other circum stances.
    But that only made it that much more reasonable that he send her away. If he let her work here, things could get complicated. He'd learned long ago not to mess with the help. It only led to misunderstandings all around. And his kids were coming…
    “I don't have to hire you just because you want the job,” he told her bluntly.
    “No, but ...” She searched his face for a hint of weakness. “Please do anyway,” she said softly, her eyes wide and pleading.
    He groaned and threw his head back, staring at the ceiling to avoid her blue eyes. If she'd slipped down off the bed and gone on her knees before him, she couldn't have been more persuasive. There was something so vul nerable, yet so determinedly courageous about her.
    He wanted to help her, but how could he? Women weren't butlers. Women were maids and housekeepers. That was the way it was—feminism be damned. The Carringtons weren't a family that challenged tradition.
    He wanted everything perfect for his grandfather's arrival. It now looked as though that would take a month or two. The old man had to recover as much as possible and be basically mobile before they would let him move into his home again. And now that his own parents had bailed on the job, it was his responsibility to see to it that the house was ready for him.  
    His grandfather meant a lot to him. Rick knew he'd been something of a disappoint ment to Calvin in the past and he wanted to make amends. Female butlers didn't set the proper tone for the homecoming he had in mind.
    But there was another element to consider. At this point, the one thing he needed more badly than a butler was a nanny. He looked at Terry skepti cally, wondering if he could offer to hire her on to take care of his children for the weekend. But no, he could see from the determined line around her mouth, that wouldn't quite fill her purpose.
    He frowned, remembering the chaos of the last time the children had come for a visit—a direct result of which had been the resignation of three members of the staff.  
    “I'm ready to do anything,” Terry prompted irrep ressibly. “I'm a hard worker. No job too big or too small.”
    Okay, why not? He mused silently as he stared at her. Why couldn't a butler take over child control? After all, the job included providing a comfortable atmosphere in the house. If he told her that was what he wanted, she would go off like a firecracker. Obviously, she hadn’t come here to babysit. But if he put it in other terms…
    “Okay, I get the picture,” he said. “You really want this job and you want to prove to me that you can handle it. Right?”
    She looked suspicious, not sure where he was going with this. But she said, “Right,” and waited to see.
    “You’re ready to take on just about anything?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
    She flushed, mistaking his intent. “Well, almost anything . ‘Playmate’ has never been a part of a butler's job description.”
    He couldn't resist teasing her. “Are you sure about that?” he asked as though thoroughly disappointed. “Not even in the fine print?”
    “Not even.” She was desperate for this job, but not quite that desperate. “Not ever,” she said emphatically.
    He was careful not to grin.