Page 54 of A Nanny for the Reclusive Billionaire

Chapter Thirteen

“I’m bored,” Oliver whined, swinging his stubby legs. Cookie crumbs dotted his pouting lips. “I want to go to the beach.”

Mallory pulled out the chair across from him and sat. “I told you, it’s too damp out. Today is an inside day. We can play Chutes and Ladders. Or build a blanket fort.”

Oliver wrinkled his nose. “We did that yesterday. And played freeze dance and put on a puppet show and melted all my broken crayons in a muffin tin to make new ones. We’re running out of inside stuff to do.”

He might be only four, but she couldn’t argue with his logic. It had been raining on and off for three days, and they’d almost exhausted her mental catalog of indoor activities.

“Do you need anything in town?” Collins asked, striding into the kitchen and grabbing a banana from a basket on the counter. “I have to deliver some documents for Mr. Dalton.”

Mallory’s stupid heart skipped a beat at Rhys’s name. He was closing some big deal, and she hadn’t seen much of him in the past few days except for the odd meal with Oliver and their clandestine late-night rendezvous. Which explained why she hadn’t told him about her cancer. She couldn’t say anything in front of Oliver. And it wasn’t exactly pillow talk.

She shook off the feeling of unease that rose inside her every time she thought about her looming conversation with Rhys and turned her attention back to his assistant, who was peeling the banana. “Is it safe to take the boat out?”

Collins shrugged. “The rain’s stopped. Surf’s a little choppy, but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Does that mean we can go to the beach now?” Oliver asked, snatching another cookie from the plate in front of him and shoving the whole thing into his mouth.

“Not if the surf is rough.” Mallory tapped a finger against her chin, an idea forming. She eyed Collins. “How long are you planning on staying ashore?”

“Why?”

“There’s a movie theater in Key West, isn’t there?”

“No.” He bit off the top of the banana.

“Is too,” Oliver piped up, a spray of cookie crumbs following each word. “Mrs. Flannigan saw the last Avengers movie there. She likes Captain America best, like me. She brought me a poster and a box of Mike and Ikes.”

“There is,” Collins admitted. “But if you’re asking me to take you there, the answer is no.”

Mallory pulled the plate of cookies toward her, took one, and bit into it. Still warm. Chocolate chip, the Worthington Hotel’s special, super-secret recipe. They gave one to all their guests when they checked in.

She licked a smear of melted chocolate from her lower lip and pinned Collins with her most intimidating stare. At least she hoped it was intimidating. Intimidation was so not her forte. Where was Brooke when she needed her? Probably off shagging her sexy new husband somewhere.

As if Mallory could complain. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been getting her fair share of shagging lately.

Focus.Stop thinking about Rhys’s talented hands. Or his magic mouth. Or his…

“Why not?” she asked, stopping her thoughts in their naughty tracks and getting back to the matter at hand. “We’re going a little stir-crazy. As beautiful as it is here, it would be nice to get off the island for a change.”

Collins frowned and chewed his banana thoughtfully. “Mr. Dalton wouldn’t approve.”

“I’d like to hear that from him.” She stood.

“He’s on a conference call with the New York office,” Collins explained. “He can’t be interrupted.”

“Then I’ll leave him a note. It’ll be fine.” She polished off the cookie and wiped her hands on her jeans.

“I doubt that.”

“I’ll take full responsibility.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Please.” Oliver looked up at them with wide, pleading eyes and a desperate, vulnerable look on his flushed face no doubt calculated for maximum pathetic effect. Kid was a fast learner. “I wanna go. I’ve never been to a movie theater.”

“Never?” Mallory had to practically pick her jaw up off the floor. He must be exaggerating. What preschooler had never been to the movies?