Fearless In Love (The Maverick Billionaires, Book 3) Read Free

give you a call tomorrow.”
    Please , she silently prayed as she grabbed her bag, hire me and make this dream real. “I really like Noah. He’s a great kid.”
    “I’m lucky to have him.” Love filled Matt’s voice when he talked about his son. “And he obviously likes you. I hope you have time to see his latest Lego masterpiece before you go.”
    “Of course.”
    They stood at the same time, suddenly close beside each other at the edge of the coffee table. For the briefest of moments, she let her eyelids drift shut as her senses drank him in—that fresh rain scent, the heat radiating off his body, the gentle wash of his breath across her hair.
    Noah was so cute, and the setup was amazing. But Matt? Well, he was the cherry on top of her sundae.
    And if she got this job, she would make sure nothing screwed it up.

Chapter Two
    “You sure you don’t mind me hijacking her from your San Jose store?” Matt asked Daniel over the phone.
    “It’s a great opportunity for Ariana.”
    Ariana had a lilting quality in Daniel’s voice. But she’d told Matt to call her Ari.
    “She’s always been more interested in child care than moving up the ladder at Top-Notch,” Daniel continued. “She worked her butt off getting through college. The scholarships I sponsor are open to all my employees worldwide, but every year, Ariana aced the essay submission and earned the Bay Area scholarship.”
    “She told me she graduated last May.”
    “With honors.”
    She hadn’t told him that. In fact, she’d almost downplayed her degree, maybe because she understood that a degree was worth a heck of a lot more with practical experience to back it up. In that, they were alike. He’d graduated and jumped in feet first. And Ari’d had eight years of experience working with kids while she was going to school. She’d be a huge asset for Noah, with both her experience and her education. There was so much to admire about her.
    For his peace of mind, there might actually be too much to admire.
    “It’s a win-win, Matt. You’re going to love her.”
    His friend didn’t mean it in the sexual sense, but Matt couldn’t stop remembering the vision she’d made sitting on his sofa, the end-of-day autumn sun setting her golden hair on fire. He’d wanted to—
    Damn it, he had to stop thinking about what he wanted. She would be here for his son.
    “Noah already loves her,” Matt told Daniel. “All she had to do was admire his latest Lego creation and he was putty in her hands.”
    Ari had handled his son’s interruption brilliantly, teaching Noah a lesson without getting angry or annoyed. Considering that the women Ari babysat for couldn’t say enough good things about her, Matt knew he had to have her.
    For Noah, of course.
    “The kid takes after his old man, always coming up with new inventions.” Daniel’s tone was laced with affection. As godfathers, each and every Maverick adored Noah. “And Ariana has more patience than a saint,” Daniel added, “which will help when taking care of a five-year-old boy with boundless energy.”
    “My only concern is that she’s so young.” That was a lie. He was also concerned about how boundlessly tempting she was.
    Matt was always in control of his emotions where women were concerned, especially after what had happened with Noah’s mom. Yet Ari kept sneaking under his defenses, entering his thoughts far too often. He had to put a stop to it. He was a decade older, for God’s sake, and about to become her boss.
    “We were already out there trying to make our mark at twenty-four,” Daniel pointed out, “but she’s still hands-off to you.”
    Humor laced Daniel’s warning, but Matt’s guts jumped like a guilty man facing the witness stand. “Of course. She’s Lyssa’s age.” To all the Mavericks, Lyssa was still the kid sister they needed to look out for.
    “And Ariana’s had a pretty rough go of it too.”
    As a foster kid, she’d been alone in the world. At least he’d had