Page 25 of The Bratva's Nanny
The argument ended.
Maria: 1.
Polly: 0.
Grudgingly, she hopped off the island and dragged behind her a huge brown teddy bear I hadn’t noticed earlier when I entered. Maria must have gotten it for her because I couldn’t remember purchasing it….
Polina mumbled a bit of Russian under her breath, distracting me.
She glared at the brownies on the tray and left.
I smiled.
But when she walked out of the kitchen, my window of sunshine slammed shut, taking all of the brightness along with it and allowing the cold and gloom to settle back in.
I wasn’t unaware that Maria and I had been left alone in the large kitchen, and I could feel the heat of her gaze brush over the side of my face as she put away the bowls and utensils in the cabinet.
I turned to her, eyes hard. “You got my daughter a teddy bear?”
She was quiet for a while, chewing the insides of her cheeks as she decided whether or not to respond to me. “Yes,” she finally answered, speaking rather quietly, and put away another bowl. “I did.”
A crinkle formed between my brows as I pondered on the possibility. After a heartbeat, I asked, “Did you take her out of the house?”
“And you wouldn’t have known if we passed through those doors?” Her retort was sharp but not unexpected. “Pfft. You almost got me there. We both know nothing gets past you unnoticed, I’m sure. Since you have to know, I got it as a gift on my twentieth birthday. A colleague at Rosy’s bought it for me. I’m not a teddy bear person, but I couldn’t say no. So, I thought I’d give Polly a small companion for the nights ahead.”
She dropped her last words, a ghost of a smile on her lips and a wistful look in her eyes as she possibly relived the memories she’d made with her teddy bear.
As quickly as the moment came, she snapped out of it and was now staring at me as though she was waiting for something.
Uncomfortable silence lingered between us, awkward and heavy, before she let out an exasperated sigh with a breath of annoyance. “You’re welcome.”
Her silent accusation put me on the defensive. And I didn’t appreciate the role swap.
“I don’t remember asking you to give my daughter your fucking toy.”
Her annoyance ticked a notch higher. She folded her arms across her chest, nostrils flaring, and looked at me like I was the worst human being on the planet.
“It was a nice gesture.”
“So fucking what?”
“Where I come from, we say, ‘thank you’ for nice gestures.”
I smirked, making sure it looked as arrogant as I instantly felt.
“Look around again, Miss Simmons. You and me, we are not the same. Your rules don’t fucking apply here. So, the next time you think of a nice gesture for Polly, make sure it has my seal on it. I say what’s nice enough for her.”
She was quiet. Tension coiled in her shoulders. I was looking forward to it—the eruption from the volcano, having a piece of her mind shoved in my face and her middle finger hoisted up in the air as she orally submitted her resignation.
I waited and waited, even after she exhaled and flashed a brief smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yes, sir. I apologize.”
My jaw clenched.
I hadn’t seen that one coming, and it landed on my face like a slap: her submission and how it, very strangely, turned me on.
Unhurriedly, I pulled my hand away from the counter and filled my other pocket.
No.