Chapter 4: Haley

Wednesday. Home, Arlington, VA.

HALEY PEERED INTO IVANA'S room, but the elderly nanny had already retired for the evening.

Figured.

Lately every time Haley needed help, or an out like tonight, Ivana left her high and dry.

"Relax, it's just like every other movie night," Haley muttered to herself.

Except tonight they'd be watching a movie in Konstantin's living room. With him.

It was innocent, really it was. And yet, Haley felt herself getting sucked into something. Lately this whole job seemed to operate that way. Her one and only focus should be Zasha's safety. Instead, Haley had to divide her attention between home duties, safety, monitoring school work and entertaining Zasha.

The job was too much. The lines were blurred. She was feeling the strain.

Haley stopped in the hall, closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

She loved Zasha with all her heart. Kids hadn't ever been her thing, but Zasha was special. She was full of wonder and joy that reminded Haley to live life, when she got a minute to herself.

"Haley, come on." Zasha burst out of her room dragging her new throw blanket. "We don't want to be late!"

Haley laughed and allowed Zasha to pull her along.

A whole evening with Konstantin and Zasha.

Great.

Haley snagged the basket of snacks on their dash through the main room. Zasha opened the adjoining door between the two condos and dragged her in. Haley stepped over the threshold and into Konstantin's domain.

The room smelled of him. Woodsy. Masculine.

Konstantin stood in the narrow kitchen looking out over the rest of the main space. His arms were braced on the marble countertops. Unlike earlier, he wore a T-shirt that showed off the corded muscle in his lean arms. The lights shining down on him picked up the strands of gold in his light brown hair that fell forward over his brow and his warm gaze took them both in.

"There's my girl."

Haley knew the words and smile were for Zasha, but they affected Haley. His smiles were rare and reserved completely for his daughter. But every time Haley saw one, she couldn't help but bask in it. Truthfully, it was probably a good thing Konstantin didn't smile often. He was a handsome man normally, but when he smiled? It was devastating.

Zasha let go of Haley and darted around the counter to wrap her arms and blanket around her father.

He placed a hand on Zasha's back and flipped the top of a box open with the other. "Perfect timing. Pizza just got here."

"Pizza!" Zasha's face lit up like she hadn't known there'd be pizza.

Haley smothered a laugh and slid onto one of the leather barstools.

It felt strange to not be the one plating pizza, but technically she wasn't working tonight. That technicality mattered very little in the grand scheme of things. Living with her clients made that line almost vanish.

Konstantin crouched beside Zasha, tilting his head.

Haley leaned forward.

Just what was he up to?

"Which piece do you think we should give Haley, hm?" he said softly, though not enough Haley couldn't hear him plainly.

Zasha grinned at Haley. "The biggest one."

"The biggest?" Konstantin turned his head to look at her.

Damn.

Oh, damn.

She'd almost forgotten this.

He was so serious it was easy to forget that he had this side. This mischievous, playful side that only came out with Zasha. Haley didn't see it since most of the time she used every moment Zasha was with her father to get ahead on other work. But tonight she had a front-row seat.

"This one?" Konstantin asked.

"No, this one and this one," Zasha said.

"Two? You want to give Haley two slices?" His brows rose.

Zasha giggled. "She'll eat three."

"Three? Do you think she'll have room for cake and three slices of pizza?" He glanced up at Haley and winked.

She was smiling and didn't care to stop herself.

For the last few weeks she'd gotten all twisted up in her head that if she left, Zasha would have no one. It was arrogant. Before Haley had been in the picture, her father had been there. He might not be her morning till night caregiver in everything, but when he was with Zasha, he was really with her.

Zasha would be okay. Without Haley.

It was a realization that stung, but she was also glad for it.

Dinner was a lively affair. Zasha did more talking than eating, and Konstantin surprised Haley with two jokes bad enough to be labeled Dad Jokes. Even sexy bosses weren't immune to them.

"Who is ready for cake?" Konstantin stood and stretched.

Zasha hopped in her seat. "Me!"

Haley glanced at Zasha to keep from eyeing the inches of toned abs or the soft gray sweatpants. What was it about gray sweatpants? They weren't special, and yet there was something about putting a hot guy in them that made the man irresistible.

"Um, Zasha, you didn't finish your dinner?"

"It's her birthday." Konstantin whisked away their plates without another word.

Haley opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it. They'd been waging a steady war on Zasha's reticence to eat vegetables or finish an appropriate amount of food that wasn't straight sugar. But he had a point. It was her birthday.

Zasha leaned across the table, that mischievous look so much like her father's. "Maybe you can eat with us all the time now?"

Haley opened and closed her mouth.

She didn't know what Zasha wanted, but Haley knew this wasn't a path she could take. Both because in the near future she was leaving and she just couldn't be around Konstantin. Not without losing her head. And her relationship with Zasha mattered too much to allow that to happen. Because Haley saw nothing good happening if she tangled with Konstantin.

"What did you say now?" he asked, glancing from Zasha to Haley and back.

Zasha's smile turned sly and she peered up at her father. "I really like having dinner with my two favorite people."

"Favorites, huh?" Konstantin passed Haley a slice of cake with a rosette on top. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't let Nany Ivana hear you say that."

Zasha shrugged and glanced at Haley.

The darn kid winked, right there in front of her father.

Konstantin frowned and peered at Haley.

She picked up her fork and shoved a bite of the rich, chocolate cake into her mouth. There was no coming out of this unscathed.

"Have you decided what colors your big girl room are going to be?" Konstantin asked.

"I like Haley's room."

"Do you?" He turned his gaze on Haley. "I don't think I've ever seen it."

"She has all her plants up on a shelf over her bed," Zasha said between bites. "And she has the fuzziest chair. What color is that?"

"Teal," Haley mumbled.

"Teal?"

"Yeah. Teal. And a bright yellow wall."

"Hm." Konstantin studied Haley with that warm gaze of his.

She was used to his daily looks, the cool, professional ones when he hadn't quite shifted from work mode into dad mode. Those she could handle. These? They made her very aware of how warm it was in his condo.

"What about your haircut? Have you decided what you want to do this time?" Haley asked in an effort to change the topic.

"I want to grow it out so it's as long as Haley's," Zasha announced.

Haley shoved another bite of cake into her mouth and wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

"I don't know, kiddo," Konstantin said slowly. They'd gone through some turbulent hair times right around the time Haley came onboard because Zasha was so tender headed hardly anyone could brush her hair.

Zasha's eyes went impossibly large and her little lip quivered.

Haley gaped at the kid. She'd never seen this act before. It was an act, wasn't it? Or was she really upset?

"You don't think Haley's hair is pretty?" Zasha asked in a shrill voice close to breaking.

"Haley's hair is lovely," Konstantin said without missing a beat. "Are you ready for all the brushing you'll have to do if your hair is that long again?"

"Yes," Zasha said indignantly.

"I'll discuss it with Ivana tomorrow." He didn't sound convinced.

Neither was Haley, for that matter.

What would happen to Ivana when Haley left? Would the old woman manage to keep her job? Or would Konstantin let her go?

Yet one more thing Haley worried about.

Would a man have half the concerns she did?

Probably not, and there was no use comparing her lot with that of her male counterparts. These things were just different.