Betrayed (Dark Desires 2)

Davenport gave her a smile, and once again rose and crossed to a small cabinet, withdrawing a box of miniature coffee creamers and a box of sugar cubes. He set those, too, on the side table, as well as a mixing spoon.

Veronica hurried to fix her coffee, and then rose the mug to her lips, doing her best to keep her hands from shaking. She could feel Davenport’s eyes on her the entire time, and she couldn’t ignore the reaction it inspired deep in her stomach.

“So,” Davenport spoke after they had both sipped at their coffees for a moment. “Tell me about yourself and your business.”

“Well,” Veronica cleared her throat, setting down her coffee on the nightstand beside her. “I started out just babysitting other kids in my neighborhood when I was in high school. I started out doing it for free, but I eventually figured out I could make some money doing it. I love working with the kids. I actually considered getting my degree in education instead of business.”

“Oh wow,” Davenport raised his brows. “So you have a degree?”

“Yes,” Veronica nodded. “It’s only really been a couple of years.

“And you were never tempted to go explore other options?” Davenport asked, and she could hear the genuine curiosity in his voice.

“Well, I considered it,” Veronica nodded. “But at the end of the day, I have always wanted to keep up the babysitting. But with my education, I run it more like a business than I did before. It has been very helpful.”

Davenport nodded and gave her a smile, though his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.

“You seem like a very driven and committed young woman,” he noted, and Veronica heard a shift in his tone. She blinked, taken slightly off-guard by the comment, but she assured herself that it was just meant to be polite.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Davenport wrapped his fingers around his coffee mug. “What are your rates?”

Veronica shifted a little in her seat.

“Well,” she started, trying to think of the most diplomatic way to say what she needed to say. “I don’t really have a flat fee. I create a plan for each family that I work for, according to their income and their ability to pay.”

“That’s very considerate of you,” Davenport noted, and Veronica blinked, more than a little surprised by his response.

“Some people have said it’s an irresponsible business decision,” Veronica noted, taking another drink from her mug.

“Not necessarily,” Davenport shrugged. “You’re building a good rapport with your clients, who will recommend you to friends, and ultimately increase your income. Even if you make less money in the short term, it does help to set you up for long term success. Good business decisions aren’t determined by the amount of money you bring in on a short-term basis.”

Veronica nodded. She couldn’t agree more.

“Besides,” Davenport went on, and his tone softened. “It speaks highly of your character to know that you are willing to be flexible when providing a service for those less fortunate.”

“Well, I certainly wasn’t always as fortunate as I am today,” Veronica said with a shrug.

“Neither was I,” Davenport let out a low chuckle.

“Oh?” Veronica raised her brows, curious.

“I grew up in the system,” Davenport confessed. “I didn’t always end up in the best homes.”

“Oh,” Veronica blinked, a surge of sympathy flowing through her. “Did you ever…?”

“Get adopted?” Davenport gave her a smirk. “No. I was in and out of homes until I aged out.”

Veronica couldn’t control her emotions for a moment. She hadn’t had the most opulent upbringing, but at the very least she had her family. She couldn’t imagine going through the nightmare of being transferred from one foster home to the next for the entirety of her childhood.

“I’m so sorry,” Veronica said, her voice soft. Davenport gave her a gentle smile.

“It’s quite alright,” he comforted her. “As you see, I managed to rise above my circumstances.”

Veronica could clearly see that was true, and she was glad that he had been able to elevate himself to this status.

“And as you can imagine, I want to do everything in my power to provide my little girls with the kind of childhood that I didn’t have,” he explained. “Which is why I am looking for a nanny for them in the first place. And also, why I would very much like it if that nanny was you.”

Veronica choked a little on the coffee she had been sipping, her head spinning at the sudden turn in conversation.