Page 5 of Reputation (Tempt)

I wanted that for myself. I wanted a man who never made me doubt what we were or how much I meant to him, like my ex had. A man who actually listened to me and supported my goals without feeling threatened by my ambition or success. A man who acknowledged me as his equal; a partner who made me feel both protected and empowered.

More than that, I wanted a family. Nannying had given me a sense of fulfillment unlike any I’d ever known. It had made me realize that I wanted to fall in love, get married, and definitely have children.

But I’d barely had time to date with my rigorous training schedule and the other demands on my time. And I had yet to find someone who seemed worth the effort. Most guys my age weren’t ready to settle down, and I was done wasting time on relationships that didn’t go anywhere.

So while my dad was worried about time running out on my athletic career, I was more concerned with the countdown of another clock entirely.

CHAPTERTWO

“Can I get you a refill, Mr. Crawford?” the flight attendant asked.

I shook my head without meeting her eyes. She’d already tried hitting on me once, and I was going to have to ask the employment agency for a replacement. The Hartwell Agency was a bespoke recruitment service that placed nannies, jet crew, and other household staff with high-net-worth clients around the globe.

Emerson and Andre had been placed by the Hartwell Agency. As had many of my brother Knox’s household and yacht staff, and the jet crew for the small fleet of private planes we shared with our three cousins—Graham, Jasper, and Sloan.

I rested my ankle on my knee, wondering where Tabitha was. She was one of our newer hires, and I liked her. She was respectful. Quiet. She left me alone.

“No. Thank you.”

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked, her voice breathy with desire.

“No,” I said in a firm tone. I was fucking exhausted. It had been one hell of a week, and I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.

I just wanted to be at home. Spending time with my daughter. And sleeping in my own bed—alone.

So I turned my attention back to my inbox, relieved when she disappeared to the galley. Most of the emails were back-and-forth conversations about the Meghan Hart movie—a love story. At this point, it was a fucking disaster, and I worried the film was going to burn through money like none other. Plus, the lead actor was threatening to back out at the last minute.

When we’d acquired the rights to the project, I’d been so optimistic. It was a solid story. There was a rabid fan base, which was good and bad. The built-in revenue source would be nice, but everyone had an opinion on the casting, especially for the character of Brock Ransom.

My phone buzzed, and my agent’s name flashed across the screen. “Pierce,” I answered.

Technically, he was my agent. But he was more of a “fixer.” He helped with general PR and strategy, as well as smoothing things over when necessary. And though he no longer practiced law, he knew the ins and outs well enough to work it to our advantage. Apart from my brother and cousins, he was one of the few people I trusted implicitly.

“I got wind of a project you might be interested in,” Pierce said. “In fact, it’s one you’re already familiar with.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, skimming an email from my brother Knox. He wanted to know what Brooklyn wanted for her birthday, even though it was still months away. I chuckled to myself. Gifts were definitely his love language.

“It’s last minute, but I think it’s right up your alley.”

“Just what I love to hear,” I deadpanned.

I had a million emails to respond to, school forms to review and sign for Brooklyn, and a script to read over. And I was determined to make a dent in it before we landed. I’d already spent the last week away from my daughter, and I hated being apart for so long. I refused to spend any more of our precious time together working than I had to.

“Director and casting want you to take the lead role for Brock Ransom.”

“The fuck?” I sat back in my chair. “I figured he was bluffing,” I said, referring to the lead actor. Excuse me,formerlead actor.

“Well, someone finally called his bluff. He’s gone, and the team wants you.”

I barked out a laugh. After how much I’d chewed out their asses this past week, I highly doubted that was the case. But they also knew how passionate I was about the project. And the fact that they’d ask me to star in it spoke to their confidence in my ability to carry the film to fruition. Their trust that I would bring the role to life.

As flattered as I was, I didn’t know if I could commit. “I’m not sure.”

“Because you need more time to prepare?”

“That’s definitely part of it.”

Pierce knew how selective I was about the parts I agreed to. And how much time I typically liked to have to prepare, especially in a case like this one where there wouldn’t be as much flexibility with the script.