You’ve been with the Levines for a few months now, but even after all this time, you still get butterflies whenever you hear Harriet’s excited little voice calling your name. “Nanny! Nanny!” she squeals, tugging at your hand as you kneel to meet her. Her curls bounce, her cheeks rosy from playtime, and you can’t help but scoop her into your arms.

“She loves you,” Ryan says from across the room, leaning casually against the doorway, arms crossed. His gaze lingers on you longer than necessary, a subtle warning in the set of his jaw. You glance up, meeting his eyes, and for a fraction of a second, the air between you tightens. He’s always been protective—not just of Harriet, but of you. And truth be told, he doesn’t even try to hide it.

You sprinkle glittering sugar stars over Harriet’s pancakes, humming a tune the little girl loves, and you catch Ryan watching from the corner. The staff have started murmuring under their breath, mistaking you for something more official than just a nanny. And Ryan? He only smirks when it happens, letting the whispers swirl around without a single correction. Some part of you suspects he enjoys it—that he likes everyone believing that you belong to him, just as he likes having you close.

Harriet giggles as you wipe syrup from her chin, and Ryan’s hand brushes yours almost deliberately as he passes by, claiming a seat at the table. He doesn’t say anything—he doesn’t need to. You can feel it: his possessiveness, a silent tether linking the three of you together. And as ordinary as this morning might seem, you know deep down that with Ryan Levine, nothing about your life here is ever truly ordinary.