FIVE

After finishing up in the kitchen, I go upstairs to my room on the top floor, which is another perk of being a nanny for a billionaire's son. My room, like the rest of the apartment, is neat and organized, but I still dust and vacuum at least three times per week. I only have my clothes, a few pairs of shoes, and a few trinkets from home in the room.

The expensive paintings on the walls and the Greek sculpture on top of a pedestal in the corner don't belong to me, but having them in my space makes me feel fancy. I take great care to only touch those things when absolutely necessary. Romina rarely gives me time to myself; after all, being a live-in nanny is a twenty-four-hour-a-day job. When I'm not caring for Andrew, cooking, or cleaning, I'm not sure what to do with my time. I smooth the wrinkles out of my sheets and get down on my knees to look for dust bunnies under the bed.

I sigh as I rise to my feet and gaze out the large floor-to-ceiling windows that line my wall. Even though they're a pain to clean, the windows are my favorite part of the room. I never need an alarm clock because the sun wakes me up every morning with its soft, bright rays on my face.

I could text Rachel and tell her I'm available for the rest of the evening. Or perhaps I should finish the book I started over a month ago.

The book, a suspenseful thriller, is on my nightstand, with a sliver of the bookmark poking out from the top. I begin to make my way to the bed, only to realize my shirt is stained with chocolate from the cookies I made and the vegetables Andrew spit that didn't land on the apron.

Oh well, there's no better time to take a shower before curling up with my book.

I come to a halt again in front of the windows, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my skin. Sunset appears to be only a few minutes away. I roll my neck from one side to the other, closing my eyes, as I unbutton my blouse. A massage would be ideal right now. In fact, a deep tissue massage performed by a hunk with rippling muscles would be ideal.

I want to unhook my bra, freeing my breasts, but even from this high vantage point, I'm concerned that someone might notice. As I shimmy out of my shirt, dropping it on my growing pile of dirty clothes, the cold air hits my nipples through the thin lace. I reach up and massage my breasts gently before unzipping my pants, sliding them down to my ankles, and stepping out of them. Maybe a long hot soak in the tub instead of a shower is what I really need.

As my hands travel down to the band of my white lace panties, I open my eyes and look out the window once more. But, just as I turn to go to the bathroom, something or someone moves in the building directly across from me. As I get closer, my nose almost touches the glass as I try to focus on the figure across the way.

I swear I saw that apartment empty not long ago... Is that a telescope, by the way?

My mind races as I try to make sense of what I'm seeing. I observe a man pacing back and forth while on the phone, appearing to look into a telescope pointed directly at me.

I stagger backwards from the window and scramble to cover myself as I rush to the wall button that closes the blinds.

"What the hell happened?" "I say aloud."

That place was deserted before, and now there's a Peeping Tom living there? A Peeping Tom with a slew of telescopes all aimed at my window.

My heart pounding in my chest as I sit on the edge of the bed, trying to recall if the man resembled anyone I knew. He's never been around here before. I'm pretty sure I'd remember a guy like that. I'm curious how long he stood there staring at me.

To be honest, I'd probably keep an eye on him in similar circumstances, but I wouldn't be so bold as to use a telescope. Fortunately, I hadn't stripped naked before realizing I had an audience. Would he still keep an eye on me if he knew I knew about his dirty little secret?

I tie my hair up in a high ponytail and walk into the bathroom to begin my bath, forcing myself to ignore the dull throb between my thighs as I replay the sensation of being watched by the handsome stranger across the way.