Alien Architect Needs a Nanny: Alien Nanny Agency #1 Read online

  Alien Architect Needs a Nanny

  Alien Nanny Agency #1

  Tasha Black

  13th Story Press

  Copyright © 2022 by 13th Story Press

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  13th Story Press

  PO Box 506

  Swarthmore, PA 19081

  [email protected]

  * * *

  Cover designed by Sylvia Frost of The Book Brander

  Contents

  Tasha Black Starter Library

  About Alien Architect Needs a Nanny

  Alien Architect Needs a Nanny

  Tenet 1

  1. Emilia

  2. Emilia

  3. Ra’as

  Tenet 14

  4. Emilia

  5. Ra’as

  6. Emilia

  7. Ra’as

  Tenet 40

  8. Emilia

  9. Emilia

  Tenet 8

  10. Emilia

  11. Ra’as

  12. Emilia

  13. Ra’as

  14. Emilia

  15. Emilia

  16. Emilia

  17. Emilia

  18. Emilia

  19. Emilia

  20. Emilia

  21. Ra’as

  22. Emilia

  23. Emilia

  Tenet 28

  24. Ra’as

  25. Emilia

  26. Ra’as

  27. Emilia

  28. Emilia

  29. Ra’as

  Tenet 62

  30. Emilia

  31. Emilia

  32. Ra’as

  33. Emilia

  34. Emilia

  35. Emilia

  Tenet 17

  36. Emilia

  37. Emilia

  38. Ra’as

  39. Emilia

  40. Ra’as

  41. Emilia

  42. Ra’as

  Tenet 50

  43. Emilia

  44. Ra’as

  45. Emilia

  46. Ra’as

  47. Ra’as

  48. Emilia

  Tenet 88

  49. Emilia

  Tasha Black Starter Library

  About the Author

  One Percent Club

  Tasha Black Starter Library

  Packed with steamy shifters, mischievous magic, alien adventures, billionaire superheroes, and plenty of HEAT, the Tasha Black Starter Library is the perfect way to dive into Tasha's unique brand of Romance with Bite!

  Get your FREE books now at tashablack.com!

  About Alien Architect Needs a Nanny

  She’s there to watch over his children, but he’ll have to watch out for his heart.

  * * *

  Emelia Robbins works as an admin at the Alien Nanny Agency. She never goes on assignments, but when a desperate client puts out a last-minute plea for help, her boss decides to send her out in the field. It’s a one-year nanny contract, and if she fulfills it, she’ll earn a bonus big enough to make her dreams come true. But when she meets the out-of-control kids, she isn’t sure she’ll last a week. And her intimidating new boss might not let her make it through a single night. Mr. Drayven may be a well-respected architect, but his deep voice makes her tremble and his big body leaves her weak with unrequited lust.

  * * *

  Ra’as Drayven is working on the biggest project of his career. He needs a nanny who won’t head for the hills as soon as she meets his energetic daughter and complicated son. When the Alien Nanny Agency agrees to send help, he expects a matronly drill sergeant from the Outer Rings, not the beautiful young Terran who trips out of a rented gadabout and into his home. The last thing he wants is another pretty face using her employment to try and win his broken heart. Especially when her innocent eyes and dangerous curves might give her the power to do just that.

  * * *

  It’s supposed to be a job, but she’s not ready for the benefits.

  Alien Architect Needs a Nanny

  Tenet 1

  It is a common misconception that children of different galactic species require different care.

  - Dr. H. VynFleet, 132 Tenets of Childcare & Maintenance

  1

  Emilia

  “She’s missing,” the nanny moaned.

  Emilia could hear the young woman’s terror across the hologram connection, and her blood turned to ice in her veins. A missing child was the ultimate nightmare scenario for even a seasoned nanny. And the nanny on the line was young and inexperienced.

  “Have you contacted emergency services?” Emilia asked, willing herself to remain calm and focused.

  “No, you don’t understand. She couldn’t have gone anywhere,” the woman continued. “She was sitting right next to me.”

  “What do you mean?” Emilia asked carefully.

  “We were watching a movie - that new Jeremy Xaxan movie,” the girl babbled. “One minute she was laughing, and the next she was just… gone.”

  Emilia hadn’t seen any of his movies, but everyone in the system knew Jeremy Xaxan was the teen heartthrob.

  “Does your charge happen to be a Bergalian, about thirteen standard years old?” Emilia asked, hoping she was right.

  “Oh-em-gee, yes,” the girl replied, astonished. “Did you have time to pull my file already?”

  “Just a lucky guess,” Emilia said, trying to hide her smile from her voice. “Bergalian females only develop the ability to become invisible when they go through puberty,” Emilia explained. “In the beginning it often happens involuntarily. They have to learn how to control it.”

  “Oh,” the girl said. “Bergalians can be invisible?”

  “Females can,” Emilia replied, feeling disappointed that this girl had gone out in the field without being fully prepared by the agency, or at least taking the initiative to do her own homework.

  Emilia would have to do her best to prepare her a little.

  “You’re a Terran, right?” Emilia asked.

  That was a fair guess too. Ever since the experienced nannies left, most of the new nannies were Terrans. They were the only ones broke and desperate enough to take work they weren’t qualified for.

  “Yes,” the girl replied.

  “Do you remember getting your first period?” Emilia asked.

  “Sure,” the girl said with distaste. “It was awful.”

  “Well, that’s kind of what this is like for her,” Emilia told her. “She’s probably feeling embarrassed, so you don’t want to make a big thing out of it.”

  “What am I supposed to do?” the girl hissed.

  “First of all, remember that she’s invisible, not gone, so she can still hear you,” Emilia said gently. “She’s probably right there, and feeling very sensitive.”

  “Oh,” the girl said. “Right. Sheesh. I’m an idiot.”

  “You’re fine. Just put the movie back on,” Emilia advised. “And go make a really good snack. She’ll be extra hungry. Do they have popcorn?”

  “They have a bag of salt crisps and some chocolate stations,” the girl said.

  “Go get them,” Emilia said. “I’ll stay on with you.”

  She could hear the movie start up in the background and then the sound of crackling cellophane.

  “Oh,” the girl said suddenly.

  “Did she reappear?” Emilia asked.

  “No,” the girl whispered. “But I
turned around to get the chocolate stations and now the bowl of salt crisps is floating back to the couch.”

  “Excellent,” Emilia told her.

  “I’ve gotta go,” the girl said. “I really want to get back to her.”

  “Good,” Emilia said. “Just remember, do not make a big deal about it. And the next time you get a free moment, read your manual and do a data search on Bergalians. This could have been avoided by following Tenet number six.”

  “Number six?” the girl echoed, as if Emilia were speaking in code.

  “Be well-informed,” Emilia quoted.

  “Oh, right,” the girl acknowledged. “To be honest, I didn’t even have time to read that whole book. I kind of landed this gig in a hurry. But I’ll try to do better. Thanks a lot for helping me.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” Emilia told her sincerely. She really did like her job. Even now. “Is there anything else I can do to help?”

  There was a lot of giggling in the background.

  “Sorry, Jeremy Xaxan just took his shirt off,” the girl whispered happily. “We’re good.”

  “Okay, then, take care,” Emilia said, signing off.

  She sat back in her chair and exhaled.

  “Wow, you’re so good,” her desk-mate Janice said admiringly. “Almost as good as Pralexx.”

  That was high praise. Pralexx was one of the twenty-seven highly experienced nannies employed by the Alien Nanny Agency. Their expertise put the Alien Nanny Agency on the map as the go-to agency for high-end clientele who wanted elite care for their young children.

  The nannies had all worked with families among the same social circles for years. They supported each other with a monthly meeting and book club, during which they traded advice and read child development books by experts all over the galaxy.

  Every summer they had a recipe contest for the best way to get nutrients into a fussy eater. There was their infamous Secret Hearth Day Beast gift exchange, where all gifts received were promptly donated to the local food trust. And they all participated in a weekly sector lotto pool.

  Fortunately for the nannies, but unfortunately for the agency and their clientele, their lotto pool had finally paid off.

  And they had won big.

  All twenty-seven nannies had promptly quit with little or no notice, leaving the agency to hold cattle-call style hiring parties, and train inexperienced young nannies not only to care for their new charges, but how to adjust to living in the opulent manner of their charges’ families.

  “No one will ever be as good as Pralexx,” Emilia said wistfully, thinking of the self-assured woman with the pale tentacles on her head waving comfortingly as she programmed knitting patterns into her bracelet and talked shop.

  “Hey maybe one of these new ones will get there,” Janice said. “They have to start somewhere, and you’re pointing them all in the right direction.”

  “Emilia Robbins,” the speaker above their workstation vibrated with the forcefulness of their boss’s rich contralto. “See me in my office.”

  Janice’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline and she turned back to her hologram screen with uncharacteristic swiftness.

  A visit to the boss’s office clearly wasn’t something she wanted any part of.

  Emilia didn’t exactly blame her.

  2

  Emilia

  Emilia took a deep breath, got up, and headed to her boss’s office.

  Her heart was pounding, even though she knew she was a model employee. The agency obviously needed her now more than ever. Surely, she wasn’t about to lose her job over some turn of phrase in that last call.

  She stood outside Madam Bank’s office and took a deep breath, gathering herself.

  “Emilia,” Varsha Bank cried out from inside. “Come in.”

  Varsha was a Felynirsh. The species all had the slightest touch of empath abilities. She had probably sensed the flavor of Emilia’s mind outside her office, but hopefully not her ominous mood.

  “Hello, Varsha,” Emilia said, entering.

  “Oh, Emilia,” her employer crooned, gesturing to the floating chair opposite her desk. “I have something to share with you, but first I have to tell you that we had a monitor on that last call of yours. You’re a wizard, an absolute wizard.”

  “Um, thanks,” Emilia said, sitting on the chair with a sense of relief.

  “The reason I called you up here is that you have the highest satisfaction rating in the whole support center,” Varsha said proudly, running a hand through her inky mane. “You’re more than just an admin at a desk. You’re a valued employee and even Sir Aynx is aware of your level of service.”

  Sir Aynx owned the agency. He preferred to be a hands-off owner, so Varsha did most of the work of an owner.

  “He is giving you the Employee of the Month Award,” Varsha went on, her onyx eyes sparkling.

  An award sounded good. Emilia instantly wondered if it came with a bonus.

  “You’ll get a certificate, and two free lunch credits for any cafeteria in one of Sir Aynx’s buildings,” Varsha went on, smiling as if Emilia had just been elected ambassador of the Inner Rings.

  So, no prize money. Emilia resisted the impulse to sigh, and smiled politely instead.

  “Thank you so much,” she said.

  She would keep saving. Maybe next year, or the year after she would have enough to enter the landscape design competition that might allow her to follow her dreams, which unsurprisingly did not include sitting at a desk and taking calls from nannies all day.

  She pictured rows of neat xyritheea trees, heavy with fruit, surrounding an antique statue, a rose garden trained up a latticework wall beside a library, a cleansing garden on the banks of a river…

  “You’re so happy about your award,” Varsha said, smiling at her benevolently and completely misreading why Emilia was feeling happy. “And you should be, you should take pride in your work.”

  The hologram on her desk let out a jangle, as if someone had dropped a box of bells down the stairs.

  “Oh, it’s Sir Anyx,” Varsha said, scurrying over and touching the pad, before lifting the receiver to her ear.

  “Hello, Sir Anyx,” she said. “No, I have you on audio because one of our employees is here… No, no, she’s not in any kind of trouble… Oh. Oh, dear.”

  Sir Anyx was obviously very worked up. Emilia could hear snippets from the other end of the call. A VIP needed a nanny immediately. It was of the utmost importance. There was something about the last one running off, and a son, and a shame on the agency if they couldn’t make things right.

  “Sir Anyx,” Varsha broke in, when he finally paused for a breath. “Sir Anyx, I’m so sorry to tell you, we have no nannies left.”

  Emilia could hear him echo that information back, in a horrified tone. Then the words: Find someone, someone responsible. Now.

  Varsha suddenly turned to Emilia and studied her appraisingly, tilting her head slightly and biting her lip.

  There was more angry chatter on the other end of the call, but to Emilia, the world had slowed down and Sir Anyx sounded like he was speaking from underwater.

  Varsha couldn’t be thinking what Emilia thought she was thinking.

  “I may have a solution,” Varsha said suddenly. “Send me his card and give me a few minutes, Sir Anyx… Yes, yes, she’s good. She’s an absolute wizard.”

  Emilia watched Varsha replace the receiver without even saying good-bye, forgetting her usual deference to her employer.

  “Emilia, it looks like this really is your lucky day,” Varsha said carefully, her dark eyes dancing. “Your life is about to change.”

  Emilia shook her head, unable to even answer. Even though it wasn’t her dream job, she liked her life. It was a safe life, spent at a desk, in her tiny apartment and in her plot at the community garden.

  “I know you haven’t been in the field,” Varsha said. “But this could be a perfect match.”

  “I’ve been on the other end of those field c
alls,” Emilia said. “I know what it’s like out there.”

  “And you always know exactly what to do,” Varsha said brightly.

  “It’s a heck of a lot easier to know what to do from behind the hologram, with the manual in my hands,” Emilia said.

  “You can take the manual in the field too,” Varsha reminded her. “Besides, the nannies only call you when they’re stressed out. You don’t hear about the wonderful parts.”

  “Do you know how often inexperienced nannies are calling in?” Emilia asked. “The ratio of stressful to wonderful is not encouraging. Besides, who would take the calls?”

  “Janice,” Varsha said, frowning slightly. “She needs to build her confidence anyway. And she’s been sitting beside you a long time now. She knows what to do.”

  If Emilia’s ego were tied up in her job, it might have been painful to be given an award and then promptly told she was replaceable without a second thought.