Plucking a bag of Doritos from off the shelf, I added the snack to my cart and continued down the grocery aisle.

Rounding the corner, my cart abruptly screeched to a halt. Eyeing the small child I almost ran over with my cart, I apologized and looked around for his parents.

"Are you alone?" I asked, looking down at the little boy.

He didn't seem scared, which was odd because most four year olds would panic and break down in tears after losing their parent or guardian.

Large round emerald green eyes stared up at me, his short dark brown curls whipping back and forth as he shyly shook his head.

I squatted down in front of him, speaking in a calm voice. "Are you here with your mommy?" He shook his head again. So I asked, "are you here with your daddy then?" He nodded. "Okay. Let's go find daddy."

Standing back up, I offered him my hand, which he took and we began our search for his father.

I'd stop and point every so often to see if he recognized any of the men as his father.

We walked around the grocery store for about five minutes, panic beginning to set in my stomach at the possibility of not being able to return this adorable little kid to his father.

I was ready to inform one of the workers when the little boy tugged at my pant leg.

Turning around to see what had caught his attention, I zeroed in on a handsome man rushing towards us and shouting, "Declan!"

The little curly haired boy pulled away from me, racing into his father's arms with a wide smile on his face.

The bearded gentleman scooped up his son and snuggled him close.

I noticed the tattoos peeking out the top of his white tee shirt and out the sleeves of his black leather jacket.

The faint wrinkles around his eyes made it clear that he was much older than I. But with his choice in clothing and pierced ears, the handsomely rugged man could easily pass for someone younger.

Eyes as green as his son's flickered to me. "Thank you." I could hear the anxiety in his voice. The sound of a worried father who thought they would never see their child again.

"It was no problem at all. He's a sweetheart." I flashed him a nervous smile, blushing at how heavily his piercing green eyes bore into me.

His gaze lingered a moment longer than comfortable, his eyes seemingly analyzing me.

A tattooed hand shout out for me to shake. "The name's Levi. And this is my son Declan."

Giving his hand a shake, the pad of my fingers brushed over his knuckles and I quickly pulled away, blushing profusely.

"Laurel," I murmured, biting the inside of my cheek nervously.

I've never met anyone so attractive. Nor have I met someone who had this much affect on me.

I wanted to blame it on the fact that's its been awhile since I've been with a man.

But that would be a lie.

He tilted his head slightly, making my heart skip a beat. "You wouldn't happen to be looking for work, Laurel?"

The way he drew out my name as if trying to keep me permanently planted in his brain for fear of forgetting had the butterflies in my stomach wreaking havoc.

"Um, yes. But how did you know that?"

"I didn't," he replied, raising a single brow in curiosity, before his pink lips curled up into a grin. "Just a lucky guess, I suppose."

"Well, I was recently fired. So truthfully, I'm down for anything." Another brow raised and I blushed once more. "Well not anything, but you get the idea."

He chuckled, the gruff sound sending a delightful chill running down my spine.

Setting down Declan, who immediately clung to his father's leg, I watched as Levi reached into his back pocket and pulled out a marker.

Gently grabbing my arm, he popped off the cap with his teeth and wrote his address on my arm. "Come by my house tomorrow." He released my arm and picked up Declan. "I expect you to be there at three o'clock sharp and no later."

I just nodded, speechless and unmoving. I didn't say anything, because I couldn't. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't even sure what just happened.

I just stood there with my mouth gaped open as Levi took his leave, Declan waving goodbye as they disappeared out of the store.

****

"You're going to go right?" Ivy asked after I told her what happened at the grocery store.

"I don't know. He could be a serial killer for all I know. And besides, he didn't even specify what kind of job he's looking to hire me for."

"Well whatever it is, I think you're going to want to take him up on whatever he's offering."

I stared at my phone screen in confusion, Ivy focused on the computer in front of her.

"Why? What do you mean?"

Picking up her phone, she flipped the camera, so I could see what was on her computer screen.

"Is that him?"

Squinting my eyes, I stared at the picture of a man dressed in a dark black and blue suit. I recognized the beard, tattoos, and piercings.

"That is definitely him. How did you find him so quickly?" I didn't even give her a last name.

"Google," she replies, flipping the camera back onto her as she gives her shoulders a nonchalant shrug. "Apparently, daddy Levi Isaacs is a very wealthy man. Like millionaire wealthy."

"Wait, seriously?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It says here in this article that he owns quite a few businesses around the world."

I'm not one to judge a book by its cover, but he didn't even come off as someone who owned several businesses. And to be honest, I didn't really know what I thought, but it definitely wasn't that.

Ivy cursed, and I froze. "What? What is it?"

"Just after Declan was born, his then wife Natalie abandoned him and their mute son. She withdrew millions of dollars from his accounts and dipped. It says here that it's been four years and they still don't know where she disappeared to."

"Oh my gosh. What kind of a wife and mother would..." I choked on my words, fighting back tears.

Declan was such a beautiful child and for his mother not to want him is just heartbreaking. That child deserves the world.

That's when I decided that I was going to go. If it will give me a chance to be there for Declan, then I'll take what ever job he offers me.