“I do not think you were a horrible mother. I think we need boundaries, and you need a break. You’ve been taking care of Lillie for four years now.”
“So it’s not about me?” Eleanor huffs, straightening her blouse.
I don’t respond to the snark in her tone. I don’t say it’s very much about her, and that I wouldn’t have been in that bar last night if it wasn’t for her.
“It’s about making things easier for all of us.”
“I just hope you remember those boundaries when that girl is in this house.”
“I’d rather not discuss that here.” I tilt my head toward Lillie, who’s studying her plate, but who I know is not deaf. “My goal is to have more time to focus on my work. I need to get more accomplished if I’m going to grow the business. It’s what I hope Ruby allows me to do.”
Lillie’s head snaps up. “I like Ruby. She talks to me. She shook my hand and said I was polite.”
My smile to Eleanor is conclusive. “That is what matters most to me.”
I pace the large foyer of my house as I wait for Ruby to arrive.
She texted me earlier saying the contract was agreeable, she would sign it, and arrive here with her things at seven. It’s seven, and I can’t sit down. I have to move.
I’ve prepared the room down the hall from Lillie. They’re on the third floor of the house. My suite and offices are spread out on the second. Eleanor’s master suite is on the first.
As I walk back and forth in the large entrance, I realize this house probably is considered a McMansion. The grand staircase curves up to the second-floor landing, which has a balcony overlooking the downstairs.
Doors close it off from my quarters, and the stairs continue up to the third floor. When she was a baby, we had Lillie’s bedroom and playroom on the first floor near Eleanor’s. As she got older, she wanted to move to the top floor. She went through a Tangled phase, and I guess it made her feel like a princess in a tower. Naturally, we have monitors in her rooms.
Her playroom is still on the first floor, however, and I hear her little voice talking to her dolls. She won’t be awake much longer. My hands are shoved in the pockets of my jeans, and the tail of my button-up shirt is untucked.
I didn’t want to appear too formal when she arrived or make her feel uncomfortable. Honestly, the only thing I know about nannies is from what I saw as a kid in The Sound of Music, which my mother made me watch one day when I was sick, and which I mostly slept through.
Still, I remember whistles blowing, kids marching like soldiers, and running from the Nazis.
I’m pretty confident none of that will happen in my house, so I have no basis for what to expect.
A knock sounds at the door, and my boat shoes squeak on the marble as I rush to open it. Ruby’s hair swirls around her shoulders when I do. Her brown eyes widen, moving up and down my body quickly. God, she’s so gorgeous.
“Hi.” I manage to say.
The air hums and crackles between us. I wonder if she feels it, too. Then her cheeks flush that pretty shade of pink, and I know she does.
Jesus. I want to fuck the nanny. Don’t get a boner. I cannot adjust my fly right now.
“Hi!” She smiles nervously. “I… um… wasn’t sure where to park. My car is down there.”
She points to the right, along the circle drive, and I step out on the flagstone landing to see a lime green Subaru almost at the street behind Eleanor’s Crown Victoria.
“That’s fine.” I nod, stepping back and holding the door for her to enter. “You can park in the garage next time. I’ll make sure we have a remote for you.”
“It’s the little things.” As she passes me, I catch the faint scent of roses again. I wonder if it’s her hair or her perfume.
A navy backpack is on her shoulder, and she’s rolling a white suitcase with a pink kitten outline on it. Everything she does turns me on.
“Can I help you with your bags?”
“It’s okay, I’ve got them.” She looks up, all around the entrance. “Your home is beautiful.”
I close the door, leaning my back against it as I study her. She’s dressed in black leggings and a white tank top with a long-sleeved chambray shirt unbuttoned over it, and she looks perfect. Her hair is up in a high ponytail, and the ends fall just past her shoulder. She turns in the entrance to face me, and for a moment I don’t know what to say.
The long, white envelope is in her hand. “I guess you’ll be wanting this.” She holds it out to me, and I step forward to take it. “I signed everything.”
“I added the bit about the one-month trial period. To be sure you’re happy here.”
“Right.” She nods slowly, her eyes staying on mine. “It looked like you covered everything we discussed.”
“I tried to be thorough.”
It’s like a low current between us, silent but powerful. As much as I try to dismiss Eleanor’s lecture, keeping my hands off this girl might not be as easy as I anticipated. I feel like I’m waking up from a long sleep…
What? No. Of course, I’ll keep my hands off Ruby. I’m not some creepy 1950s-era sexually harassing male employer. This is a business arrangement. A mutually beneficial business arrangement. She is here to help care for my daughter. That is all.
“Is something wrong?” Her soft voice is higher, and I realize I’m frowning.
“Oh, sorry, No. I was just thinking about…” I can’t tell her what I was just thinking about. What’s wrong with me? “Have you had dinner?” Her expression is slightly startled, and I hasten to add. “We’ve all eaten, but you’re welcome to help yourself if you’re hungry.”
“Oh,” she exhales and smiles, seeming relieved. “I already had something. Thanks.”
It feels so stiff and formal. I’m not sure what to do to ease the tension. “Eleanor has gone to bed.” After sulking around the house all evening, I don’t add. “Lillie is still awake. She wanted to show you her room… And yours.”
“Okay!” Ruby seems as eager as me to do something, anything to get out of this foyer, where we’re awkwardly trying to pretend like we’re not checking each other out.
I lead the way through the open living room, with the large kitchen and dining area to the right and Lillie’s playroom on the opposite end to the left. My daughter is still happily chattering away with her dolls.
“Travis,” Lillie speaks with an exaggerated southern accent, shaking a doll in a pink dress at a sitting Ken. “When a woman says lay-tah, what she really means is not EVAH!”
What is she saying? I start to make some sort of apology, when Ruby laughs. “The Princess and the Frog!”
She drops her backpack at my feet and leaves her suitcase, going to where Lillie sits on the floor and kneeling beside her.
“Ruby!” My daughter jumps up and hugs her, holding out a doll in a green dress. “You want to be Tiana?”
“Sure!” Ruby takes the green doll and shakes her at the pink one Lillie’s holding. “Lottie, don’t eat all the beignets.”
“Give me napkins!” My daughter grabs five tissues out of the box on the floor and shoves them under her doll’s arms. “I’m sweatin’ like a sinner in church!” I cough a laugh, and she keeps going. “My prince is never going to come!”
“Lottie, wait!” Ruby calls after my daughter, who runs to the small daybed. “Calm down and take a deep breath.”
“I just have to wish harder!” Lillie looks up at the ceiling. “Please please please please…”
Ruby goes to where my daughter is chanting, and they continue this scene. I’m stuck at the door, watching as they bond over some crazy movie scene I don’t know.
Satisfaction filters warm through my stomach. This is good… better than good.
I watch as she smooths a silky, sand-colored curl off Lillie’s shoulder. “Wishing is fun, but you have to work hard to get what you want.”
Lillie puts the doll down and turns to her, and I don’t think they’re playing anymore. “Did you have to wo
rk hard to get what you wanted?”
Ruby smiles. “I’ve worked hard, but I’m not finished yet. I still have things I want.”
Interesting.
“I like your hair.” Lillie crawls around the bed to thread her fingers in Ruby’s long ponytail. “You’re like Mulan.”
“Mulan is Chinese. I’m half Korean.”
Lillie’s eyes widen. “What’s that?”
“It’s a whole different country. We can talk about it later.” Ruby looks back at me, where I’m silently watching, wondering where she’s been all my daughter’s life. “I didn’t know if it might be bedtime?”
“Yes,” I snap out of it, straightening. “I’ll show you your room.”
Reaching down, I slide out the handle on her rolling suitcase and lift her backpack from where she left it at my feet.
Ruby hurries to stop me. “I can carry my bags.”
“You’d better let me. Your room’s on the third floor.”
“We’re at the very top!” Lillie grabs her hand, practically skipping. “All the princesses live in the top of the castle.”
“Is that so?” Ruby smiles down at her, and the two take off ahead of me.
Lillie chatters all the way up the stairs, and I follow, feeling better about this situation by the minute. Lillie acts like Ruby belongs to her, leading her up the stairs and down the hall to her room.
Ruby gasps as she steps inside, looking all around the same way she did in the foyer. “It’s beautiful.” She looks back at me. “And so big!”
I can’t resist. “That’s what she said.”
Ruby snorts a laugh, but my daughter frowns. “That is what Ruby said?”
“It’s a joke.” Ruby smooths her hand down Lillie’s hair, and I place her backpack on the queen-sized bed against the wall.
The room has been furnished and vacant since we bought the house. I look around at the white walls and sand-colored comforter on the bed with tan pillows. White cordless shades cover the windows, and the French doors facing the front drive are covered with long, white sheers. Even the bathroom suite is all white.
“You can change the décor if you’d like.”
She goes to the beige-wood corner desk. “It is a bit monochromatic. Maybe after my first month?”
Lillie takes her hand. “Come see my room!”
I stop them before they leave. “I’m heading downstairs.” Turning my attention to Lillie, my voice gets serious. “No more playing. Brush your teeth and get ready for bed. Lights out in ten minutes.”
“Okay.” Her bottom lip pokes out, and I scoop her up in a hug.
“Goodnight, princess.”
She melts and gives me a hug then starts wiggling to get down. I release her and straighten to catch Ruby’s eyes on me.
Her expression is a mixture of curiosity and something more… desire? I don’t know. Hell, maybe it’s just what I want to see there. I can’t stop these feelings of desire from flaring up.
I will stop them.
“I’ll be awake a bit longer if you need anything.” I leave them, stopping by my bedroom to kick off my shoes before continuing down to the kitchen for a drink.
5
Ruby
Remington Key has perfect feet.
After watching Lillie brush her teeth, reading her a princess picture book, singing as much as we could remember of “Almost There” from The Princess and The Frog, and saying the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer, I left my new little charge snuggled soundly in her bed.
Then I returned to my giant room and unpacked my folded clothes into drawers and hung my few blouses and skirts in the large closet. My toiletries are arranged in the large bathroom, and all I need is a glass of water for bed.
Lillie’s right. Descending the enormous staircase, past the second-floor landing, to the first, I can’t help feeling like I’ve been whisked away to some castle like one of those princesses.
I’m in the kitchen searching for a glass, when I notice my boss standing in the lamp-lit living room, looking out the French doors toward the man-made lake in the center of this posh gated community.
He’s still wearing those sexy, loose jeans and that pale blue button-down, untucked. A crystal tumbler is in his hand, and his feet are bare on the hardwoods. It’s on, Jamie Dornan.
Nope. I put the brakes on that and tell my hormones to take a rest. As Tiana says, I’m almost there. No distractions. But when he turns and sees me watching him, I swear, my entire body flushes as hot as his hazel eyes.
Blinking fast, I force a smile. “She’s adorable.”
A smile ghosts across his lips. “She’s always had a lot of personality.” His brow quirks. “You’re no slouch in that department. How did you know all of that stuff she was saying?”
“What can I say?” I do a shrug. “I’m a sucker for Disney princesses.”
“You’ll be her favorite person in the house.”
My stomach is tight and tingly. “It’ll come in handy when I have to make her eat broccoli.”
“She actually loves broccoli. Dipped in ranch dressing.”
“Little weirdo.” I’m thinking how much I like this kid already until he laughs, and my jaw drops. My face flushes. “I mean… I didn’t mean it like that. Your daughter is not a weirdo. I actually love broccoli myself—”
“It’s okay.” He holds out a hand. “It is weird for a kid to like broccoli.” He takes a step away from the window, toward me. “So? What do you think? Got any questions?”
“Um…” I look around the large living room, the soft white sofa and huge flat screen television over the wide, dark fireplace. “You have such a beautiful home.”
“Think of it as yours while you’re here.”
“Right…” I wonder how long that will take. “I guess… do you need me to make breakfast in the morning?”
“Just for Lillie… and you, if you eat breakfast. Eleanor does her own thing, and I usually grab a yogurt or a power bar.”
“Should I make coffee?”
“We have a Keurig.”
“Right.” Easy enough… “I saw preschool is at eight to noon. Do I make lunch?”
“Again, just for the two of you.” He smiles. “Dinner’s really the only meal we eat together. Eleanor has a private chef who comes three times a week. She’s very particular about her diet… Our diet.”
“Ah.” I nod. “Explains why she’s so thin.”
We’ve been moving closer as we speak, and now we’re in front of each other. I can feel the heat radiating off his skin. I can smell the earthy fragrance of his cologne—sandalwood, leather, and soap. I remember it from the bar when he caught me.
“She’s very particular about a lot of things, but I’m hoping to ease her into her own place.”
I think about my own mother. “Let me know how that goes.”
“I guess you’ll be here to witness it.” The dimple in his cheek causes the space between my legs to heat. Our breath is warm, and we’re so close. My lips are full and heavy, and if I lift my chin, I’m certain his would dip, and our mouths would caress…
Or maybe I’m daydreaming.
Stepping back, I do my best to break the spell. “I’d better go on up. Morning comes early.”
His eyes hold mine, warm and inviting. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Jesus take the wheel, if I told him what I need right now…
“Thanks.” I’m retreating fast, while I still can. “And thanks for the job.”
“You’re helping me, remember?” He smiles, and that dimple almost scrambles my brain.
“Right. Although, it looks like you’ve got everything pretty much under control.”
“Things aren’t always how they appear.”
He can say that again. I turn, leaving as fast as possible without running. If I stay here, so close to him one more minute, I’m not sure what might happen.
In my room, I strip off my leggings and toss the chambray shirt on the back of a chair. I grab
a notebook from my backpack and crawl into the super silky sheets, beneath the thick duvet, and bend my knees.
At the top of the page, in all capital letters, I write GOALS. Under it, I make a numbered list.
1. Get my own place.
2. Pay off my credit card.
3. Save for new career options.
Yes. This is what I need to do. Focus on my goals. This is how I’ll resist the temptation sleeping one floor below me and not fuck this up.
“Penny cakes!” Lillie sits on the stool across from me with a plastic cup of orange juice in one hand and a fork in the other.
I frown, studying the box of pancake mix. Mix with water, drop onto hot griddle, flip when bubbles appear.
I take a sip of coffee. I’ll have to get up earlier for this. It sounds so easy, but I’m not convinced. “Let’s just have go-gurt and toast today.”
Her little lip pokes out, and even pouting, I swear, she’s the cutest thing. Leaning forward, I speak softly, our faces close. “Remember how Tiana can cook anything in New Orleans?”
Her pout turns to a big smile, and she nods excitedly.
“I am not Tiana. I’m more like… Lottie.”
Her shoulders drop, and I nod, pressing my lips into a frown. “But I’ll learn. Maybe we can learn together?”
Her excitement returns. “Yes!”
“In the meantime…” I pass her a plastic pouch of yogurt and pull a loaf of bread out of the small box on the counter. “Go-gurt and toast. I’ll put some peanut butter on it.”
That satisfies her, and Eleanor breezes into the room wearing beige pants and a navy sweater with a neat Chanel scarf tied at her neck.
“Good morning, Lillie, Ruby. I trust you slept well?” She places a mug in the Keurig, pops in a pod, and hits the brew button. “Sorry I had to turn in early. I was very tired. Guess I’m getting older.”
I don’t believe that for a second. She’s studying me like one of those predator birds, searching for signs of weakness. Too bad she’s not going to find any.
“No worries.” I smile as I spread peanut butter on Lillie’s toast—all-natural, of course. “Lillie showed me my room.” I wink at my little charge as I hand her the toast. “Remi filled in the rest.”
Tempt Me: A First Class Romance Collection Page 68
