Sinful Biker

by Terri Lane

  Every single room took Julia’s breath away and left her gasping in awe. There were ornate carvings along the wood work. They were so intricate that it was hard to believe they were real carvings and not just images that had been placed along the banisters. She drank in the dark, expensive wood furnishings and the way the wallpaper seemed to shimmer.

  It was classy, it was grand, and it looked at least 100 years old. James showed her the oil paintings that seemed to line every wall, all lavish and large. Some were beautifully painted scenes from around the area. Others showed portraits of people who were long gone. Each was more impressive than the next and Julia barely knew where to look, or how to possibly take it all in so quickly.

  “Don’t worry…” he said with a laugh as they walked through the halls, “I don’t expect you to clean. A quick tidy up of Penny’s room would be great, but that’s about it.”

  The furniture was another story all together. There were several rooms with ornate couches and lovely, sweeping tables. There were more where pianos seemed to take center stage, and when Julia stepped into the library, she felt like she was in her childhood fantasy of Beauty and the Beast. It was stunning, huge drapes covered big bay windows and Julia didn’t have to look to know that the garden would be exquisite.

  After all, her salary as a humble live-in nanny had shown that this man came from wealth. There was a ballroom in the house as well, and he took pride in showing her the kitchen. “We have a cook come in for dinners,” he said with a smile, “but I’d like it if you could pack Penny’s lunch and make her breakfast in the mornings.” He laughed. “She will let you know what she does and doesn’t like.”

  Julia’s stomach twisted—she hoped that this child was as lovely as her father, and not a spoilt brat. She kept her smile fixed in place as he led her to another room.

  “This room will be yours.” He opened the door for her. “If you need something else, please let me know.” He seemed a little anxious, but when Julia stepped into the room, she could not possibly understand why.

  A lavish, four poster bed with lovely curtains stood in the middle of the room. A large wardrobe stood along one wall, as well as a vanity, dresser, and a beautiful desk with shelves. All the furniture was made of rich, expensive looking wood and sweeping fabrics, high-backed chairs and what seemed like hundreds of cushions.

  It led into a bathroom, which had a full bath, toilet and sink, with plenty of space. The bath was clawfoot and looked delightfully Victorian. It made Julia’s heart flutter. Fresh towels, sweet smelling soap and a lovely view completed the vision.

  “Sorry there’s no shower,” James shrugged. “It’s an old house, and I’m reluctant to restructure too much.”

  “No, no, it’s perfect.” And Julia truly meant it. It was far more lavish than her little town house and she was in awe of the place.

  “I’m so glad.” He seemed genuine as he smiled at her. “Would you like to go over the duties?”

  Julia nodded and James began to list them off. “Basically, I work at odd hours, so I’m not always home. Just keep an eye on Penny, make sure she goes to bed on time, does her homework…that sort of thing.” He smiled. “Pack lunches, sew buttons, and make sure she catches the bus on time.”

  Julia was surprised at that—she was half expecting a private chauffeur. Then again, he did seem fairly down to earth, despite the obvious wealth.

  “Just making sure she is reasonably happy, healthy and organized for school. She tends to forget things,” he chuckled. Sighing, he continued, “I hate having to work like I do, but there’s not a lot I can do about it. I just want Penny to have someone else who is reliable.”

  Julia sobered, nodding, noticing the lines of stress as he frowned. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Julia ventured, “Is Penny home?”

  It worked and James brightened. “Yes, yes…I’d love for you to meet her.”

  A short walk later and James knocked on her door.

  “Come in!” a young voice called.

  James opened the door on a young girl who was sitting crossed legged on the bed. Her hair was a cascade of find blond silk down her back. She was long and lean and a natural beauty. When her dark eyes looked upwards, they spoke of her father, but Julia could only assume that the rest came from her mother.

  Her mother must have been stunning. The girl smiled, although her expression was guarded.

  “Penny, I’d like you to meet Julia, your new nanny. Julia, this is my daughter Penny.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Penny.” Julia smiled, her voice as warm and welcoming as she could make it. This child must have gone through some hard times.

  Penny nodded, her smile attentive, but polite, “Nice to meet you too.” She’d been raised with good manners that much was obvious and Julia was coming to love this family more and more.

  “If you need anything and I’m not home, you just ask Julia. You won’t have to go to after school care anymore either.”

  Obvious relief crossed Penny’s face and it lit up with a smile instead, “I don’t like aftercare.”

  James nodded. “I know, honey, I know.” He smiled and glanced at the book that she had open in her lap. “We’ll leave you to your book, okay?”

  Penny nodded as they left the room. Julia beamed as the door closed. “She’s lovely.” She meant every word and James seemed to sense that. He smiled in return.

  “Dinner will be at seven in the main dining room, so take your time settling in.”

  Dinner was a scrumptious affair, and the rest of the evening passed pleasantly with Julia settling in quickly. Over the next few days, she adapted quickly to the routine, really starting to enjoy herself. It was a pretty simple routine, and she liked helping Penny.

  She would wake up at six and make breakfast for Penny. She’d wake her up for school and they would have breakfast together at the table. Julia would remind Penny to pack her bag and grab her books. Penny would get dressed, comb her hair, and brush her teeth, then Julia would walk her to the bus stop.

  After that, she would do a bit of cleaning and tidying, make sure Penny’s clothes were pressed and ready, take care of a few other, little tasks, and the rest of the day would be her own to do with as she wanted.

  When Penny was finished school, Julia would collect her at the bus stop. She’d make her a snack, and pack lunch for the next day at school, while she was at it. She’d do some more laundry, help Penny with her homework, and running her bath, and make sure she was ready for dinner.

  When it was time for bed, she’d fetch her a glass of water and tuck her in. Julia was really warming to Penny and it seemed like the feeling was mutual, with Penny being happy in her company. She would chatter about school, about the programs she liked to watch, about what her friends and teachers were talking about.

  When she mentioned her mother, a sad look crossed her face and Julia wanted to hug her until the pain all went away. It sent a pang of anger through her, towards James. She knew he was doing his best, but she wished that Penny could see him a little bit more.

  She would sometimes see him at dinner, or late at night when she was reading in the library and he passed on his way from work. No matter how often she saw him, the jolt that fizzled through her never seemed to lessen. Even when he sparked anger within her over Penny, she still felt the chemistry, the energy, burn through her like a jolt. Dark hair, dark eyes, a killer smile, and a body that had seen its fair share of work outs.

  She had caught him working out in his personal gym one evening, long after everyone was asleep, straining on the weights until sweat had dripped down his skin and his muscles bunched. Julia had hurried back to her room, but her hands had strayed beneath the covers that night, despite her own rule not to fall in love with her employer.

  And for all the glorious enjoyment going on in her life, Julia could not shake the fact that she was still waiting to hear back from the board about her review appeal outcome. She prayed that it would be in her favor this time. No matter how m
uch she was falling in love with the job of looking after Penny, she didn’t want her reputation to be damaged, and she didn’t want to be a nanny for the rest of her life.

  The worry nagged at her, robbing her of her sleep at all hours of the night, and sometimes, she found herself pacing the halls worrying, and wondering if she would ever be let back into the life of research that she loved.

  She hoped so, but as the days dragged on, her hope started to fade into the distance. She tried to focus on Penny instead, on doing her job and doing her job well. She even let her mind stray to the snatched moments with James, seeing him in the hall, hearing his voice on a message.

  A silly crush on her employer that meant nothing. Her job, though, that was another story. That was important—that meant a lot to her and she would be a fool to try and deny it, to deny it to herself, or to anyone else.

  She had to survive, and she was growing both very fond and very protective of the little girl who she looked after. Eight years old, sweet as a button, and as beautiful as a nymph or sprite.

  She was determined to succeed in this job, and she prayed she would succeed in the review.

  ***

  A few weeks into her job, Julia was sitting in the kitchen, relaxing as the kettle boiled. It was later, far later than she would usually be awake and James said he would be away for a few days. It didn’t bother Julia, but a nice soothing cup of tea before bed would really hit the spot. She’d spent a few hours in the library, losing herself in the literary works while Penny was fast asleep.

  Penny fell asleep quite easily, but Julia always waited up for a little while, just to make sure she was settled. Sometimes, she’d wander out, half asleep, asking for a glass of water, or feeling a bit frightened from a bad dream.

  Julia didn’t have to be there. But she wanted to be. Penny was a sweet child, after all, and it wasn’t really a job to look after her. On this particular evening everything had gone quite well, and now Julia was looking forward to the remainder of her peaceful evening.

  She poured the water over the tea bag, taking her time to let it brew, before adding a splash of milk. She was just about to take it upstairs, when she heard a dull crash coming from the library. Instantly, Julia’s senses prickled on high alert.

  She swallowed, fear coursing through her limbs. For a moment, she could not move and then she thought of Penny, who was asleep in her bed, defenseless, and of James, who worked so hard and trusted her to look after the house.

  With trembling hands, Julia set down her tea and hunted around for a weapon. Finding a large knife, she clutched it with both of her hands, moving through the hallways in slow, quiet steps. Most of the house was in complete darkness and it suddenly seemed terribly eerie, terribly scary with only two people in this huge mansion at night.

  Three. Julia swallowed. She knew there was a security system, but it obviously hadn’t been enough. No dogs or cats. It could only be a person. Julia’s heart pounded, anxiety shuddering through her. She gripped the hilt of the knife tighter, biting her lip.

  She steeled herself, determined not to let anyone hurt Penny or steal from James. Even though her resolve was hard, she felt silly, dressed in a silky dress, pretty but practical, hair in soft waves, waving around a knife in the middle of the night.

  They were not going to be the least bit intimidated, but Julia was going to try anyway. Sneaking around through the house, her heart pounding in her chest, she slowly peeled back the door, opening it to take a slow peak through the library door. A shadowy figure was bent over and Julia gasped.

  He turned and she flung open the door, holding the knife out in what she hoped was a threatening gesture. “Stop!” she hissed, hoping she sounded strong instead of scared.

  Then he turned fully and Julia could see the familiar dark eyes and strong features. James looked shocked and, for a moment, neither of them knew what to say. They stared at each other with wide eyes, both looking incredibly shocked, as if they had been caught out.

  Then James started to laugh and Julia backed up, feeling horrified.

  “James! Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I mean, I thought…” she stammered over her words, flushing a deep red. She had just threatened the owner of the house, her employer, with a knife! She was horrified. There was no way she was going to keep this job now.

  Why had she doubted the security? Of course the security system was good enough to keep out petty thieves. And who stole from a personal library anyway? She had jumped to a silly conclusion and let herself be paranoid. And now it was going to cost her—big time. If she lost this job, she would have no way to support herself anymore—none of the other job prospects had called her back, and she didn’t know what else to do. Julia felt sick with embarrassment.

  James, however, was still laughing and his dark eyes seemed to sparkle. “Julia…wow…”

  “I’m so sorry,” she repeated. “I just…I thought you were getting back in a few days, and Penny’s asleep…” She trailed off, mortification heating up her face. How was she going to recover from this? She had enough on her record with the review.

  James chuckled, shaking his head and holding up a hand. Julia noted that he was still dressed in a suit and tie, as if he had walked straight out of a business meeting—and man, did it suit him. He looked sharp and handsome in the low light, not a hair out of place, and his dark eyes full of mirth.

  He was gorgeous. The thought rose, unbidden and Julia wanted to kick herself. Honestly!

  James was grinning, and he didn’t look as though he was about to kick her off the property in a fit of rage, which was a small comfort. Julia suddenly realized that she was still holding the knife and she panicked, putting it down on the closest table.

  “You’re not in trouble for defending my daughter and my home.” He was grinning, but his eyes turned serious. “Julia, there is no need to apologize. You didn’t expect me back and you heard noises in the house. You did the right thing.”

  He smirked and shifted his weight. “And I’m impressed. Takes guts to confront someone who you think is breaking into the house. Seems I made the right choice of nanny. Though maybe next time grab a cell phone and be ready to dial 911 when you go to confront somebody who is not supposed to be in the house.”

  It took a long moment for his words to sink in. Not only was he not angry with her, and not firing her, but he was actually impressed! She had done the right thing and she wasn’t about to lose her job for pointing a knife at him.

  Relief welled up in her so strongly that she feared she was going to cry right there and then. He wasn’t firing her—she still had a chance to support herself and succeed in this position, and Julia couldn’t have been happier. She felt giddy, dizzy with the relief of it all.

  “Thank you,” she said, blushing because her voice was still a bit shaky, a bit breathless, and sounded altogether inappropriate when talking with her employer.

  James nodded, shrugging his shoulders and sinking into one of the huge recliners that were placed around the room. “Would you care to join me?” He grinned, an easy smile. “Now that you’ve put the knife down.”

  Julia was still blushing when she sat down on a chair beside his. Before she could apologize again, he leaned in a pressed a finger to her lips, his eyes meeting hers. Julia felt as if she couldn’t breathe. He was warm and he smelled amazing, spicy and masculine.

  “No more apologies,” he said, and his voice seemed altogether too low, too husky. It sent shivers up Julia’s spine. He slowly pulled his hand back and took a look around the room. “Do you like the library?”

  Julia smiled, though her heart was pounding in her chest from his touch. “Yes, I love it. There are so many books…” she said, stating the obvious. Julia blushed again, but James didn’t seem to notice.

  Instead, he nodded thoughtfully. “Plenty of books. I don’t think one could ever get through them all…but I can have fun trying.” He smiled at her and Julia felt her insides tremble.

  “Are these passed do
wn in your family?” She gestured to the books, clearing her throat when she realized what a personal question that was. James seemed to consider it for a long moment.

  “Yes, most of them are. I’ve tried to add to the collection in my life time, but I am afraid that I have not made much of a contribution.” He shrugged his shoulders and Julia could see the way his muscles rippled even through the suit.

  Julia nodded. “I love them, ” she said smiling, “I’ve read some of the classics—they never get old.”

  His eyes lit up at the topic. “You’ve read Dickens then, of course?” He seemed excited at the prospect of having someone to discuss it with.

  “Yes, I love his work.” Julia didn’t have to lie, didn’t even have to try to keep the conversation alive. It just seemed to flow so beautifully.

  James nodded, “I love A Christmas Carol.” He smiled and looked around the room. “Sometimes I feel like Scrooge, hoarding the wealth of his house and not sharing.” He paused and then chuckled, “But if I was truly hoarding it, I’d be working more flexible hours.”

  Julia could see the pained look that flashed in his eyes and her sympathy rose for him. He was just doing his best for his daughter, and Julia could not stay angry at him for that.

  He seemed to perk back up quickly, but Julia didn’t know how much of it was genuine. He stood and made his way to the shelf. “There’s a passage that I am particularly fond of.” He hummed as he looked through the books. He chose one, and brought it back to the chair, settling back into it.

  He skimmed through the pages, murmuring to himself, “Ah, here it is.” He cleared his throat and began to read.

  “External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, nor wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didn’t know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often ‘came down’ handsomely, and Scrooge never did.”