by Karen Booth
Anna always managed to take the edge off his greatest concerns. Even if he’d come back to New York and everything had been a total disaster with the rest of his family, he still would’ve forged a better relationship with Anna. “Thanks. I’ll definitely need your help after Sarah leaves.”
“She’s staying for ten whole days? How’d you convince her to do that? She seemed hell-bent on only being in town through the weekend when we first talked.”
“We made a deal. She gives me ten days and I help her with her business.” Aiden then realized that his sister might be able to help. Before she’d taken a job at LangTel, she’d been CFO for a company that manufactured women’s workout clothes. “Did Sarah happen to tell you what she does?”
“She did. And the idea of you helping her with it is almost as amusing as the image of you giving Oliver a bath.”
“I’m glad you find my life changes so entertaining right now. Do you think you could help me out with some contacts in the garment industry? I haven’t talked to Sarah about it that much, but I know she needs manufacturing and warehousing and distribution. Maybe you know someone I could call.”
“Oh, absolutely. Let me think about it and I’ll email you a list.”
“Perfect.” One thing he could check off his to-do list. “God only knows how I’ll get any work done on Monday when I’m back at the office. I doubt I’ll get much rest this weekend.”
“Don’t worry about that. Work can wait. You’re a dad now. That’s the most important thing.”
Four
Sitting on the floor in Oliver’s room, Sarah ended her call with the nanny agency. She leaned down and kissed the baby’s head. He’d been playing quietly in her lap for a few minutes. “Guess what? Your daddy’s going to hire someone very nice to take care of you. Won’t that be great?”
Oliver gnawed on a plastic teething ring, not interested in much else.
Sarah swept his soft curls to the side. “She’ll play with you and take you for walks in the park and sing songs to you. Just like I do.” Her voice wobbled as Oliver peeked up at her with wide eyes. She wrinkled her nose and forced herself to smile, if only to stop tears from gathering. The thought of leaving Oliver was as unhappy as it was inevitable. Getting attached to children who weren’t her own was no longer part of her self-destructive pattern. Nor was getting wrapped up in the life of a single dad. The sooner she left Oliver with Aiden, the better.
“It really is too bad that you can’t just stay and be his nanny,” Aiden said.
Sarah nearly fainted. First out of surprise at his voice, then from the view as she slanted her sights to him. Leaning against the door frame, he stood there like he could hold up the whole world that way. He’d changed clothes. In a long-sleeved black T-shirt and a pair of jeans with a dark wash, he was now at a level of casual she hadn’t pondered, although he had to take off the suit at some point. That thought sent her brain skipping ahead, especially now that she could better see the contours of his shoulders and how well-defined his chest was. No doubt about it—Aiden Langford logged his fair share of time in the gym.
Cut it out. The things cycling through her mind were not good—thoughts of peeling away his T-shirt and smoothing her hands over his chest, kissing him. Her curiosity was getting the best of her, and his presence was making it worse. Unfortunately, his expression was just as irresistible as the rest of the package—a look that said he didn’t care what anyone else thought about, well, anything. Sarah could hardly keep her jaw in a place that suggested some measure of decorum. Forget ladylike—right now she was going for not ogling him like a sex-starved loon.
“I adore Oliver, but I told you I’m no longer a nanny.”
Aiden stepped into the room and once again, something about the way he moved left her pulse unsettled. He held up his hands in surrender. “Got it. No more nannying for you. But did you call the service?”
“I did. They’ll send candidates over on Monday morning. We can sit down before then and go over your priorities. And mine, of course.”
“We? You know, I’m more than capable of conducting an interview. And you aren’t going to have to put up with this person. I am.”
She narrowed her focus on him. “You asked for my help.” She stood and gathered Oliver in her arms, settling him on her hip. “Some of these nannies will embellish on their experience just to get the primo jobs. I’ll see past that.”
“This is one of those primo jobs?”
“With this house? Yes. And you’re going to need someone at your beck and call with your schedule. I told them you need live-in help.” Sarah didn’t like this idea, although she couldn’t arrive at a sensible reason why. She only knew that the myth of the nanny falling for the father of her charge was very real. It happened all the time. It had happened to her. If Aiden were to be judged on his looks alone, she could see most women falling for him. Add in the money, power and semiarrogant veneer? Forget it. It was only a matter of time.
“Wait a minute. I’m not just getting one new member of the household, I’m getting two? Can’t the nanny live at her house and come over when I go to work?”
“That might work if you had a backup, like a family member. Otherwise, I can’t imagine you waiting for the nanny to show up so you can go to work. What about your mom?”
Lightning fast, Aiden plucked Oliver from her arms. “My mother will not be taking care of him.”
Sarah grappled with his hyperprotective reaction. A few hours ago, he’d been ready to banish her and the baby from LangTel corporate headquarters forever. Now, there was something else to contend with, something that Sarah sensed went deep. “Why? Most people would do anything to have a grandparent around to care for their child.”
“Not me.”
“Technically, I’m Oliver’s legal guardian. I have a right to know why.” None of this added up. Aiden’s sister Anna had spoken warmly of her mother. Sarah had read about Evelyn Langford when she was researching Aiden. She sat on countless charity boards and was known for her generosity with children’s hospitals, cancer research and battered women’s shelters. By all reports, her benevolence had grown in the wake of her husband’s death.
“I’m not saying my mother would hurt him. Not that. It’s...” He closed his eyes for a moment and Sarah’s breath hitched in her throat. No air would go in, nor would it come out. She was too in awe of this glimpse of vulnerability. It was so incongruous with his personality. He was showing a different side of himself, a side Sarah wanted to know. A side Sarah wanted to comfort. “It’s complicated. Let’s just say that for now, it’s best if you know that my mother can’t be relied upon for anything.”
There was a finality to his tone that said Sarah should leave it alone. “Okay.”
“What’s the schedule for the rest of the night? I have some work I need to tend to.”
Sarah consulted her phone—nearly five o’clock. “Oliver eats at five thirty. Bath time at six o’clock, story time at six forty-five. Bedtime is at seven.”
“Is that Oliver’s schedule or yours?”
“It’s everybody’s schedule. That’s how things work with a baby. It makes him feel secure. He knows what happens and when.”
It was impossible to ignore Aiden’s attitude. Once again, he seemed put out. “I see. I guess I still have a lot to learn. We can order some takeout to come for us around eight. I trust that will work?”
She nodded. “Yes. That will give us the perfect time to talk about my business.” There had to be some payoff for allowing herself to get in deeper, when she’d told herself she’d never do that.
“I spoke to my sister Anna about it briefly. She may be able to help. I wasn’t kidding when I told you that I don’t have many connections in that business. I can’t promise you the world.”
But you can ask the world of me. She stopped before the words
left her lips, but she was all too familiar with handsome, powerful men who expected everything for very little in return. “Well, if nothing else, I’m sure you can give me some good advice. That alone could end up being very helpful.”
“Come on. Let’s go down to my office and we’ll get the nursery furniture ordered.”
They headed downstairs and Aiden led them to the double French doors, into one of the coziest, most gorgeous rooms Sarah had ever seen. The office had a different feel to it than the rest of the house, warmer and more colorful. The walls were a deep navy, and an ornate Oriental carpet sat in the center of the room, topped with a pair of club chairs and a massive oak desk. Bookshelves lined two of the walls from floor to ceiling.
“More books? Even with the home library?”
Aiden shrugged and rounded to the chocolate-brown leather desk chair. “I like to read. It’s a nice escape.”
“Escape? From what?”
“Excuse me?”
“From where I sit, you have a pretty perfect life. You have this gorgeous home, a job that tons of people would kill for and you don’t seem to be hurting from the financial end of things. More than anything, you don’t seem to do anything you don’t want to do. At all. Ever.”
For a moment, he just glared, not saying a word. He wasn’t angry, nor was he pleased. “You say whatever you want to say, don’t you?”
“It’s not that bizarre a question. I’ve seen the pictures. Skydiving. Hiking the Andes. I’m just wondering what you need to escape from.”
“Stress,” he answered flatly, methodically spinning a pen on a pad of paper. She hadn’t noticed his hands much before now and she was kicking herself for not paying better attention. His fingers moved gracefully, demonstrating their ability to do things deftly, but they were manly, too—strong. Able.
“Stress.” Her stupid brain leaped ahead to methods of reducing stress and none of it had to do with reading. Again she was knee-deep in thoughts of what he looked like under that T-shirt.
“Yes.” He opened his laptop and placed his fingers on the keyboard, but stopped before typing. “I don’t even know where to start. Do I just search for baby crib?”
“Here. Let me do it.” She carried Oliver around behind Aiden’s desk and handed him the baby. Oliver settled in on Aiden’s lap, but reached for the pen.
“Can I let him have this?”
“No. He’ll put it in his mouth. You can run upstairs and grab a toy out of his room.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow as if she’d made the most ludicrous suggestion ever.
She shrugged and waved him off. “Gotta start being Daddy sometime. Now shoo. Let me see what I can find online.”
Aiden trekked out of the office with Oliver. Sarah rested her chin on her hand, watching as they made their way down the straight shot of the house, past the library and the kitchen, until they disappeared up the stairs. Aiden was so big, Oliver so tiny in his arms. She hoped to hell they would be okay on Sunday, after she left. She couldn’t bear the thought of anything else.
She pulled up a browser window and quickly found a furniture place offering next day delivery in Manhattan. That was the genius part of being in a big city. Virtually anything could be delivered at any time. Once she was done, a delivery truck would be set to arrive in front of Aiden’s building tomorrow morning. And she’d be one step closer to removing herself from Aiden’s and Oliver’s life.
Five
Aiden had learned one thing already—fatherhood was no walk in the park. He’d struggled through his first attempt at feeding Oliver his dinner. With no high chair, they’d had to improvise by wheeling Oliver’s stroller into the dining room. The baby rubbed his eyes and turned his head, refusing every spoonful Aiden offered. He had to hand it to Sarah, though—she only gave advice when asked. She’d otherwise sat by quietly and watched as a man capable of orchestrating billion-dollar deals and negotiating with cantankerous CEOs was unable to convince a fussy toddler to take a single bite of food. Frustrated, he’d finally asked her to do it. She took over, Oliver downing an entire jar of baby food with hardly a single complaint. Aiden walked away from the dinner table with a bruised ego. And baby food on his jeans.
He wasn’t sure what to make of bath time, either. But this time, Sarah took charge.
“This is the only tub you have in the house?”
Aiden failed to understand the question. The tub was perfect, in that it fit two people. For him, seduction was the only reason to get in a bathtub. “Yes. What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s huge.”
“Of course it is. It’s a two-person soaking tub.” He cleared his throat, waiting for her next comment.
“Well, you’re going to have to get in there with him. I refuse to bathe a child in the kitchen sink. It’s not sanitary.”
He turned and dropped his head until his chin was nearly flat against his chest. He was at least a foot taller than her, maybe more, and they were nearly toe-to-toe. She was still wearing the sundress from earlier in the day. Had that really been today? So much had happened, it was hard to wrap his brain around it. “So you’re going to see me naked before we’ve known each other for eight hours? You take things quickly.”
“Very funny. No, Oliver gets to get naked. You’re putting on swim trunks. If I had a bathing suit with me, I’d do it myself. But I don’t, and you need to bond with him.”
He raised an eyebrow. “This from the woman who swore I’d have no problem feeding him dinner.”
She shrugged. “Babies are unpredictable. The sooner you learn that, the better. I promise you that physical contact will help you and Oliver to bond. It’s a scientific fact. Now go change. I’ll get the water running.”
“I like it hot.”
“You’ll get lukewarm and like it.”
He grumbled, but made his way into his walk-in closet, closing the door behind him. He took off his clothes and plucked a pair of board shorts from the bottom drawer of his bureau, slipping into them and tying the white string at the waist. He opened the door. “Ready.”
Sarah turned, glancing at him over her shoulder. Every muscle in his body tightened from that single flash of her eyes and the immediate connection he felt. Good God she was gorgeous, all deep blue eyes and skin flushed with rosy pink. She shied away. “So I see.”
He liked getting that reaction. He liked it a lot. “What now?”
“Get in. I’ll hand him to you.” She tended to Oliver, who was pulling himself to standing at the edge of the bathtub. He bounced up and down on his toes while Sarah took off his pants and diaper.
“He seems excited.”
“Just you wait. He loves bath time. It’s a good thing you’re in your trunks. I’m going to get soaked.”
Aiden climbed into the tub, wrestling with the idea of Sarah, soaked, and the white-hot image it conjured. Sure, they only had ten days together, but that was plenty of time for him. In fact, it was his preference—a strict, short timetable. But was that a good idea? From a physical standpoint, sure. From every other standpoint, he didn’t know. There were repercussions and awkward conversations to worry about. Dammit.
Sarah handed him the baby and he let Oliver sit on his lap while he wrapped his hands around his waist. The baby wasted no time slapping the surface of the water and sending it flying.
Sarah laughed and dropped a few plastic toys into the bath. “Told you.”
Splash splash splash. Oliver looked at Sarah, who beamed at him as if she couldn’t be any more in love with someone if she tried. She rested her elbows on the edge of the tub and leaned closer, flicking at the water with the tips of her fingers. Oliver giggled, then mimicked her in a far less delicate way. Splash splash splash. He laughed so hard his entire body shook. It was impossible not to find the fun in their game, even with water being flung at his face and shoul
ders, not to mention all over the bathroom.
“Is bath time always this chaotic?”
“Basically. Anything you can do to get him clean. And it helps relax him.”
Splash splash splash. Another peal of Oliver’s sweet giggles rang out.
“It relaxes him?”
“Believe it or not, yes. He has a lot of energy. This helps to get it out.” Sarah pulled out a toiletry bag and poured a dollop of golden shampoo into her hand. “Get his hair wet. We don’t have a cup, so just use your hands.”
Aiden scooped water with one hand, curling his arm around wiggly Oliver. He started tentatively, unsure if the baby would like it, but quickly learned that he took no issue with water running down his face. Aiden had a little fish on his hands. How amazing it would be to teach him to swim, then snorkel and surf, another of Aiden’s favorite pastimes. Small waves at first. It’s dangerous. He was still getting used to these parental thoughts, but he was amazed how quickly they had kicked in. Especially when the topic of his mother had come up. He hadn’t meant to impulsively take Oliver out of Sarah’s arms. He only knew that was his gut talking—and reacting. Oliver would know nothing but unconditional love from his family. He wasn’t certain his mother could offer it, and until she’d demonstrated as much, she would be kept on a very short leash.
Sarah leaned over and shampooed Oliver’s head, his blond curls becoming matted and soapy. A soft fragrance filled the air.
“It smells nice,” he said.
“It smells like baby, and that’s the most wonderful smell in the world. Well, most of the time. There are times when it gets stinky, too.”
“I bet.” Like most things, there would be both good and bad to parenting. Aiden was optimistic about more good, mostly because he and Oliver had a clean slate. Aiden would not do to Oliver what his parents had done to him. Oliver would never wonder whether his father loved him. For that matter, he would never have to wonder who his father was. Once the paternity test was done, Aiden would have that sewn up for them both.
