The Nanny

by Vera Roberts

  The Nanny (The D’Amato Brothers #1)

  By

  Vera Roberts

  For MES.

  © 2012 Vera Roberts, All Rights Reserved

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Prologue

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please buckle up your safety belts as we make our descendent.” The captain announced over the PA system.

  Tiana Schmidt quickly glanced at her watch and wrapped up her report. The meeting in London had proven to be more successful than she had expected, with the new client happy to sign on with her investment firm. After a short rest at home with her family, she would be refreshed to deliver the strategic planning report in a few days.

  When she was younger, she knew was a special kind of weird because she was always fascinated with money—where it came from, how much it could accumulate, and how it was spent. Her love and passion for finance gave boost to her career as an investment banker, eventually leading her to start her own investment firm. She was already a multimillionaire by the time she reached thirty and was projected to be a billionaire by the time she was forty.

  Life was good.

  As she stared out the window of the plane, Tiana thought about her life. Her friends and family always clamored about how perfect her life was, but Tiana begged to differ. She worked really hard to maintain her professional career, be an attentive mother, and loving wife. While Tiana was a multimillionaire several times over, sometimes she thought she was underpaid. She had to wear many hats, but being a wife and mother were the most important ones. She had sacrificed a lot to her family to make sure they were provided for. But she knew it would be worth it in the end. It always was.

  She put away her report and buckled her safety belt. She was anxious to get home. She missed seeing the loves of her life, Christopher and Tyson, and couldn’t wait to see them again.

  Especially Christopher. Two weeks was way too long to go without sex and she needed to be broken off.

  ****

  “Honey! I’m home!” Tiana called out as she arrived at their mansion.

  She dropped off her luggage and hurried upstairs, quickly taking off her clothing. Just thinking about her husband putting his lips on her body made her antsy with anticipation. She masturbated often while she was away; thinking of what her husband was going to do to her. Their sex life had suffered a little upon the birth of their son, but was starting to pick back up again.

  Christopher was animalistic, devouring her each time with his prowess. He wanted to try new positions and was always ready to go.

  Tiana was getting flushed just thinking about it.

  She finally reached their bedroom and opened it. “Honey, I’ve been thinking about this for so…”

  Her speech stopped short.

  Christopher was covering himself and his lady paramour. “Tiana! You’re home!” He shifted the young woman off him. She had to have been no more than 18. “I wasn’t expecting you home for another few days! Hey, honey!”

  Tiana stood in front of her bedroom door and silenced her growing anger. “You get the hell out of my house,” she addressed the young woman. “And you?” She turned to her husband. “You follow her.”

  Christopher hurriedly put on his boxer briefs. “Tee, let me explain…”

  Tiana calmly walked over to the bedroom stand and pulled out the loaded 9 mm gun she kept hidden and cocked it. “You have ten seconds,” she calmly replied. “One…two…”

  Christopher and his lover quickly left the home. In the midst of the drama, Tiana forgot to check to see if Tyson was okay. She rushed over to his nursery and found the three-month old still peacefully sleeping; he completely missed the drama. Tiana softly touched her son’s head and loudly sighed. “I guess it’s just you and me, baby.”

  ONE

  THREE MONTHS LATER…

  “You have a business meeting with Michael Lippis at noon; he’ll send a car to pick you up. He wants to talk about his portfolio. You have another meeting with the strategic planning team of Kraken Management to discuss their clients. Don’t forget your final draft is due to Ebony magazine by the end of the week. Finally, I got you those tickets to tonight’s game at Staples Center; the driver will be here around six to pick up you and Erin,” Allison Jacobs handed an itinerary to her boss. “Anything else I can do for you, Tiana?”

  “Nope, that sounds good,” Tiana nodded. “Thanks, Allison.”

  “Not a problem. Just let me know if you need anything.” Allison made her way out of the office.

  Tiana looked at her itinerary and briefly wondered how she had time to sleep. Between running her firm, doing a column for a monthly magazine, and making special guest appearances on talk shows, Tiana actually had to pencil in when she needed to sleep at night.

  She turned on her computer and was greeted by Tyson’s cherub face. How much he had grown over the past few months! He was teething and already out of the clothing she just bought a few weeks ago. Her mother was a doll for watching him, but Tiana knew it was a temporary situation. She never thought she would be a single mother at any point in her life and she needed someone permanent to watch her son as she attended to her career.

  “Actually, Allison, could you come back in here for a sec?” Tiana called after her assistant, who promptly came back in. “I need some help with Tyson. As much as I appreciate my mother, a 60-year-old woman doesn’t need to be caring for a six-month-old baby, especially one who’s teething. Can you research local nannies and print a list for me?”

  “Sure, I’ll get right on it,” Allison jotted down notes, “when would you need this?”

  “Tomorrow, preferably. I need to get someone in soon.” Tiana caught a quick glance at a picture of Tyson. “And someone trustworthy.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll have a list by the end of the day.” Allison headed out of Tiana’s office.

  Tiana looked down at the schedule before her and lightly sighed. She had a jam-packed day ahead of her and there wasn’t enough time to even breathe. “Okay. Not too bad. A little busy but I’ll be okay.” Her office phone rang and she recognized the number on the caller ID. “Oh, I don’t believe this…” She picked up the phone. “Tiana Morris, speaking.”

  “The name change that quick, huh?” Her estranged husband, Christopher, spoke over the phone.

  “I don’t remember the divorce being signed off that quickly.”

  Tiana was always amazed at how her ex could make her go from classy lady to ghetto bitch in just a few seconds but she remained civil. “Christopher, I’m really busy today. What can I do for you?”

  “I noticed I no longer have access to our joint account,” Christopher replied. “When did you cut off access?”

  “I cut off access three months ago,” Tiana replied, “you’re just now noticing?”

  “I need money.”

  Of course you do. “To spend on your whore?”

  “Tiana,” Christopher condescendingly began, “let’s not make this any uglier than what it is.”

  “I’m not making it any uglier than what it is,” Tiana curtly replied, “you did that without my help.”

  “I’m contesting the pre-nup.” Christopher added.

  “Good for you.” Tiana dismissed her ex’s threat. “Do you plan to see your son anytime within this century?”

  “Hire a nanny,” Christopher hung up.


  Tiana exhaled a sharp breath and put the phone back on the retriever. She opened up her laptop to begin her day. “I should’ve gotten out of that marriage sooner.”

  ****

  “Let’s see, what do we have here…Coltrane, Bobby “Blues” Bland, Miles Davis…hmm…”

  Kieran D’Amato looked at the CDs in his SUV. “I’m going to go with Coltrane today.” He popped in the CD and backed out of the parking lot of the extended-stay hotel.

  When he was in college, a former girlfriend suggested he listened to jazz as he studied, somehow convincing him the soothing sounds of Ella, Frank, and Louis will make him concentrate better for his exams. She was onto something; Kieran aced his classes and graduated at the top of his class. Throughout the years, Kieran kept up the jazz standards at home and in the office.

  Especially his office.

  The drive to his office was pleasant as always. Hardly any traffic and it was a bright and sunny day in Malibu. He had a busy day already, he could tell. He would have to go to the bank to drop off the deposit. It was payday at the office and he had to ensure everyone received their checks.

  And then there was that issue about finding a permanent place to stay. He could already hear his mother politely nagging him to move back to Staten Island and help with the family business.

  He pulled into the parking lot of Fits and Giggles and turned off the truck. Immediately he was greeted by a screaming child, begging his mother not to leave him. Kieran got out of his truck and walked over to the mother. “First day?” He already knew the answer.

  “It is,” the mother replied, exasperated. “I’m returning to work and this is not how I wanted to start my first day.”

  Kieran kneeled down until he was at eye level with the little boy. He pulled out a lollipop and the boy immediately stopped crying. “If you want this, you have to go in there to keep it.” Kieran pointed inside.

  “Okay!” The boy took the lollipop and left.

  The mother was astonished by her son’s attitude change. “How did you….?”

  “Very few kids turn down candy,” Kieran winked before he headed inside.

  It was always a maze to get through the place first thing in the morning what with various parents dropping their children off and a few arranging meetings with potential nannies. The staff members were running around trying to get everything settled before it became really chaotic.

  It was home sweet home.

  “Good Morning, Kieran,” Zoe Mitchell greeted her boss. She was a tall female of mixed race, Black and Chinese. She had light mocha skin and a black bob cut that brushed against her jawline. She was lithe like a runway model with the personality of a teenager, an interesting combination that made Kieran not pursue any romantic dealings with her, though he wanted to.

  Business, never personal, was his motto. He would never date his employees, his clients, or anyone else he had business with. The moment business and personal got mixed up, he would live to regret it.

  “Morning, Zoe,” Kieran grinned at her as he sat behind his desk. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

  “Same old, same old. Nothing special. We did have a call come in just now from a potential family,” Zoe handed Kieran the information. “High-profile.”

  Kieran took a quick look at the intake sheet. Tiana Morris. The name sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn’t remember the connection. “What’s the urgency?”

  “Someone soon, preferably today or tomorrow?”

  “Today or tomorrow?” Kieran raised an eyebrow. “That’s pretty serious.”

  “I guess. Her assistant said it was serious so I guess time is of the essence.”

  “Her assistant said it was serious,” Kieran repeated with a smirk. He already had a feeling who he was about to deal with. He glanced at the name again. She was probably a singer or an actress.

  No, she was a stuck-up housewife like he had seen on TV. “I might have to take care of this one, myself. When’s the meeting?”

  “This afternoon at her home in Pacific Palisades.”

  “Pacific Palisades, huh?” The Pacific Palisades was a wealthy enclave north of Hollywood and home to many celebrities. Kieran already knew how “serious” the situation was. A woman who probably couldn’t stand having her children interrupt her social life. The poor soul probably had to postpone her Botox injections several times already. Kieran looked at his calendar. Other than meeting with his realtor, his day was free. “I need you to drop off the deposit and see that everyone gets paid. I’ll make the drive from here to her home. I’ll be there for the rest of the afternoon.”

  “You’re going to take on this assignment?” Zoe asked.

  “Well, I’m going to check it out at least. I might give it to one of the girls if the lady is legit.”

  Kieran shrugged. “It should be easy. She’s probably one of those Housewives on TV and needs the camera time.”

  “That’s a harsh statement about someone you never met,” Zoe folded her arms and grinned.

  “It’s a correct statement about someone I have never met,” Kieran added. “A woman living in Pacific Palisades who needs a nanny? It’s not rocket science what I’m about to deal with.”

  Kieran drove to Tiana’s home. He parked his SUV by the front gate and looked himself over in the mirror one last time. He popped in a breath mint and slicked back his hair a little. He lightly licked his index fingers to tame down his eyebrows. He wished he’d worn his nice jeans instead.

  He shook his head. Why did he care about someone he already didn’t like?

  He got out of the truck and proceeded to walk up the steep driveway to the front door. He had a feeling about the type of family he was interviewing based on the home and the nice Prius parked in the front yard. The man was probably a CEO or doctor. Maybe even a professional athlete. The woman was more than likely a socialite. They might have three kids, including the screaming baby he could hear from the outside.

  He looked around the front yard and saw that it was neatly trimmed. A gardener. There weren’t any toys out in the front. Strict parents. To his left, he saw what appeared to be the maid’s quarters. Rich parents. He rang the doorbell and shoved his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels.

  The large front door opened and a Black woman carrying a screaming infant greeted him.

  “Hello?” Tiana tried to comfort Tyson while giving the same attention to the gentleman before her.

  Kieran looked down at a piece of paper. “Tiana Morris?”

  “Yes?”

  “Hello, I’m Kieran D’Amato.” He wanted to shake her hand and not be rude but the woman before him seemed to have trouble of her own. “I’m here for the nanny interview?”

  Tiana kept rocking Tyson, hopefully to calm him but the infant seemed to rebuff each movement. “You’re Kieran?”

  “Yes,” The man stated once again.

  Tiana had been up all night attending to Tyson and now some attractive man was in her face, applying for a nanny position. She’d missed work due to Tyson being fussy; there was no way she could’ve gone in looking and feeling the way she was. She was convinced she had not gotten enough sleep and was suffering from illusions. When she saw the name Kieran D’Amato on the list of applicants, she falsely assumed she would be interviewing a woman. “Come in.”

  Kieran stepped into the palatial estate but didn’t look around. He was focused on the child before him. “Allow me, please?” He offered.

  “Be my guest,” Tiana unloaded her son onto Kieran.

  Tyson was screaming so hard, Kieran thought his little lungs were about to burst. “Do you have any hard vegetables in the refrigerator? Like carrots and celery?”

  “Sure, follow me.” Tiana quickly walked to the kitchen and pulled out a carrot. She gave it to Kieran, who placed it against Tyson’s gums. Within a few seconds, Tyson quieted down. “How did you do that?”

  “I can tell a teething baby just by the screams,” Kieran cooed. “If you had something bu
rsting through your gums, you wouldn’t care for it, either.”

  Tiana smiled for the first time that morning. She had been up all night and was pretty sure she looked as bad as she felt. The man before her was strikingly handsome and she wished she’d put a comb through her hair. She would have, had she known he was coming over. “You don’t look like a nanny,” Tiana noted. Kieran looked more like a Hollywood stuntman than someone who loved to watch kids for a living.

  “I’m the owner of Fits and Giggles, the place your assistant called for a nanny. I came here to check out the environment before I sent one of my girls over here.” Kieran made eye contact with Tiana and slowly rocked Tyson to sleep. His voice was low and authoritative. “I have a license, child care certification, and several references if you want to check them out. Looks can be deceiving.”

  Tiana thought back to her wedding day. Everything was perfect. Her Vera Wang gown. Her MAC makeup. Her Jimmy Choos. Her Neil Lane jewelry. Christopher was dressed in Hugo Boss along with his groomsmen. There were over 400 guests and every table had a miniature wedding cake on it. Christopher promised her forever. That was only three years ago. “Tell me about it,”

  she cleared her throat, “I guess I should formally introduce myself. I’m Tiana Morris and that’s my son, Tyson. It’s just the two of us here.”

  Kieran felt like an idiot. He completely miscalculated his estimates by a long shot. No White family of five. No snobby socialite of a wife. No other children. Just a young and wealthy Black single mother. He was confused and impressed at the same time. “Pretty big home for just the two of you.”

  “I planned to have more,” Tiana thought about all the plans she had for her life. Everything was supposed to happen in order: graduate from college, have a career, fall in love, get married, have babies, and live happily ever after. At least five out of six wasn’t so bad. “But things happened.”

  “You don’t need to explain. It’s none of my business.” Kieran gently rocked Tyson.

  Tiana grinned. Kieran was surprisingly respectful. She had already made her decision and didn’t want to meet with the other applicants. “So when can you start?”