He caught up with George outside his dressing-room and together they made their way toward the back entrance.
“Hell of a show,” George commented.
“Sure was.” Adrian bounced up and down, releasing some of the energy flooding his body.
Outside the venue the cool air hit him like a refreshing wave. There were fans already there, screaming his name. Adrian waved and ducked inside the car waiting for him. He didn’t want to chat tonight. The concert had been so great he wanted to get back to the hotel and tell Libby all about it.
Libby.
He paused.
How had she entered his thoughts, become part of his life, with barely a ripple?
Their afternoon together had been so much fun. He’d actually won a couple of dances until Libby got the hang of the game and started beating him. He hadn’t laughed so much in a long time.
He shouldn’t be thinking about her like this. No good could come of it.
“What’s bothering you?” George’s voice brought him back to the present.
They had been friends for almost twenty years and George knew him better than anyone else alive. “Libby.”
George looked at him briefly, then back at the road. “Didn’t you say your conversation with Kate went well?”
“Yeah. Libby was a real help.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Adrian hesitated. “I’m looking forward to seeing her tonight.”
George was silent a moment. “We’re only here another couple of weeks.”
“I know.”
“You should do what I do,” George said. “Make sure she knows it’s a temporary thing. Just for while we’re in Australia – that way there’re no expectations. It’s been a while since you’ve had some fun.”
Adrian pondered it while the car pulled into the hotel drive. Would Libby do casual? Her face floated before him and he reached for the door handle.
And what about Kate? Would she be hurt when they went home?
He really didn’t know.
But he wanted this for himself. Surely he could find a way to make it work.
Kate was old enough to understand about relationships. But she was fragile as well. He’d have to be careful. He sighed.
Libby might not even be interested and he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. If she quit, Kate would be devastated.
He’d have to think about it some more.
There was too much at stake.
***
Libby checked the clock for what had to be the tenth time. She’d given up telling herself it was because she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. The truth was she was looking forward to Adrian returning. Finally the clock showed her what she wanted to see. Adrian would be home soon. She put the kettle on.
It had been a fun afternoon with Kate and Adrian. It reminded her of the afternoons when she’d escaped to her best friend Piper’s place and played games with Piper’s family. There had been a lot of teasing and laughter then as well. Then Piper had returned to the US and Libby had to face high school alone. Books had become her companion.
This afternoon when Adrian had reluctantly left, she and Kate had cooked dinner and watched a movie.
Now Kate was tucked up in bed asleep and Libby was flitting about the suite in anticipation of her employer getting home. She had to get a grip on herself.
In a couple of weeks the tour would end and Adrian and Kate would go back to America. Nothing was going to happen.
The kettle boiled as the door to the suite opened. After it closed, the sound of running water came through as Adrian washed off Kent. Libby poured him a decaffeinated coffee and took the mug over to the coffee table.
It suddenly struck her that she was waiting on Adrian, preparing him food like a good little woman.
Her mood deflated with a hiss.
They weren’t in a relationship and she wasn’t his wife. Besides, the one time she’d attempted to play the good woman with Clint, he’d ended up going home early with a headache.
This wasn’t entirely the same. Preparing Adrian a drink was a nice thing to do and could be considered part of her nanny duties.
Her excuses didn’t sound convincing, even to her ears. She sighed. She would leave as soon as Adrian had showered.
***
Ten minutes later Adrian walked into the room, all traces of Kent gone. His smile was genuine, as if he was happy to see her.
“How was your night?” she asked, holding on to the back of one of the dining chairs.
“The crowd was amazing.” His tone was one of awe. “They knew the words to all my songs and the noise was incredible.”
“It must be fabulous to know you’ve had an influence on so many people.” She should be making a move, not making conversation.
He nodded and then sobered. She knew he was thinking about the attempted suicide. “I made you a drink,” she said, gesturing to the dining table, and then, embarrassed by her need to be thanked, she turned to pack up her bag.
“Why don’t you join me?” He picked up the book she’d been reading and brought it over to her. “I wanted to thank you for talking to Kate with me today.” He held out the book and she took it, shoving it into her bag.
“It’s fine. I’m glad she’s okay.” Fine. Okay. Great use of adjectives, Libby. Really creative. He got her so flustered, being so close. She turned to put some distance between them but stopped as he took her hand.
Heat rushed up her arms.
Adrian drew her closer to him.
Her heart slowed and beat heavily in her chest.
“You’ve helped me a lot in these few short days.” He took her other hand so she was facing him directly.
What was he doing? She had to stop this.
“You saved my reputation on the talk show, you’ve become Kate’s nanny at short notice and you helped me broach a difficult subject with her today.” His voice was soft and he pulled her ever so slightly closer to him. Libby stared at him like a kangaroo caught in a car’s headlights.
He brought his hand up and brushed her cheek. “Thank you.”
Libby couldn’t answer. Every coherent thought in her head vanished with the sweep of his hand over her cheek. She had to say something, even if it was just a murmur in acknowledgement. She parted her lips to respond and suddenly his mouth was on hers.
His lips were warm and gentle and stole her breath away with their tenderness. Heat curled in her belly and moved outward, suffusing her with longing as she wrapped her arms around Adrian’s neck and drew him closer. He groaned, deepening the kiss, taking her further until her whole body felt on fire.
All her doubts and fears vanished in the moment. She couldn’t think. Every nerve in her body was concentrated on the sensation as his hands slid around her body, cupping her bottom and pulling her closer still.
She held on, meeting his tongue with hers, pouring her passion into the kiss.
“Uncle Ade?” Kate’s voice calling from the bedroom stopped Libby cold, as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over her. They sprang apart and turned to the door.
Kate wasn’t there but her voice came again. “Uncle Ade, are you home?”
Adrian cleared his throat and stepped further away from Libby, not looking at her. “Sure am, kiddo. I’ll be right there.”
Libby blinked. What had she been thinking? She’d kissed her boss. She had to get out of there. Gathering up the rest of her things, she avoided Adrian’s gaze. “I should go.”
Adrian nodded, but didn’t say anything. He followed her to the entrance, and when she opened the door, he put his hand over hers.
“Libby, I –” He stopped, his eyes full of confusion, and she waited for him to continue.
“Uncle Ade,” Kate called.
He glanced toward Kate’s door. “I’ve got to go.”
Libby pulled her hand out from under his. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She tried to smile but it felt as though her face was cracking. He regretted what had happen
ed, that much was certain.
Hurrying down the corridor, she didn’t look back.
Safe in her own room, she sank down on the bed and put her fingers to her mouth. Her lips were warm and swollen from his kisses. He had instigated the kiss but she hadn’t held back.
She’d never felt such a rush of tenderness before. It had flowed through her whole body until she felt she must be glowing and then it had ramped up to sparking.
If Kate hadn’t been there …
Libby refused to think of what might have happened.
How was she going to face him tomorrow?
Chapter 11
Adrian hurried to Kate’s room, refusing to think about what he had just done. “What’s up, kiddo?”
“What took you so long?” She was lying curled up on her side.
“I, ah, was walking Libby to the door.”
The light from the living room shone into the room and Kate grinned. “Did you kiss her goodnight?”
Adrian took a step back. He checked over his shoulder to see if Kate could have seen them from her bed. No, he didn’t think so. He turned back as Kate grinned triumphantly.
“You did! You did kiss her!” She sat up straight in bed and hugged her knees. “I knew you liked her as much as she likes you.”
He started to deny it but then realized what Kate had said. “Libby said she likes me?”
Kate clapped her hand over her mouth.
He sat on the edge of the bed. “Spill it, Kate.”
Kate played with a loose thread on her bedspread before she looked up. “The other day when I was mad, it was because I thought Libby was only looking after me because she liked you. We had a talk and she said the reason she almost refused the job was because she thought you were cute.” Her eyes were earnest. “’Cause you know it’s not nice when you like someone and they don’t like you back.”
“That’s right,” Adrian agreed. He didn’t know if it was Kent Libby liked or Adrian. Though he’d been himself when he kissed her, so maybe he had a chance. “Is that something you know about?” he asked to turn the conversation back to Kate.
She shrugged. “There was a boy once, but he turned out to be a jerk.” She squinted at him. “So are you going to kiss her again?”
Damn, she was tenacious. “That’s none of your business,” he said. “You need to go back to sleep.”
“But if you kiss her again and fall in love, then you’ll get married and Libby will be my aunt and she can help me finish my book and live with us forever.”
Adrian’s chest tightened like he’d slammed on the brakes in his car and been thrown hard against his seatbelt. “Hold on, kiddo. There’s a whole long way between kissing someone and getting married.”
“But you like each other. And you both like playing board games and cards. And hot chocolate.” She was looking at him so hopefully.
This was worse than he’d suspected. Kate had attached herself to Libby and it was going to break her heart when they had to leave in a few weeks’ time. “Libby lives in Australia, sweetheart. When we leave, she’s going to stay here. I don’t want you to get your hopes up. A month isn’t long enough for two people to fall in love.”
“But Mama and Dad did.”
They had. It had been love at first sight for his brother and sister-in-law, but perhaps somehow they’d known they wouldn’t have long in this life. “That doesn’t happen very often. What your parents had was special.”
Kate scowled.
“You need to go back to sleep,” he repeated. “It’s late.” Waiting until Kate snuggled back under the covers, he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. “See you in the morning.”
“Good night, Uncle Ade.”
He knew from her expression she hadn’t given up hope. What the heck was he going to do now?
His mind flew back to the kiss. He didn’t know what had possessed him. He’d been planning to thank Libby for being with him while he spoke to Kate about the boy. It was so comforting to have someone to support him and make sure he didn’t go wrong. But then she’d got so flustered and he’d never had anyone get flustered around him – around Kent, yes, but not when he was himself. It was just so appealing, he’d wanted to see what would happen if he’d stepped closer. Then she’d parted her lips slightly and he’d reacted before he considered the consequences.
He refused to dwell on how soft Libby’s lips were and how she’d reacted. How for that moment, everything seemed right. If it hadn’t been for Kate calling out, he wasn’t sure where it would have ended.
And that in itself was a problem. He couldn’t allow his hormones to run wild when his niece was in the next room.
Tomorrow when he got back from the concert and Kate was safely asleep, he’d tell Libby it had been a mistake.
He rubbed his chest at the stab of disappointment.
He had to put Kate’s welfare before anything else. Could he convince Kate there was nothing between him and Libby? Maybe if they kept their – interactions – to when Kate was asleep, she would never know about it.
He was being ridiculous. The best thing for all concerned was to pretend nothing had happened.
The coffee Libby had made him was still sitting on the table. He picked it up and tipped it down the sink.
He’d lost his desire for it.
***
After the concert the next night, Adrian and George rode in the elevator up to their floor. Adrian couldn’t wait to tell Libby about his night. They’d sit down and chat while he drank his coffee.
“What are you so cheerful about?” George asked, breaking through his thoughts.
Adrian turned to his friend and then froze. Déjà vu. Heck. He’d been looking forward to seeing Libby.
“It’s Libby, isn’t it?” George asked.
The elevator dinged and they got out.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy and relaxed,” George commented.
That was a surprise. Was George encouraging him?
Adrian shook his head. “It would never work. She’s my employee. I said I’d never get involved with one of Kate’s nannies.”
“As much as I agree with you, I have to say I’ve never seen you this comfortable around someone you barely know.”
“It’s no good. Kate’s already too attached to Libby and it’s going to break her heart when we have to leave Australia.” He had to think about this rationally and not let his feelings get in the way.
“Kate’s going to miss Libby no matter what your relationship with Libby.”
George was right, but there was more to it. “Kate is hoping Libby will become her aunt,” Adrian told him.
George raised an eyebrow. “Have you set her straight?”
“Tried to. I’m not sure she listened.”
George hummed. “Do you want me to have a word to her, see if she’ll listen to me?”
It couldn’t hurt. Kate needed to realize Libby was staying behind when they left Australia. “That’d be great.” It still didn’t mean he was going to take things further with Libby.
“Kate’s old enough to understand and you deserve to have a little bit of fun.”
Adrian had never been tempted by any of the other nannies. What would Susan say if she found out? “Susan would have a field day.”
“What goes on tour, stays on tour,” George answered. “Do something for yourself for a change.” He grinned at Adrian. “I’m going to bed. ’Night.” He walked off in the other direction.
Adrian turned to head to his suite. Was George right? Should he allow himself to explore what he felt for Libby? Assuming she was interested. Maybe Libby regretted what had happened.
He entered the suite and went straight into the bathroom to clean off Kent. He’d left some clothes in there earlier, so he showered and washed off the sweat of the concert.
As he dressed he realized he was stalling. He was nervous about facing Libby again. It had been fine earlier in the day, before he’d left for the concert, because then
Kate had been there as a buffer, but now it would be just the two of them.
Annoyed at himself, he finished dressing and left the bathroom before he thought any further about it.
Libby had her back to him and was fussing with something in her bag. She was wearing fitted blue jeans, a red woolen sweater and sensible sneakers. Her straight brown hair was tied back in a plait. He’d not seen any evidence of the skin-tight, skinny-leg jeans and high heels since that night in Melbourne.
“Good evening, ma’am,” he said and enjoyed the way she gave a little start before turning to face him.
Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes and her hands knotted together. Was it perverse that he got such pleasure from knowing she was nervous around him?
“How was the concert?”
“Real good.” He couldn’t explain it to someone who hadn’t experienced it – the atmosphere as he stood on stage and had thousands of people screaming his name. They hung on his every word, they were there to see him, and for that single moment in time they were in the palm of his hand. He was the driver – he took them where he wanted to go. He was in control.
“Did you and Kate have a nice night?” He sat at the table and took a sip of the coffee.
“Yes. She wanted to write, so we did.” Libby was still standing, and glanced between him and the door. “I should go.”
He couldn’t let her leave without clearing the air. “Libby, wait. Sit down.” He pulled out the chair next to him and turned so he was facing her.
She hung back.
“We need to talk about last night.”
“Okay.” She sat. Their knees touched and Libby twitched. Desire curled in his belly. She was adorable, but he had to focus. “I don’t get involved with Kate’s nannies,” he blurted and then cursed his bluntness.
Her shoulders slumped slightly, but she nodded. “It’s not good for Kate.”
No, it wasn’t, but, darn it, he wanted this – he wanted her. Libby’s body language suggested she wanted him as well. There had to be some way they could make it work. “Last night was the first time I’ve broken the rule.” He paused and then took the risk. “I want to break it again.”
Libby’s eyes widened and he had to stop himself from kissing her right then. He took hold of her hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it. “I’m not good with strangers.” She didn’t need to know why. “I enjoy spending time with you and I want to spend more time together.” He paused. “But if you don’t feel the same way, tell me and I’ll leave you alone.” He waited for her answer.
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