The Nanny (A Billionaire Romance)

by Naomi Niles

  Then we hurried back up to the nursery. I wanted to get out of the dining room before Tate came down to lunch. It was almost noon, and I wanted to avoid him as much as possible until I could get out of this place – especially if that woman had been telling the truth about having him fire me.

  Halle and I played for a little while with her blocks, and I used it as an opportunity to teach her about balance.

  "See, by making the bottom row wider, I can make the tower taller." I smiled. "Now you try."

  "Look, Rachelle. Look how tall I made my tower. It's even bigger than yours," Halle cried out happily.

  "Great job. Can you count how many blocks you used?"

  "One, two, three, four, five..." As Halle counted, suddenly a strange voice joined in unison with hers.

  "...six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Good job, baby," the female voice said. Halle and I both turned around to see a woman standing in the doorway of the nursery. She was clothed in a tacky outfit, but her blue-black hair and mean eyes were unmistakable: it was the woman from Tate's bedroom. What is she doing here?

  Halle gasped audibly, stood, and turned to face the strange woman. I was about to tell her to leave, when suddenly Halle ran towards her, happily crying out, "Mommy! It's you! I love you, Mommy!"

  I couldn't believe it. The awful naked woman from Tate's bedroom was Halle's biological mother.

  I should have known. Now that I realized who she was, the similarities in the shape of her nose and chin were obvious. Halle had Tate's eyes and dark hair, but she had her mother's face. It's just the child was so much sweeter and kinder than her hardened mother, I'd missed the resemblance when we first met.

  "Hi, baby. You count so good," the woman said.

  "Well. I count well," Halle corrected, and I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh.

  "Something funny to you?" the woman glared at me as she entered the room.

  I was about to say something rude to put her in her place when suddenly Tate appeared in the doorway right behind her.

  Looking at me, he said, "Rachelle, this is Halle's mother, Missy Stevens. She'll be staying here for a while. Missy, this is the nanny, Rachelle Clare."

  "Yeah, we met." Missy jutted her chin at me, and I felt my cheeks burn.

  Fortunately, Halle was blissfully unaware of the tension in the room as she tugged at her mother's short skirt. "Mommy, come see the tower I built. It's so tall."

  "Great job, baby. I'd love to see your toys." Missy shot me a meaningful glare as she let Halle lead her across the nursery.

  Tate looked at Halle and said to her softly, "Play with Mommy for a little while, sweetheart. I need to have a talk with Rachelle." Then he turned his gaze to me, and his voice suddenly turned cold. "Come with me. Let's talk in private."

  Shit. It is true. He is going to fire me. My heart was pounding in my throat as I walked down the hall to my doom. He took me into his office and closed the door firmly behind us, locking it.

  I sat down nervously, trying to think of something I could say to save my job. I didn't want to keep working for a murderer, but I couldn't leave Halle in his hands. I needed more time to collect the evidence I needed to put him away and ensure her safety. He was a monster, and now that I saw what kind of a woman her mother was, I was more desperate than ever to see to it that this child was brought up in safe hands. I'd petition the courts to grant me custody if I needed to, but first I had to survive long enough in this house to get proof of Tate's crimes.

  "I heard you were in my room today." Tate got right to the point.

  "Yes. Halle lost her sweater, and I thought it might have ended up in your room. Emma sometimes confuses the laundry," I said as confidentially as I could.

  "Why didn't you ask me to look for it instead of going in on your own?" he asked with a penetrating stare. His hazel green eyes burned with intensity, but I refused to turn my gaze away. I needed to project confidence and not fear, or he'd know I was up to something.

  "I didn't want to disturb you. I didn't realize you had a guest. I'm sorry if I embarrassed her."

  "I don't think anything could embarrass Missy," Tate said wryly, and I got the confusing impression that maybe he didn't like her very much, but that was ridiculous. It was obvious they were back together.

  I wondered if they had been a couple this entire time and I was just an affair he was having on the side, or if he'd called her up last night after I rejected him. Either way, it didn't really matter. I didn't want to be with him anyway, so why did feel so hurt and betrayed? All I wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible.

  "I'd better get back to the nursery." I started for the door, but Tate blocked my retreat.

  "There's no need to rush. She's with her mother. Let's talk longer," he said, and my stomach knotted with fear.

  "What's there to talk about?" I asked nervously. "Don't you believe me?"

  "It's an odd story. I've never seen any of Halle's clothes in my closet. I think you were in there for another reason, and you know why."

  He had stepped closer to me, so near we were practically touching. He knew I was searching for the shoes and that I was on to him. He was going to strangle me right here in his office to shut me up. My blood was like ice-water, and I trembled.

  "No, I don't know why." I shook my head vehemently.

  "Tell me the truth!" he demanded with a shout, and I raised my hands up defensively and screamed.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight: Tate

  "You're terrified of me? Why?" I was completely baffled as Rachelle cowered in front of me and screamed.

  She was acting so strange lately, cold and distant. It had started the morning after I let her sleep in my bed. She'd seemed perfectly fine one minute, and the next, she was screaming in my closet and cowering.

  I'd hoped spending a few days home with her sick mother would help to center her, but she came back after just one day. I'd hoped that meant she wanted to be with me, but when I invited her up to my room, she refused me.

  I could have reminded her she was required to fuck me whenever I asked her to according to the contract she had signed, but I didn't see any point in doing that. I wasn't into forcing myself on unwilling women. I wasn't a rapist, but I couldn't pretend like her rejection didn't hurt.

  When Missy told me Rachelle had gone to my room, I thought I knew why. She'd gone there looking for me, to tell me she wanted me. So, I brought her here to my office while Halle was occupied with Missy; I'd brought her to the first place we'd had sex to rekindle our passion.

  Only she was acting like she didn't have any idea what we were doing there – she was acting like she was terrified of me. I was sick of these games. It was time to get to the truth.

  "I'm not. I just thought I saw a spider," she said, but it was obviously a lie.

  "No more bullshit. You haven't been yourself for the past few days. Now, what the hell is going on?"

  "I haven't been myself? What does that mean? Just because I had a headache one night and was upset that my mother is sick?"

  Hearing her say things aloud like that, I suddenly felt like a huge asshole. I was about to apologize when suddenly I realized she was trying to manipulate me. Well, it wouldn't work.

  "Yes," I stated coldly. "You used to always be receptive to me. Then, like a light switch, something flipped inside you, and now it's like nothing turns you on."

  "It didn't take you long to replace me," she snapped back, and fire glinted in her blue eyes. "You had Missy back in your bed before the sun even came up."

  Of course. She thought I'd slept with Missy, and why wouldn't she? I had to set things straight.

  "Missy and I didn't sleep together."

  Rachelle laughed meanly and said, "I know, you hardly slept a wink. Missy told me all about it. Congratulations on being back with her. Halle will be so happy to have her parents together."

  "Listen to me. Missy is a liar. We didn't have sex last night. She showed up loaded on drugs. I was terrified she'd overdose, so I too
k her into my bathroom and made her throw up all the shit she'd ingested. She stunk so bad I thought I'd gag, so I shoved her in the shower. Afterwards, I told her to go sleep down in the guest bedroom I keep for her, but she threw such a fit, I was worried she'd wake Halle. So, I let her sleep in my bed, and I slept downstairs on the couch."

  "You didn't sleep with her?" The relief on Rachelle's face was obvious, and I saw her sigh.

  "I'm flattered that you’re jealous, but there's no need for you to be. You're the only woman I'm sleeping with. Or at least, you were. Why have you been avoiding me lately?"

  "I'm not."

  "Yes, you are. You're scared of me. Why?" I asked. In response, she pressed herself to me and kissed me passionately on the lips. It took me pleasantly by surprise, and I grew instantly hard – but a part of me wondered if she was just trying to distract me from asking more questions.

  Looking down at her, I said, "Fine, if you're not avoiding me, then prove it. Come to my room tonight after Halle's gone to sleep. If you're not there, I'll know you're hiding something from me. If you are there, be ready for a long night. We have a lot of fucking to make up for.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine: Rachelle

  I put on my white silk pajama set of pants and a long sleeve shirt, hoping perhaps to turn him off, and left my long blonde hair loose, not in the ponytail I knew he preferred. I didn't want to do this, but I had no choice if I didn't want him to suspect me.

  "Tate?" I entered his bedroom and was surprised to find it empty.

  All the fear and apprehension that had been building up inside me was suddenly expelled. Maybe I wouldn't have to sleep with him, after all. It was a huge relief to find him gone, although surprisingly anti-climactic, and I struggled to identify this feeling that was welling up inside me. Suddenly, I knew just what it was: disappointment.

  I shut the bedroom door behind me and strolled slowly around the room. As I approached the bathroom, I heard a familiar sound and paused to listen. It was running water.

  Timidly, I opened the door and startled to find Tate relaxing in the gigantic marble spa tub in the corner. Lit candles flickered warmly around the edge, along with a bucket of ice with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  "Come in," he greeted me with that sexy of grin of his. "I got tired of waiting, so I started without you."

  "Sorry. Halle took forever to fall asleep," I lied. The truth was I'd been procrastinating in my room, trying to work up the nerve to come in. I couldn't go through this strain again. In the morning, I was leaving. Forget trying to collect evidence; the risk to my life wasn't worth it. I just hoped I survived tonight.

  "You look stressed. Come into the tub with me. I just filled it. Let the hot water relax you.

  I couldn't refuse. I'd committed to this night of sex, and I had to follow through no matter how scared I was. The surprising thing was just how much the fear heightened my arousal. My entire body was already tingling with sexual excitement just seeing him naked in the tub, his chest muscles glistening with moisture from the steam. God, he has an incredible body.

  "Alright." I slowly began to take off my clothes. I reveled in Tate’s penetrating gaze that sizzled with anticipation. It was fun knowing I had that kind of power over him and the knowledge displaced some of my fear.

  I made a show of unfastening the buttons of my top one by one, caressing my skin with tantalizing slowness. When the last one was undone, I turned my back on him, letting my top fall to the floor to reveal my bare back before slowly turning back around with my hands covering my breasts. Tate's eyes were wide as I finally let my hands slide away, revealing my bare-naked tits to him as my hands caressed and massaged them sensuously.

  Then it was time to take off the bottoms. I took my time, gyrating my hips with sensuous undulations before kicking them to the floor to reveal my full nakedness. When I was done, Tate was practically salivating and I felt giddy with power.

  "Get in here," he said with a husky voice, and I timidly approached the tub. It was massive, with spa jets creating a mass of tingling bubbles, and I gasped with pleasure as I stepped into the silky hot water. I sat down at the far end, as far away from Tate as I could, and pretended to be comfortable as I leaned stiffly against the side of the porcelain tub.

  "Have some wine." He pulled the bottle of expensive merlot from the ice bucket and poured us each a glass. I sipped mine gingerly, letting the cool liquid warm my throat. It was delightfully smooth, and before I knew it, I had downed the entire glass.

  "Turn around, let me wash your back." I had no cause to object. So, I drew in a deep breath for courage and did as I'd been told.

  I bit my tongue to stifle my gasp as he put his hands on my shoulders very close to my neck and began to massage me.

  "You're so stiff. You've got to relax." He dug into my tight shoulder muscles with his massaging fingers, and I winced painfully. He changed the motion of his hands, forcing my bunched muscles into submission until they finally began to relax.

  With the hot water swirling around me and Tate's expert hands working their magic on my shoulders, neck, and back, I closed my eyes and gave in to the pleasure. Soft sighs escaped my lips as my entire body luxuriated in the sensation of complete and total relaxation.

  "That feels nice." I sighed contentedly as his hands massaged their way down my back to the area right above my buttocks.

  "Turn around. Let me do your front," he said. He turned off the water jets, making the tub still, and I stiffened again. I turned to face him, and he must have seen the fear in my eyes, because he asked, "What's wrong?"

  "I guess I don't like baths very much," I lied.

  "Well, let me see if I can change your mind. Lean back with your head on the padded headrest and just relax."

  I did as he'd commanded, but I couldn't relax. My body was stiff as a corpse as I lay rigid in the water.

  "Now close your eyes," said he instructed, and I felt him place a cool cloth across my eyes. Where it came from, I had no idea. He must have had already prepared before I got there, but it didn't matter; it felt delightfully soothing. "Now, just unwind and enjoy while I bathe you."

  I felt the sensation of a warm washcloth being rubbed sensuously over my body. It was delightfully erotic, and I had a hard time hanging onto my fear. It was impossible to be nervous when one was this comfortable.

  The washcloth turned into a spray nozzle as Tate massaged my muscles with the warm water and soothed my skin. Progressively, the spray of water found its way down my body to my most sensitive folds, and I spread my legs, welcoming the sensation.

  Gripping the sides of the tub, I began to pant and squirm under the delightful spray under the water as he used it to stimulate my clitoris. It was nice, but just a tease; I wanted something more powerful and intense.

  Tate must have read my mind because he pulled the plug on the tub and said, “Get up on your hands and knees.”

  As the water slowly drained away, I knelt in the tub and Tate applied the spray nozzle to my clitoris from behind. No longer muted by being underwater, the pressure was far more intense, stimulating me in just the right way.

  Loud gasps tore from my lungs as I panted and squirmed in the tub, rapidly nearing orgasm.

  "Fuck me," I moaned.

  "That's my dirty girl that I've been missing," Tate said with a grin. He turned off the spray nozzle and straddled up behind me. I could feel his erection rubbing my inner thigh, and my pussy quivered, eager to feel him inside me.

  All my fear was gone, all my hesitation and doubts. The only thing that remained was raw animal lust. I wanted him to fuck me, and nothing else mattered.

  I thrust my hips backward, trying to entice him to enter me, and felt a sudden sharp slap on my behind.

  "Ow," I cried out in painful surprise.

  "You like that, don't you, naughty girl? You like it when I spank your ass."

  He smacked me on the butt cheek again, making it sting, and I felt tingles of sexual pleasure radiating deep inside me. His
hand rained down on me again and again, making my ass cheeks red and sore. I panted and moaned, loving it all the while. With each stinging slap of my tender buttocks, thrills of pleasure rippled through me, and as the next spank came crashing down, the new ripples melded with the old ripples, making them bigger and more intense, until I was delirious with pleasure.

  Panting and moaning, I slowly became aware that the spanking had stopped, and I was kneeling on my hands and knees alone in the tub.

  "Tie the washcloth over your eyes like a blindfold," Tate's voice sounded from a distance. The marble tiles of the ornate bathroom had an echoing effect, making it impossible for me to know where it was coming from, and when I looked around, I still couldn't see him.

  "Where are you?" I called.

  "Put on the blindfold – now," his voice called forcefully, and I had no choice but to obey.

  "Good girl. Now reach out with your hands until you feel the bucket holding the wine."

  I stretched out my hands blindly and felt the cold metal of the ice-bucket.

  "Good girl," Tate said. "Now reach in and find two pieces of ice. Rub them on your nipples."

  With my sense of touch, I found two cubes of ice and held one in each hand. I brought them to my breasts and rubbed them on my nipples. My skin was still warm from the hot bath, making the shock of cold particularly abrupt. I gasped and jolted my spine, but did not withdraw the ice.

  "Good girl. Keep rubbing those nipples with the ice. I like seeing them get red and hard from the cold." He sounded closer to me.

  The ice stung painfully as it froze my delicate skin, and my nipples ached.

  "Good girl. Now drop the ice and start flicking them." He was very close now, inches away from me. I did as I'd been told and started flicking my own nipples sharply with my fingers. The pain made me gasp, and my pussy quivered with pleasure. I knew that it was dripping wet with the juices of my arousal and hoped he would fuck me soon.