Beneath Him

by Kant, Komal

  Chloe’s face flushed pink and she gave Oscar a hard look. She definitely didn’t like it when he didn’t take her side. She probably wanted him to be more severe with me, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Well, I guess she’ll do.” Her eyes took in my outfit again. “You won’t have a uniform, but we expect you to dress appropriately. You are working for the Ruggarson family, after all, and we have many influential people going in and out throughout the day. This isn’t some $10 an hour after school babysitting job, is that clear?”

  “Crystal.” I knew my tone was curt, but I was really getting sick of Chloe talking down to me.

  “I’m going to tell our daughter, Emily, to come down and get you.” Oscar quickly reached for the phone on his desk, obviously sensing the friction between his wife and I. “She’ll take you to see Madeline and then show you to your room.” He became distracted when the phone connected. “Emily, dear, will you come downstairs and show the new nanny around?”

  As we waited on Oscar, I tried to avoid eye contact with Chloe. Despite not looking at her, I knew that she was staring daggers at me. For some reason she didn’t like me, and I had a feeling that first impressions—the way I dressed, the way I’d done my hair, the way I didn’t fall over myself trying to pander to her—had played a big part in her behavior towards me.

  But, really? How was I to know that wearing jeans would offend her?

  I wondered if their daughter was anything like Chloe. If she was then we were going to have a problem.

  “She’ll be waiting in the foyer for you.” Oscar’s voice cut into my thoughts as he replaced the phone receiver.

  “Okay, thank you, Sir.”

  “Not at all. And if there is anything you need then don’t hesitate to ask me. Our son, Nicholas, also lives here and I’m sure you’ll run into him soon. Mrs. Potts, will tell you everything you need to know about taking care of my little angel.” A fond smile appeared on Oscar’s face as he spoke about his niece. “She is the sweetest little girl in the world and I’m sure you’ll have no trouble with her.”

  “Yes, she is too perfect for words,” Chloe added.

  I stared in surprise as Chloe gave her first genuine smile. I guess they both loved their niece.

  Oscar nodded toward the door. “Emily is waiting for you. She’s very excited to meet you.”

  “Okay, Sir, um, thank you again.”

  As I turned to leave, Oscar spoke again. “Oh, and Sky, we will be having a dinner tonight with close friends of the family. I would like it very much if you were there.”

  Feeling overwhelmed and a little flustered that he wanted me at an important dinner, I managed to nod like an idiot. Chloe didn’t look at all impressed by this, and shot her husband a death glare which he pointedly ignored.

  “And, Sky, one more thing,” Chloe said, giving me an unkind smile. “Don’t go out of your way to socialize with anyone here that you don’t have to.”

  “Um, okay,” I responded, wondering if she was referring to anyone in particular.

  Wanting to put distance between myself and the Evil Queen, I opened up the door and left the office wondering what the heck I’d gotten myself into.

  Chapter Two

  Sky

  My heart sank when I saw Emily Ruggarson—she was gorgeous.

  She definitely wasn’t the girl in the painting because she was the spitting image of her mother with golden blonde hair that fell in long waves around her; large, sapphire blue eyes; a slender frame; and a heart-shaped face.

  Considering how beautiful she was, and the fact she looked so much like her mother, I assumed she would be a royal pain. So it took me by complete surprise when she stepped forward and enveloped me in a hug before I even knew what had hit me.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Sky! I’m Amelia, but everyone calls me Emily,” she said, releasing me. “You have no idea how wonderful it is to have a girl close to my age here!”

  Realizing that I hadn’t said anything yet, I quickly blurted out, “You’re a lot younger than I am.”

  Had that sounded rude? I wasn’t trying to be rude—it had just been the first thing on my mind.

  Emily laughed as she adjusted the straps on the floral sundress she was wearing. “Well, I’m eighteen.” She said this like it wasn’t a big difference. To me, it was like confirmation that I’d been born in the prehistoric ages.

  “Oh, to be eighteen again,” I said dreamily.

  Emily laughed again, and I started to relax around her. Despite bearing a striking resemblance to her mother, she was nothing like her personality-wise. Thank God for that. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad around here after all.

  “Let me introduce you to Madeline and I can take you to your room afterwards.”

  “That sounds great.”

  As I followed Emily up a flight of stairs, I wondered if Madeline was going to be anything like Chloe or if she would be more like Oscar and Emily. Obviously, I was hoping for the latter, but I wasn’t going to get my hopes up. It was easy to imagine a four-year-old being spoilt-rotten living this lifestyle.

  The second floor of the mansion was just as opulent as the first. There were paintings, ornaments, drapes, chaises, and potted plants placed all along the corridors. Everywhere my eyes fell, there was something to see. The corridor we were in verged off in three different directions, and I already knew I would easily get lost here. This place was massive.

  The Ruggarsons weren’t modest about their wealth, and I had a feeling that Chloe played a large part in flaunting their money.

  “Your room is on this floor,” Emily told me as we walked along an open balcony that looked down onto the floor below us. “The family bedrooms are all on the third floor and the ballroom takes up most of the fourth floor.”

  Holy shit. They had a freaking ballroom! No one I knew had a ballroom. I suddenly felt like I was in some eighteenth-century, historical romance novel.

  Emily continued speaking, “We also have a gym, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, and a tennis court all on the ground floor. If you’re more of a bookworm like I am then we have two libraries; one on the ground floor and an even bigger one on this floor.”

  “I’m a total bookworm, too. I figure, why do I need a guy in my bed when I can just fall asleep with my Kindle?”

  Emily burst out laughing. “Truer words have never been spoken.”

  We ascended the next set of stairs to the third floor and Emily continued down another corridor. “Here’s my room,” she said, pointing to a door on the right. “Feel free to come by anytime if you ever need anything.”

  I glanced around, trying my best to remember where we were. It was definitely going to take me a few false starts before I would be able to find my way around here with ease.

  “Madeline’s bedroom is to the left, but during the day she’s here in her playroom,” Emily said, gesturing to the slightly ajar door. “She’s in with Mrs. Potts right now, so she’ll tell you everything you need to know about Madeline and her schedule.”

  “Where are her parents?” I asked suddenly.

  No one had mentioned anything about them, and I was more than a little curious.

  Emily’s smile faltered, and she seemed to hesitate before speaking. “They died when she was a baby. We’re the only family she knows. She isn’t quite at the age yet where she’s asking about her parents, so we’re avoiding that subject for now.”

  Surprise and sadness hit me at the same time. It was horrible that Madeline would never know her parents. I couldn’t imagine not having either of my parents in my life, but at least she had the Ruggarsons taking care of her.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t mean to pry.” I didn’t want her thinking I was being nosy.

  The tension in Emily’s face relaxed and that easy smile that reminded me of Oscar returned. “Don’t even worry about it.”

  Without another word, she pushed open the door to Madeline’s playroom, and we stepped inside.

&nbs
p; ‘Playroom’ didn’t even begin to describe what we’d just walked into. The room was king-sized; my entire apartment could’ve fit in here easily. The Ruggarsons had obviously spared no expense in giving Madeline the best of everything.

  One side of the room was dominated by a small scale playground with a see-saw, a swing set, and a slide that ended in a ball pit. I had never seen a four-year-old’s room with a ball pit before and I probably never would again.

  The rest of the room had shelves crammed with books, DVD’s, and toys. A large flat screen TV took up a wall alone, but I was also glad to see that pictures Madeline had drawn were also displayed on the walls.

  Even though the grandeur of the room had initially caught my attention, I quickly became distracted by the cutest little girl I’d ever seen running up to us. Her blonde hair was in tight curls and she had large, blue eyes that seemed to run in the Ruggarson family. She was wearing a blue overall dress with a The Walking Dead t-shirt underneath it. Unusual choice for a little girl.

  “Emmy!” she squealed as she leaped into her cousin’s arms.

  “Hey, Mad.” Emily’s face lit up as she released the little girl and placed her back on her feet.

  “Who is her?” Madeline pointed at me, her eyes widening as she stared up at me.

  “This is Sky, your new nanny. Remember I told you about her?”

  “Oh.” Madeline’s eyes widened a little more. “Because Mrs. Potts is an old wady now and needs wots of rest.”

  Her adorable lisp immediately melted my heart into liquid.

  “Yes, exactly,” Emily said with a laugh.

  Madeline grinned up at me and stuck out her tiny hand. “I’m Madewine.”

  I took her hand and shook it, stopping down a little so I could look into those shining eyes of hers. “Hi, Madeline, it’s very nice to meet you. That’s a very interesting t-shirt.”

  Madeline’s face brightened at my words. “I have a The Walking Dead packpack, too!”

  “That is so cool!” I enthused, trying not to laugh at her adorable pronunciation of ‘backpack’. “I wish I had a packpack like that.”

  I wasn’t sure how age appropriate the show was for a four-year-old, so as I straightened up, I shot Emily a curious look.

  She rolled her eyes at me. “I was watching it one night and she walked in. She’s obsessed with it now.”

  “I don’t get scared when the zombies eat people.” Madeline seemed proud about this and gave me the cutest, little smile I’d ever seen. This little girl was very quickly growing on me.

  An elderly woman with a kind face approached us. This was Mrs. Potts. She reminded me of one of those typical cartoon grandmothers with her snow white hair and rosy cheeks. “Hello, Sky. It’s good to see you again.”

  “It’s so nice to be here.”

  Mrs. Potts gave me a kind smile. “I’d love to show you around, but I’m sure you’re exhausted from the traveling. Why don’t you get settled in and I’ll tell you everything you need to know tomorrow? If you’re up here at 8 am then I can show you how I start off the day.”

  “That sounds great,” I said, returning her smile.

  I liked Mrs. Potts a lot. She seemed to be sweet, instead of a dictator like I had been worried she might be. Hopefully, I’d get the hang of things quickly, get myself settled in, and make the transition into retirement easier for her.

  “I’m going to show Sky her room, but you can talk her ear off later, okay?” Emily said, ruffling Madeline’s hair.

  “Okay!” Madeline exclaimed. “Bye!”

  A couple of minutes later, Emily was leading me along a corridor to my room. Wherever we went, everything was grand and opulent. I couldn’t even comprehend how expensive the décor was. Even though it was a little showy and extravagant, everything was done with a touch of class.

  Emily finally stopped outside a door and stepped back. “This is your room, Sky. Your bags should have already been brought up. I have a class to get to, but I’ll see you tonight at dinner.”

  “Okay, thanks for showing me around,” I said.

  “Not a problem,” she said. “Oh, and we have an indoor pool downstairs. You should definitely check it out.”

  With that she flashed me one of those smiles that came so naturally to her before hurrying away. I watched her go, a warmth swelling inside me from how sweet she was.

  When I pushed open the door, and my eyes wandered over the space in front of me, I thought Emily had made a mistake. This couldn’t be my room. It was way too big for one person to stay in.

  Then I noticed my shabby suitcase and duffel bag sitting on the floor in front of the bed and it hit me that this actually was my room. My luggage looked just as out of place in the room as I probably did in this mansion.

  Shutting the door behind me, I took a few minutes to look around the beautifully decorated room. I had a queen size bed, a flat screen TV, a large desk on one side, and even a bathroom of my own. I guess they liked everything big around here.

  After I unpacked a few of my clothes, I changed into my white, two-piece bikini and grabbed my towel before heading downstairs to seek out the indoor pool. Since Mrs. Potts had been nice enough to give me time to settle in, I was going to make the most of it.

  After fifteen minutes—and getting lost four times—I finally located the indoor pool. It was in its own section on the bottom floor of the mansion, right by the gym.

  The pool area was simple with chaise chairs and small, round tables. There was a small bathroom connected to it, and when I peeked inside I saw towels and robes folded neatly on shelves. They really didn’t leave you wanting for anything.

  Throwing my colorful towel onto a chair, I eased myself into the pool, excited to have some alone time. The warmth of the water felt amazing against my cool skin. There was already a sheen of sweat on my brow, but I wasn’t bothered by it. I had just left the sweltering heat of Carson City, so this was nothing.

  After doing a couple of laps of the large pool and tiring myself out, I finally retreated to the shallow end of the pool to bask in the warmth of the water settling in around me. It was so beautiful and peaceful here, like a resort not a job.

  Even the encounter with the Coffee Shop Jerk was forgotten now.

  Nick

  I wasn’t sure why I was so fixated on her.

  Maybe it was because I recognized her as the girl who’d given me attitude in the coffee shop this morning.

  Maybe it was because I found her attractive—dark skin, dark hair, cute face, hot body. Plus, her tits looked good in her white bikini top, visible just above the water.

  Or maybe it was because she looked so peaceful, lost in her own thoughts as she soaked in the pool, and I found it amazing that anyone could find peace here. This house was a hell. It sucked away at you until you were emaciated, without hope or spirit.

  I didn’t know her name.

  I didn’t need to.

  To me she was a bloom in the middle of desiccation, and a part of me wanted her to survive.

  Another part of me just wanted to bang the shit out of her because that’s what I did when I couldn’t get a girl out of my mind.

  And she—she had definitely been on my mind.

  Sky

  When my skin finally turned gross and prune-like, I decided to call it a night. As I climbed out of the pool, I heard a noise that made me jump. Startled, I glanced around and saw a man reclining in one of the poolside chairs.

  Holy crap. He’d come out of nowhere. I wondered how long he’d been lying there watching me. That was weird. And kind of creepy.

  “Um, hi!” I squeaked out, at the same time realizing that my towel was right next to the chair that he was lying on.

  Double crap. Now I’d have to walk over to the creepy guy to grab my towel. If he’d say something instead of staring at me weirdly then I wouldn’t be so freaked out.

  Taking deliberate steps towards him, and wishing I wasn’t wearing a two-piece, I tried to appear unaffected by his presence.<
br />
  As I reached him, he stood up and grabbed my towel, which was a weird thing for him to-

  I froze as recognition flooded me.

  Oh, my God. No freakin’ way. It was the guy from the coffee shop. Was he stalking me? Had he come here to seek out revenge?

  My first instinct was to grab something and throw it at him—the only object within my line of sight was the chair. There was no way he would see that coming. My second instinct was to punch him. I went with my third instinct instead—it was the least violent.

  “Did you follow me here, you psycho?” I demanded, my eyes darting around as I tried to figure out how to make my getaway.

  “What?” His brow creased and he looked confused. “No, I live here.”

  He what? How was that possible?

  Then the awful realization hit me. The resemblance to his father was now glaringly obvious. The same eyes, the same chiseled jaw, the same straight nose.

  This was Nicholas Ruggarson.

  Of course it was. Of course the obnoxious guy from the coffee shop had to be my boss’ son. Just my freakin’ luck.

  “You’re the babysitter,” he said, obviously coming to his own conclusion.

  “Nanny,” I corrected, not liking his tone.

  It sounded like he was trying to make my job sound as demeaning as possible. Yeah, I wasn’t a lawyer or a rocket scientist, but that didn’t define me as a person.

  “You’re young.” His eyes flickered over me as though he was trying to memorize me.

  “I’m twenty-one,” I countered, feeling defensive.

  Yeah, that didn’t make me sound young at all.

  I felt like Nick was thinking something similar because the edge of his lips lifted up in a smirk. “Since we’re exchanging ages, I’m twenty-four.”

  He stared at me some more, my towel still in his hand. He was acting really weird. Was it time to file a restraining order?

  “I don’t care,” I snapped. I was starting to get cold, and I just wanted to get away from him. “Can I have my towel, please?”