I’ve prepared the room down the hall from Lillie. They’re on the third floor of the house. My suite and offices are spread out on the second. Eleanor’s master suite is on the first.
As I walk back and forth in the large entrance, I realize this house probably is considered a McMansion. The grand staircase curves up to the second-floor landing, which has a balcony overlooking the downstairs.
Doors close it off from my quarters, and the stairs continue up to the third floor. When she was a baby, we had Lillie’s bedroom and playroom on the first floor near Eleanor’s. As she got older, she wanted to move to the top floor. She went through a Tangled phase, and I guess it made her feel like a princess in a tower. Naturally, we have monitors in her rooms.
Her playroom is still on the first floor, however, and I hear her little voice talking to her dolls. She won’t be awake much longer. My hands are shoved in the pockets of my jeans, and the tail of my button-up shirt is untucked.
I didn’t want to appear too formal when she arrived or make her feel uncomfortable. Honestly, the only thing I know about nannies is from what I saw as a kid in The Sound of Music, which my mother made me watch one day when I was sick, and which I mostly slept through.
Still, I remember whistles blowing, kids marching like soldiers, and running from the Nazis.
I’m pretty confident none of that will happen in my house, so I have no basis for what to expect.
A knock sounds at the door, and my boat shoes squeak on the marble as I rush to open it. Ruby’s hair swirls around her shoulders when I do. Her brown eyes widen, moving up and down my body quickly. God, she’s so gorgeous.
“Hi.” I manage to say.
The air hums and crackles between us. I wonder if she feels it, too. Then her cheeks flush that pretty shade of pink, and I know she does.
Jesus. I want to fuck the nanny. Don’t get a boner. I cannot adjust my fly right now.
“Hi!”
She smiles nervously. “I… um… wasn’t sure where to park. My car is down there.”
She points to the right, along the circle drive, and I step out on the flagstone landing to see a lime green Subaru almost at the street behind Eleanor’s Crown Victoria.
“That’s fine.” I nod, stepping back and holding the door for her to enter. “You can park in the garage next time. I’ll make sure we have a remote for you.”
“It’s the little things.” As she passes me, I catch the faint scent of roses again. I wonder if it’s her hair or her perfume.
A navy backpack is on her shoulder, and she’s rolling a white suitcase with a pink kitten outline on it. Everything she does turns me on.
“Can I help you with your bags?”
“It’s okay, I’ve got them.” She looks up, all around the entrance. “Your home is beautiful.”
I close the door, leaning my back against it as I study her. She’s dressed in black leggings and a white tank top with a long-sleeved chambray shirt unbuttoned over it, and she looks perfect. Her hair is up in a high ponytail, and the ends fall just past her shoulder. She turns in the entrance to face me, and for a moment I don’t know what to say.
The long, white envelope is in her hand. “I guess you’ll be wanting this.” She holds it out to me, and I step forward to take it. “I signed everything.”
“I added the bit about the one-month trial period. To be sure you’re happy here.”
“Right.” She nods slowly, her eyes staying on mine. “It looked like you covered everything we discussed.”
“I tried to be thorough.”
It’s like a low current hums between us, silent but powerful. As much as I try to dismiss Eleanor’s lecture, keeping my hands off this girl might not be as easy as I anticipated. I feel like I’m waking up from a long sleep…
What? No. Of course, I’ll keep my hands off Ruby. I’m not some creepy 1950s-era sexually harassing male employer. This is a business arrangement. A mutually beneficial business arrangement. She is here to help care for my daughter. That is all.
“Is something wrong?” Her soft voice is higher, and I realize I’m frowning.
“Oh, sorry, No. I was just thinking about…” I can’t tell her what I was just thinking about. What’s wrong with me? “Have you had dinner?” Her expression is slightly startled, and I hasten to add. “We’ve all eaten, but you’re welcome to help yourself if you’re hungry.”
“Oh,” she exhales and smiles, seeming relieved. “I already had something. Thanks.”
It feels so stiff and formal. I’m not sure what to do to ease the tension. “Eleanor has gone to bed.” After sulking around the house all evening, I don’t add. “Lillie is still awake. She wanted to show you her room… And yours.”