by Shay Violet
“Yes.” I nod and cradle her hand in mine. “She will be your new live-in nanny.”
Nadia’s face lights up so fast she could power New York City if she wanted to.
“Daddy, that is the best news I’ve ever heard.”
I’m over the moon with her reaction. “Do you want to get her now? I gave her the guest room on the third floor.”
“Yes, let’s go get her,” Nadia exclaims.
She links her hand to mine and gives my arm a little tug. “Come on daddy,” she says with wildly cute animation.
“Okay sweetheart, I’m coming. You don’t have to drag me,” I chuckle.
We jog up the stairs, practically taking them two at a time. Nadia is beside herself with excitement. When we get to Aurora’s bedroom, the door is already open, and Aurora is standing there. She looks so stunningly beautiful that she knocks the breath straight from my lungs.
She stands there, looking awkward but sweet as if she wants to impress us, but doesn’t know where to start.
She’s wearing a red sundress with spaghetti straps. The dress is flattering to her bust, giving her supple cleavage that practically makes me drool with desire. She has slender arms and is wearing a silver necklace with a heart pendant attached. The dress molds to her toned body perfectly. Her cherry red curls look springy and full of life.
She casts us a timid, yet friendly wave. Her eyes sparkle with excitement. “Hello.”
Nadia wastes no time. She charges at Aurora like a lion in the wild. My daughter ropes her arms around Aurora’s tiny waist and squeezes her like a boa constrictor.
“Aurora!” Nadia’s voice is muffled because she has her face buried in the woman’s torso. “You are going to be my new nanny. This is so exciting.”
Aurora nearly stumbles backward from Nadia’s bear hug her. She seems surprised, but she recovers well and returns Nadia’s stout grasp with a fond hug of her own.
Her eyes gleam with affection and wonderment. She responds with exceptional purity and compassion.
I’m floored by the organic alignment of chemistry she has already with my daughter, and she hasn’t even technically dived into her role as nanny yet.
The duties have yet to unfold, but I’m more confident than anything that she can do her job with elegance and grace, much better than the last nanny I had who failed miserably in the role.
She is not only beautiful on the outside, but I’m realizing that she has a gentle soul on the inside. I feel an urgent longing to run toward her too and snake my arms around her sexy waist while we share a passionate, frenzied kiss.
There is, however, another part of me that wants to keep my distance. I don’t want to seem cold or standoffish to Aurora, especially during her transition phase, but I don’t want to get attached to her either. There must be a happy medium, but I have yet to find that balance.
My heart is pounding with lust. I don’t know if I’m imagining things I want to happen, but Aurora’s gaze locks on mine, in a sensual way that makes blood rush to my cock. It throbs in my pants, bulging with a tingly thrill.
I feel the raw emotion between Aurora and Nadia. There is already so much admiration and banter flowing easily between them. Part of me feels jealous, wishing I could enjoy that experience with both, both simultaneous and alone, but I’m used to being the outcast.
I’m left out with relationships with other people. As a sheikh, that exclusion comes with the territory. It has to be this way. To protect the people who I love and care for, I have to keep my distance.
Even if it makes me sometimes appear a little on the callous side, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. On the inside, shutting off my emotions is the only way I know how to keep the ones I love safeguarded from the afflictions of the shadows of wealth and status.
10
Aurora
When we walk down the stairs and enter the dining room, I can’t believe the display of spectacular food spread out in front of us. A crystal chandelier hangs over the table. It shimmers and sparkles with prisms of light cast by the crystal goblets on the table.
The sterling silver flatware and intricately folded white napkins folded look like the work of a talented artist. The china is rimmed with gold.
My eyes wander over everything as if I’m a kid in a candy store. I glance up at Nadia and Jai.
“This is… incredible.”
“Do you like it?” Nadia beams.
“Are you kidding me?” I am filled to the brim with wonderment. “I feel like I’m in a… fairy tale.”
“A fairy tale?” Nadia giggles. “I love fairy tales.”
I give her a warm smile and stroke the edge of her soft cheek with my thumb. “Me too.”
Nadia peers up at her father with a curious expression. “Daddy, can Ms. Aurora sit next to me?”
“Yes,” he says and nods at her with an endorsing smile.
“You don’t have to call me Ms. Aurora,” I tell her. “Aurora is just fine.”
Nadia grins so wide I feel like her lips might snap like a rubber band. She excitedly pushes her chair out and mine beside it. She enthusiastically pats the empty seat beside her.
“You can sit here,” she says.
“Thanks.” I take a seat next to her and place my cloth napkin in my lap.
“Everything looks amazing,” I tell Jai. “Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your dinner feast.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” he says with a chuckle. “Even a nanny has to eat, right?”
I smile. “Right.”
I take a deep sigh and a sip of my water. The ice in the glass makes a delicate clinking sound against the crystal goblet.
“Speaking of fairy tales,” I mention with a grin aimed at Nadia, as a thought springs into my brain.
Her eyes are wide and innocent, like a child whose entire life hangs on dreams coming true. I’m envious of her that way. I wish I could have as much hope as she does and faith in everything. Unfortunately, the world has burned me too often and the cynical side of me is always louder than everything else.
“Yes?” Nadia perks up expectantly, sitting up straight as a board in her seat.
Her beautiful white dress has ruffles at the end that flow over the edge of her dainty legs.
“The table looks enchanted. I half expect the silverware to get up and dance,” I say with a chuckle.
“Like Beauty and the Beast?” Nadia’s eyes sparkle.
“Yes, like Beauty and the Beast,” I say, impressed that she’s heard of that one.
I already feel like I’m bonding with her, and I’m seeing a trend in similar interests which helps me feel a little more at ease. I do my best to relax and go with the flow of things. I never dreamed that I would be in such a luxurious house with such a delectable spread of food in front of me. I know it’s important to count my blessings.
“Do you like Beauty and the Beast?” I ask.
“I do.” She vigorously nods her head.
“Eat your soup, darling,” Jai says and picks up Nadia’s spoon, handing it to her.
She makes a face. “It’s too hot.”
“That’s a great transition to another fairy tale,” I say.
“Which one?” Nadia’s forehead wrinkles and she blinks up at me with intrigue.
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” I mention.
She looks slightly crestfallen. “I don’t know that one.”
“That’s okay,” I say. “You are still very young. You have time to learn. I can tell you all about them.”
“Really?” She claps her hands together.
“Absolutely.” I chuckle and my gaze briefly meets with Jai.
A warmth rushes through me and I take a deep breath to recover from the amazing sensation induced by his eyes, especially before anyone else notices.
“In Goldilocks and the Three Bears, they have to find the porridge that is just the right temperature. They don’t want the ones that are too hot or too cold. They want it just right.”
She glances down at the soup as if she’s pondering taking a bite.
If I’m the new nanny, I have to live up to the challenge and knock Jai’s socks off. I want to impress him and make him feel happy that he chose me to be his child’s caretaker. I don’t want to disappoint him and make him regret allowing me access into his sheikh world. I need to remind myself that it’s a new beginning not only for me but for Nadia and Jai .
Nadia plucks her fork and spoon into an upright position as she twirls them around and dance them around on her plate, humming an unrecognizable, but jovial tune. She smiles up at me as if she’s seeking my approval.
“Do you mean like this?”
I chuckle, humored by her ability to spring right into her childlike imagination. “Exactly like that.”
“That’s enough Nadia,” Jai states. He gives her a gentle smile and meets my gaze again. “You need to eat now, it’s getting late.”
“But Daddy, it’s too hot.” Nadia juts out her bottom lip in an adorably sassy pout.
“I’ll try it first, is that okay with you?” I smile at her and lift my spoon, scooping some delicious cauliflower soup onto it. “See? I can eat it. It’s not so bad. It’s cooled down now that we’ve been sitting here talking first.”
Nadia scrutinizes me, and I feel her gaze as I take a piping hot spoonful and blow on it, popping it into my mouth.
The flavor is so savory and delicious, it practically melts in my mouth. I have to prevent myself from groaning with satisfaction at the taste.
“It’s very yummy,” I tell her and wipe my mouth with the napkin in my lap.
Nadia seems impressionable as she nods and scoops a hefty portion onto her own spoon.
She gulps it down and smacks her lips with a grin. “It’s actually tasty.”
I pat her on the back. “See?”
Jai looks at me and gives me a grateful smile. “Thank you,” he mouths while his eyes flicker with relief.
I nod and return his tantric smile while mouthing back, “You’re welcome,”
Nadia leans over the plate and devours her food, taking a bite out of her biscuit, but not before dipping a large chunk of it into the cauliflower soup to sop up the liquid and make the biscuit deliciously soggy for a scrumptious bite.
I notice that her hair is still unkept. It’s especially disheveled at the top and at the bottom as if she hasn’t combed it in several days.
I find it interesting, and I try not to be judgmental about it, especially because Nadia is so well dressed like a proper little sheikh’s daughter should be. Maybe she just doesn’t like for people to mess with her hair.
Who am I to assume? I am not a parent, but I know that it is easier to choose your battles.
Her hair isn’t hurting anyone. Perhaps Jai will be a little more lenient in the physical appearance department with his daughter. I’m smart enough to know that it’s not a topic of conversation for our first official dinner together.
It isn’t as if Nadia is dirty, and her hair doesn’t particularly appear dirty either, it just needs a proper brushing.
I make the mental determination I won’t bring it up unless they ask me to. I’m not here to overstep boundaries. I’m here to brighten the world of a little girl in desperate need of maternal love. My goal is to be her female mentor, to steer her in the right direction and influence her decisions for the better.
Earlier in the day, I figured that her hair might have been messy because she had run away and had become lost on the wood trail, but now I know it goes a little deeper since she’s dressed so nicely and no one has bothered to brush the hair and make it presentable for dinner.
Nadia looks up at me after cleaning her plate. “I want to hear more stories.”
“You like them,” I observe and smile.
“Very much.” Nadia’s cheeks are rosy. “I don’t want the night to end. I’m having so much fun with you.”
“All good things must come to an end,” Jai mentions beside her, giving her a knowing look.
Nadia’s face wilts slightly with disappointment.
Jai tries to explain the method behind his reasoning to her, but as a little girl, I can see how she’s having difficulty in accepting what he has to say.
“Nadia,” he begins. “We need to respect Aurora’s time. She’s new to our house. We need to ease her into the job. You don’t want to overwhelm her, do you?”
Nadia stares at her plate, but she nods at her father’s statement.
“It’s bedtime for you, and we need to let Aurora rest because tomorrow will be hard for her, having to adjust to the new role and all,” he adds as tenderly as he can.
I know that it’s appropriate for me to agree with Jai and not to contest him in the first hour of my new position, but I also want Nadia to feel happy about the situation too. I don’t want her to go to bed distressed. I want her to rest her head on her pillow with happy anticipation for the fun to come in our future together.
I rub her arm lightly. “When I was a little girl, I never wanted the evening to end when I was having fun. It’s a natural reaction.”
“Did your parents make you go to bed too?” Nadia asks, staring up at me with the purest set of eyes.
“They did,” I say to make her feel better, even though I didn’t have a father present in my life and my struggling single mother did the best she could. I didn’t go into those details with the little child, however.
“That’s why I loved falling asleep reading fairy tales,” I admit. “When I did that, it felt like the stories kept going. Like magic, I would drift off to sleep. I would dream about the story and the love, light, and fun would continue flowing through my mind.”
Nadia bounces up and down in her seat, clapping her hands together again as an excited flare wistfully glimmers in her eyes.
“That sounds incredible,” she declares, looking between me and Jai as if waiting for one of us to make an informed decision on what she should do next.
It is already clear what she wants to do. After Jai doesn’t respond right away, I make a suggestion in the most amicable way possible.
“If it’s all right with your father, I can take you upstairs, tuck you in and read you a bedtime story.”
Nadia whips her tiny head around and her bird’s nest of hair lashes through the air from her jerky movements. “Can I, Daddy? Please, please?” She’s still springing up and down in her seat like a wiggle worm.
Jai glances at me and I know he’s going to cave. For anyone with a heart, it's impossible not to.
“All right, you can do it,” he states quietly. “But, lights out by ten o’clock. I don’t want to hear any arguments about that. It’s not up for debate. You need sleep, and Aurora needs her rest.”
“That sounds like a fantastic deal,” I say and give Nadia a playful nudge. “I think we should accept the offer.” I cast her a little wink.
“It’s a deal.” She gives her father a smile and shakes his hand as if they are completing a business transaction, but it's all in good fun and tickles me on the inside.
I stand up with Nadia and give him a little wave as Nadia hugs him, saying goodnight.
Practice makes perfect, I remind myself, and I want to feel I’m off to a great start.
11
Aurora
“Come this way,” Nadia says, guiding me down the hallway.
Her hand is hooked with mine. She tugs me forward and gives me a blossoming smile. “This one is my room,” she finally declares, stopping in front of a set of double doors at the end of the hallway.
“I can’t wait to see it,” I tell her with an enthusiastic tone.
“You’ll love it.” She beams radiantly as she pushes the door open and we enter inside.
She immediately seals the door closed behind us. “Here we are,” she says and twirls around in a circle with her arms extended by her sides, gesturing around like a sweet princess.
The walls
are a lovely shade of lavender. She has a white chandelier hanging above her bed that reflects little twinkly lights on the cream-colored sleigh bed on the middle wall. It’s a room that’s fit for a princess.
“This is your room?” I gaze around, astounded, making sure she knows how impressed I am.
The space is just as beautiful and classy as my room, if not, somehow more, so. It’s sophisticated and chic, yet you can still tell it belongs to a little girl because there’s a dollhouse in the corner and some baby dolls on the bed.
Her comforter is lilac in color, matching to the walls and contrasting the white color of the bed frame with an exceptionally cutesy balance.
“Yep,” Nadia declares proudly. “This is my room.”
“It’s like any little girl’s dream,” I say.
Nadia’s face glows with appreciation as she basks in my compliment. “Thank you.”
I smile and point to the edge of her bed. “Do you mind if I sit down here?”
“Of course not, silly.” Her grin is wide and wonderful. “You can tuck me in and lay beside me.”
Her sincerity blows my mind and melts my heart. She takes me in as one of her own, no questions asked. It’s incredible how much life can change for the better in such a short amount of time.
“I’m just going to brush my teeth, and then we can read the story,” Nadia announces.
“That sounds like a fantastic plan.” She earns bonus points for remembering to do that little ritual that most kids consider a chore. “Don’t forget to wash your face too,” I add. I am getting the hang of this nanny thing already.
“I won’t,” she calls over her shoulder as she impishly prances to her own personal bathroom connected to her bedroom.
The attached bathroom is a special privilege I never got to experience growing up, but I’m pleased to have my own bathroom here in this house now. Better late than never, right? I’m going to take advantage of it while it lasts.
Nadia struts back into the room two minutes later. “I have a lot of books over there,” she says and points to a shelf in the corner of the room.