Growing up with maids, butlers, personal assistants and even people who picked out your daily wardrobe was a bit ridiculous. Just because his family happened to be titled, because they had a certain last name and were wealthy, they had every single material thing at their disposal.
But money could only do so much. Colin still worried about the pressure and responsibility that came with being a member of the royal family. He knew he was projecting his fears onto his daughter, but he was her main source of stability now and he’d rather be overprotective than to pass along something that would overwhelm her.
Raking a hand through his hair, Colin opened his door and stepped out into the hallway. The twelve thousand square foot home was large, not as large as the palace by any means, but big enough that he’d had video monitors installed in most rooms so he could watch the feeds from his bedroom. He’d also had sound monitors wired throughout the house so he could hear Iris no matter where he was. There were alarms on the doors and windows, so he definitely would’ve heard had Darcy tried to take Iris from the house. He might be paranoid, but he would never take a chance with the safety of his child.
Colin was headed for the steps when his back started twitching.
Damn it. He gripped the railing as he stood on the landing and breathed deeply, waiting for the crippling pain to pass. Total agony he could tolerate, but being in a wheelchair and rendered helpless he could not.
Immediately following the accident, the doctors had indicated he might not ever be able to walk again, but the moment he’d heard those words he’d made it his mission to prove them wrong. Granted, he was walking, but the spasms in his back and piercing pain in his hip and down through his leg would blast him at the most inopportune times. Another reason he needed a nanny. Back home he had a driver, but he needed someone for that task here, too. Damn it, he hated being dependent on others for help, but he couldn’t risk his daughter’s safety if his pain hit while he was behind the wheel.
Colin needed to start making use of that home gym he’d had put in before arriving. He couldn’t put off the physical therapy any longer, because he refused to be at the mercy of this injury.
Once the pain ceased, Colin headed down the steps carefully, in case the sensations returned.
Just as he reached the last step, squeals carried through the foyer. Colin followed the sound and stopped short when he spotted the carnage that used to be his spotless living room. He’d seen Darcy and Iris on the screen in his bedroom just before Stefan had called, but he sure as hell hadn’t see this disaster.
“What the—”
Darcy sat on the floor surrounded by toys. Her hair, which had been pulled back earlier, was now down and in complete disarray, as if her hands—or the hands of a lover—had been running through it. Dry cereal was strewn across his coffee table and had trickled down to the rug beneath. From the looks of things some of the pieces had been trampled on and ground into the carpeting. A sippy cup sat on its side, but, fortunately, no liquid appeared to puddle beneath due to the spill-proof lid. There was one blessing in this chaos.
While Darcy was smiling, her eyes on his, Iris was playing with the hair on a doll. Doll? That wasn’t one of her dolls. Colin had only shipped her favorite things and this wasn’t part of Iris’s collection.
“Did we wake you?” Darcy asked, smiling as if this scene were absolutely normal. “We were trying to be quiet.”
He’d turned the sound down in his bedroom, hoping sleep would come.
“You didn’t wake me.” He took a cautious step into the room, almost afraid to look for any more destruction. “Is this typically how you watch children? You let them destroy a house?”
Shoving her hair back, Darcy pulled a band from her wrist and secured the dark mass into a low, messy style. As she came to her feet, she wiped her hands on her pants.
“This is far from destroyed, Colin.”
The second his name slid through her lips, his eyes locked onto that unpainted mouth. He’d been told numerous times how intimidating his stare could be, yet she hadn’t blinked or even shied away from him. Granted, he didn’t want to intimidate her, but he was pretty impressed by how strong she seemed to be. One more aspect of American women he found intriguing. So independent, so strong-willed. As if he needed another reason to be drawn to Darcy.
“Iris and I are playing, and when we’re done we’ll pick it up.” Her arms crossed over her chest, sending the swell of her breasts up to the opening of her V-neck. “There were no toys in here at all so we quietly snuck to her room and I grabbed a few things. Then I wasn’t sure what her eating schedule was and she was hungry. Took me a second to figure out what nack-nack was, but I figured it meant snacks when she tugged me toward the kitchen.”
As she defended herself, Colin couldn’t help but slide his gaze to the way the V of her shirt twisted toward one side, showcasing the swell of her breasts, all but mocking him. Then there was the way her rounded hips filled out her jeans in such a way that would make any man beg.
Prince Mikos Colin Alexander had never begged for anything in his life and he sure as hell wasn’t about to start now because of some punch of lust to his gut that he couldn’t get under control.
Darcy was quite a captivating woman. He still couldn’t get over the fact she wore no jewelry or makeup whatsoever. The woman oozed simplicity and for some reason he found that to be utterly sexy and ridiculously arousing. She wasn’t out to impress him in any way other than relating to the care of his daughter.
Iris squealed when she spotted him. With her little arms out wide, she ran across the hardwood, over the rug, crushing even more cereal pieces beneath her bare feet before she collided with his legs. Colin cringed when she reached for him. He wanted to scoop her up, but with his back just coming off a muscle seizure, he opted to take a seat in the closest armchair and pull her into his lap instead.
Iris’s little hands smacked up and down his arm and he placed a kiss on top of her head, where her wayward curls always tickled his nose. The smile she offered him had him returning her five-toothed grin. How could he look at her and not smile instantly? She was his every reason for being, the motivation behind all decisions he made.
“How long will the living room be a war zone?” he asked, turning his attention back to Darcy.
She glanced around then back to him with a laugh. “You do realize you’re raising a toddler, right? They will make messes, they will make memories and they will learn to clean up later. I assure you this area will be spotless once she lays down for a nap.”
Iris wiggled right off his lap and headed toward the coffee table covered in a buffet of snacks. Weren’t kids supposed to eat in high chairs? Had his assistants at the palace let Iris be so carefree when he hadn’t been around?
“She’s been playing in her room,” Colin informed Darcy when she continued to stare at him. “That’s why the toys are kept there.”
A wide smile spread across Darcy’s face, making her look even younger. “You really are a stickler for rules, huh? Children need room to grow, to flourish. Yes, they need schedules, but they also need to learn to be flexible.”
Even though she stood above him, Colin met and held her stare. There was no way this nanny was going to come in here and wreck everything just for the sake of making memories or whatever the hell else she’d babbled about.
Colin wasn’t stupid. He knew he owed his not-so-sunny disposition to the fact that he couldn’t get a grip on his attraction. Why this woman? Why now? And why the hell were her breasts right at eye level?
“By flourish do you mean grinding cereal into the floor?” he asked, focusing on the mess. “Or maybe you mean throwing toys around the room without a care of what may break?”
“That was another point I was going to bring up.” Darcy stepped over a stuffed animal and sank down on the edge of the sofa. Lacing her fingers ov
er the arm, she brought her eyes back to his. “All of these breakables should probably be put away for now, or at least placed higher where she can’t pull them down. She’ll get used to what she can and can’t touch, but for now I’d try to avoid unnecessary injuries.”
The home had come fully furnished. Colin had simply paid a designer to get everything set up so he only had to bring their clothes and personal belongings. All the breakables and any other knickknacks sitting around meant nothing to him. He’d replace whatever was broken, if need be.
Colin glanced across the mayhem on the floor. Iris sat on her beloved lamb while playing with the new doll.
“Where did that come from?”
Darcy glanced over as Iris gripped the doll’s long, dark hair and started swinging it around. “I brought it for her.”
So in the single bag she’d brought, Darcy had managed to squeeze a doll in among her belongings?
“Is that something you normally do? Bribe potential clients?”
Darcy’s eyes widened. “I’ve never had to bribe anybody. Your daughter was being introduced to a stranger and I used the doll as a way to talk to her and make her comfortable. I can take it back if it offends you.”
Colin gritted his teeth. In the span of a few hours his house had been taken over by this free spirit who seemed oblivious to the mess surrounding them and was trying to tell him how to raise his child. She’d calmed Iris in a way he’d never seen and now his new nanny was stomping all over his libido. And he was paying her for every bit of this torture.
Iris started whimpering as she rubbed her eyes.
“Is this nap time?” Darcy asked.
“She tends to nap once a day.” He smoothed a wayward curl from Iris’s forehead and slid his finger down her silky cheek. “There’s no set time. I just lay her down when she seems ready.”
Darcy came to her feet, crossed the room and lifted Iris into her arms. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you down for a nap. I’ll clean the mess today and you can help tomorrow.”
Colin rose. Now that he didn’t have to bend over and pick Iris up, he figured he could carry her to her bedroom. He hadn’t felt even a twinge in his back since he’d been downstairs.
“I’ll take her up.” Colin took Iris from Darcy’s arms, careful not to brush against any part of her tempting body. “You can work on this.”
Holding his daughter tight, he headed up to the nursery. With her little arms around his neck, she still clutched the new doll and with each step he took it slapped against his back. Iris had taken to Darcy exactly the way Colin hoped his little girl would take to a new nanny. Yet some things about Darcy didn’t add up. He’d picked her agency because of its reputation and level of experience. Okay, so she was older than he’d first thought. But why did she have so few belongings and why were her clothes a bit on the cheap, hand-me-down side?
With Iris nuzzling his neck, Colin stepped into the pale green and pink nursery. This was the one room he’d had painted before they’d moved in. Every other room had just been furnished as he’d requested. He’d wanted something special for Iris and the designer really went all out with the round crib in the middle of the spacious room, sheer draping suspended from the ceiling that flowed down over the bed and classic white furniture complete with all things girly, pink and just a touch of sparkle. The floor-to-ceiling window also had sheer curtains that were tied back with some pink, shimmery material, and toy bins were stacked neatly against the far wall.
A room fit for a princess...or duchess, as the case may be.
When he sat Iris in her bed, she quickly grabbed her little heart pillow, hugged her new doll to her chest and lay down. Colin watched until her eyes closed, her breathing slowed.
Darcy might be a bit of a mystery, but with his status, he had to be extremely watchful. She seemed trustworthy so far. If she just wanted privacy that was one thing. Who was he to judge? Wasn’t he lying and pretending to be someone else right now?
The fact that there was more to figure out with the alluring, frustrating nanny left him no choice but to head back downstairs and talk with her now that they were alone.
Of course, he was hiding the fact that he was a prince, one who found her to be sexy as hell. Still, he needed help with Iris. For now he’d have to keep Darcy around, but that didn’t mean she’d be here for the full six months. They needed to pin down a suitable trial period. In the meantime, he could be researching a backup in case Darcy didn’t work out.
Regardless of the end result, he had to ignore how enticing she was. Romance, whether short-or long-term, was not on his agenda, and he sure as hell wouldn’t be so trite as to fall into bed with his baby’s nanny.
Three
Darcy had picked up the living room, piling all the toys and infant blankets neatly in the corner. The rogue cereal pieces were in the trash, except for the crushed bits. She’d have to ask Colin where the vacuum was kept to get the rug back in order. She’d work with Iris and her cleaning skills next time. The girl needed a nap more than she needed a lesson.
Playing with Iris, truly feeling a bond starting to form, was both a blessing and an ache she couldn’t begin to put into words. For so long she’d had that little-girl dream of having her own family, but such things were not meant to be. Darcy hadn’t thought this job would be so intense, yet maybe it was the combination of the baby and the man that had her stomach in knots. As grouchy as he was, Colin was still very sexy, there was no denying the obvious.
At first, the instant attraction to Colin had layered over her anxiety of working with an infant. The man was hot, hot, hot, and that was just the physical packaging. When he spoke with that accent he only rose another notch on the sexy scale. But there was nothing like seeing him holding his beautiful daughter, the way he looked at her with all the love in the world. Something about watching him with his guard down had Darcy melting even more.
As Colin’s footsteps pounded down the steps, she stood at the kitchen sink rinsing the sippy cup. Quickly placing it on the drying mat, she wiped her hands on her jeans. She had no clue what mood Colin would be in or how he might react once they were alone.
Would he ask her to leave simply because of the mess? A good first impression was everything and she’d probably blown it. He’d told her she had until the end of the day to prove herself, but she may not make it that far. She stood to lose her pride and her grandmother’s legacy. There was no plan B, there was no knight who would ride to her rescue. So if Colin was angry enough to ask her to go, she wouldn’t have much choice.
Darcy couldn’t get a good read on him. When he looked at her she couldn’t tell if he was angry or turned on. Ridiculous to think a piece of eye candy like Colin Alexander would find her attractive, but he volleyed between being pissed and raking his eyes over her.
No way would she bring up the fact he turned her inside out. She’d always been a professional and this job was no different...except for the fact she needed this one more than any other.
Just as Darcy turned, Colin was rounding the large center island. Even in the openness of the kitchen, the man seemed to dominate the room. She stepped back, the edge of the counter biting into the small of her back.
“Is she asleep?” Darcy asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though she felt anything but.
“Yes.” His eyes pinned her in place as he rested one hand on the granite counter. “We need to talk while she’s down.”
Swallowing, Darcy nodded. This was like the equivalent of the breakup in a business setting. Still, she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“I need to clean the rug first,” she told him, knowing he probably recognized the stalling tactic. “I wasn’t sure where you kept your vacuum.”
“There’s a handheld one in the utility room. I’ll get it later.”
Oh, this wasn’t good. An image of her grandm
other flashed through her mind. Darcy had promised Gram before she passed that Loving Hands would stay up and running. Then love had entered the picture...or what Darcy had thought was love. How could she have been so naive as to trust a man with her life and her family business, and not see that he was a lying, greedy user?
* * *
Colin leaned against the island and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Why only one bag?”
His question jerked her from her thoughts. That’s what he’d initially wanted to talk about? Her luggage?
“How many bags do I need?” she countered.
A sliver of a tattoo peeked out from beneath the hem of his T-shirt sleeve. Darcy’s belly clenched. She’d always been a sucker for ink. But shallow lust is what got her into a mess of trouble the last time. A sexy, smooth-talking man and tats over solid muscles...she refused to go down the same path again, when all she’d met at the end of her journey was a broken heart. Not that Colin was a smooth talker. He was more of a blunt, grumpy, irritable talker.
“Will you be sending for more belongings?” he asked.
Still stunned that this was what he’d wanted to discuss, she shook her head. “I have all I need. Does this mean I’m staying?”
When he raked a hand through his tousled hair, a masculine, woodsy scent slid across the gap and straight to her. How did the man positively reek of sex appeal when he looked like he’d spent days without sleep?
“I want to discuss the trial period,” he told her, shifting his weight with a slight wince. “The contract we mentioned on the phone was for six months. I’ll give you one month to prove that you’re the right fit for the job. Anytime in that month we can decide to terminate the agreement.”
Relief spread through her in waves. She would definitely win him over in a month. She was good at her job, she’d been raised helping her grandmother care for children and, honestly, raising kids was all she knew. The irony of the situation as it related to her personal struggles was not lost on her.
What the Prince Wants Page 3