by Alexia Adams
The room was elegantly romantic, an aspect of her personality he hadn’t fully appreciated until now. He’d considered Olivia to be eminently practical—the way she’d taken over and helped him cope with Hannah’s arrival, and the ease with which she adjusted to monumental changes in lifestyle. He now knew she hid a whimsical nature.
If he’d been left to guess, he probably would have thought she’d like a sexy bedroom. Her clothes certainly gave the impression that was part of her personality. But now that he knew Olivia loved romance, he was going to use it to his advantage.
Because one thing the past two weeks apart had taught him was that he was going to do his damnedest to let go of the past and the bitterness he still felt toward marriage, and open himself to the possibilities of a real relationship with Olivia. If he could convince her to give up modeling, he figured they had a real chance.
“So you like it?”
She turned toward him. Her mask had slipped and he could once more glimpse the woman she battled inside—fragile and uncertain. “It is so beautiful. Exactly how I dreamed. But it seems such a waste for a trial nanny.”
He rushed to her side and took her into his arms. She didn’t resist and placed her head on his shoulder, her hands resting on his back. God, she felt good.
Too soon, she pulled away and walked over to the mantle. “Is that the statue from Brisighella?” She ran a finger over the marble figurine of the entwined lovers.
He joined her by the fireplace. “Yes. I bought it that day. I know you said it wasn’t an appropriate gift for a friend. But we are more than friends now.” She searched his face, her dark eyes confused. “Olivia, I think of you as my girlfriend—a woman I am getting to know, with the hope that things may work out between us. I would like to move our relationship to the next level, the one I believe we’d be at if Hannah hadn’t suddenly arrived at my door. Olivia Chapman, will you go out with me?” A rather ridiculous question as they’d been living together since Hannah arrived.
Her eyes searched his face. He let her see it all: the desire, confusion, fear, hope. Hell, maybe there was a hint of love in there, too. He wasn’t sure at this point. It seemed to convince her; one of her hands slid into his hair, guiding his head down toward hers.
Their lips touched and he forced himself to take it slow, be gentle, and not crush her to him with his raging need. Instead he explored her mouth, learned her secrets, reveled in the softness of her full lips under his. He filled his mind with the low moan that escaped her as their tongues dueled. Her hand on his back roved up and down as though she couldn’t get enough of touching him. Just as he was about to shrug off his suit jacket to get closer to her, he felt a tug on his trousers, and not in the usual location.
“Daddy, Bibya, wadya doin’?”
Olivia would have moved away, but he kept his hands firmly on her back. Hannah would have to get used to seeing them kiss, because he wasn’t going to stop for her sake. Although he’d have to be careful to keep any further amorous activities in check until the little one was in bed.
“We’re kissing,” he explained to his daughter. “It’s what Daddy and Olivia do when they are happy to see each other.”
“Oh.” Hannah accepted that explanation but tugged once more on his trousers.
“I want side.”
He looked blankly at Olivia.
“Outside, she wants to go outside.” Olivia’s voice was still husky and her breath came quicker than usual. Good, she’d been as affected as him. Maybe he wouldn’t need the full three months to convince her to stay. Their summer in Italy had been full of laughter. He couldn’t remember a happier time in his adult life. But that was holiday. Real life started now. A life he hoped included Olivia.
Olivia shook her head as if to restart her brain. “Fresh air sounds good. Come on, Hannah. I think I saw a sandbox through the window. Shall we go see if it’s real?”
She dropped her hands from his back and reached out to take his daughter’s hand. Reluctantly, he let her go, then followed the two females in his life. As they were about to exit the backdoor, a buzzing from the phone in his pocket reminded him of his meeting starting in ten minutes.
“Unfortunately, I have to get back to work. I have a video conference call starting soon. I’ll be in the home office next to the sitting room. I’ll leave you two ladies to explore the rest of the house and grounds on your own. Olivia, I didn’t have time to get groceries. Do you want to go out for dinner or get takeaway? As much as I love Italian food, I’m craving curry.”
“Let’s eat in. I think Hannah will be tired after the day’s changes. And Indian food sounds great.” She still had the just-kissed look about her and it was all he could do not to coax her back into his arms for a repeat.
“I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll order in around five in case Hannah flakes out early.” A quiet evening at home, with Olivia by his side, was just what he needed.
“Um, Jonathan … ” Her hot gaze roved over him, as it had back in Italy whenever he’d stripped off his t-shirt. Was she going to suggest more than just a curry? His pulse rate quickened.
“Yes?”
“You may want to take off the tiara before your conference call.”
His hand reached up and touched the plastic, gem-encrusted headpiece. “I don’t know, maybe they’ll take me more seriously if they see I’m royalty.”
Olivia’s delicious laugh followed him down the hall. He was home.
• • •
Olivia loaded the dishwasher while Jonathan tucked Hannah into bed. Her whole body hummed with contentment. She’d been so surprised at the bedroom Jonathan had prepared for her. He’d spent a lot of time, not to mention money, on making her feel special. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t care, would he? And then his suggestion that they move their relationship along hit her at her most vulnerable. Her desire to be loved and accepted had led to some stupid decisions in the past. But she couldn’t deny the chance to see if she and Jonathan had what it took to be truly happy.
The past two weeks had been the longest of her life. Even though Jonathan had flown back to Italy for the weekend, she’d missed seeing him on a daily basis. The withdrawals had been intense. Heaven help her if she had to go cold turkey.
With her thoughts so full of him, it wasn’t a surprise when his arms came around her from behind. “Leave the dishes. I’ll put them in the dishwasher in the morning and turn it on. They should be done by the time you get up.”
“It’s a habit. I always tidy up before I go to bed.” Something she’d picked up mostly to prevent her mother from tripping on something when she came home drunk or high.
“Come have a glass of wine in the snug. It’s not as nice as the terrace in Italy, but when in London … ” He inhaled deeply, near her ear, before releasing her.
She took a moment to gather her wits before she turned to him. Too much of this romance and she’d be a puddle, doing anything to keep him near. She needed to find something to put some distance between them.
“So, what’s the story on this place? You just happened to have an extra five or six million lying around and thought it would be a good investment?” She crossed her arms over her stomach.
A flash of contrition crossed his face. “Let’s talk.”
He led the way to a small room next to his home office. A comfy looking, dark-gray sofa lined one wall, a series of bookshelves another. The window looked out onto the now dark garden. A huge flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall but turned off. It was a room for relaxing. So why did she feel so wound up?
“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you that your dreams of living in a three-bed terraced house were about to be dashed. I don’t think of myself in terms of how much money I have. I buy what I need, sometimes what I want—like the car in Italy. My family isn’t rich. My father has a small building company in Yorkshire. My parents still live in the house I grew up in. They refuse to move even though I’ve offered to buy them a newer house. I was raised on hard w
ork. My mother thinks it’s ludicrous, the money I make just to advise rich people how to get even richer. So I’ve always thought of my wealth as rather an embarrassment. It doesn’t change who I am.”
Even though he’d shed his jacket and tie, he was still dressed for work. It was hard to equate the suit-wearing man in this mansion with the t-shirt-and-shorts guy she’d come to know over the past couple months.
He had one arm thrown over the back of the sofa, as if inviting her into his embrace. She locked her knees to keep from succumbing to the temptation. “Won’t your friends and colleagues think it strange that you’re dating your daughter’s nanny?”
“First, I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of our relationship. Second, I don’t see you as Hannah’s nanny. You are a friend who’s helping me out in my time of need. Any financial or other arrangement between us is nobody’s business but our own.”
“Still—”
“Still nothing. Olivia, sit down, have a glass of wine, and tell me how Hannah handled the flight.” He patted the sofa next to him, but she elected to take a chair opposite, with the coffee table between them.
Eventually she relaxed and related how Hannah had asked a million questions before they’d even taken off and, within five minutes of departure, had the entire flight crew wrapped around her finger.
The strangeness of the different situation gradually decreased and she could see the Jonathan she knew, just dressed in fancier clothes. When he tried to hide his third yawn, she rose.
“You’re tired. We’d better go to bed.” At the blaze of lust that flitted across his eyes, she laughed. “Separate beds,” she amended.
“Damn. Before we go up, I need to show you the security system. I leave at 5 a.m. for work, but I should be home around 6 p.m. I’ve left my contact numbers on the desk in the study as well as a set of keys. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call. If it’s urgent and I’m in a meeting, call my secretary and she’ll get me out.”
He showed her how to work the security system then they walked side by side up the stairs, stopping on the upper landing. His bedroom was at the opposite end of the hall from hers. She’d been surprised when she’d poked her head in earlier at how austere it was, with only a bed, small bedside table, and dresser. He’d spent all that time and money on her room but seemed to have neglected his own.
“Goodnight, Jonathan.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek, then stepped away before he could deepen the embrace. Maybe he hadn’t bothered to fix up his bedroom because he figured it wouldn’t be long before he was sharing hers. Maybe he wasn’t wrong.
With the shift in their relationship, it was going to be harder to resist him. And just why was she trying to keep him at arm’s length? He was thoughtful, kind, sexy, funny—everything she wanted in a man. But he had to accept her for who she was.
Then she heard Hannah laugh in her sleep in the room next door. When I was a child, did I ever laugh in my sleep? She doubted it. Even now, the aftereffects of what she’d endured threatened her happiness. It was possible Jonathan wouldn’t be so inclined to deepen their relationship when he discovered everything in her past. And then she’d have nothing. Again.
Chapter 12
Jonathan sauntered into the kitchen wearing jeans and a blue rugby shirt, his hair slightly disheveled. Olivia blinked. Italian Jonathan was back, although dressed a bit warmer. Maybe she should jack up the heat. It’d been weeks since she’d had an ogle-fest of his naked chest and muscled thighs. Not that she was in any danger of forgetting. The sight of him exiting the pool that first day was burned into her brain and would put a smile on her face well into her old age. But still, a girl couldn’t live on memories alone.
This was her third week in London, living with him and Hannah. Although it was more like they were flat mates. He was gone before she woke, and although they sat together after he’d given Hannah her bath and put her to bed, he was quite often working on his laptop or reading something. He’d even had to go into the office the first two weekends. Investment bankers might make ridiculous money, but they definitely put in the hours.
“It’s a sunny Sunday in September. Who’s up for a trip to the zoo?” he asked.
Hannah glanced up from her coloring and did a double take, surprised to see her daddy during the day. “Daddy!” She waved her arms in the air, her way of asking to be released from her booster seat.
Olivia unbuckled Hannah. As soon as her little feet touched the floor she scurried over to Jonathan who was pouring himself a coffee. He lifted Hannah up then stared at Olivia over the rim of his mug.
“I didn’t even hear you come home last night,” Olivia said, hoping he didn’t notice the fluster in her voice. So she hadn’t seen him in a couple of days thanks to his business trip to Turkey. Didn’t mean she should get all weak-kneed with him.
“It was after one when I finally walked through the door.” He gave Hannah a loud kiss on the cheek before setting her back on the floor. Leaning against the counter, cradling his coffee mug, his long legs crossed at the ankle, Olivia had to force herself to look away. Was it her turn next for a kiss? So far, this “moving the relationship to the next level” thing had been a bust. Unless this was the way he usually neglected his girlfriends. True to form for her boyfriends, though.
“Well, welcome home. Can I get you some breakfast?”
“You look good enough to eat.”
“Too bad for you, I’m not on the menu.”
She picked up Hannah’s breakfast bowl and her own coffee cup and walked toward the dishwasher. He stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“I’ve never been one for à la carte dining.” His hand slid up her arm, then caressed her cheek. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her lower lip before he leaned down and kissed her. What it lacked in noise factor, compared with the kiss he gave Hannah, it more than made up for in internal sensations. Tingles zinged up and down her body and heat flooded her core. With her hands full of dishes, she could neither push him away nor pull him closer. Although which move she’d make if she could was being hotly debated by the few brain cells still functioning.
His other hand slid up her side and stopped just under her breast. A low moan filled the air. Finally, as her brain came to the now unanimous decision to drop the dishes in favor of using her hands to explore his body, he released her lips.
“Yum. But kissing you is raising other appetites.” The husky timber of his voice notched up her internal temperature another couple degrees. She might be the one taking off her clothes. “Unfortunately, we have an audience.”
Oh, yeah, Hannah. She was a rubbish nanny if one kiss from a cute guy could make her forget her ward. She stepped away from him before she forgot anything else. Like why the hell she was still sleeping alone. “Were you serious about the zoo? Hannah and I can get ready while you have breakfast.”
“Sounds good. Although anything I eat now is going to be a let-down after tasting you.” He waggled his eyebrows and she laughed. She missed this Jonathan and was glad to discover he hadn’t disappeared entirely under the business suits.
“Hannah, please put your crayons away in the box and then we’ll get dressed to go out.”
“No.”
Olivia whirled and stared at the toddler. Jonathan looked as stunned as she was.
“Come on, Hannah. If we put the crayons away real fast, we can get ready and go sooner.” Olivia stood next to the table. It would take her ten seconds to clear the table, but if she gave in to Hannah, it would tip the balance of power in their relationship. She glanced over at Jonathan, who nodded approval at her stance.
“No,” Hannah repeated.
Olivia got down on her haunches so she could look the toddler square in the eye. “Hannah, you took the crayons out. You have to put them away. That’s the rule, remember? How ‘bout I hold the box and we’ll practice our colors as you put them inside? You can show Daddy how clever you are.”
Hannah crossed her arms and stuck
out her bottom lip. Olivia mentally counted to ten, not sure what her next course of action should be. Fat lot of good all the parenting books she’d read lately were.
“Then I guess we can’t go to the zoo and see Zigby,” she said. She pulled out a chair and sat down. Jonathan joined her. A unified front. Grateful for his support, she squeezed his hand. She’d heard about the terrible twos but never thought she’d have to deal with them. Besides, wasn’t Hannah too young? She didn’t turn two for another couple of months.
“Nope. No zoo unless you put the crayons away,” Jonathan confirmed as Hannah looked at him beseechingly.
Hannah erupted in a wail that rivaled the smoke alarm in both intensity and annoyance. Jonathan’s horrified gaze shifted from Hannah to Olivia. What? Did he think she’d broken his delightful little daughter and turned her into a diva of supermodel proportions?
Welcome home, Jonathan. Feel free to show me how it’s done.
• • •
This was it. Olivia would leave now. The coffee he’d drunk burned through his stomach. She was a caring, responsible woman, so she’d probably wait a couple of days, then invent some amazing job offer she just couldn’t refuse and she’d be off. Because what woman would want to put up with a screaming toddler who wasn’t hers when she had better things to do?
The wailing not having the desired effect, Hannah threw herself on the ground and started banging her little legs on the floor. Olivia might’ve been able to walk away, but it was his reality now. A crash course in toddler parenting. Nappy changes were a delight compared to this. What was he supposed to do in this situation? Yell? Smack her? Ignore it? Call his mother? He could just imagine his mother laughing down the phone and telling him what goes around comes around.