Finally! She was getting down to the reason Samantha dressed the way she did. Clayton didn’t have a clue how to go out shopping with his little girl. Well, she was here now and she was going to help Samantha out by giving her a mini makeover.
“How about we go and look in a couple of kid’s shops first?” Leila suggested as she stood up. “I’m sure that we can find you a lot of cute outfits to add to your wardrobe. There’s nothing wrong with being a t-shirts and jeans girl. I love them myself, but every once in a while I do want to dress up.”
Samantha jumped up from the bench grinning from ear to ear. “Can we go to Kid’s Stop around the corner? I’ve always wanted to go in there, but daddy is usually too busy when we come in town to pick up supplies.”
Leila couldn’t tell Samantha no if she wanted to. The little girl was way too excited about getting some new clothes. “Let’s go. I bet there are a lot of things there just waiting for us to buy them.”
Running up to her, Samantha wrapped her arms around her waist. “Ms. Leila, I’m so glad that you’re here now. You’re the best nanny that daddy has ever hired for me. I hope you’re here forever and ever.”
Patting Samantha on the back, Leila fought back the tears that hovered in the back of her eyes. She had grown very fond of Samantha too and she truly hoped that their bond only grew stronger.
“I’m glad I’m here too. I want to be your nanny for as long as I can,” Leila said as she took a step back. “Now, how about we go and get started shopping? We need to get some cute things to show your father when we get back home.” Taking Samantha by the hand, Leila walked in the direction of the clothing shop pleased that she going to help Samantha achieve one of her dreams.
****
“I’m getting tired of doing the dirty work for us,” Jeff complained as he tossed the wad of money down on the bed next to his brother. “You stay here in this hotel room while I’m the one going out robbing people and finding different ways to keep us in money.”
Matt sat up on the bed and grabbed the money next to his leg. “I told you that I’ve never been as good as you when it comes to stealing money. Why can’t you understand that? I’m more of the brains behind the operation. It isn’t my fault that we have been in this run-down place for a month. I wanted to leave the next day, but you were the one who was tired of sleeping in the truck.”
“Yeah, I was fucking tired of sleeping in the bed of the truck on back roads. I want a bed, and a shower every morning. Don’t blame me for it. I think it’s only human nature. Have you figured out a plan yet about what we’re going to do once we get to the ranch?” Jeff asked watching as Matt counted the money he had gotten for them today.
“I’ve a couple of ideas, but none of them are good enough for me to act on. I don’t want us to get caught and tossed back into jail. I swore that I’d never go there again and I meant it.”
Jeff wasn’t too eager to go back behind bars either. He had already spent five years of his life there and it was an experience that he would never forget a day in his life. However, he was getting tired of waiting for Matt to make his move.
Why did his brother always have to be the one that controlled things? He was just as smart as Matt and could probably come up with a good plan to get them what they both wanted.
“I’m not going to lie,” he said. “I’m more than ready to head to Blue Horn ranch. To me, it seems like we’re hiding out instead of moving ahead with our original idea. Are you chickening out on me?”
Matt jumped up from the bed so fast that he almost fell off the other side. “Are you kidding me!” his brother yelled. “When have I ever backed away from anything in my damn life? I know you’re impatient and you never want to think of the big picture. You live in the moment and I see the future.
“Let’s say that I do it your way and we just drive up to Blue Horn. What are we going to do after we get there? I’m pretty sure that Clayton will have our asses kicked before the police arrived there to haul us off to jail. Wouldn’t you rather take him by surprise? It would make your revenge against him so much better, don’t you agree?”
Excitement raced through Jeff’s lanky body as he thought about what Matt had just said. His brother was right Clayton would have the upper hand against them if they showed up without a plan. But if they had something already mapped out then the old rancher wouldn’t have a chance in hell against the two of them.
Getting off the bed, Jeff stood in front of Matt and placed his hands on his brother’s shoulders. “I usually hate to admit when I’m wrong, but this time I’m wrong. I can wait a little while longer while you think of something good to do.” He patted Matt on the shoulder and then moved away.
“Can I trust you to keep your word?”
“I’ll keep it as long as I can, but don’t make me wait too much longer, or I’ll be pressed to take matters into my own hands,” Jeff warned as he headed for the pack of cigarettes he had left on the table earlier.
Chapter Twenty
Clayton was trying his best to focus on reading over the last of the contract before he signed it for the new property. But his attention wasn’t on the papers in front of him; it was in a totally different place. He couldn’t get his thoughts off how good Leila had tasted when he kissed her earlier. How in the hell was he supposed to keep his distance now?
I wouldn’t be having this problem if I never crossed that line in the first place.
Leila reminded him of a semi-ripe peach waiting to be picked out of a tree. She was almost there, but not quite yet. He was dying for another sample of her sweetness. However, he wasn’t quite sure if Leila would let him that close to her again.
No... he wouldn’t think the worst. Leila wanted to get know him. She wouldn’t have kissed him back like that if she wasn’t attracted to him. He was so sure of it that he would bet money on it. A woman couldn’t fake a reaction like that no matter how hard she might try. Leila wanted him, but she was too scared to admit it to herself and more importantly him.
He hadn’t gotten this far in life by not going after what he set his sights on. Leila was someone he wanted and he wouldn’t give up until he got her. He knew that she was as attracted to him as he was to her, yet she wasn’t willing to admit it yet.
Clayton was stunned that he was so taken with a woman who was so different from his wife. Donna had been sweet, caring and so even-tempered. He never really remembered the two of them ever getting into a huge disagreement all during their short marriage. She’d been the best wife a man could have ever asked for, but Leila was an entirely different story.
Leila was spunky, independent and didn’t mind speaking her mind. She hadn’t been working for him that long but she never kept her opinion to herself about anything. There was something about that he found very sexy.
A part of him had always been attracted to a woman who was bright and well-informed, a female he could share an intelligent conversation, observances and debates with. Donna liked to talk to him about some things, but mostly she liked just being a housewife and raising Samantha. She didn’t get into politics or current events as much as he did.
Leila had drawn his appreciation even more by her display of excellence in being the best nanny she could be for his daughter. There were times when he’d been watching Leila play with Sam when she wasn’t even aware of it. He was more than impressed that Leila knew her gift was working with children and put it to good use. He never remembered seeing Sam as happy as she is now with Leila.
Clayton promised himself after seeing the love that Leila showered on Sam that he wasn’t about to let her go. For a young woman, she had such wonderful respectability. Leila had such an untouched elegance that she probably didn’t even know was there. However, he did notice it and it was another quality that drew his interest.
He was so tired of the women he came across who were always bragging or showing off about something. That kind of attitude made him turn around and run in the opposite direction. How could he be sure that if
he dated any of those women they wouldn’t gloat about it? Or brag about how they finally landed him as a boyfriend or even worse as a husband?
He’d almost made that mistake with Annie, but he was lucky enough to catch onto her schemes before it was too late. However, more than Annie’s selfishness, the way she dressed turned him off. She didn’t know the meaning of keeping something to the imagination. She felt the more she showed the sexier it made her. No...he would rather be surprised about what he was going to unwrap instead of having it on display.
Now, Leila knew how to wear the perfect outfit to get any red-blooded man’s attention. She was a natural beauty whose looks were enhanced by make-up when she decided to wear it. Anytime she was around him the delicate hint of her perfume drove him out of his mind. It wasn’t too overpowering, but just enough to make him want more of it.
God... there were so many things that he liked about Leila from the way she spoke to everyone with such respect, to how she didn’t let Sam play them against each other. She never agreed to any of Sam’s wild ideas unless she came and asked him about it first.
Leila already knew how much he trusted her judgment, but she never took that for granted. She still asked him if he wanted Sam to have something and by doing that she had gained so much of his respect. She was the perfect woman for him and he was going to find a way to prove it to her.
****
“Leila, do you think my daddy is going to like my new outfit?” Samantha asked glancing down at the white sundress with ladybugs scattered across the fabric and the matching white sandals on her feet.
Leila took her eyes off the road for a minute and glanced over at the little girl. She could see how much Clayton’s approval meant to Samantha and she prayed that her father liked the new look. Samantha couldn’t stay dressed like a tomboy for the rest of her life. She was a little girl and should have some clothes that showed off how pretty she really was.
“Honey, I think your daddy is going to be amazed at how beautiful you look,” Leila said as she continued to drive back to Blue Horn. She knew she had been gone longer than she had originally planned, but after seeing the smile on Samantha’s face the extra hour was worth it. She was touched that she was able to bring some happiness into Clayton’s little girl’s life.
“I think he will too,” Samantha said and then glanced down at the bag by her feet. “Can I play with the doll you bought me?”
“Sure you can.” Digging inside of the bag, Samantha pulled out the Tiana doll from the Princess and the Frog.
At the last minute, they had made an unexpected trip to the toy store next to the clothing shop. Once they got inside, Samantha had made a beeline for the Disney display and picked out the doll without a second thought. Leila was surprised that Samantha didn’t want a different doll, but she didn’t tell Samantha to put her back. She purchased the doll and a couple of outfits to go with it.
While Samantha was content to play with the new gift in the seat next to her, Leila let her mind drift back to the kiss she had shared with Clayton. Of course, she had been kissed by men before but none of them had made her feel the hot emotions that Clayton had.
With that one kiss, he had made her desire things she hadn’t ever thought before and hoped she would get to do again. If Samantha hadn’t come looking for her there is no way that she and Clayton wouldn’t have made love in her bedroom.
Secretly, a part of her did wonder what it would be like to be in a relationship with Clayton because he was the type of man that wouldn’t declare his love for you in over-the-top ways with a lot of expensive gifts or take you out to fancy restaurants to show off his wealth to others.
No, he would show his affections through seemingly countless and thoughtful actions like holding your hand while the two of you were walking down the street. Or he would shoot his woman a smile that would give her the sense they were the only two sharing a private joke.
Now doing those things didn’t mean that Clayton didn’t know the hottest restaurants and places to take his woman, which only meant that when he did take her to those places, it was for a special occasion.
Whenever she thought about her future, Clayton was the ideal man she wanted to end up with. He wasn’t too emotional or too intellectual. He never made her feel less than adequate when they talked. She didn’t even think he was too loud or too quiet instead he appeared just right in her opinion.
The only thing about Clayton was that he was her boss. She wasn’t about to cross that line with him again. They had gotten dangerously close last time they were alone and she had to make sure nothing like that happened again.
Samantha had mentioned to her how past nannies found ways to be alone with him and sneak into his room late at night. Leila wondered if Clayton even knew that she knew what was going on around her.
As much as she was attracted to him, she couldn’t become one of ‘those women’ that Clayton had fired over the years. No, she was going to keep things between them strictly professional no matter what.
Chapter Twenty-One
Pulling into the driveway next to Clayton’s black pickup truck, Leila turned off the engine and looked over at Samantha who was pulling at the hem of her new dress. “Stop fidgeting with your clothes. You’ve nothing to worry about. I promise you that your daddy is going to love how you look. How about you go on inside and show him your new dress while I take all of our bags upstairs?” Leila suggested as she got out of the car.
“Will you go with me?” Samantha asked as she opened the car door. “I don’t want to go by myself.”
Leila wasn’t ready to see Clayton again. That was the main reason she wanted Samantha to see her daddy by herself, but she couldn’t tell Samantha no. “Sure, I’ll go with you. Come let’s go and surprise your daddy.”
Leila headed towards the front door with Samantha at her side and before they reached the door she felt Samantha slide her smaller hand into hers and the gesture warmed her heart. She was surprised how close she had grown to the little girl since she’d first started working here. It was like Samantha was the little sister that she had always wanted. She loved Samantha so much and hoped that she would be working at the Blue Horn ranch for a very long time.
Once they were inside, Leila paused outside Clayton’s study and fixed Samantha’s hair and dress making sure everything looked perfect. She only hoped that Clayton was as excited about his daughter’s makeover as she was, but if he wasn’t that he was smart enough to pretend that he was.
“Sweetheart, you look so beautiful. Now go in there and show off.” Standing back up, Leila sent up a silent prayer hoping that everything would go as she planned. This was going to be an important moment in Samantha’s life and she wished it would be picture perfect.
Samantha smiled at her, opened the door to the study and then rushed into the door. “Daddy, look at what Leila got for me,” she said. “How do I look?”
Leila stepped through the door at the same time Clayton glanced away from his computer and as long as she lived she would never forget the look on her boss’ face. Although Clayton didn’t answer his daughter at first, his face spoke from utter shock, disbelief and finally happiness.
Standing up from behind the desk, Clayton came around and stood in front of Samantha. Leila loved how his expression kept changing the longer Clayton looked at his child. She was nervous she had done the wrong thing by buying Samantha some new clothes, but now she saw that she’d made the right decision.
“Sam, you look so beautiful. I love your dress and the curls in your hair are so pretty. What made you want to do this?”
Samantha spun around and looked at her then gave her attention back to her father. “I want to look like Leila. She’s so pretty and I wanted to be pretty just like she is. We went shopping and got a lot of clothes. They’re still in the car, but the lady at the shop let me wear this one home. Do you like it?”
“Sweetheart, I love it,” Clayton said as he bent down in front of Samantha. “Will you do your
daddy a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Will you go and find Tony in the kitchen? Have him take your bags out of the car and take them upstairs to your bedroom. I want to talk to Leila for a moment alone.”
Standing back up, Clayton’s eyes connected with hers but she couldn’t tell what was going on in his head. She didn’t know if she was in trouble or not, so she would just have to wait and find out after Samantha was out of the room.
“Okay.” Samantha walked past her and then out the door closing it behind her.
After Samantha had left, Clayton stood in the same spot and stared at her for several minutes without saying a word. It was a bit unnerving to have Clayton watching her with such close scrutiny.
He came closer and touched the side of her face with his fingers. Leila closed her eyes getting lost in the pleasure that Clayton’s touch gave her, but she quickly opened her eyes and took a step back.
No... I can’t let him do this to me. I won’t be like those other women.
“Do you like how Samantha looks?” Leila asked trying to start up a conversation so Clayton would stop watching her so intently. She knew that if she could read his inner thoughts they might have her running for the hills if she didn’t want the same exact thing from him.
“You’ve won my daughter over and you know it. Sam is so into you that she allows you to call her by her full name. None of the other nannies I hired got that far with her. I should’ve known you were special the first time I laid eyes on you.
“You’ve worked wonders with her and I don’t have the words to thank you. She’s changing into a beautiful little girl. Her mother would be so proud to see how well our little girl is growing up.”
Leila nibbled at her bottom lip surprised to hear Clayton bring up his wife. She had only heard about Donna through Tony, but she knew that Donna had been the love of Clayton’s life. He had gone into a deep depression after her death, but fought through it to raise Samantha with the help of Donna’s parents.
Roped Into You Page 9