by T. S. Ryder
“I call him Oscar,” Kelly replied, giving a sly smile. It was not her nature to tease, but she had nothing to lose and it felt good to see the look of discomfort cross the receptionist’s face.
“And your name is?” the woman asked, looking at her computer screen.
“It’s Kelly Taylor,” Kelly replied.
“Oh, you’re Kelly. I believe you are a bit late.”
Kelly looked down at her watch and scoffed. She had only been late by five minutes.
“Better late than never,” Kelly replied.
“Let’s hope Mr. Moretti thinks the same. His office is on the top floor.”
“Thanks,” Kelly replied dryly, before walking away. The last thing she needed was a snob ruining her day. She took the elevator to the top floor. When she stepped out she was face to face with the sea. It appeared that the entire floor had outer walls of transparent glass. She stood there for a minute admiring the sea. She had been so caught up with school and work she had long since forgotten how blue and vast the sea was.
“Finally, you’re here,” she heard someone say from beside her. She looked over to see Oscar standing there. He was dressed in a gray suit that clung to him perfectly. She was once again surprised by the way she suddenly felt herself drawn to him.
“Oh, I got held up by the bus,” she replied.
“It’s fine. Follow me.”
Kelly turned and followed him through the hallways toward his office. She could tell he prided himself on being a dominating man, and something about that made her even more interested to find out more about him.
“In here,” he said, turning a doorknob and ushering her into his office. She waited for him to sit down, silently thanking her high school for teaching her the proper way to conduct an interview. To her dismay, he didn’t sit. Instead, he walked toward the edge of his desk and perched on the edge.
“Sit, Kelly,” he said.
She didn’t know when exactly she sat, but his commanding words were hard to ignore.
“I just want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for you,” she said, feeling a bit awkward as she sat there looking up at him.
“It’s fine,” Oscar replied. “Though I’m not sure you’ll be ready to accept the job I have in mind.”
“Oh, and what sort of job is that?” Kelly asked, while inwardly praying it was nothing gross or humiliating.
“I have recently been awarded full custody of my daughter,” he said, standing and pacing the area behind his desk. “The thing is, she’s so young, her mother doesn’t really show her any affection and I have not been able to find a young enough nanny to fit her specific needs.”
“You want me to be her nanny?” Kelly asked, a bit surprised to hear him say this. She had never taken care of children and she had no idea if she even could.
“Well, it’s more than just a nanny,” he said, pausing and looking her right in the eyes.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I want you to be our live in nanny,” he replied. “The position comes highly paid and you will be able to come and go as you please, just not in the times you will have to care for my daughter. You would receive enough benefits to be comfortable and remain so for a long period of time,”
“Live in nanny,” Kelly replied, a bit lost as all the information washed over her. “Where would I live?”
“In my home, of course,” Kelly’s head snapped up and she met his eyes. For a moment she thought she saw something flash across his face, but before she could read into it, it was gone.
“And I would be able to continue with school?” she asked.
“Yes, you will be given provision to attend school. I would, of course, take care of those expenses if you do decide you would like to work for me,” Oscar said.
“You’d pay my fees?” Kelly asked, a bit surprised.
“It’s customary,” Oscar replied. “I’ve paid all the fees for those I work closely with.”
Just then Kelly’s mind flashed back to his receptionist.
“You mean like your receptionist?” she asked.
Oscar gave her a quizzical look.
“Never mind,” Kelly said.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
“I think I need to think about it and discuss it with my parents,” Kelly said.
“I look forward to hearing from you,” Oscar said. “And please, next time, dress in something more comfortable.”
Kelly looked down at her skirt, which had made its way half way up her thigh. Embarrassment flooded her and she wished she could disappear. Instead of making her feel any more embarrassed, Oscar walked over to her and extended his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. Kelly lost her balance for a millisecond and staggered closer to him, bringing them face to face.
She looked up and once again she saw a flash of something crossing Oscar’s face.
“I hope you don’t find this offensive,” he whispered, observing her intently with his hand clasped around her waist, “but you are truly beautiful.”
Kelly stood there for a moment, relishing the feel of his hand on her skin. It was as if every place he touched had ignited with a slow, burning fire that spread through her whole body. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Kelly slightly pushed Oscar away from her. They hadn’t been doing anything, but she still flushed. She didn’t want anyone to walk in and get the wrong idea.
“Mr. Moretti, you have another meeting in ten minutes. I think it’s time we get going,” a man on the other side of the door said loudly.
“I’ll be there in a minute, Ashton,” he replied.
“Duty calls,” Oscar said, looking at her and smiling. It seemed so strange to see a smile on his face that she almost asked him what had made him smile. “I look forward to hearing from you by the end of the day. If you do accept, you should begin your first day tomorrow.”
Chapter Four
Kelly looked up at the house that stood before her. It wasn’t something she saw every day, but it was similar to the other homes in the Sweet Hallow community. They were all large houses with brick walls and elaborate porches. She had opted for a taxi instead of the bus, knowing that there was no way she would be able to find a bus to take her here. None of the people who lived in this area would need to take public transport.
After leaving Oscar’s office the previous day, she had gone on to discuss the idea with her mother and father. Her mother had been totally against it and so was her father. The thought of having their baby girl away from them was causing them more grief than she had imagined. Kelly had managed to sell them on the idea when she promised to visit and stay over at least once a week. This had made the conversation easier, since she had already decided she wanted to take the job. She had done this not because she was particularly excited about being a nanny, but because she was interested to see who Oscar really was and why she had the consistent urge to throw herself at him.
She walked up to the gate and was greeted by someone over the intercom. After giving her name and explaining who she was, the gate rolled open and she walked in. Halfway to the door, she noticed someone standing there waiting for her. It was a woman and she was dressed in some sort of uniform. Kelly panicked and wondered whether her jeans and a simple t-shirt would be good enough.
“Hi, you must be Kelly,” the older woman said, smiling at her. “I’m afraid Mr. Moretti had to run out for a few hours and won’t be able to meet with you to do the orientation. He has, however, asked me to get you situated.”
Kelly smiled and nodded.
“Come in.”
Kelly crossed the threshold and was mesmerized by the beautiful décor. It was strange that a man with such masculine taste could live in a house so properly balanced.
“You can leave your bag by the door,” the woman told her. “I’m Margret, by the way. You can call me Maggie.”
Kelly noted the genuine smile and the way she seemed at ease. They spent little over half an hour touring th
e house. Kelly was shown to April’s wing, where the little girl stayed and she would also room. She was shown a bit of Oscar’s side of the house, which only had his bedroom, a library and his personal office. The rest of the house consisted of a kitchen, dining room, bathrooms, a gym and, to her surprise, an outdoor pool and tennis court.
“Is that all?” Kelly asked, when they were back in the foyer.
“Yes, that’s all. Your bag has been taken to your room. If you can find your way, I suggest you head on up there and unpack. I think Mr. Moretti will be here soon and he has little April with him.”
Kelly took her advice and went to her room and unpacked the few clothes she had brought. She hoped her salary would be enough that she could get a few more child-friendly outfits before the month ended.
A while later, there was a knock on her door.
“Come in,” she said.
The door opened to reveal Oscar who, as usual, was dressed in a well-fitted suit. She was so caught up in looking at him that she almost missed the little girl who was clinging to his hand. She turned her gaze to the little girl, who was looking at her in veiled horror. Kelly tilted her head to the side, the way her little sister used to do when she met strangers, and began to look at her. To her relief, the little girl also tilted her head to the side and looked at Kelly.
“Nice to see you have gotten yourself settled,” Oscar said, smiling at her.
“Yes, Maggie really helped me to get settled,” Kelly replied, with a smile.
“Yes, she’s a sweetheart,” Oscar said. “Listen, Maggie is going to watch April for a bit. I need you to join me in my office so that I can discuss a few things with you.”
“Sure,” Kelly replied, following him out of her room and into his study. April had run off to find Maggie.
“Take a seat,” Oscar said, when they were in his office. “Now, as you can tell, my daughter is very precious to me,” he said, holding her gaze from where he sat across his desk.
Kelly nodded.
“I just wanted her to have female companionship, since her mother up and left her. That woman should have never had a child. I’m just happy that I have custody so April can grow up in an environment that’s safe for her,” Oscar said.
“I understand,” Kelly replied.
“Now, on to business. I leased a car for you to use while you’re under my employ. It comes equipped with a child seat and everything you might need to take April around. Of course, you can use it for your personal purposes if necessary. I assume you have a driver’s license?”
“I do,” Kelly replied.
He rifled through a few documents on his desk and passed one across the table to her. She looked down and realized it was her contract. She looked at the salary and almost choked on her own tongue.
“Is this the right amount?” she asked, handing the contract back to him.
“Yes,” Oscar replied, smiling. “I did say you would be paid considerably well.”
“That’s an exorbitant figure,” Kelly said.
“All my personal employees are paid the same standard fee,” Oscar said.
Kelly was silent.
“That’s all for now,” Oscar said. “You should take the contract and review it. You will only be responsible for April at an emotional level. The rest is being taken care of by her various tutors. You can take her out, take her swimming. Whatever you think would fascinate a little girl, as long as it can’t harm her.”
“I think I understand,” Kelly responded.
“Are your parents alright with this?” Oscar asked.
“They came around,” she replied. “I just have to visit them once a week.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Oscar replied, standing and walking towards her. “Can I assume you won’t be running off with a boyfriend of some sort?”
“Oh no, no worries there,” Kelly replied. She noted the way that Oscar raised his brow.
“No problem there? I would have thought a beautiful girl like you would be swimming in broken hearts,” he said, pinning her with an intense stare.
This made Kelly laugh nervously. She was beginning to find him a bit more relatable than the stone-faced millionaire she had always imagined him to be.
“I guess I’m not attracted to most of the guys in my peer group,” she said thoughtfully.
“Why is that?” Oscar asked.
“They’re quite different from what I grew up expecting men should be like. It seems that they’re more interested in virtual reality than actual reality.”
“Wow, such strong words from such a young mind,” Oscar said, giving her a genuine smile.
“Well, I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, being boyfriend-less and all,” Kelly replied.
“So, what do you think men should be?” Oscar asked.
“Not self-obsessed,” Kelly replied. “I’ve seen the way my father treats my mother, and he waits on her every beck and call as if they were his own needs.”
“I guess all that was a different time,” Oscar said. “I could say the same thing of women in your generation. Take April’s mother, for instance.”
“She did seem quite young,” Kelly said, referring to when she had met Julianna on the sidewalk.
“Our relationship was a mistake. I should have seen it from the minute we met. The only good thing it produced was my daughter,” Oscar said.
“And now?” Kelly asked.
“Now I’m more focused on raising my daughter than anything else,” he said.
Kelly saw the look in his eyes when he looked at her. She could tell he wanted to say something else but held himself back.
“Well, if that’s all,” she said, standing, “I’d like to spend a bit more time getting to know April.”
“The sooner the better,” Oscar said.
Kelly walked out of his office, leaving him to stare after her. She was once again surprised at her attraction for Oscar.
Chapter Five
Kelly threw herself on the bed as exhaustion finally begun to kick in. She had been caring for April for two months now and there was no shortage of adventure for her charge. They had spent sleepless nights building blanket forts, days idling at the zoo and made numerous trips to the beach. Today had been one of those beach days that had drained her of most of her energy. Oscar had planned the trip to make up for missing dinner the previous night, and April had been over the moon. Kelly, who had grown accustomed to being blackmailed with puppy eyes and pouts, had been at the little girl’s mercy. They had packed their bags, taken the picnic basket Maggie had prepared and headed down to the beach.
Kelly had been keyed up the entire time she was there. Besides his apparent love for his daughter, Oscar also sported amiable traits such as rock hard abs, exquisitely toned legs and muscular arms, one of which sported an excellently painted tattoo of a lion and the other an eagle. When she hadn’t been feeding or playing with April, she had found herself staring at Oscar. He had caught her a few times and had given her sly, playful grins which she responded to with shy smiles.
Somehow, his looks had her wondering if it was proper workplace etiquette to wear her strappy bikini. She’d gone out and bought it just for days like these, and she knew the bright pink looked great against her dark skin. She had never been ashamed of being curvy and now, as she sat on the beach staring at Oscar, she began to envision him touching her and holding her just as he had done that day in his office. She knew she had to be careful around him, because even though she wasn’t the thin, slinky type he liked, she had a feeling he wanted more from her than he was letting on.
After what seemed like a million years, mostly spent trying to resolve her unusual attraction, they had left to take April for ice cream. They had returned home soon after and Oscar had taken a sleeping April to her room while Kelly had headed straight towards the showers.
Now she tried her best to shut her eyes and sleep, but images of Oscar kept flashing through her head. Just then, there was a knock on her door.
She wrapped her towel a bit tighter around her and went to open it, just in case April had woken up and wanted to use her bed, which she had begun doing more recently. She was, however, surprised to find Oscar standing on the other side of her door. He looked startled to see her wrapped only in a towel.
“I should probably come back,” he said.
“It’s fine,” Kelly replied.
“I just wanted to let you know that I would like to take you and April to a family function tomorrow. My sister is graduating from law school and I’m throwing her a party.”
“Oh, that should be interesting,” Kelly replied.
“Oh, yes,” he replied. “It should be.”
He stepped closer to her. Fire burned inside of her. He had that look on his face again. Kelly wasn’t sure what to do, but the one thing she was sure of was that she did not want to step back. He took another step; he was so close now. She was staring at his lips and the next thing she knew he was kissing her. Kelly felt as if she was on fire. She had never felt this attraction to any person in her life, and as Oscar ran his hands up and down her back she felt a tension that she didn’t know had been building up begin to release. Oscar deepened the kiss and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. The towel fell to the floor.
Kelly gasped as his hands came in direct contact with her skin. Oscar kicked the towel away. He walked her backwards until she was pressed against the wall. His touch against her skin was urgent and almost careful. Kelly felt as if she was at a disadvantage backed up against the wall and naked, when he was fully clothed. She tugged at the hem of his t-shirt and was satisfied when he pulled it over his head. Kelly felt the warmth of his skin against her and savoured the way the feel of their bodies touching set her body afire. She was not satisfied, though, and she pulled at the hems of his shorts, which he quickly removed.
“I want you so badly,” he whispered against her ear, as he pulled her leg up and nestled himself between her legs. Kelly gasped as the warmth of him flooded her.
“Please,” she whispered.