Nanny and the Beast

Sucking in a long-suffering breath, Lily explained, “The baby had been up most of last night. I knew she wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon. I needed a shower so I could feel human, okay? I was tired. I forgot my robe. Why should it matter, anyway, when my room was right across the hall from the bathroom?”

Sophia’s patience thinned. “Okay, so you weren’t wearing a robe. What were you wearing?”

There was mutiny in Lily’s silence.

Karen softly sang, “Can you say scanty panties from Victoria’s Secret?”

Picturing the barely clad models in the famous lingerie catalog, astonishment made Sophia’s jaw go slack. “Lily! You didn’t. How could you? Why would you? You know he’s asked all the nannies to be covered from neck to knee. Why would you prance around halfnaked in front of the man?”

Lily pursed her lips, her expression a mixture of anger and insult. “I wasn’t prancing. And I was wearing a nightie.” Then she muttered, “The least he could have done was notice. I swear the man has ice water running through his veins.”

Only a nineteen-year-old would feel offended when her employer hadn’t seemed to notice her shapely figure even though he’d specifically asked not to see it.

“So you did it on purpose.” Sophia let her hands fall to her sides.

“Of course I didn’t do it on purpose,” Lily said. “I told you. I’d been up half the night with Hailey. I was exhausted. What I wear to bed is my business.”

Sophia rubbed at the dull ache thumping behind her temple. “Being caught in the hallway wearing skimpy pj’s shouldn’t warrant being fired.”

Chagrin made Lily balk. “It wasn’t the first time.” She grimaced, reluctantly admitting, “Or the second.”

Karen snickered, and Sophia silenced her with a sharp glance. She’d heard enough of Lily’s predicament.

“What you’re saying is that he had good reason for implementing a robe rule.” Remembering the ticking clock, Sophia’s irritation simmered over. “I don’t have time for this. Lily, if you can’t be more considerate of the people paying your salary, maybe you don’t deserve to work here.”

“But I need this job!”

“I know you do. That’s why I’m not letting you go. But I am putting you on probation. If you show me you’ve learned something from this experience—”

“Yeah.” Karen smirked. “Like maybe buying some flannel nightgowns and white cotton granny panties.”

“Hush, Karen.” Sophia had had all she could take. She looked at Lily. “You can fill in for Paula for today and Karen will work on getting you another full-time position.”

“I will?” Karen asked, clearly surprised. “But that’s not usually in my job description.”

“Your job description is changing as of right now.” The wake Sophia created as she breezed past Karen’s desk on her way to the powder room made several papers flutter. “You’ve been asking to go full-time, haven’t you?”

“You know I have.” Karen went very still and serious.

Sophia flipped on the powder room light. “Well, now’s your chance. You’ll be running the office for the next two weeks. It’s a big job. Can you handle the responsibility?” She glanced into the mirror over the sink.

Gathering her thick hair in her fingers, Sophia twisted it into a knot and secured it with a clip. She knew Mr. Taylor liked his nannies to keep their hair out of their eyes.

“Are you kidding me? You know I can handle it. That reminds me, Terry’s on her way to the Schaffers to cover for Isabel. I’ve already called Mrs. Schaffer to let her know Terry would be late. But what’s going on? Where will you be?”

“Yeah, Sophia,” Lily chimed in. “You going to tell us what’s up? You never said which lucky nanny gets to go work for The Beast.”

While Lily talked, Sophia turned on the faucet and scrubbed the makeup from her face. Then she patted her forehead, cheeks and chin dry. “He likes his nannies plain, right?”

Slowly but surely, both Karen and Lily figured out the plan. “You?” they asked in unison.

“That’s right.” Sophia smoothed her hand over the lapel of her jacket and then tugged at its hem. “I’m saving the spotless reputation of The Nanny Place. If Mr. Michael Taylor wants a sedate, older nanny, I’m going to give him just that,” she declared, adjusting her Mrs. Doubtfire bun.

“But you’ve never gone out on an assignment for more than a couple hours, a day at most. Why would you—”

“Because he’s left me no choice, Karen. That man fired three perfectly acceptable nannies.”

“Damn right, he did,” Lily grumbled.

Karen smirked. “Lily, you might be perfectly qualified to take care of a baby, but I have to point out that you did break the robe rule.”

Lily made a face at Karen.

Sophia ignored the ruckus. “I need to get over there myself and see exactly what the problem is. Obviously, there’s something going on with that man. I need to figure this out before I start losing clients.” She absently fingered the buttons at each cuff. “I just have to remember my ultimate goal.”

“You have a goal?” Karen asked.

“Oh, yes. I’ve got two actually.” A slow smile spread across her lips and she forced her tense shoulder muscles to relax. “I’m going to preserve my pristine business reputation by making Michael Taylor happy.”

The mischievous sparkle in Sophia’s eyes had Lily prompting, “Yes? And?”

There was determination in every syllable when Sophia declared, “Whatever it takes, I’m going to tame the flippin’ Beast.”

Chapter Two

The Palisades condominiums were the place to live in Wilmington. The great slabs of white Carrara marble that encased the twenty-five-story building glistened in the morning sun. Bands of glossy black stone shot skyward at each corner, the sharp angles of the architecture imparting a distinctly contemporary feel. Sophia had heard real estate commercials for the condos on the radio. The extensive complex boasted both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, various sports courts, several workout facilities and a professionally landscaped walking path, not to mention the two-, three- and fourbedroom luxury residences that were available. The place was a lush oasis smack in the middle of the bustling city.

Sophia parked her car, got out and squinted up at the tall building, knowing she’d never earn the kind of money it took to buy a home in this au courant high-rise.

The lofty ceiling of the lobby was crowned with a huge abstract light fixture made of individual swirls of gemhued blown glass, a gorgeous splash of vibrant color against the otherwise stark black-and-white surroundings.

The elevator doors slid open on a whisper. Sophia stepped out into the hallway of the top floor, and when the doors closed behind her, the soft jazz she’d enjoyed during the swift, short ride was silenced. The well-lit corridor had been painted a tasteful shade of taupe. Conceptualistic paintings hung at regular intervals on the walls, and with each step she took, Sophia’s heels sunk into the plush henna-colored carpet. There wasn’t a single detail here that wasn’t impressively lavish. She stopped in front of the solid mahogany door of Michael Taylor’s condo and pressed the buzzer.

He pulled open the door, and immediately she was once again struck by the simmering intensity he exuded.

“Right on time,” he observed, approval brightening his tone. “Did you remember to bring proof of your childcare credentials? I assumed you were qualified when I was at your office, but I’d still like to see the paperwork.”

Evidently, he wasn’t one to waste time with amiable greetings, but rather got right down to the business at hand. Somehow, that didn’t surprise her.

“Of course. Everything you need is right here.” Stepping into the foyer, she handed him the manila envelope filled with the usual information her nannies supplied to their employers—a resume complete with education history and work experience, proof of a recent physical, a copy of her current driving record and childcare and emergency safety accreditation.

He was so serious when he took the envelope from her that she could easily see how the young women she’d sent to care for his daughter might be intimidated. Would it hurt the man to smile?

She knew he had it in him. She’d heard him laugh this morning, and the memory alone was enough to make the hairs on her arms stand on end even now. Unwittingly, she smoothed her palms over her upper arms.

The scent of his cologne enveloped her, and she found the warm, woodsy fragrance more than a little pleasing.

No matter how severe his persona, though, she was still amazed by that purring undercurrent of energy radiating from him, around him—around them. It was the same force she’d felt when he was in her office, and it plucked at her with the same dogged insistence now as it had then.

As he looked over her information, Sophia attempted to ignore the invisible static by checking out his home. From where she stood, she could see into the living room to the left, and a bit of the kitchen to the right. The black leather and rich coppery metals in the living room were warm and masculine. All she could see of the kitchen were cabinets made of a deep red cherry wood and bit of black granite countertop.

“Everything looks adequate.” He glanced up from the papers he’d been studying. “Let’s go inside where we can talk.”

Adequate? A smile tickled her lips, but she quelled it as she followed him into the living room. She’d graduated from university with top honors and a double major in child development and business. She’d started her company fresh out of college and had nearly exhausted herself working full-time during the days to establish The Nanny Place, while earning her Delaware childcare certificate in the evenings just for emergencies like this one when she had to step in and take over at the grassroots level. She would describe herself as a confident, successful businesswoman, educated in both the physical and emotional aspects of childrearing. And he thought her credentials only adequate. Sophia wondered what a woman would have to do to impress the man.

“On the coffee table there,” he said, “is a detailed inventory of what I expect.”

Ah, Sophia thought, as she picked up the list with interest and eased herself down onto the couch. So these were the infamous rules. Just as Lily and the other fired nannies had described, there were pages of them.

“Hailey fell asleep on the ride back home so I put her back in her crib. She hasn’t had her bath or her breakfast.” He paced to the chair and sat down. “The schedule for today is completely shot. Again.”

“Well, maybe it’s a good thing that the baby’s having a morning nap.” Sophia kept her tone casual, hoping to ease his irritation. “I talked with Lily after you left and she said that Hailey was awake most of the night.”

His handsome face went tight. “She wouldn’t be up in the night if the nannies would just do as I instruct them. Keeping to the schedule is everything.”

Sophia’s first instinct was to defend the young women who had come here to care for Hailey, to let him know that schedules and babies didn’t always mesh well, but she bit her tongue. Arguing with him about his rigid expectations before she’d had time to assess the rules—to assess him—wasn’t a good idea. She needed time to take it all in and then she would worry about arguing.

Her best course of action, she decided, was to refrain from kick-starting any antagonism between them. Instead, she needed to remain calm and professional so she could become familiar with the situation. Smoothing his ruffled feathers should be priority number one, she reasoned silently. Surely his daughter would awaken soon and babies were notorious for sensing the stresses and anxieties in others. Sophia didn’t need a fussy infant on her hands at the same time she was dealing with Michael.

“And that’s all I ask you to do,” he continued. “Follow the rules. They’re simple enough. Keep to the schedule. How hard can that be?”

Apparently, he was still agitated from his confrontation with Lily and the need for having to drive to The Nanny Place.

“I understand that you’re annoyed that you had to fire Lily this morning. Especially since you warned her about walking around in her nightgown—”

“I wouldn’t call what she was wearing a nightgown. Short, lacy and completely transparent.”

“What?” Sophia couldn’t believe her ears.

“The girl was nearly naked.”

Sophia’s jaw went slack. “You’re kidding?”

“I’m not,” he said. “And if you’re looking for the whole truth of the matter, it wasn’t an accident.”

“But she said—”

His square jaw dipped low. “Trust me on this. She wanted me to see her body, and she left nothing to the imagination.”

Sophia frowned and murmured an apology on Lily’s behalf. That girl was in for it, that was for certain.

He shrugged. “Young people act rashly. They don’t think about consequences. I see it every day.”

No wonder he’d stormed into her office like a roaring lion. In this day and age of sexual harassment in the workplace, he’d had every right to be furious. Heck, he’d had every right to fire her.

Sophia told him, “That should never have happened.”

Awkwardness tightened the air. Finally, she said, “I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power while I’m here to follow your guidelines to the letter.”

As she made the pledge, she knew she was clinging to the age-old business adage that the client was always right. She was determined to do whatever it took to save her good business reputation. However, if she discovered that his rules were really as restrictive as she’d heard, she had every intention of somehow turning things around, of making him see that his agenda was way too rigid for the mere mortals who were caring for Hailey, not to mention a one-month-old infant.

“I appreciate that,” he told her. But his tension didn’t seem to lessen.

“I want you to know,” he continued, “that your only job is to care for Hailey. I don’t want you doing any housework or cooking or anything else while you’re here. Your focus should be on my daughter.”

That was a relief. One of the biggest complaints she heard from the nannies she placed was that parents kept adding responsibilities that had nothing whatsoever to do with childcare; running errands, performing household chores and such. One nanny was asked to attend a parent teacher conference at her charge’s school. The young woman had felt awkward about approaching the parents, so Sophia had stepped in and clearly outlined everyone’s proper role in the business relationship.

He went quiet for a moment, and Sophia finally had a chance to glance over the schedule he’d prepared.

“Were you in the military?” she asked, her eyebrows arching a fraction. She really had been aiming to play it cool and not cause problems, but she reacted before she could stop herself.

Her question seemed to confuse him, so she explained. “The schedule you’ve set for Hailey is so…regimented. Up by seven, fed by seven-thirty, bathed and dressed by eight. Diaper change at nine, another at ten. Snack at ten thirty. Diaper change at eleven.”

She peered at him over the top edge of the paper. “What if she isn’t hungry at seven-thirty? Or what if she doesn’t need a diaper change at ten?”

His jaw went taut. “What is it with you people?” he asked, exasperation sharpening his tone. “Whose child is this? How I want to parent my child is up to me, isn’t it? You just finished promising me that you’d follow the guidelines.”

“Yes, but I never said I wouldn’t question the logic in them.” Instantly, she realized that had been the wrong thing to say. “Look—” she held up her hand in an attempt to appease him “—all I’m saying is that—”

“I’ve already told you that I believe scheduling is everything,” he interrupted. “She has to learn that meals are served at regular intervals. How else is she supposed to understand the program? How else is my daughter going to learn to fit in to my life?”

“Fit in to your life?” Did he not understand how outrageous his thinking was? “We’re talking about a baby. Not a puppy. Hailey’s brand-new to this world. She hasn’t a clue about rules and schedules. As her father, you have to figure out what Hailey’s schedule is. And although you may not like it, you have to arrange your life around her for a while. New parents are always complaining about feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, but—” she shrugged “—them’s the breaks. You have to suck it up and live by Hailey’s rules. Not vice versa.”

She pointed to the rule regarding diaper changes. “You must be wasting an awful lot of disposable diapers. Hailey can’t possibly need changing every hour.”

“I would think that diaper rash is painful, and I would also think the best way to prevent it is to keep her bottom dry.” He was positively glowering. Clearly, he was not a man who was used to explaining his actions or his motives.

Her gaze darted for an instant to his lips. He had a nice mouth, even when it formed a straight, hard line. When he’d laughed in her office earlier his whole face had changed. His expression relaxed. The muscles of his smooth shaven jaw had contracted and his lips had curled into a smile. A nice smile, she remembered, trying to hold on to the image.

“And besides that,” he continued through gritted teeth, “at some time in the future my daughter has to realize she shouldn’t be wetting her diaper. If her diaper is changed often enough, she might catch on to the concept more quickly.”

The very idea tickled Sophia, and she let out a chuckle. It was only a small one, and she choked it off quickly, but her reaction only heightened his irritation; she could tell by the ire that flashed in his dark eyes.

She reigned herself in automatically, shaking her head as she said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. I understand that this is a serious matter.”

Even as she said the words, she had to fight back the humor bubbling up in her chest. Either he didn’t know a thing about babies, or he was one of those overly diligent parents who pushed their children to the brink to achieve. The thought of anyone thinking they could potty train a newborn, though, was downright silly to her.

“Forgive me,” she said, luckily able to keep a straight face, “but I have to let you in on a little secret. It’ll be many months—a couple of years even—before Hailey is ready to ‘catch on’to the concept of potty training. And changing a dry diaper is like tossing money out the window.”

Michael couldn’t believe his ears…or his eyes. This woman was laughing at him. She attempted to hold it back, but humor was dancing in her deep, blue eyes. Not only that, but she’d questioned the schedule he’d put so much thought and effort into. She wouldn’t rest until she’d criticized each and every rule, too, he was certain.

Had she just told him to suck it up? Had she really just suggested that he let his one month old daughter make her own rules? What kind of craziness was that?

“If you’re not worried about the money,” Sophia continued, “think of the environment. It’s one thing to throw soiled diapers into a landfill, but perfectly clean ones? Come on. That’s harmful for the world and everyone in it.”

Her gaze continued to twinkle. She was obviously a people person; someone who attempted to chastise gently and without insult. A person who had been trained to work with children.

Well, he was no child.

He wasn’t offended by anything she’d said, but he did feel like a total idiot. Would it really be years before Hailey was out of diapers? He’d thought it would be five or six months, maybe, but not too much longer than that.

How could he insist that Sophia change Hailey’s diaper every hour after she’d pointed out that doing so would be harmful to the environment?

Damn, but he hated feeling inadequate and ignorant, and that’s all he’d felt since his daughter had been tossed into his arms when she’d only been a few days old. How was he supposed to know how often a baby made poo?

“May I make a suggestion?” she asked.

He remained silent. He had a strong suspicion that nothing he said would keep this woman from offering her idea.

“How about if I promise to check the baby’s diaper every hour? No, every thirty minutes.” She tilted her cute oval face to one side. “The moment I detect any dampness, I’ll whip that diaper off and clean her little bottom. Cross my heart, I will.”

She made a small x on her chest, just above her left breast. And a nicely rounded breast it was, too. He jerked his gaze to the floor, blinked and silently ordered himself to focus.

As he sat there listening to her revising his guidelines, his attention wavered. This was exactly the type of woman he’d been trying to avoid. She was personable, charming…and manipulative. Not to mention beautiful and sexy. A woman who appealed to a man in every sense of the word.

Oh, she’d shown up at his door looking much different than she had in her office. Then, her thick chestnut hair had curled softly around her shoulders, and shiny lipstick had made her mouth glisten. She’d tied her hair back and washed her face, but her sparkling blue eyes didn’t need any more highlighting other than the thick, fanning lashes and the dainty dark eyebrows arching above them.

She was an attractive woman, with or without cosmetics. And she had a body that wouldn’t quit. Her knee-length skirt didn’t hide her shapely calves and petite ankles. And there were plenty of curves beneath that jacket and blouse; a man didn’t have to possess an overabundance of imagination to envision them.

The realization that he’d become keenly aware of her physical attributes scared the hell out of him. He was a business professional who worked with women every day. He was well-acquainted with proper conduct.

“I think we should talk about Hailey’s feeding times,” Sophia said easily.

Her tone plainly conveyed that she felt the schedule was up for discussion, and that irked Michael.

She lowered the typed pages and rested them on her shapely thighs. “Don’t you think she ought to tell us when she’s hungry, rather then us telling her when she’s going to eat? It’s much healthier for her to eat only when the need arises. Don’t you think?”

Her tone was amiable and sincere enough, but that final little three-word query had been added on as if it were some sort of conciliation. If there was one thing he hated it was being placated. It smacked of collusion, and he’d been there, done that, and had no intention of repeating the experience, thank you very much.

She crossed her legs then, and the papers slid from her lap. She caught them along with the fabric of her skirt, and she ended up lifting the hem several inches, revealing cute dimpled knees. She quickly smoothed the fabric back into place. The entire incident was over in a fraction of a second, but Michael’s mouth went dust dry.

This was the kind of situation that had gotten him into this mess. He’d gotten mixed up with a manipulative woman who used her wiles to get what she wanted. He had to stop this. Now.

“I can see that this isn’t going to work out.” He shoved himself out of the chair and stalked to the far side of the living room. “What the hell did I say to you this morning that made you think Hailey’s schedule is negotiable? Wait. Don’t bother answering that. I know I’ve been nothing but absolutely clear about what I want and expect from you and your business. I can’t have this.” He raked his fingers through his hair, and in a firmer voice, he said, “I won’t have it. I’m sorry, but I have to terminate our contract. You can go. I’ll make other arrangements for my daughter.”

Surprise widened her eyes. He hated to admit it, but her alluring gaze stirred a lava-like heat down deep in his belly.

He didn’t understand it. Normally, he was physically attracted to rawboned blondes. Curvy, dark-haired Sophia was neither. So what was this provocative rousing he was experiencing? Could he be confusing an acute irritation for something else? Something totally inappropriate?

The thought provoked a silent, unwitting nod.