The Nanny Proposition. Rachel Bailey
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my niece need you more than I do right now.”
“Yes,” she said, then bit down on her lip, as if surprised at herself. Then more firmly, “Yes.”
“Excellent.” Liam stood, ready to leave now the solution could be put into place. “How long will you take to pack a bag?”
“If you give me your address, I can throw a few things together and catch a cab over in about an hour.”
“I’ll wait.” He wanted her there when he and Bonnie arrived home. He was pretty sure Bonnie would need changing or feeding or both. “You and Meg can come with me and the movers can do everything else.”
“Now,” she said, a touch of wonder in her voice. “Okay, I’ll go and pack a couple of bags as quickly as I can.”
Liam let out a long breath as he watched his new nanny head down the hallway. There was something beautiful in the way she moved—he could watch her just walk all day. Having her under the same roof would be no hardship.
Before he could let that thought take hold, he gave himself a mental shake. He had bigger issues than attraction to a beautiful woman. In fact, attraction would be downright problematic. Now that he’d solved the problem of what to do with Bonnie, he wouldn’t jeopardize that solution by acting like a teenager ruled by his hormones. He knew how to behave himself, knew what needed to be off-limits. Nothing would jeopardize this plan.
Everything was going to be all right.
He glanced down at Bonnie, sleeping in his arms. No, everything would be better than all right. He’d make sure of it.
The trip in Liam’s Jeep to his home in San Juan Capistrano was awkwardly silent after Meg’s babble as she played with a crinkly toy in the back subsided and she eventually dozed off. By the time Jenna had finished packing a couple of bags of her and Meg’s things, Bonnie had been hungry so they’d fed her before setting off. Now the baby was asleep too.
Behind the shield of her sunglasses, Jenna sneaked a look at her new employer. He sat tall in the driver’s seat—she knew he had an inch or two on Dylan’s six feet—and faint frown lines streaked across his forehead. Those lines were absent from his brother’s face. But minor differences to his brothers didn’t come close to explaining why it was this brother who’d always caught her eye. Why on those rare occasions his gaze had fallen on her at Dylan’s apartment over the year, her heart had beaten that little bit faster.
What did she really know about him—well, besides that he was a man used to getting his own way? She’d been swept along by the speed with which he’d acted. She was used to autocratic people—not only was her mother a ruling monarch, but her father and siblings were all princes and princesses who were used to having people, including her, obey them.
She’d needed that job with Dylan, the settledness of it, the security of it for her and her daughter, yet here she was after only a matter of hours, minutes really, being relocated to Liam’s house. Why had she let that happen?
As hard to resist as he was, she knew it was Bonnie’s plight that called to her. And Liam’s reaction to his new daughter—he was bumbling with his inexperience but so very protective and determined to do the best by the baby.
Most people had nine months to get used to the idea of parenthood. While she’d fed Bonnie at Dylan’s apartment, Liam had admitted he’d had less than twenty-four hours since being thrust into the role of instant father.
And it was her job to help him acclimatize. Time to step into her role.
“I’m assuming you don’t have any baby supplies at home?” she said, breaking the silence.
“Supplies?” He shoved one hand through his hair, then gripped the wheel again. “I have the car seat Dylan had fitted and the hospital gave me some things.”
“Oh, well that will do for a start, but you’ll need much more than that.”
“I will?” he asked, his dark brows drawing together above aviator sunglasses.
“Yes.” She fished around in her handbag, found a pen and scrap of paper and started making notes. They’d need everything from bedding to clothing to kitchen supplies.... “She’ll need a few pieces of furniture besides a crib. A chest of drawers or a cupboard for her clothes, and maybe a chair we can put in her room for night feeds. But we can use whatever you have.”
“I’ll show you around and you can take what you need from other rooms.” His voice was deep and business-like, as if he was organizing the logistics for a project. “Put everything else on your list and I’ll get a baby shop to deliver.”
“We don’t need all of this right away,” she said, looking down at the crumpled bit of paper in her hand. It was going to be a big delivery to get everything at once—she’d bought Meg’s things slowly, in batches. “With some things, we can make do or she can use Meg’s.”
“Don’t be shy about ordering new things for her. If Bonnie needs it, she gets it.”
“Okay. We’re going to need formula, diapers, bottles, a sterilizer, a crib, crib sheets, blankets, a diaper bag—”
Liam held up a hand. “What’s a diaper bag? Don’t they arrive in a bag?”
“It’s to put all her baby supplies in when we take her out. Actually,” she said, making a note, “we’d better get two.” She scanned to find her place in the list. “Monitor, high chair, baby wash, booties, onesies—”
Liam stopped her again. “All of this for one seven-pound baby?” he asked incredulously. “Seriously?”
She held back a smile. “Amazing, isn’t it? And this is just to start.”
She kept reading, and though his eyes were hidden behind his dark sunglasses and he didn’t interrupt her again, she sensed his air of bemusement.
When they pulled up in front of the house, Jenna was surprised. She’d expected something sleek and modern, like Dylan’s penthouse, but this was older and rambling. Two stories high, tall windows with sashed curtains, wide verandas of varnished wood and the air of a family home.
Liam parked in front of the main door, under a portico, and jumped out.
They unbuckled the babies and Jenna followed Liam into the house, she carrying an instantly awake and perky Meg, and Liam carrying a still-sleeping Bonnie in one strong arm.
The house was spacious and open plan, with living areas connected by archways. The whole was decorated in neutrals with splashes of color, like the burnt orange rugs on the tiled floor and olive green cushions on the sofa. It was sophisticated but much more relaxed than Dylan’s apartment. More of a home. Jenna smiled. Bonnie would love growing up here.
A woman appeared through one of the archways, tall, silent and grim-faced.
Liam glanced up and nodded at the woman. “There you are, Katherine.”
“Do you need something, Mr. Hawke?” she asked, moving very few facial muscles in the action.
“Just to introduce you to our newcomers.” He held an encompassing arm out in their direction. “Jenna, this is Katherine, my housekeeper. Katherine, this is Jenna and her baby, Meg. As I mentioned on the phone, Jenna is going to be Bonnie’s nanny. I’m not really sure how these things work. I understand babies create a lot of washing and mess, so you’ll need to work together. Perhaps you also can take on a part-timer to help with the extra workload.”
Katherine didn’t spare Jenna a glance. “I told you I could take care of the little one, Mr. Hawke.”
Liam didn’t seem fazed. “You already have a full-time job, Katherine. You’re essential to this household, and I won’t have you overburdened.”
Katherine sniffed, appearing to be