Читать книгу Falling For The Nanny: The Billionaire's Baby SOS / The Nanny Bombshell / The Nanny Who Kissed Her Boss - Barbara McMahon, SUSAN MEIER - Страница 9

CLAIRE faced Matt with a crisp, professional smile. “Since I’m staying the night, I’ll need to go home to get some clothes.”

Memories of his hour alone with Bella caused him to freeze with fear, not just because of the noise and the feeling of impotence, but because the baby had been so upset. He couldn’t stand to see her sob like that again.

He rose. “Are you taking Bella with you?”

“You’ll be fine for an hour.”

“I think it’s too soon to risk it.” He didn’t want to admit that he couldn’t stand to see Bella cry. His feelings ran too deep, connected with too many personal things. Things he didn’t care to discuss with a stranger.

So though he didn’t lie, he was happy to have the perfect excuse to make sure he wasn’t alone with the baby again. “Besides, the car seat is in the limo. We’ll all have to go together.”

“Fine. I don’t care how I get to my house. I just want a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and to get out of these shoes.”

She held up her leg to display her red high heels and Matt’s gut tightened. He didn’t have a shoe fetish, but he did know a good set of legs when he saw them and hers were classic. She was a beautiful woman with great legs who was helping him with his baby. If the odd flutter that took over his stomach any time she was sweet with Bella ever combined with the hot need that exploded through him every time he looked at her, he’d be in big trouble.

Especially since her agreeing to stay for Bella’s sake was the kindest, nicest thing he’d ever seen anybody do.

Wincing internally, he told himself not to think like that. Claire was a nice woman and he needed her. He couldn’t hurt her. And that’s what he did—hurt women. Ginny hadn’t hated him after the way he’d destroyed their marriage because he came to the rescue of her second husband, gave him the leg up he needed to become successful. But every other woman he’d dated had. So he didn’t date anymore. He had lovers. Women who knew the score.

He texted Jimmy and led Claire through the house to the garage. When he opened the door and motioned her inside, she gasped. “All these cars are yours?”

He barely glanced at the two rows of cars. Everything from a Bentley to a classic GTO. “Yes.”

Jimmy suddenly appeared at their right. “And he only lets me drive the limo.”

“That’s because I’m perfectly capable of driving the other cars.” He turned to Claire, motioning to the driver. “This is Jimmy.”

“How do, ma’am.”

She smiled. “I’m Claire. It’s nice to meet you.”

Matt said, “We’re going to Claire’s apartment.” He faced Claire again. “Give him the address.”

She rattled off the location of her apartment and they got into the limo. She secured Bella in the car seat and just as she had in her first limo ride, Bella fell asleep.

Claire shifted uncomfortably. “So…” Obviously searching for something to say, she finally settled on, “This is a beautiful car.”

Matt squelched a sigh. He already liked her. He already experienced waves of attraction just looking at her. He didn’t want them…communicating.

He snorted in derision. “Most limos are beautiful.”

“Okay.” Clearly getting the message he’d intended to send that he didn’t want to make conversation, she turned away, pretending great interest in the scene outside her window.

He looked out the opposite window.

Still, though they rode in silence, his gaze fell to her legs, which were primly crossed at the ankles. With a little flick of a few eye muscles, his gaze could travel from those ankles the whole way past her knees because her skirt had bunched a bit—

Damn it! He wasn’t just imagining letting his gaze take a trip up her legs—he had taken the trip!

“She’s such an angel.”

He jerked his gaze up to Claire’s face. She hadn’t noticed him gawking at her legs because she stared lovingly at Bella. His gut twisted again. His feelings for Bella were getting tangled up in his feelings for Claire, and strange emotions and yearnings pumped through him. Like desire interwoven with…something. He’d call it contentment but what the hell did contentment have to do with having a baby? She’d been nothing but trouble… .

Except now she was sleeping. Her long black lashes sat on her puffy pink cheeks and her sweet mouth curved upward, filling his heart with the warmth of satisfaction.

He cleared his throat and gruffly said, “Yes, she’s an angel,” just as Jimmy pulled the limo to a curb and faced them.

“You’re not thinking about letting that angel sleep in her seat while you go do whatever it is you have to do here?”

Claire laughed. “Not much of a baby fan, are you?”

“No, ma’am.”

But instead of getting angry with the cheeky driver, Claire laughed again. Her pretty brown eyes shone with delight. “At least you’re honest.”

Matt glanced from Claire to Jimmy and back to Claire again.

Were they flirting?

A surge of jealousy caught him off guard. Since when did he get jealous?

As if only now realizing the limo had stopped, Bella woke and began to cry. Annoyed with himself for being jealous, he reached for the tummy snap, the leg strap and had the round padded thing lifted before Claire could make a move to help him.

“I see you’ve done this before.”

“No thanks to you.”

She slid across the seat. “I’m helping you a heck of a lot here. A little appreciation would be nice.” Outside the limo, she faced him. “Or maybe we should just go back to your house and I’ll get my car so I can come home for real.”

Matt’s stomach plummeted to his toes. And it wasn’t just because he worried about being alone with Bella. He suddenly realized if she left him now, he’d probably never see her again and his heart squeezed.

Good God! He’d known this woman a couple of hours. How could he be jealous, and, worse, afraid of not seeing her again?

He passed Bella to Claire and started across the seat. When he got out of the limo, Claire was halfway up the walk.

Holding the door, Jimmy chuckled. “Better be nice to her unless you want to hear this kid screaming all night.”

As Matt entered the building, Claire patiently waited at the old iron freight elevator of the factory converted to apartments that she called home. She almost wished the thing would have come before he reached her so she could leave him behind. But no. He ambled toward her, looking rich, sophisticated and sexy.

She nervously tried not to notice the exposed brick and pipes that provided a bit of “chic” to the supermodern condos. But every detail popped out at her like objects in a three-dimensional movie. Ben had hated this place. He’d made fun of the pipes, asking if the contractor had run out of money before he could buy materials to cover them. He’d hated the exposed bricks because they were old. He couldn’t believe anybody found anything about a factory appropriate to be seen in a residence.

And supersexy, superrich, supersophisticated Matt probably would snub his nose at her condo, too.

She just hoped he had more tact than Ben and wouldn’t say his thoughts out loud.

The elevator arrived, she stepped inside and so did Matt.

He didn’t say a word as they rose to her floor, but her relief was short-lived when she realized he was probably angry with her for threatening to leave him. Well, she didn’t care. Let him stew a bit. She wasn’t about to let him talk down to her. After Ben, she’d promised herself she’d never go through that again. And that was one promise she intended to keep.

The old metal doors opened noisily. She stepped out into the hall, once more seeing the brick walls, exposed pipes and hardwood floors. Her resolve strengthened. She loved this building. Loved her home. Let him hate it if he wanted. Let him make fun of it. She didn’t care. His feelings meant nothing to her.

Still quiet, Matt followed her down the hall. She held Bella on one arm as she marched to her door, fishing her keys out of her coat pocket. Before he reached her, she had the door open and was inside.

The exposed brick walls and hardwood floors continued throughout her open-plan apartment. Her kitchen was new, dark cabinets with slim silver handles and stainless-steel appliances. The chic dining area, including a table and trim buffet, flowed into her living room space, which had red sofas facing each other and an overstuffed red print chair with matching ottoman.

“Wow.”

She spun to face him. “Wow?”

“Your apartment.” He glanced around. “It’s so modern.” He looked around some more. “I really like it.”

Nerves prickled her skin. Her breath whooshed out. She hadn’t wanted his opinion to matter, but it had and that bothered her. He might be a nice guy with Bella, but he was also blunt and self-important. Guessing he was only trying to make nice after being rude to her, she grudgingly said, “Thanks.”

“I had a similar condo for a while.” He smiled as if remembering. “Right after I got my first job. Thought I’d hit the big-time because I started off earning six figures.”

She gaped at him. “How does somebody ‘start off’ earning six figures?”

He strolled around the room. “I went to my interview with two five-year plans. One was for the company interviewing me. The other for their competitor.”

She frowned. “So?”

“So, it never hurts to understand what the other guy is probably thinking.” He chuckled. “They said I showed initiative.”

“It sounds like initiative but I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been a businessperson, never even thought about wanting to be one.”

He strolled over. “You’re more of the sensitive type.” He took a step that brought them so close she could almost feel the heat from his body. “But we’ve already discussed this.”

“Yes…” She hated the tremble in her voice. He was just so damned good-looking. “We have.”

“But we’re really not even, you know.”

“Even?”

“About what we know about each other. You have a nice condo. You like working with kids. And that’s all I know about you.”

“I don’t exactly know a lot about you.”

He chuckled. “You’ve been through my house.” He caught her gaze. “In my bedroom. You know I was divorced but my ex-wife and I stayed close enough that she gave me custody of her child. You’ve seen my car collection, met my driver. Know that I give my employees long vacations when I travel for business. You know more about my personal life than most women I date.”

Her skin flushed. A pulse started low in her belly. So did an unwanted sense of anticipation. It meant something that he was telling her things, or letting her see things about his life through his home. And right now, they stood so close he could kiss her—or she could kiss him, if she wanted.

She swallowed. Suddenly grateful for the protection of the baby on her arm, she said, “Why do you want to know about me?”

“I think you know.”

“Because I know so much about you?”

“Because there’s something between us.” He took another step, forcing her to shift Bella to the left or let the poor baby get squished.

“I don’t like unusual things. I don’t like unexpected or unpredictable things.”

Her breath lodged in her throat. They absolutely could not get any closer.

“So you don’t like that you feel something for me?”

“No. I do not.”

“Well, thanks.”

He chuckled again. “You should thank me. You shouldn’t want me to be interested. I don’t date. I have lovers. I hurt women foolish enough to feel anything for me.”

She took a step back, putting plenty of space between them, believing the air had been cleared and they were moving on. “Thanks for the warning.” She handed the baby to him, but stopped short of giving her over. “You know, we’ve been carrying Bella around all day. It might be a good idea to let her roam a bit.” She stooped and put the baby on the white shag carpet between the two red sofas. “How’s this, sweetie?”

Patting the thick carpet, Bella gurgled up at her.

“Are you sure she’ll be okay down there?”

“I’ve had her on this carpet plenty of times.” She rose. “But you’re going to make sure she’s okay while I’m gone.”

“I am?”

“Yes. I’ll be five minutes, tops, while I gather a few things. You just have to make sure she doesn’t go too far or bump her head or anything like that.”

He glanced around. “Okay.” He caught her gaze again. “But we’re not done talking about this attraction.”

“I think we are. You’ve warned me off enough that I’m not even worried about it.”

“Liar.”

She snorted a laugh. “What? You think you’re so irresistible that—”

He caught her by the waist and hauled her to him. Before she could take her next breath, his lips were on hers. Soft yet demanding, they moved over her mouth until she found herself opening her lips beneath his. He took advantage. His tongue plunged into her mouth.

Desire ripped through her as her body became boneless. Her arms snaked around his neck. He tightened his grip on her waist and the kiss went on…

And on…

Sending sensations careening through her body, making her long for more.

Until Bella screeched.

Claire bounced away like a teenager caught kissing on the front porch by her parents.

Matt sucked in a breath. “Sorry.”

With arousal pulsing through her, his apology didn’t make sense. She blinked at him. “Sorry?”

“The kiss wasn’t supposed to go that far. It was to prove a point.” He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “I was hoping that…” He winced. “I thought if I kissed you we’d see the attraction was ordinary, and we’d…”

His words acted like water on a campfire. “You hoped I was a really crappy kisser?”

He winced. “Something like that.”

She made a sound of disgust. This guy couldn’t be any more infuriating if he tried. How could she be so attracted to him? “I’m going to get my things.”

She turned to walk away but he caught her arm.

“I am sorry. But everything’s getting confused. I’m trying to tell you that I’m not a family man, not the settling-down kind. Being with Bella is making me look like I might be…or maybe I should be. But I’m not.”

Her face grew tight with an emotion so strong yet so foreign she couldn’t even describe it. She’d never had a man tell her he was attracted to her as he tried to talk himself out of it. She wasn’t sure if she was humiliated or infuriated.

“I get it.”

“I don’t think you do. The family reunion I’m going to in Texas is a joke. My family is riddled with secrets and lies….No, I take that back. My family was built on secrets and lies. I became calloused to survive and I have survived. I’ve thrived. You’re not like the sophisticates I date. And if you get involved with me, you will end up hurt.”

She straightened her shoulders. What did he think she was? A lovesick schoolgirl? Ben had cured her of that. “Got it.” She turned to go, but pivoted around again. “And just for the record, you might be a great kisser, but I’d already realized you’re not a great catch. You’re blunt. You’re rude. You’re absolutely positive you’re always right. Well, this is one time you aren’t. I wouldn’t date you on a lost bet. You’re everything I avoid in a man. I learned that lesson young because my dad was exactly like you. Cool, efficient. Silent most of the time. And if that isn’t enough, I had a boyfriend who used me. So don’t think I’m helping you because of your supposed charm. I’m helping you for Bella’s sake.” She took the two steps that separated them and got in his face. “You…are…perfectly…safe…with…me.”

With that she walked away and Matt scrubbed his hand across his mouth. Well, that hadn’t gone well. He’d had the best of intentions when he’d warned her off. She was a nice girl and she was attracted to him. And he didn’t want her to get hurt. Yet his good intention of sparing her feelings had actually ended up making her mad.

He blew his breath out on a sigh and walked over to Bella. Stooping down so he was on her level, he leaned in and whispered, “She’d probably kill me if I told her that she was even sexier when she yelled at me.”

Bella squawked. He picked her up and rose with her. “What? You don’t like the adults not paying attention to you?”

She laughed and patted his face and he smiled at her. But his smile quickly faded. Claire was right. He really was getting accustomed to this kid. He hadn’t thought twice about picking her up. Didn’t mind holding her now.

So maybe this was going to work? Maybe he could be a good dad?

Claire came out of her bedroom carrying a small duffel bag. Matt hardly noticed it. Seeing her hair down around her shoulders, fat curls that bounced when she walked and her plain top that hugged her curves before it stopped at the waistband of her low-riding jeans caused his mouth to water. Memories of their kiss thundered through him. Had he been a bit hasty in warning her off?

No. He’d been fair. He needed help with Bella and Claire was obviously providing it. Because she cared about Bella—not him. Not even his money. Good Lord, she hadn’t even hinted about compensation.

He frowned. It was the first time since he’d gotten rich that somebody had just helped him.

Grabbing a bright red leather jacket, she said, “Let’s go,” and headed for the door.

He scurried after her. His gaze automatically fell to her bottom showcased in low-cut jeans, and inwardly he groaned. But he hadn’t made a mistake in warning her off. He needed her. Her reward for helping him would be that he wouldn’t hurt her.

When they reached the limo, Jimmy jauntily opened the door for Claire and she smiled at him, said, “Thanks,” a little breathlessly, and Matt’s blood pressure rose.

He handed Bella into the limo and Claire strapped her in the car seat as he settled on the seat across from her. A bit miffed that she’d sort of flirted with Jimmy again, he decided not to talk to her.

But after ten minutes of silence in the car, he realized she wasn’t talking to him.

His heart squeezed. But he ran his hand down his face. This was ridiculous. They’d both outlined very good reasons why they should stay away from each other. Hadn’t his heart and hormones been paying attention?

Claire tapped on the round padded thing that kept Bella securely in the car seat. “Hey, sweet girl.”

The baby gurgled a laugh.

“We should have remembered to bring something for her to play with.”

He grudgingly peeked over. “Like what?”

“She came with a bear and I bought her two rattles and a chew toy. They’re in her diaper bag.”

“We’ll give them to her when we get back.”

She smiled. “Okay.”

He simmered. She seemed very happy. Relaxed. Almost as if their kiss hadn’t happened. Or maybe she was happy that they’d cleared the air between them?

Well, fine. He was happy, too. God knew he had a million other things to think about, worry about, stress over, if he wanted to be stressed.

His already unhappy family had been increased by four half siblings. The children his real father had had with the woman he married after Matt’s mother had returned to New York. And he had to meet those people in nine short days. For his sisters’ sake, he’d promised to be nice.

If he wanted to obsess over anything, he should be figuring how he intended to keep his promise to Ellie, Charlotte and Alex. Having all recently settled down—Charlotte with a baby even—they were now all about family and wanted him to be part of that, too. He shouldn’t be worried that the current woman in his company was the first woman in a long time to not only reject him, but also to stand up to him.

Great. Now he was thinking about her again.

Maybe the mistake was agreeing to let her spend the night…

In the little room next to his bedroom…

This was going to be peachy.