“But you can swim?”
“Yes.”
“In my teens I did a lot of sailing. It’s a sport I’d like to do with my son. If he’s going to share that love with me, then he needs to start getting used to the water. Already he feels safe with you. The next time you go out with Jamie, buy yourself one. Consider it your uniform and put it on my account.”
If she wanted to squirm her way out of that, too bad.
ON SATURDAY, Reese tried to study, but finally gave up. With Nick and Jamie gone from the penthouse, she was at a totally loose end. After fixing herself a sandwich for lunch, she took off for Macy’s at Herald Square.
The crowded ten-story department store contained everything including the unimaginable. One would have to be here days to see it all. She ended up spending hours walking around. Eventually she found some swimsuits on sale for her and Jamie.
With Father’s Day coming up, she shipped her dad a small framed picture of New York showing Park Avenue. She slipped in a note telling him to hang it in his office.
While she was looking at the toys, she discovered a wooden hand-painted toy sailboat in sky-blue with a white canvas sail Jamie could give his father. It was the perfect size to fit on a desk or a dresser. The artist on hand personalized it on the keel for her with quickdrying black paint. The Flying NJ. When it was finished, she asked the salesgirl to gift wrap it.
Since she was in the right place, she purchased some doughnut toys and a colorful octopus that played classical music when you touched the tentacles. By the time she got back to the apartment, it was after seven.
As she turned down the hall to her bedroom, she almost bumped into Nick. “Oh—I didn’t realize you were home.” Her pulse raced out of control to see him standing there in tan trousers and a midnight-blue silk shirt. He looked and smelled marvelous.
His dark eyes took swift inventory of her in her jeans and layered top. “Looks like you’ve been having fun. Is there a bikini inside one of those bags?”
Her cheeks grew warm for no reason. “Yes, among other things.”
“I hope you put everything on my account.”
Reese shook her head. “Not today. Excuse me while I put them away.”
He rubbed his hard jaw. “I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had dinner yet. Paul is going to drive us to Nolia’s in Greenwich Village. The salmon and sea bass are to die for.”
She bit her lip. He obviously needed to unwind after being with his in-laws. “Won’t it make too long a day for Jamie?”
“He’s staying in tonight. Rita, one of the maids who’s been working here a long time, is going to take care of him while we’re gone. I’m expecting her any minute.”
Reese took a shaky breath. Going out to dinner with Nick alone wasn’t part of her nanny job, but as the thought of turning down his offer entered her mind, she realized that she wanted to be with him so badly, she felt an ache to the palms of her hands.
“What should I wear?”
“Anything you feel like.”
In other words, formal dress wasn’t required. She was hot and sticky and needed a shower first.
“Don’t take too long. I’m starving,” he said in a husky tone.
She’d been hungry when she’d walked in the door, but with those words her stomach had too many butterflies to know what she was feeling. “I’ll hurry.”
Ten minutes later she joined him in the foyer wearing a sleeveless dress with a rounded neck in an allover black-on-white print. The summery outfit could be dressed up or down depending on her accessories. After brushing out her ponytail, she’d caught her hair back at the nape with a black chiffon scarf and slipped on low black heels.
When Nick saw her, the unmistakable glimmer in his eyes set a tone for the rest of the evening, making her feel feverish throughout their delicious dinner. A live jazz band prompted Nick to dance with her. He drew the eyes of every woman, young or old.
She thought of Cinderella, who got her chance to be spun around the castle ballroom with her prince. But in that childhood fairy tale, the author never described the feelings running riot inside the scullery maid who for one night had been transformed into a princess. The adult thoughts and desires of a woman weren’t meant to be read by dreamy-eyed little girls.
Nick had told Reese he wanted her to experience some nightlife while she was in his employ. In her naïveté she’d given in to that temptation and thought she could handle it, but if he pulled her against his hard-muscled body one more time he’d feel her trembling.
“You’re a wonderful dancer, Reese.”
“Thank you. So are you.”
“I could do this all night,” he murmured near her ear.
Don’t say another word, Nick. “If I hadn’t walked around Macy’s all afternoon, there’s nothing I’d like more.”
“I forgot about that. You should have said something sooner. We’ll go.”
Ever the consummate host who went out of his way to make her comfortable, they left the restaurant and rode back to the apartment in the limo. The maid was there to meet them.
“Jamie never made a peep.”
“Thank you, Rita.”
“Anytime.” Her brown eyes flicked to Reese with interest before she left the penthouse.
When the door closed, Reese looked up at her incredibly handsome escort. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Nick. I must be the luckiest nanny in New York with the nicest employer and the sweetest little boy.”
His eyes were veiled as he smiled at her. “We’ll have to do it again.”
No, no.
“Lest you’ve forgotten, Cinderella only had one night at the ball. It wouldn’t do for the hired help to expect a repeat with the prince. Good night, Nick.”
Reese left for her bedroom having meant what she’d said. To lose her head over this man when she was being paid to do a job for him would bring heartache—the kind she instinctively knew she would never recover from.
For the rest of the week she made certain she and Jamie were there to greet him when he walked through the door of the penthouse, but that was all. Once she’d told him about Jamie’s day and answered any questions he had, she disappeared to get going on her studies.
On the following Friday she was studying on her laptop when she heard Jamie’s distinct cry through the baby monitor. He hadn’t built up to it. One minute it was quiet in the room. In the next, he’d let go as if he’d awakened with a nightmare, or was in pain.
He’d only been down for an hour since his one-o’clock bottle. She slid off the bed and rushed across the hall to the nursery. Alarmed to see him in so much distress, she picked him up to comfort him.
“Uh-oh—you’re hot.” She walked over to the dresser with him to get the thermometer. To date his health had been so perfect, she’d almost taken it for granted.
“Hmm…l01.4. That’s not good. Let’s check to see what’s going on.” When she undid his stretchy outfit and diaper, she discovered he’d had diarrhea. “Oh—you’ve got a stomachache.” She got him all clean again and put him in a fresh diaper and a shirt.
For the next hour she walked him around the apartment on her shoulder, singing