He brushed his mouth against hers, melting her bones. “Where did you come from, Ms. Chamberlain?”
“The East 59th Street Employment Agency.”
“My secretary did good work picking you. I’m going to have to give her a bonus.”
“I’m glad she picked me, too. Jamie’s…precious.” Her voice caught before she moved away from him. She was in danger of begging him to take her below. If that happened, then a whole night alone with him would never be enough.
TWO weeks later Reese entered the apartment building with Jamie after an afternoon of walking and shopping. The concierge called to her. “You have mail, Ms. Chamberlain.”
She saw a postcard from Rich Bonner, his fourth, forwarded from the post office in Philadelphia to her temporary address here. His persistence irritated her. There was also a letter from Wharton. The school was no doubt reminding her of the test coming up in two weeks. She’d registered for it and would be taking it online.
“Thank you, Albert.”
Once she’d tucked the mail in the sack, she went on up to the penthouse. Before she read anything, she had something more important to do. Jamie would be four months old in another week, but she couldn’t wait for his birthday.
Her sister had one of those fold-out colorful quilts with the ends of a mobile sewn in. When you opened it and set it on the floor, the mobile sprang open. The baby would lie there on his back entertained with all kinds and colors of small blocks and shapes and mirrors dangling above him. When she’d been walking through the toy store, she saw one like it and had to buy it.
“You’re going to love this,” she told Jamie as she wheeled him down the hall to her bedroom. As soon as she washed her hands, she pushed him through to the nursery and changed his diaper in his crib. She left him long enough to wash her hands again, then hurried back.
The little Tigger clock she’d bought for him last week said it was five after four. Nick would be home any minute. She lived for this time of the day when he walked through the front door and said he was home. Today was Friday, which meant he’d be home for the whole weekend.
He was always the perfect employer, but since their outing on the boat when she’d come so close to making love with him, he hadn’t touched her and the deprivation was killing her.
“Come on, sweetheart.” She picked up the baby, pouring out all her love on him. “You’re getting heavier, do you know that?” With a kiss, she knelt down on the floor with him where she could place him under the mobile on his back.
“There.” A red ladybug hung from a coil so you could pull on it. She put it in his hand. His fingers tried to crush it and it sprang away. Reese laughed and put it in his hand again, thus commencing a game that had them both laughing. She was so involved, she didn’t realize Nick had come in the room until he’d gotten down on the floor with them.
“This looks so fun I think I’ll try it myself.” His hip brushed against hers as he put his head inside to kiss his son.
Jamie was overjoyed to see his father. In the excitement his hands knocked several objects so they swung. Reese was so excited to feel Nick’s body next to her, she almost forgot to breathe.
His deep laughter rumbled through her, enchanting her. When he backed out, he suddenly pulled Reese closer so she was half lying on top of him with her face over his.
“A man could get used to looking up when there’s so much to entice him.” He undid the ribbon on her ponytail and her hair cascaded around her face. “I’ve been wanting to do this for weeks.”
It was his fingers twining in her hair that opened the floodgates. With no immunity against the intensity of his desire, Reese couldn’t help but lower her mouth to his, aching for the assuagement only he could give.
With slow deliberation he began to devour her. His breath was so sweet, so familiar, her senses swam. They kissed as if obeying some primitive rhythm. His lips traveled to the scented hollow of her throat. “You smell divine, do you know that? You feel divine.”
“So do you.” She let out a small gasp because the pressure of his mouth had changed, becoming so exquisite and loving, she would have fainted from pleasure if she weren’t already on the floor with him.
He rolled her over on her back and kissed her passionately again and again until she couldn’t tell where one kiss left off and another one began. Caught up in a euphoria such as she’d never known, she had no idea what time it was or how much time had passed until Jamie started to make hungry noises. Good heavens, the baby—
“He can wait for his bottle one more minute, or two, or three,” Nick said in a voice raw with emotion, pressing another hot kiss to her mouth, each one growing more urgent than the last.
Reese agreed as she gave in to the needs building inside her. His charisma had drawn her to him from the start, but now it was his sheer, potent male sensuality that had ensnared her. The slight rasp of his jaw brought out a wanton side in her she didn’t know she possessed. His hunger, never satisfied, was making her feel immortal.
Only Jamie’s cries becoming louder had the power to bring her back to earth. “Nick—”
His answering groan of protest meant he’d been brought back, too. She felt his hard-muscled body roll away. Reese caught a glimpse of dark eyes glazed with the heat of their passion before he got to his feet.
She looked around, surprised to see his suit jacket and tie on the floor. He had to have discarded them in a hurry after he’d walked in. Reese lowered her head. What had she done? What was she doing?
Nick left the room with Jamie to get him a bottle. By the time she got to her feet, her body couldn’t stop throbbing. She was completely dazed by emotions and feelings that had overwhelmed her. In a way it really frightened her. Nick had the power to take away her heart, soul, mind, will, everything—without even trying.
But it was her fault, not his. There was no force involved with him. All he had to do was touch her or say something and she was incapable of denying him or walking away. To do that, she would have to break her contract. But giving up Jamie would break her heart and leave Nick in a crisis until he found another nanny.
You’ve gotten yourself in a terrible mess, Reese.
In a druggedlike stupor, she picked up the sack and almost threw it away before she remembered the mail inside it. After pulling it out, she tossed the bag in the wastebasket and looked at the postcard first. Laguna Beach.
Hey, beautiful—Wish you were here surfing with me. There are some waves rolling in with your name on them. By any chance did you get a letter from Wharton?
Reese stared at the unopened envelope in her hand.
I got one the other day. Email me either way, okay? Hope you are ready for the exam! Ciao for now. Rich.
She had no intention of contacting him, but she did have to admit she was curious about his mention of a letter. He wouldn’t have said anything if all that was in it was the reminder of the exam coming up.
Nick must have carried Jamie out to the terrace to feed him. Thankful he’d disappeared to give her time to gather her wits, she wasted no time opening the letter. It was from the dean of her department no less.
Dear Ms. Chamberlain:
Two students whose academic achievement has set them above the rest of their graduating class have been given coveted internships for the coming fall semester. It is my privilege to inform you that you are one of those two remarkable scholars.
Congratulations,