Nanny and the Professor (9 page)

Cassie stopped at the open archway of the library and took a moment to steel
herself
. She'd need every ounce of self-control she possessed if she was to succeed in swallowing her pride to keep this job.

"Come in, Cassie."

The professor's voice sounded strained, and the nerves that twisted in her stomach made her a little nauseous. She squared her shoulders and entered the room, stopping in front of the big oak desk.

"Sit down," he said.

When she hesitated, he pointedly added, "Please."

She perched on the very edge of the chair and remembered that it was just two short days ago that she'd sat in this same seat while Professor Kingston decided whether or not to hire her.
Lord, that
felt like a lifetime ago.

"Professor–"

"Cassie–"

They spoke in unison, stopped, and both cracked a half smile. Cassie knew anxiety caused hers and was pretty certain that he was simply trying to be cordial even though he wanted to be rid of her.

She lifted her hand in a wordless invitation for him to continue with what he'd been about to say, but then she stopped mid-motion. If she let him speak his mind before she explained, she was certain this job would slip right through her fingers.

As she lowered her hand to her lap, she said, "Before you say anything, Professor Kingston, please let me explain something to you."

He laced his fingers together and rested his hands on the desktop. "I'd like to hear what you have to say."

The sincerity in his voice surprised her.

After only the merest hesitation, he added, "And please,
call
me Joshua."

This time his tone was warm and liquid, and it sent a shiver racing across her skin. And the look in his eyes...
Personal.
Intimate, even. Lord, but he was a handsome man.

She couldn't keep the tiny frown from creasing her brow as she tried to figure him out. One minute he was formidable and intimidating, the next he was calmly sincere and approachable. Which was the true Professor Joshua Kingston?

"Cassie?"

His gentle prodding snapped her to attention and she lifted her gaze to his eyes. She hastily assembled her thoughts, deciding that the best way to deal with this situation was to tell him the honest truth.

"Professor, I want–"

"Joshua," he prompted her.

She offered him a nervous bob of her head, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips. "Joshua," she began again,
then
she stopped long enough to swallow. "I want you to know right up front that... I… I really need this job."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him with one upraised hand. "Before you say anything, please let me assure you that I took excellent care of Andy this weekend. I know it sounds as though I'm tooting my own horn, and my mother would be disappointed because she always taught me that that was a very rude habit. But... well... there's no one around to do the tooting besides me. Andy and Eric got along really well. I kept them busy with quiet activities.
Lots of them.
And I know you're not going to believe this, but Andy didn't use his inhaler once while you were away. I was going to tell you that when we were all out by the pool, but–"

"Ah, yes," Joshua interrupted.
"The pool."

By the emphasis he placed on the words, Cassie instinctively felt he was spoiling for a fight. Anxiety knotted in her chest, but she refused to back down on this. The pool was
not
on the list of restrictions he'd given her and she would not allow him to dispute that fact. She stood abruptly and plunked her fist onto her hip. "Now, Professor–"

"Joshua."

This time his reminder, accompanied by an uplifting of his dark eyebrows, was so gentle, so beguiling, that it diffused every bit of tension that she'd perceived in the air between them only a moment before, and it confused her.

She must have been wrong about his being bent on arguing, she thought. For some insane reason she found herself helpless against the smile that tugged at her lips–a smile that was responding to the subtle yet abrupt change in the atmosphere.

There seemed to be an undercurrent of magnetic allure that drew her eyes to his and she wondered if he felt it, too. He returned her smile almost as in answer, and she shook her head, thinking again how his good looks simply whisked away her thoughts. What had they been talking about? Oh, yes, she remembered.
The pool.

Averting her gaze, she sat back down, took a deep breath and started again. "Joshua, I really feel it's necessary that I point out–"

"That the pool wasn't on the list," he said, finishing for her.

Her gaze flew to his and he nodded ruefully.

"You see, I just checked the list," he said. "It's right here on my desk."

A smug expression crept across her face and then stubbornly lingered there. He chuckled.

"It's nice of you not to say 'I told you so,'" he said, his eyes lighting with a hint of teasing sarcasm. "But I have a terrible suspicion you're thinking it."

His easy manner made her comfortable enough to laugh at his teasing.

"I guess I was in such a hurry on Friday that I forgot to add the pool," he said.

Meaning to straighten out the other misconception he had concerning her swimming ability, she started to speak, but didn't get the chance.

"However, I must tell you that you weren't the only one to toot your horn," he informed her.

A boyish grin dallied on his lips, a grin that softened his handsome, hard-edged jaw line until his features were so charming that Cassie's thoughts flew right out the nearest window.
Again
.
She knew she'd intended on setting him straight about something, but for the life of her she couldn't remember what.

"Yes," he went on. "Andrew came into my room and told me that it was his fault about the pool. He admitted that he hadn't been entirely honest when you asked him about it. He said that he enjoyed having Eric here. That you insisted the two of them stick to sedentary diversions. He told me you even coaxed him into trying a new vegetable. It's his opinion that you're a wonderful nanny."

The compliments spoken in Joshua's deep, rich voice sent a delicious quiver up the full length of her spine.

"Sounds as if Andy was quite a little musician," Cassie murmured. She couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed by the accolades, but at the same time she felt pleased knowing Andy had stood up for her.

"
Mmm
-hmm," Joshua said. "When my son toots, he really toots." His eyes widened suddenly and he laughed. "Well, that didn't sound quite right, now, did it?
Especially when you had him eating broccoli."

Cassie chuckled right along with him. Then she told him, "Andy's a wonderful little boy, Joshua."

His gaze gleamed with warmth and pride, and the corners of his mouth curled upward. He became reflective as he commented, "In two short days you and Eric have really come to mean a lot to him. He's never come to the aid of even one of his nannies before this."

Cassie gave a small shrug. "I'm sure it's because of Eric. Those two have had such a great time playing together." She related the story of Andy's famous marble thumb flick that Eric had begged to be taught.

After a moment of absorbed silence, Joshua said, "I guess I have kept my son pretty isolated."

She maintained an astute silence concerning the all-too-true statement.

But his somber countenance quickly cleared. "So, how about it?" he asked. "Are you up to remaining here as Andrew's nanny?" He quickly added, "With Eric, of course."

Bewilderment made her hesitate. This had been way too easy. He hadn't made her grovel. He hadn't insisted on an apology. He hadn't been high-handed or haughty or any of the things she'd been expecting. A voice in her brain kicked her into action.

"I'd love to."

"Good!" He stood and offered her his hand across the desk.

Automatically, she reached out and grasped it. He didn't shake her hand as she'd expected, rather he clasped his other hand overtop hers, and simply held her hand in both of his. She knew very well it was meant as a sort of goodwill gesture between employer and employee, but the heat that radiated from him made her go all warm and prickly. The feel of his skin against hers was... exciting.

She realized the anxiety that had weighed heavy in her stomach when she'd first come into the room was gone. And she found the emotions that replaced it were dark and mysterious.

"Andrew will be so pleased." Joshua smiled as he continued to hold her hand.

How about you, Joshua?
she
wondered. Are
you
pleased? The questions came out of nowhere and should have shocked her. But they didn't. She was getting used to her purely carnal knee-jerk reactions to him; however, even though the thoughts had been silent, her face flamed with heat. She just wished her thoughts didn't lead to such noticeable physical reactions.

She was going to have to work harder at controlling herself. She was going to have to stop allowing his easy manner and open smile to take her by surprise.

A deep sense of self-consciousness prompted her to try to pull her hand from his grasp, but he held firm. She could feel his intense gaze on her and she reluctantly tipped up her chin to look at him boldly, and it was as though he answered her unasked questions with the expression in his eyes– a look that was purely positive and optimistic.
And something else.
Something almost... sensual.

The feeling she read in his deep mahogany gaze sent a tremor of pleasure pulsing through her entire body. His eyes, his face, his whole countenance became so intense with unspoken emotion that she couldn't bear it another moment. She tugged her hand from his and slowly lowered it to her side. And when she got her nerve up to
glance
his way again, his expression had become unreadable.

Damn, her wild imagination was going to get her into deep trouble. She must have dreamed up the warm, enthusiastic look in his eyes. How would a man like him find someone like her even remotely attractive? Come on, Cassie, she silently scolded. Get real!

Still, she had to know what he truly thought of her remaining here as Andy's nanny.

"Professor..." She hesitated, remembering he wanted her to use his first name, and she still felt a little shy about doing so. "
Joshua
… you're not just doing this for Andy, are you? I mean, I know you're doing this for Andy, but I need to know that you trust me. I need to know that you aren't going to be worried about my ability to take care of your son."

He stood there behind his desk, glanced down toward the floor, and then directed his gaze once again at her.

"Cassie, I can honestly say that I wouldn't allow you to live in my house and care for Andrew if I felt you couldn't do the job. My son is the most important thing in my life. Hurt my son, and you'll be gone."

His blunt statement had her nodding. This she could deal with; an employer assuring an employee that she would
keep
the job only as long as she could perform her duties satisfactorily. But that was fine with
her,
it was what she was used to. She understood this kind of relationship and could work well with it.

However, she did wonder what she was going to do about those soft, almost enchanted feelings she felt toward Joshua. She couldn't dare let herself become attracted to the man. Oh, hell! She was already attracted to him. Admitting that was the only smart thing to do.