Urgent: One Nanny Required (Crimson Romance) (17 page)

“The commercial is almost finished. Just another day of shooting, and then I’m done,” he began.

Here it comes,
she thought, trying to ignore the way her stomach took a nose dive at the thought of the inevitable end. She had known this day was coming. In fact, she couldn’t stop thinking about it ever since that night; that glorious night when her world changed forever.

Laying her head down, she was grateful for the small breeze that had begun blowing the wisps of hair into her face, sure that if he looked across right now, he would see the anguish in her eyes.

“That’s good, isn’t it? It means you two will be able to head back home sooner. At least Theo will be able to sleep off the jet lag for longer before going back to school.”

He didn’t reply, instead he stared across the water to where Theo had struck up a conversation with some other children on body boards.

“Yeah, of course.”

The noncommittal reply put her back up. Why didn’t he just say it and make it easier for the both of them?

“What are your plans? How did you leave things with your dad?”

She figured she owed it to him to tell him, since he was the one who made it happen. “My father is flying out to Europe in the next few days and will be in England for a day or two. We agreed to meet up there. You know I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for that.”

“No, you didn’t.” A sly smile moved across his lips as he edged closer. Jerking up to a standing position she scooted as quickly as the water resistance would allow to the other side of the board.

“And I’m not going to say thank you either if you don’t stop that.” A laugh bubbled up as the pain she felt receded under his heated gaze, his eyebrows wiggling like a comic villain.

He stood in front of her, pushing down on the board, making it wobble beneath her fingers. “Well, how about you don’t say it,” he murmured as he leaned across, his mouth just mere inches from hers.

Moving her head back, she fixed him with her best glare, “Oh no you don’t. A normal thank-you will have to suffice.” She stuck her hand out to shake. “So thank you.”

Taking it in his grasp, her pulse jumped as he started to circle the inside of her wrist.

“You’re most welcome.” His voice was smooth as silk and did nothing for her determination to be the one to start putting some distance between them before she ran away.

No, correction. She wasn’t running away, her “contract” was coming to an end. They’d all be on their way back to England soon where they would say goodbye and go their separate ways. And that would be that.

Pulling her hand away, she saw him frown at the motion. She’d have to stay strong if she wanted to get out of this without turning into a blubbering mess.

“I’m glad it’s all working out for you, Rania” he said slowly. He sounded odd. Well, odd for him; he didn’t use his usual confident tone; he sounded sad and distant. She was probably reading too much into it. Maybe he was just grateful that she’d have something to occupy herself with when she got home so she wouldn’t be pestering him in the way she knew some girls did after a one-night stand. Or in their case, a one week stand.

“Yeah, me too. What are your plans when we land back in Blighty?” Striving to keep her tone as casual as possible, despite feeling her heart breaking in her chest.

“Get Theo back in school before he begins to think every day is a beach day,” he said with a laugh, the sound strained. “Other than that, a few meetings with production houses about some projects. Kirk’s got something in the pipeline. Trying to stay in the UK as long as possible this time so Theo has some stability.”

“Good plan. Though he does seem very happy here, too. He would be, what, the third generation Trenton in Hollywood?”

“Yeah, though I’d try and persuade him out of it.”

“Good luck with that. From the way he attacked the food cart at the studio, I’d say he’d be more than happy to stay just for the free food.” She looked across at her small charge as he seemed to have entered into a competition with his new friends to ride the biggest wave.

“Nothing comes for free.” His cold words made her heart dip in her chest. Was he talking about Hollywood or them? Or was he remembering the payment for taking care of Theo? But that was before. Before she’d fallen head over heels in love with him.

The warm water no longer held the same appeal for her and pushing herself off the board, turned to face him. “I’m determined to get some more color before the three days are up. I’ll see you two boys on the beach.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded overly bright as she waded back to shore, not giving him a chance to ask for the board as she clutched on to it. It must have been all the swimming; her legs weren’t used to it. Why else would they be feeling so wobbly?

• • •

He watched her go, the gentle sway of her hips as she walked back onto dry land attracting more stares then just his. He knew her well enough to know she thought that one-piece was unappealing; that was why she wore it.

What she didn’t know was that with her curves and firm derriere, the last thing she looked was unappealing. A familiar ache took over when he thought about those curves. Especially those curves nestled between his sheets.

She’d sat down on the lounger, picking up her Kindle, completely oblivious to all the attention. He’d been surprised to how eager she was to get back to the UK, if her questions were anything to go by. The sharp kick in his gut reminded him that their time together wasn’t forever.

The irony of it all wasn’t lost on him. After he’d given her his card, he’d berated himself all the way back home for hiring a total stranger to look after his son. He hadn’t done any checks, not asked for any references. Just gone on gut instinct from what he’d seen of her with Theo. It had helped his decision that Theo didn’t seem to be able to stop talking about her all the way back. If his son was happy, then so was he.

From the time she first came to the studios, he could tell she wasn’t like the other nannies who refused to use the passes he constantly gave them. He smiled wryly as he remembered how she seemed so nervous; a natural beauty out of place among the made-up faces surrounding her. Despite being on one of the biggest studio lots in Hollywood, she kept herself to herself, not trying to opportunistically garner any attention from the big wigs around.

Of course, he hadn’t realized that her avoidance of anything Hollywood had to do with her mother and her selfish desire to be a part of the scene so badly she would sacrifice her only daughter. The anger was still raw in him, despite Rania having told him days ago.

He would never let anybody hurt her like that again, not while there was a breath left in his body. Exhaling so rapidly he felt giddy, it dawned on him, so quick and unexpected he felt like he’d been sucker-punched.

He loved her. The feeling was so new and strong, he was dumbfounded by it. He had known even before Lila had died that he was never really in love with her. Not in the way a husband should love his wife and he knew in his heart she felt the same. But with Rania, it was different. The feeling was so intense he could taste it. From the moment she stood up to him in her shop, turning on him with those large, golden expressive eyes as she lectured him about his parental responsibilities, then clucking over Theo like a mother hen, he knew. Knew in his heart, even before his head had caught up. That would at least explain the rage he felt toward Suarez. He’d been jealous. He hadn’t wanted to admit it at the time and if he were truthful, still didn’t want to admit it now. But she was his, damn it!

That night, on the sofa replayed like a slow movie through his mind. The way her lips felt beneath his, her sigh as he’d pulled away. He wanted to kick himself after he woke up to find her gone. The thought that she had any regrets feeling like a kick in the pants, until he heard her movements in the kitchen, and then all was right with the world.

Three days. That’s what she’d said. To be honest, he hadn’t even noticed the days tick by. He forgot there was such a thing as time when he was with her.

Apparently things weren’t the same for her. When the time came — and he knew it would — he would let go. In three days. He still had three days left and he was determined not to waste them.

• • •

Either something had happened at the beach or he’d gotten sun-stroke, Rania decided. She was sitting back against the sofa, watching him and Theo bash away at a game on the X-box controllers. Ever since getting back from the beach he’d been odd. Not crazy loony odd, just bizarre.

Like when she was making the popcorn and he’d come up behind her, dropping a kiss on her shoulder with Theo only in the next room. Or when she’d sat down and he’d sat next to her as Theo was getting the game ready and he held her hand, rubbing his fingers along her knuckles. She was grateful when Theo had pulled him in for a match. Grateful for the escape.

She knew they never actually discussed what they would say to Theo if the situation arose or even how they would act, considering that due to the machinations of Claudia the three of them hadn’t spent that much time together. But she thought it was understood that they wouldn’t get all touchy-feely; if only so they wouldn’t confuse Theo. Or each other.

Not to mention, what was he thinking? Did he want her to go insane and think this happy family picture was forever? Obviously, he didn’t know it was killing her to be this close to heaven and know it wasn’t going to last.

The hard jolt at the landing of the plane woke her. Not that she’d really been asleep. Not with her mind constantly replaying the last few days. Her final days in LA hadn’t been the roaring success she’d hoped. No thanks to the interference of Claudia and Kirk who had insisted Theo stay over the night before they were due to fly home. She’d tried to persuade Theo to stay home with promises of video games and movies. Anything to avoid spending time alone with Nick, but clearly the appeal of hanging out with his friend was greater. That had left her and Nick all alone.

God knows she had tried to resist, but one look into those eyes and she was gone; through all the night and most of the day after. Claudia’s lame excuse for keeping Theo longer was that they forgot the time. Like she’d believed that. For an actress, Claudia was a very bad liar.

Stretching, she could feel every bone in her body ache. Economy on a transatlantic flight was not the way to travel in comfort, but it was the way she had to go. She swallowed back the lump in her throat as she remembered Theo’s tearful questions about why she wasn’t sitting in first class with them. She’d insisted he should sit with Nick on the way back, as father and son should.

Okay, so there had been spare seats but what was the point? The quicker she separated this fantasy life from her real one, the better. After all, her little flat above the shop was hardly a palace. Why should she get used to living in comfort when it wasn’t going to happen again. She didn’t belong in Nick’s world, any more than he belonged in hers. And not even finding out her long lost father was a retired Oscar-winning director was going to change that. She was still her, Rania George, owner of Belle’s Sweets and she was, if not happy, then at peace with herself.

On the last night, he’d asked how she felt about being with them for longer and she’d felt her heart soar with hope. Then he added that Theo thought she was the best nanny in the world and what did she think about being his nanny for a longer period of time.

Not to stay and be with him; but to be there as the nanny. And then what, she wanted to ask him. Continue sleeping together, with her like a fool, falling more and more in love until one day Theo was grown up and he wouldn’t need a nanny anymore and then Nick could find someone from his own world?

No, thank you; she wasn’t that crazy. So she’d come up with the idea of sitting in economy class. Saying goodbye to both of them at the Gate had been the hardest moment of her life, holding a tearful Theo as she comforted him with promises that, of course, she’d see him again. He knew where her shop was so he could pop in anytime. He calmed down after that, secured by Nick’s reassurances that he’d tell someone called Mrs. Stowe to take Theo to the sweet shop as much as he wanted.

Her stomach pitched as she remembered her goodbye to Nick. She’d wanted to run into his arms and stay there for as long as he would have her. Her rational side kicked in, forcing her to stick her hand out, her insides burning as he took it, his eyes cold, his hand firm as he shook it once, dropping it almost immediately. She’d held back the tears as she boarded the plane on wobbly legs, holding on tightly to the railing for support. Finally, she broke down in her seat, muffling her cries in fear that Nick or Theo would hear her.

She thought she had been doing a good job of hiding her anguish by turning her face toward the window. Clearly not, as the guy next to her offered her a tissue and his wife offering to buy her a vodka to help her relax. Grateful, she took them up on both suggestions, and she’d fallen into a fitful sleep.

Hoping that at least with them in first class and her secure in Economy, they would get off first so she could avoid seeing them, she stood up and collected her things. Eyes straight in front and avoiding looking left and right, she practically flew to the luggage conveyor belt, grabbing her bag and heading through customs. She could have cried with relief when she saw Tanya’s fiery red hair standing out in the crowd. At five feet ten, her friend was on the tall side for a woman and the extra-large hoodie and baggy jeans did nothing to hide her thin, boyish frame.

“What did you do, Nia, sprint through customs?” Her friend’s smile faded as concern widened her green eyes. “Oh my God. What happened?” She pulled her case from her friend and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she led her to the car.

• • •

The journey back had been hell. Theo had either been absorbed in his game or studiously ignoring him. He’d wanted to shout that it wasn’t his fault; she didn’t want to stay. He’d even asked her to stay, but she’d said no. Short of strapping her to him, as much merit as that idea had, he couldn’t.