Falling for the Nanny Read online

  Falling for the Nanny

  Blurb

  Teri…she came into my life when I needed her most… and I didn’t even realize that this love was missing.

  It hasn’t been easy being a single father to my four-year-old son, Bobby.

  But we’ve done remarkably well together since losing his mother about two years ago in a tragic accident.

  I love my son. I work hard in my businesses. I’ve been very successful in my life.

  But I feel as though I’m done when it comes to love. I had my chance.

  And now Teri has come into my life. She is beautiful, sweet, so smart, and she loves Bobby who loves her back.

  She is my son’s new nanny. And though I know it’s a mistake, I can’t help that I’m falling madly in love with her.

  I think she feels the same, but both of us are paralyzed with the desire, afraid to take that first move.

  It’s not proper. It’s not professional.

  And I’m not sure I’m ready to experience love with another woman.

  But my desires are starting to consume me…. what will the outcome be?

  Index

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 1

  Darren

  That was the end of that.

  I leaned back in my office chair and tried to resist the impulse to snarl or at least vocalize my displeasure. I waited five seconds and the moment was past. It was done and now I had to deal with it. Dammit.

  My nanny, Rosie McClung had just quit. She’d been a nanny to my four year old son Bobby for the past year and a half, ever since my wife Jodie passed away in a car accident. Bobby loved her and she had helped him ease the burden that void left behind since his mother was gone. Rosie was more grandmotherly than motherly, mostly due to the fact that she was in her early sixties, but she was a great nanny and Bobby loved her. She would pick him up from pre-school and take care of him until I got home from work. I tried to get home before he was in bed. I succeeded only half the time.

  But she just told me she quit. Her daughter in Houston needed her help after having some major surgery. Houston… I hoped the weather was better there than it was in Columbus, Ohio where I lived. It was the middle of winter February. What a damn dreary, cold, bitter month. I could hop on a plane any time I wanted and be in a warmer climate within six hours, but that was not life with a four year old who needed stability.

  Now I had to find another nanny. Shit. I needed this like I needed a hole in the head.

  My door knocked just then. “Come in,” I said.

  Patrice, my secretary stormed into my office. “Your four o’clock meeting just got moved back to five,” she said.

  “What? Why?”

  “Ken said something came up and he can’t meet until then.”

  “Well, tell him to piss off then. It’s four or nothing. My time is valuable, too.”

  “Really? You want to cancel that?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “I have to get home a little early today. Bobby needs me.”

  “Nothing serious I hope,” she said.

  “My nanny just quit. She needs me home by six. She has some family emergency or some shit. So, now I have to get someone else asap.”

  “Well, my cousin’s daughter is looking for that type of work,” Patrice said.

  “Really? Is she experienced?”

  “I believe she is,” she said. “She is currently studying at Ohio State for a degree in early childhood development.”

  “That sounds promising,” I said.

  “And she has been a nanny for a few years now with a family, but they are moving, so she is out of a job as of last week.”

  “That’s great. Can you set up a meeting with me and her tomorrow at my place?”

  “Sure.”

  “You don’t have to check with her?”

  “No, she will be glad I said yes for her,” Patrice said.

  “Great,” I replied. “Thanks so much. This works out. I hope she can start soon.”

  “I’m sure she can,” she replied. “I think you will get along great.”

  I thanked her again. She left my office and a few minutes told me that the meeting was back on at four. Of course it was. I was not about to let things go like that. I’ve never been the type of guy who will put up with anyone pushing me around. People will try.

  I finished up a few things at the office and then went to the meeting. The meeting was with a man named Ken Worth. He was a real estate investor who was looking to buy up some properties I owned. He tried to low ball me as usual, but I stuck to my guns and at least a few times I had to get angry with him. I almost walked out of the damn meeting twice. The second time I was gone until he sprinted down the hallway to actually beg me to reconsider.

  “Ok,” I said. “The price is now five million more than it was before. Anymore of your foolish shenanigans? Or are you just out of the deal?”

  “Five?”

  He hesitated and I was walking away already. “Fine. That’s the deal.”

  “Great. I’ll have the paperwork drawn up. Now I’ve got to run,” I said.

  I went back to the office and grabbed a few things before heading out. As I was leaving, Patrice flagged me down. “She said five o’clock tomorrow.”

  I gave her a puzzled look. What was she talking about?

  “The nanny?”

  “Oh, right,” I said. My head was finally shifting gears. There was too much on my mind lately. I felt a bit wired. I had not had more than three hours of sleep in the past two weeks. I was working way too hard, staying up too late, and when I did lay down I was not able to calm myself enough to sleep.

  The therapist I spoke to after my wife died said I was most likely suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress. It was bullshit. I didn’t believe any of that therapy crap, but I was having so many coping issues afterwards that I took friends advice to talk with someone. It didn’t really help me at all and after one session I was done with it.

  But sometimes I did wonder if I was actually doing myself some harm by not getting some help. It came and went, the grief. Sometimes I would be fine for several days or weeks and then it would come back all at once and those horrible feelings would be there.

  I was dealing though. There was no time to get hung up with it. I had a business to run and a son to raise. I had to be there for Bobby and I had to be strong. But work was the one thing I was not able to cut back on. I didn’t really need the money anymore, but it was the only thing keeping me from falling to pieces sometimes. It had always been my sanctuary, my way of dealing with my abusive childhood. The scars of the first ten years of my life had remained with me all of my thirty-two years. I doubted it would ever leave me. But at least my father finally did.

  I went home and said a quick goodbye to Rosie. Then I had dinner with Bobby. I fixed him some leftover chicken breast and some mashed potatoes. It was one of my favorite meals as well. The kid ate it up and then asked for dessert. I knew he was going through a tough time with Rosie leaving, so I gave in and gave him two small scoops of ice cream which I usually reserved for weekends.

  Then I tucked him into bed and I spent the rest of the evening working in my office downstairs. I was doing some market research and trying to decide what I wanted to do with the new shopping center I was acquiring. Some of the stores were performing well, but some were just losers. I wondered if it was just the wrong location for those stores.

  It was almost one in the morning by the time I finally headed to bed.

  I wondered what the girl I was meeting tomorrow would be like…

  Teri Runyon was beautiful.

  There was no other way to put it. She was stunning. The moment I saw her at my door my heart skipped a few beats and my palms began to sweat. I wasn’t usually intimidated by anyone, especially a beautiful woman, but this felt different somehow.

  “Teri?” I asked as she held out her hand to me.

  “Yes, that’s me,” she replied. “My mother’s cousin Patrice told me five o’clock.”

  “Yeah, you are right on time,” I said. “Thanks for being here and for coming on such short notice.”

  “No problem,” she said. “I’m really glad that Patrice mentioned me when she heard you needed someone.”

  “Yeah, I’m in a bit of a tight spot here,” I said as I led her into the house. “Follow me,” I said.

  She did so echoing my footsteps into the living room where I motioned for her to sit down on the couch across from me. This woman was breathtaking. Wow. I could hardly believe my eyes. She was tall, about five feet nine, thin and leggy like a Victoria’s Secret model, but not as underweight. She was curvy and a bit athletic as well. She looked like a beautiful professional volleyball player.

  “So, Patrice was telling me that you’ve been a nanny with another family for several years,” I said as I sat down.

  “Yeah, I was with the Taylor family for about two years now and before that I was with a family for about nine months.”

  “Great,” I said. “I only have one child. Bobby. He is four years old and is your typical, active little boy. He is pretty well-behaved, but if you need to get firm with him then that’s fine. Typically a stern word will correct him back in line. But at first he will test you.”

  “Oh, yea
h. I expected that,” she said.

  I loved the smooth sound of her voice. I could listen to her all day long. And her eyes… wow, those gorgeous blue eyes. I found myself getting totally lost there as I listened to her speak. I tried not to stare, but it was damn difficult.

  Was this going to be a problem? I wasn’t sure. I had not expected to be this attracted to the nanny that showed up today. I hadn’t been this attracted to any woman in a long time. It was safe to say the past year and a half I’d been living my life like I was stuck inside of some kind of bubble and I was totally ignoring the world around me.

  But I was wide awake now. This beautiful woman was right in front of me and I was trying to listen to what she was saying, but my every thought was filled with total lust. I wanted her so badly. Every part of me wanted to take her and kiss her right then. I felt like my sense of being was consumed by the want for her.

  I tried to listen to her while watching her mouth move. “I find that the easiest way is to lay down the boundaries right away and just not deviate from it.”

  I nodded. “I agree, absolutely. And I understand you are studying early childhood development? Has that helped you in your duties at all do you think?”

  “Oh, I would say so,” she said. “It’s definitely helped me connect with the kiddos better and even some things I can help pass on to the family as well. I’ve had a lot of experience with kids who are going through tough times and the education I’ve received both in the classroom and in world practice as really been invaluable.”

  “I see,” I said. “Well, I’m not sure if you know that Bobby lost his mother in an accident a while back. To his credit he is a tough little boy and he has bounced back remarkably, but he has some scars. There is some healing that is still going on there.”

  “I see,” she said. “Well, I hope I can be of assistance with that or with anything that he needs.”

  “Great,” I said. “I’m so glad that Patrice recommended you. This came at the perfect time.”

  “I think so,” she said.

  “Can you start tomorrow?”

  “Sure,” she said.

  “Daddy?”

  Bobby’s little voice came from the back of the room. I had put him in his playroom to keep him occupied while I was conducting the interview. He must have gotten curious.

  “Bobby, how’s it going little buddy?” I asked.

  He came over and clung to my leg. He was often shy with new people. The dude was adorable. And he was my world.

  “Bobby, I want you to meet our new friend, Teri,” I said. “She is going to be your new nanny, if that is ok with you?”

  He smiled and looked at Teri. “Hi, Bobby. It’s so nice to meet you.”

  “Hi,” he said. “Do you like PJ Mask?”

  She smiled. “I do. My favorite is Owlette. How about you?”

  He struck a superhero pose right on cue and belted out. “Catboy!”

  Teri laughed as Bobby started to giggle. The guy was such a ham. He was born to be in show business. I could tell. And he was probably going to be a little heartbreaker one day. I loved that kid.

  Teri smiled. “Yeah, he’s awesome!”

  Bobby walked over to her and gave her a hug as if to solidify they were now friends and had bonded over their love of PJ Mask.

  “So, what do you like to do for fun, Bobby?” Teri asked him.

  Bobby thought for a moment, putting his finger to his chin as if he was really giving it serious consideration. “Coloring. I like my army guys. And pizza.”

  She giggled at his adorable responses. “Well, I love all those things, too.”

  “I guess you’ve just become his favorite person,” I teased.

  Teri smiled warmly. I loved her smile. The way she seemed to genuinely want to be there and spend time with Bobby. I just knew it in my bones that she would be good for him. He needed a friend like her.

  And I was starting to think that I needed a friend like her as well. I could barely look at her without feeling myself want to blurt out how hot I thought she was or do something else that signaled my attraction. But for now we had the eye contact.

  Yes…the eye contact was strong between the two of us. I’d been able to focus on that more intently the past few minutes. But every time we locked eyes I felt a strong sense of connection. She was so beautiful that it was almost painful to be in her presence without it being solidified that she wanted to be with me.

  But I didn’t think that anything romantic between the two of us was going to be a good thing. It would become awkward and weird and if it ever went sour then Bobby would be the one to suffer. I didn’t think I could have a nanny continue working if I’d been in a relationship with her that ended, especially if that ended badly for some reason.

  Bobby went back to his playroom after a few minutes.

  “He is so sweet,” Teri said.

  “That he is,” I said. “But he has his monstrous side. I’m sure you will find that out from time to time.”

  “Well, I’m looking forward to it,” she said with a smile.

  The meeting wrapped up shortly after. I went over the specifics of what she would be required to do and then I showed her to the door. She had no questions and everything seemed like it was really going to gel with her.

  “I will see you tomorrow,” I said.

  “That sounds fine,” she replied.

  She would be picking Bobby up from school and then bringing him home, helping him with any little school assignments he had (homework in preschool? What the hell…?) and then fixing him dinner. I would try to be home before bed time so I could read him a story and tuck him in, but that was always debatable. Sometimes I hated that I worked so much.

  But I also loved it and it kept me going strong.

  I said goodbye to Teri and I watched her walk towards her car. I closed the door so it wouldn’t look like I was standing there ogling her. But wow… she was so damn beautiful. I couldn’t get her out of my mind after she was gone. I went back inside and sat down on the couch after grabbing a beer from the fridge.

  This could be trouble. I didn’t want to be this attracted to the new nanny. I’d had friends who ended up getting in trouble with their nannies, but of course they were married and did stupid things. If my wife was still here I never would have given Teri a thought. I’ve never been that type of guy. But my wife was gone. I was alone. And I had been alone for a long time. I knew that she would want me to move on and be happy. So far I’d been unable to do that. I just didn’t feel like I truly deserved it or that it was the right thing for Bobby.

  Yet, maybe this was the time. And if it was the time was this woman the one I was supposed to pursue? Had this happened for a reason?

  I’ve never been the type of guy to believe in any sort of destiny or anything, but there has to be times when the cards swing your way and you get dealt a lucky hand. It is silly to not take advantage of opportunities that fall your way. That was how I’d always operated in business. You had to be hypervigilant to these opportunities that came your way.

  And was that what this was? Was Teri an opportunity to get back into the swing of real life that I had tucked myself away from for so long? I wasn’t sure. I couldn’t be sure, yet. But something about it felt like it should have been the wrong thing. I didn’t want to mess up something that could be great for Bobby. And there was something kind of unethical about getting involved with my employee.

  But then again, that was part of what made it so exciting. It was a fantasy, to fall in love with the nanny. It would have been fun, and a bit adventurous.

  I took a sip of the beer and turned on the television. I needed a distraction right now. There was too much in my brain going on. I quickly found a basketball game and settled in to watch it. I could still hear Bobby playing with his toys in the other room. He was really having a go of it.

  I wished I could relax and have as much fun as he was having. Life just kept pulling in me in so many different directions though.

  Teri… I wondered what she was thinking about me.

  Chapter 2

  Teri

  I drove home in a bit of a daze.

  Darren was so handsome, suave, charismatic, and sexy that I could hardly remember what had just happened. I’d gotten the job. I’d met Bobby. He was a sweetheart. And I was going to start tomorrow. But as far as what we talked about otherwise, my mind was really drawing a blank. Why did Darren have to be so handsome?