An Inconvenient Desire (12 page)

“It’s a sunny Sunday in September. Who’s up for a trip to the zoo?” he asked.

Hannah glanced up from her coloring and did a double take, surprised to see her daddy during the day. “Daddy!” She waved her arms in the air, her way of asking to be released from her booster seat.

Olivia unbuckled Hannah. As soon as her little feet touched the floor she scurried over to Jonathan who was pouring himself a coffee. He lifted Hannah up then stared at Olivia over the rim of his mug.

“I didn’t even hear you come home last night,” Olivia said, hoping he didn’t notice the fluster in her voice. So she hadn’t seen him in a couple of days thanks to his business trip to Turkey. Didn’t mean she should get all weak-kneed with him.

“It was after one when I finally walked through the door.” He gave Hannah a loud kiss on the cheek before setting her back on the floor. Leaning against the counter, cradling his coffee mug, his long legs crossed at the ankle, Olivia had to force herself to look away. Was it her turn next for a kiss? So far, this “moving the relationship to the next level” thing had been a bust. Unless this was the way he usually neglected his girlfriends. True to form for her boyfriends, though.

“Well, welcome home. Can I get you some breakfast?”

“You look good enough to eat.”

“Too bad for you, I’m not on the menu.”

She picked up Hannah’s breakfast bowl and her own coffee cup and walked toward the dishwasher. He stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“I’ve never been one for à la carte dining.” His hand slid up her arm, then caressed her cheek. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her lower lip before he leaned down and kissed her. What it lacked in noise factor, compared with the kiss he gave Hannah, it more than made up for in internal sensations. Tingles zinged up and down her body and heat flooded her core. With her hands full of dishes, she could neither push him away nor pull him closer. Although which move she’d make if she could was being hotly debated by the few brain cells still functioning.

His other hand slid up her side and stopped just under her breast. A low moan filled the air. Finally, as her brain came to the now unanimous decision to drop the dishes in favor of using her hands to explore his body, he released her lips.

“Yum. But kissing you is raising other appetites.” The husky timber of his voice notched up her internal temperature another couple degrees. She might be the one taking off her clothes. “Unfortunately, we have an audience.”

Oh, yeah, Hannah. She was a rubbish nanny if one kiss from a cute guy could make her forget her ward. She stepped away from him before she forgot anything else. Like why the hell she was still sleeping alone. “Were you serious about the zoo? Hannah and I can get ready while you have breakfast.”

“Sounds good. Although anything I eat now is going to be a let-down after tasting you.” He waggled his eyebrows and she laughed. She missed this Jonathan and was glad to discover he hadn’t disappeared entirely under the business suits.

“Hannah, please put your crayons away in the box and then we’ll get dressed to go out.”

“No.”

Olivia whirled and stared at the toddler. Jonathan looked as stunned as she was.

“Come on, Hannah. If we put the crayons away real fast, we can get ready and go sooner.” Olivia stood next to the table. It would take her ten seconds to clear the table, but if she gave in to Hannah, it would tip the balance of power in their relationship. She glanced over at Jonathan, who nodded approval at her stance.

“No,” Hannah repeated.

Olivia got down on her haunches so she could look the toddler square in the eye. “Hannah, you took the crayons out. You have to put them away. That’s the rule, remember? How ‘bout I hold the box and we’ll practice our colors as you put them inside? You can show Daddy how clever you are.”

Hannah crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip. Olivia mentally counted to ten, not sure what her next course of action should be. Fat lot of good all the parenting books she’d read lately were.

“Then I guess we can’t go to the zoo and see Zigby,” she said. She pulled out a chair and sat down. Jonathan joined her. A unified front. Grateful for his support, she squeezed his hand. She’d heard about the terrible twos but never thought she’d have to deal with them. Besides, wasn’t Hannah too young? She didn’t turn two for another couple of months.

“Nope. No zoo unless you put the crayons away,” Jonathan confirmed as Hannah looked at him beseechingly.

Hannah erupted in a wail that rivaled the smoke alarm in both intensity and annoyance. Jonathan’s horrified gaze shifted from Hannah to Olivia. What? Did he think she’d broken his delightful little daughter and turned her into a diva of supermodel proportions?

Welcome home, Jonathan. Feel free to show me how it’s done.

• • •

This was it. Olivia would leave now. The coffee he’d drunk burned through his stomach. She was a caring, responsible woman, so she’d probably wait a couple of days, then invent some amazing job offer she just couldn’t refuse and she’d be off. Because what woman would want to put up with a screaming toddler who wasn’t hers when she had better things to do?

The wailing not having the desired effect, Hannah threw herself on the ground and started banging her little legs on the floor. Olivia might’ve been able to walk away, but it was his reality now. A crash course in toddler parenting. Nappy changes were a delight compared to this. What was he supposed to do in this situation? Yell? Smack her? Ignore it? Call his mother? He could just imagine his mother laughing down the phone and telling him what goes around comes around.

“Do you think she’s been possessed?” Olivia asked as Hannah flipped over onto her stomach and added her fists to the punishment the floor was already taking from her feet.

“My mother would probably say she’s being a Davis. Is this the first time she’s done this?”

Hannah opened one eye as if checking to see the effect her demonstration was having. As he and Olivia continued to stare, she upped the volume. Delightful.

“She’s said ‘no’ before but I’ve always been able to reason with her or distract her into doing what she’s supposed to. What do you think set her off?”

“Jealousy? Maybe she didn’t like me kissing you longer than I kissed her?”

“Could be. I guess you’d better not kiss me anymore.”

“No.” He crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip.

Olivia’s laugh flowed over him, and the pressure in his chest lifted. Maybe she wouldn’t leave. “If you throw yourself on the floor and start screaming, I am definitely out of here.”

“I have a better way of getting what I want,” he said and waggled his eyebrows again.

She laughed for a second time and even Hannah stopped screaming. “As I seem to be the enemy at the moment, I think I’ll retreat from the battlefield and leave you two to sort out the crayons. Let me know if the zoo is a go or not.”

She rose and glided toward the door. He was still admiring the sway of her hips when Hannah launched herself at him. Her face was blotchy and two big fat tears slowly inched down her cheeks. He knew he should be stern and talk to her about her bad behavior. But his heart wrenched at seeing her so distressed. He opened his arms and she snuggled into his chest.

“Hannah, Daddy loves you very much. But you can’t scream and kick when you don’t get your way. Once you’ve calmed down, we’ll put the crayons away. Then maybe, if you’re good, we can still go out. Okay?”

“’Kay,” she said, followed by a huge hiccup.

He hugged her tighter and stroked her silky hair until her breathing settled. He loved his daughter more than he thought possible. He’d never be able to send her up to Yorkshire for his mother to raise. If Olivia left, he’d find some way to keep Hannah with him. He’d hire as many people as it took.

Three months ago, he’d never have been able to contemplate the joy one smile from his daughter could give him. And that had nothing on the thrill of Olivia’s laugh. He’d come a long way in that time. But was it far enough to risk his heart again? And on a model?

• • •

Five hours later, he calculated the exact likelihood that he had actually lost his mind. Not wanting to risk a repeat performance of the morning’s meltdown, he’d been careful to keep his lips and hands off Olivia. But as she bent over to wipe the ice cream off his daughter’s face, he was presented with a vision of her shapely, firm buttocks. He stripped off his jacket as his internal temperature rose in proportion to his libido.

There was a seventy-five percent chance that he was, in fact, insane. One hundred percent chance that if he didn’t do something soon he’d explode from frustrated desire. He needed to work to his strengths. Maybe if he ran a series of tests and analyses, he could get his answer as to whether a future with Olivia was worth investing in. Because he had a hell of a lot of stock he wanted to sink into her.

Olivia straightened after wiping Hannah’s hands and smiled at him. His heartbeat quickened and an answering smile creased his lips. God, he hoped it worked out for them. She was becoming an obsession and even if she failed all the tests, he wasn’t sure he’d have the strength to let her go.

His phone buzzed with an incoming text and for once he welcomed the intrusion. It seemed test number one—his family—was about to start. If she could cope with them, it would be the first hurdle passed. Celeste had failed, never gotten on with any of his siblings. He should have known right then that their relationship was doomed. But he’d been too infatuated to see the signs. This time he’d seek outside counsel and listen to his family’s opinion.

“My sister Stephanie has invited you to her wedding next weekend.” He held his breath. He’d sent the photo of the three of them wearing the plastic tiaras to his mother. She’d obviously shown it to the rest of the family because he’d had various texts, emails, and voicemail messages asking who the woman in the photo with him was. His reply of “Olivia” hadn’t cut the mustard and he’d been bombarded with further questions that he’d ignored. But he couldn’t keep her to himself forever.

“A family wedding. I’m not sure I qualify. I’m just the nanny. But if you need me to look after Hannah … ”

“You haven’t been invited to look after Hannah. Between my brother and sisters, nieces and nephews, her little feet probably won’t touch the floor for the entire weekend. You’re invited as my girlfriend.” Jonathan turned the full force of his gaze on her.

“Your girlfriend? Are you sure we’re at the stage where you introduce me to your whole family?” Her voice sounded like she’d just sprinted half a mile.

“We’re living together. I think we’re well past the stage where I introduce you to my family.”

She fussed with Hannah’s hat and didn’t look at him. “We’re not living together in the common understanding of the term.”

“I’m more than willing to bow to convention and rectify the deficiency in our relationship.” He put his hand over hers on the stroller handle.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to meet all your family. What if they share your opinion about models?”

He deserved that. “I haven’t told them your profession. And they’re pretty open-minded. They didn’t like Celeste, but I think that was more her personality than her career. Besides, don’t you think it’s time we had a proper date? You know, that thing most normal single people do. Enjoy the company of someone they’re attracted to, share a meal, hold hands … ”

“Is that all it will be—dinner and handholding?” She looked skeptical and he didn’t blame her.

“I’m making no promise, especially one I don’t want to keep. The only thing I will say is that we will be surrounded by family. Getting you alone is going to be my most difficult job.” And one he relished. Weddings were supposed to put a woman in the mood for romance. This could work to his advantage.

“All right, I’ll come,” she replied softly.

He didn’t analyze the thrill that shot through him at her words. His mobile phone rang before he could sneak a quick kiss while Hannah was watching the monkeys. This time he did resent the intrusion. Before he could cancel the call, however, he checked the caller display. “It’s my mother.”

Olivia slipped her hand out from under his and knelt next to Hannah, pointing out some of the monkeys’ antics. He tried to concentrate on his mother’s voice and not the gap in Olivia’s jacket that gave an occasional glimpse at the swell of her breasts.

She glanced up at him as he re-pocketed his phone. “Things okay with your mother?” He could understand her confusion as his side of the conversation had consisted of, “Yes, Mum. No, Mum.”

“She and Stephanie are coming to London tomorrow. Evidently my sister can’t find the perfect going away outfit, whatever that is. They’re catching the first train down from Leeds so they should be here sometime after nine. If you want to go shopping with them, they would love to have you join them. But if you don’t want to go, that’s fine, too.” He paused, his eyes searching hers. “There is another bonus to my mother coming tomorrow,” he continued.

“Aside from a day shopping?”

He smiled. “I figured you’d like the shopping. My bank is sponsoring an art exhibition at the Tate, which opens tomorrow night. I wasn’t going to attend the gala, but as Mum is here to look after Hannah, we could both go.” He tried to be casual with the invitation but the thought of an evening without their jealous chaperone was very tempting.

“Two dates in two weeks? Watch out, all this romancing might go to my head,” she warned with an odd laugh.

I’d settle for it leading to your bed.

“Can I make a suggestion?” Olivia asked as the shopping trio took a break to enjoy a cup of tea and a sandwich at a small café on the Strand.

“Of course, Olivia,” Stephanie answered. “I’d love your advice.”

“I don’t know you very well, but you haven’t liked anything we’ve seen so far. How about something entirely different?”

“What do you have in mind?” Jonathan’s sister leaned in as if they were discussing a state secret or an illicit assignation.

“I have a friend who owns a vintage dress store in Victoria. She has clothes you won’t find anywhere else. If you don’t mind secondhand, you could find something stunning there.” She held her breath. Some women hated the thought of wearing used clothes. But throughout the morning’s shopping, Stephanie had come across as down-to-earth and not the least bit pretentious. Olivia liked her very much.