Love Me Now (5 page)

But all that had to be put on the back burner. Now, he needed to focus on the care of Jonathan and Johanna. The twins seemed to like her. That was a definite plus. So the only thing left to do was complete negotiations.

Satisfied, he turned off the television. All his worries had
been taken care of thanks to Kelly. He knew she wouldn't let him down. She was truly amazing. He had no idea how she was able to get someone so quickly, but he was delighted that she had. Her connections never ceased to amaze him. Whatever he needed, whenever he needed it, she was able to deliver. He made a mental note to give her a nice bonus when she got back.

Just as he turned to go to the kitchen, his cell rang. He answered. There was a problem at the office. An important client was having a problem and needed him. He talked through the situation with his associates, but it still required his personal attention. He had to go in. He made arrangements to meet the client later that afternoon. But first, he had to get the twins situated.

Like a man in total control of the situation, Trey strolled into the kitchen with assured ease. As soon as he entered he stopped and smiled. The nanny was still sitting in the middle of the floor with a twin on each knee.

It was a touching scene. She was a natural. The twins had laid their heads on her shoulder. Perfect. She was exactly what he needed. They were quietly sitting there. What more could he ask?

He stood in the doorway as she hummed and rocked softly. Unnoticed, he spared a moment to really observe her. She was definitely attractive, but also understated. Her hair, thick and full, was pulled back in a ponytail making her look like she was a teenager, but he could see she wasn't. She had soft brown skin the color of cinnamon. She sat perfectly erect and had a dignified quality that he found appealing.

They obviously hadn't said much to each other so he could only go by what he saw. He remembered her eyes sparked when she looked at him. There was a fire in her. He liked that in particular. Okay, still, he needed to get a few things straight with his new nanny. “All right, let's get a few things straight. I have to go into the office this afternoon and I need—” he began.

“Shh, quiet,” she whispered over her shoulder. “They're asleep.”

Trey walked over and looked down. Both kids had fallen asleep on her lap. He picked Jonathan up, and then held out his hand to help the woman stand. Each with a baby in their arms, they went into the dining room. Trey prepared to lay Jonathan down in the toy-crowded playpen.

“Wait, don't you have a crib or something for them?” she whispered.

Trey nodded then led her upstairs to his bedroom. Two large toddler beds had been set up side by side in a large alcove sitting room. He laid Jonathan down, then took Johanna and laid her in her bed. Kenya removed their sneakers, socks and jeans, and then covered them with a sheet. She looked around. There was a toddler seesaw, a larger slide and several other large toys in the bedroom. The whole room looked like a play yard.

“What?” Trey whispered, seeing her questioning expression.

“Don't you have a baby monitor?”

Trey pointed across the room to his bed. There were a few dozen gadgets and more toys lying there. Kenya picked up the monitor and turned it on. She handed it to him. He placed the unit on the table by the beds. Trey looked at her for approval. She nodded. He grabbed a shirt and put it on and they crept out quietly.

“Good job. Okay, as I was saying, I need to go into the office this afternoon,” Trey began again.

“Wait,” Kenya said, hurrying to catch up with his long strides.

“We need to get a few things straight if I'm going to hire you.”

“Hire me?” she questioned, still following him.

“Yes, you've got the job. Now first of all, the twins, Jonathan and Johanna, are sixteen months old. You need to be in control every second because they're fast—”

“No, wait, there's been a mistake,” Kenya interrupted.

“You'll need to keep them quiet, particularly when I'm working. I'll be here at home most of the time this week,” Trey continued as he headed downstairs back to the kitchen. She followed. He opened the refrigerator door and grabbed two bottles of water, handing her one. “I'll obviously need you here the rest of the afternoon. You can go later to get whatever personal things you'll need to move in.”

“Personal things to move in? You mean here, live here? No, you've got it wrong,” Kenya stammered.

“Yeah, clothes, shoes, whatever. Pack for the week.”

“Pack for a week?” she repeated.

“Yes, I presume Kelly told you that your services will be required this afternoon, plus the rest of the week, of course. I'm sure Kelly already has your references, but I'll also need a copy.”

“References?”

“References, yes, what's the problem? You're repeating everything I say. Are you not grasping this arrangement?”

“Are you crazy?” she asked.

“Excuse me?” he asked, completely stunned by the turn of events.

“You heard me. Are you crazy? First of all, you left your toddlers in the kitchen alone. Do you have any idea what could have happened to them? You've got things hanging down off the counters, chairs that could topple over, a broom just leaning against the wall, not to mention nothing in here is childproof. So the question remains, are you or is the woman who left you with these babies crazy, because you're a complete incompetent. I should seriously call child services.”

“Listen, Ms.—” Trey began.

“No, you listen. I didn't come here for this and what possible excuse could you have?”

“Okay, I fell asleep. They got out of the playpen and then—”

“You what? You can't just decide to take a nap when you have toddlers in the house. You don't have a clue, do you? And you don't just walk off and leave toddlers in the kitchen, alone with a complete stranger. Do you have any idea what could have happened while you were on the phone chatting with your girlfriend?”

Trey looked at the chastising nanny, then nodded. “You're absolutely right. I'm a complete incompetent when it comes to child care. That's why you're here.”

“No, that's not why I'm here.”

“Here's the deal, I need a nanny for the week. The twins already accepted you, that's half the battle, believe me. So I'd like to hire you.”

“You want to hire me as a nanny?” she asked.

“Yes, of course.”

“No thanks. I didn't come here to be a nanny. I came here to—”

“I don't see the problem. You're already here.”

“The problem is that I'm not a nanny-for-hire.” She handed him back the bottle of water.

“Look, I get that you're not Mary Poppins, fine. That doesn't negate the fact that I'm strapped. I obviously need your help. You're qualified, you're a woman and you have the job—take it.”

“I don't want the job, and being a woman has nothing to do with taking care of children.”

“Tell me something I don't know,” he muttered. “But be that as it may, I still need help.”

“You need help, all right,” she affirmed, “but you have the wrong person.”

“Look, you're here now. I'll draw up a temporary contract this afternoon.” He walked over to the cooler, which was still
on the counter. There was a piece of paper with instructions on top. “Here, these are instructions.” The doorbell rang. He looked at his watch. “It's naptime now. Afterward they'll need lunch. I'm sure whatever you need is in the cooler. If you need to contact me, I'll be in my office. The numbers are on speed dial.” He handed her the monitor's receiver then walked out. She followed.

“Wait,” she called after him. “I didn't come here for this.”

Trey continued walking. “I'm expecting a delivery from the office. I need you today and the rest of the week. We can discuss your pay when I get back.” The doorbell rang again.

“Wait. You're not listening.”

“I presume a flat fee for the week would be acceptable,” he said.

“No,” she said.

“Fine, we can negotiate later.”

“Would you please just shut up and listen,” she said, raising her voice. He finally stopped. “I didn't come here to be your nanny. I need to talk to you about my father.”

“We can talk about your father later.”

“No, we need to talk about him now,” she insisted. They both heard one of the twins starting to whimper. They looked at the receiver then at each other. Trey already had his hand on the doorknob.

“Do you mind?” he said.

“Yes, I do mind. I didn't come here to play nanny.”

“Okay, fine, whatever it is you need to talk about we will, later.”

“Fine, but this isn't over,” she said, turning to go back upstairs.

Expecting the hard-copy confirmations from the office, Trey opened the front door and froze.

L
ouise Gates and Colonel Wheeler stood smiling. Trey was uncharacteristically speechless. “Well, good morning, Trey,” Louise said joyfully.

“Mamma Lou,” Trey stammered.

“We weren't sure you were home. It took you a while to answer the door.”

“Mamma Lou,” Trey repeated as his eyes glazed over.

With two massive teddy bears in his arms, Colonel Wheeler stood just behind her. “Colonel Wheeler, Mamma Lou.”

“Yes, dear,” she said, “you said that already.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you were back on Crescent Island.”

“Not just yet. We had a few things to take care of first,” she said. Trey, usually the epitome of calm, just stood there with his mouth open. “This is for you. A nice young lady left it and I promised to hand-deliver it to you.”

“Thanks,” Trey said, taking the envelope.

“Well, dear, aren't you going to invite us in?” Louise asked.

“Uh, yeah, sure, come on in, sorry. It's just that I'm surprised to see you. You've never been here before. I thought you were home. Come in. Colonel Wheeler, how are you, sir? Let me help you with those,” Trey babbled, grabbing a bear as he watched Louise leisurely walk into the house.

“Fine, fine, just fine,” Otis Wheeler said, smiling as he relinquished one of the huge teddy bears to Trey. Colonel Wheeler shook his head and chuckled. The panicked fear in Trey's eyes was priceless.

The effect Louise Gates had on the young men around her was astonishing. As soon as she showed her face they all shut down mentally. Successful businessmen and intellectual powerhouses, they hemmed and hawed, stammered and stuttered and practically ran for their lives. He'd seen it over and over again.

“I received a concerned phone call this morning. Apparently, I hear that my great-grandchildren are a bit too much for you. I was asked to stop by since they knew we were still in the area.”

Trey made a mental note to have a nice long talk with his cousin and her husband. “Not to worry, Mamma Lou. I've got everything under control. The twins just went down for a nap.” He ushered them into the living room.

“Oh, what a shame,” she said, “I was looking forward to seeing them. Well, I won't disturb them now. I'll stop by again later.”

“Later?” Trey repeated.

“I guess Kelly must have just overreacted a bit.”

“Kelly? She called you? When?”

“About thirty minutes ago,” Louise said as she sat down next to Otis. “She's on a plane over the Atlantic. The recep
tion was terrible, but she said something about you needing help with the twins. I promised I'd stop by. But it looks like you have everything under control.”

“Thirty minutes ago,” Trey said. How was that possible? Unless the woman upstairs wasn't who he thought she was. “Mamma Lou, Colonel Wheeler, I'll be right back,” Trey said.

“And who is this lovely lady, Trey?” Louise asked as Kenya walked into the living room.

Trey turned to see the nanny staring at him. “If you'll excuse us a moment, we'll be right back.” Trey walked over to Kenya and then guided her back to the foyer.

“You're not a nanny and Kelly didn't call you. One question, who are you and what are you doing in my house?” The deep bristle in his voice imparted the seriousness of his irritation.

“That's two questions,” she joked, falling back on her usual coping mechanism. Trey wasn't amused. He glared at her. His green eyes darkened, then focused like daggers. “Look, I just came here to talk to you about my father. You insisted I come into your house.”

“Trey?” Louise called out. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, I'll be right there, Mamma Lou,” Trey said over his shoulder. “Come on,” he said, and marched them through the dining room to the kitchen.

“Look, I get that you're in the middle of something right now,” Kenya said. “So fine, I'll stop back later.”

“No,” Trey said, suddenly blocking her retreat. “Damn, okay, this is how this is going to work. You're gonna go back in there, smile pretty and agree with everything I say. No questions asked.”

“Uh, excuse me, I don't think so. I'm leaving.”

“I do, and you're not leaving, at least not now,” he said, sharply, quickly. “You will nod and smile and do whatever else I say, understand?”

“No,” she said plainly.

“No,” he repeated, amazed at her reply.

“No. Exactly who do you think you are?” she asked in all seriousness. Trey looked at her, stunned by her impertinence. People didn't usually say no to him, particularly women. “Contrary to what you assume, I'm not one of your little playthings, someone you can order around and manipulate. I'm a grown woman. I don't work for you, nor need anything from you. That includes a date, a relationship or anything else. The only reason I'm even still here is because of the two babies upstairs. They're innocent, and there's no way in good conscience I would leave them alone here with you. But now that your grandmother is here—”

“Lady, I've had women try to sneak into my house before, but you take the cake.”

“You think I snuck into your house to get with you? You arrogant son of a…” She paused for control. “You are truly unbelievable. And if I remember correctly, you insisted I come in.”

“Because I thought you were the nanny my assistant hired.”

“I came here for my father. I told you that, repeatedly,” she said, raising her voice slightly.

“Trey?” Louise called out.

“Shh. Okay, listen, whatever it is with your father, I'll take care of it. Right now, I need you to do this favor.”

“What favor?”

“I need you to pretend we're together, a couple.”

“What? No way,” she said.

“Look, whatever you want for your father, a job, investment analysis, tickets to the opera, whatever, I'll take care of it. Just do this.”

“How do you know I don't already have a man in my life? I might be married or engaged for all you know.”

“You're not and you don't,” he said assuredly, and then leveled his gaze at her. “Believe me, I know. Besides, this is only for right now, it needn't go beyond the next few minutes. As soon as she leaves, you can drop the act.”

Kenya paused a moment, considering her response. She could lie and call him on it or she could take advantage of the situation, exactly like he took advantage of her father. The terms right now implied that he was desperate. The advantage had shifted in her favor. “Put it in writing, a favor for a favor,” she said plainly.

“We don't have time.”

“Put it in writing,” she repeated. The stern seriousness of her tone belied the gleeful exhilaration she felt inside.

Trey looked directly into her soft brown eyes. He knew that look. It was the same look he had when he'd found an opponent's weakness. It was the same look he had right before he took advantage of it. He smiled approvingly. The instant physical attraction he'd felt had changed to admiration. He liked her style. That's exactly something he'd request under the circumstances. She grabbed the piece of paper with the instructions from the counter and scribbled something on it. “Sign it.”

Trey grimaced, yet he still took the pen and signed. A twinge of apprehension shot through him—signing without reading was unprecedented for him. Even when his attorneys combed through contracts, he needed to thoroughly read the documents himself. But there was no time. Whatever she wrote he presumed it was appropriate given the situation.

He handed the paper back to her. She took it. A twinge of something shot through her as their hands touched. She wasn't sure if it was excitement or fear. All she knew was that she might have just made a deal with the devil. She looked at the signature and nodded slowly.

“Okay, deal, a favor for a favor,” she said, then offered her hand. Instead of shaking he grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her back into the living room.

“Louise Gates, Otis Wheeler, I'd like you to meet a very good friend of mine. This is—” he paused, realizing his dilemma.

“Hi, Mrs. Gates, Mr. Wheeler, I'm Kenya Whitaker. How do you do.”

“Hello, dear, call me Mamma Lou. Everyone does.”

“And I'm Colonel Wheeler, Kenya. What a very pretty name,” he said as he shook her hand.

“Thank you, sir, Mamma Lou.”

“So, Kenya, tell us, how long have you known Trey?” Louise asked, spying Trey's guarded expression.

“Four months,” Trey blurted.

“Not long,” Kenya answered at the same time, then looked at Trey. Kenya smiled nervously. “I guess it has been that long. Funny, it seems like we only just met.”

“Four months, huh. Do you work together?” Louise asked.

“No,” Trey said, and then looked at Kenya.

“No, I'm a designer.”

“A designer,” Louise said, impressed. “How nice. What kind, fashion, interior, computer, industrial—”

“Fashion. I design children's clothing. I'm currently in the process of opening my own boutique in town.”

“Children's clothes, how wonderful,” Louise said. “So, I assume you've met my great-grandchildren, then?”

“Yes, of course, Jonathan and Johanna are adorable,” she said easily, hoping they were the great-grandchildren to which she referred.

“They are indeed,” Colonel Wheeler said, nodding.

“Shame they're asleep now,” Trey said.

“Would you still like to pop up and see them? They're asleep but it would be a shame if you didn't get a chance to
at least see them,” Kenya said then looked directly at Trey. He glared at her as she smiled innocently.

“I'd love to,” Louise said. She walked over and tucked her arm in with Kenya's. They walked toward the stairs. Trey groaned inwardly as he picked up the two teddy bears. He and Colonel Wheeler followed.

On the way to Trey's bedroom, Louise and Kenya talked nonstop. Trey strained to hear what they were saying, but was sidetracked when Colonel Wheeler asked about business. Trey answered and talked naturally, but still strained to hear the women's conversation. The last thing he needed was more surprises.

Through the bedroom, to the alcove, the twins were still happily asleep. Louise and Colonel Wheeler hovered over them, smiling as Trey and Kenya stood by the open door. “What was all that about?” Trey asked, trying to keep his voice low.

“All what about?” Kenya asked quietly.

“You, inviting them up here, then you and Mamma Lou with your heads together, chatting like you're best friends.”

“Oh, that,” Kenya sassed playfully.

“What'd you talk about?”

“Nothing much, just girl talk, you know.”

“No, I don't know. Do me a favor…”

“Another favor, what, so soon?” she asked, smiling confidently.

A muscle in Trey's neck twitched. “Do me a favor, no more girl talk, understand? Stop it,” he snarled.

“How am I supposed to stop it? I'm just honoring my end of the deal. We're supposed to be together, right? She wanted to know about you. So I told her.”

“About me? What did you tell her?” Trey queried.

Kenya just smiled, delighted to so firmly have the upper hand. “Ask her,” she responded.

“Just stop it,” he said slow and easy, enunciating each word in warning.

“Or what?” She stepped up to him and countered his challenge. Enjoying her position, she looked directly into his heavenly green eyes. It was obvious that he was angry. But at the moment, there wasn't a single thing he could do about it. She firmly held the upper hand. Trey glared at her. She stiffened her chin with added defiance.

Then to her surprise, his expression changed. Instead of replying, he smiled knowingly. She looked into those eyes, searching for some sense of what he was thinking. There was nothing. He was totally unreadable. Seconds later she relented. “Okay, fine, I guess I just got carried away.”

Trey glanced past her and saw that Mamma Lou had turned to leave. He quickly grabbed Kenya, switched their positions and kissed her, pinning her against the door frame. To both their surprise she readily melted into his arms. It lasted only seconds, but Kenya was certain he had rattled her brains.

His strong arms encircled her, pulling her close. Her mouth was open to him and he entered, penetrating deep. His tongue thrust repeatedly, sending tingles along every nerve ending in her body. She felt, and readily accepted, his weight pressed against her. He was hard. She pushed away from the frame, desperate to get closer to him, to feel more of him. The kiss deepened as they entered a solitary world, where only the two of them existed. It was easy, natural, as if they'd been kissing forever.

“All right, you two, none of that in front of the youngsters,” Louise said as she and Colonel Wheeler walked back over to the doorway.