Nanny Behaving Badly (5 page)

‘Grandma!’ Josh tooted in triumph. The woman’s face erupted with proud smiles. The spell of held gazes with Lyle vanished.

‘Is that my favourite grandson?’ the woman teased and laughed. Her accent as deliciously Scottish as her son’s.

‘My mother,’ Lyle explained. ‘Excuse me, and think about what I said. You can give me your answer later.’

Maddie nodded, knowing she’d need time to regulate her breathing after the intense chemistry explosion that had just struck like forked lightning between them.

She’d just been promoted, diverted into a new unforeseen role. Causing rapid mental duelling, because while her instincts urged her on, her brain and better judgements told her to decline, retreat fast, escape, evade.

Personal family nanny roles brought personal challenge. She’d always opted for play-centre jobs, with lots of kids and neutral locations. Live-in nannying meant giving up her safety net. But it was a chance to get her career and goals on track nonetheless.

‘Lyle,’ she finally said, calling him before he was out of earshot. ‘You’re right. Josh deserves me giving it a try. I’m trained and ready. So the least I can do is agree to a temporary trial, right?’

Lyle Sutherland smiled at her, causing her heart to somersault in her ribcage.

‘Great. Then we’ll start tomorrow.’

Lyle challenged her. Challenged with micromanagement, disapproval dogma, constricting control. Challenged with simmering sexual awareness too. And now he’d exploited her biggest weakness. Lyle Sutherland challenged the dark shadows from Maddie’s past. He wanted her to be his son’s nanny.

Lyle’s address, Acorn Lodge, sounded like a quaint cottage-style home, but from the moment Maddie saw the dramatic, expansive iron-gated entrance she knew she’d underestimated his property’s prestige.

Scots style and affluence. Impressive heritage too.

The drive took three minutes to negotiate and the house was set in its own quiet, leafy woodland. With a turret-style frontage, stone lion and unicorn statues by the gate and horses grazing in a nearby paddock.

For a girl who’d once enjoyed the financial benefits of a Boston lawyer high-earner father, it still came as a shock. She knew what it felt like to be the only child inside a large but empty family residence: it felt lonely. Ivory tower memories from her past lingered. She’d moved on, but the comparison ramped her uneasiness.

Maddie pulled up in the gravelled parking area, grabbed her bag, zipped up her jacket and headed out into the chilly November weather. When she reached the glossy black front door she stopped, bracing herself. Coping with this new direction was her key objective now. The diverted route debilitated her, but she didn’t have to let that show, especially not to Lyle.

Surely she could just be professional here and get on with it?
When in doubt, tough it out.

She’d pulled her spine straighter as the door opened and she came eyeball to eyeball with Lyle Sutherland – tall, intense, and wearing casuals. His brows rose in recognition.

‘Maddie.’

Her breath caught at the intensity of his stare and his altered appearance. Mussed hair, a grungy, well-loved T-shirt and frayed-hem vintage denims wasn’t the look she’d expected from a man who always dressed in clean-cut sharp tailoring for work. Worse still, on him the look was completely hot.

The glimpse of bare feet and bronzed, muscular arms made her pulse shimmy. The shock of Lyle with dark designer stubble and tousled hair was jaw-droppingly good.

‘Hey, Lyle. Good morning.’ She forced herself into competence mode. Averted her gaze from him, then sucked in a mini breath. Already her plan of calm offhandedness was kaput. Instead of letting it overwhelm her she donned her confident, cheery cloak as cover-up. ‘I was expecting servants. A couple of maids for sure and definitely a butler in a tux. Not you looking rushed, Lyle.’

‘No butler, just me.’ He raised a hand to welcome her inside, forcing a slight crease of smile. ‘No tux either. No time to change, please come in.’

His attire displayed a disarmingly harassed look which only added to the allure. It made Maddie stem an inner smile and vow to be super-confident, super-professional supernanny as planned.

Maddie entered the hallway. ‘Temp nanny reporting for duty. Ready to serve. Is this really your house or a luxury hotel? It’s vast and lavish enough to appear in a glossy brochure.’

She knew she was rambling now. Covering her nerves with chatter.

Lyle shrugged. ‘Big for just two, I know. But we manage. We’ve only been here ten months as it happens. We’re in the kitchen, come join us.’

Maddie watched Lyle walking barefoot, lean and deliciously watchable with every stride. Then she saw Josh run around him to wave cheerily at her while munching breakfast. ‘Have you eaten? Can I get you something?’

She held up a hand. ‘I’m fine. Hey Josh, that’s what I like to see; a boy who eats up to stay big and strong.’

Yet it was Lyle’s biceps, hugged by soft T-shirt, that she was forcing her attention away from.

‘Coffee?’ Lyle offered. ‘Can I tempt you?’ He slid the pot from its cradle and reached for a cup.

Tempt her? Dressed like that? To almost anything. One little raised brow and a hint of smile, her thermostat had turned straight to sauna.

She chided herself and reaffirmed inwardly that he was just a harassed dad doing morning shift in jeans. Hadn’t she ever seen a cute guy at breakfast before?

So much for toughing it out. More like melting completely.

Maddie took firm, sensible control of herself and her wayward hormones. ‘Leave coffee to me – go shave. Nanny’s here and on the case.’

‘Bossy nanny too. You always like this in the mornings?’

Maddie didn’t flinch. ‘Twenty four seven. Get used to it, Mr. Sutherland. I may be bossy but I get things done.’

His lips made tiny movements that told of hesitation. ‘Sure a shower’s okay?’

Nodding, she kept her attention on the son. Not the father. She shooed him with her fingers. ‘I’m positive. Go, freshen up; I can’t handle seeing you messy. Where’s my clean-cut boss gone?’

‘Ah, the cheeky streak’s returned. Now I remember why sometimes I get the urge to fire you.’

‘You’re desperate, remember. I jumped to your aid, which makes me indispensable even if I am your worst nightmare. Anyway, I like Josh, so I’m not leaving yet.’

Lyle stared at her. ‘I’d better freshen up to nanny’s standards then. Back in a tick when I’m gorgeous.’

She feigned unimpressed. ‘You can try.’

Whew. Already this was tougher than tough.

Twenty minutes later Lyle was more suitably dressed after his shower break. Dark graphite chinos, palest grey shirt – a semblance of order and his bed-head hair was even tamed. Only problem was – how to handle the new addition to his home?

Secretly he resented that Maddie’s appearance registered with him. Trim bootleg trousers and an ice blue soft sweater that gently hugged each delectable curve. He didn’t need to be noticing these things. But he was also grateful and relieved she’d permitted him composure time. He’d needed it.

‘Today’s set to be busy,’ he confided. ‘Josh has nursery this afternoon. It’s Italian food day. But he forgot to tell me until ten minutes before you arrived. Which means I have to conjure up spaghetti.’

‘You sure tomato sauce is a good idea in a shirt that colour?’ Maddie stifled a grin and nodded to his pearl grey designer shirt.

‘Point taken. Might need a rethink. Or to change again.’

‘Who needs the laundry risk and recipe repertoire challenges? When in doubt go to a professional.’

‘Professional?’ Lyle looked confused.

‘I have a great social network. A nanny always has all bases covered.’

‘Maddie. You don’t just have bases covered. You have an answer for everything – which perplexes me more than a little. I swear you get worse every single day.’

This morning could have gone better. One look at the wall planner and he’d realised he needed a spreadsheet to work out Josh’s routines. The situation jarred with his desire to appear the perfect dad. Capable, self sufficient. He’d simply run out of time and hadn’t bargained on how demanding prepping breakfast and dressing a four-year-old could be. Or how little he’d appreciated Brigitta’s capabilities and multitasking magic.

But having Maddie arrive, witnessing his state of unshaven chaos, caused a pang of hurt pride.

Lyle could pretend to be in control all he liked but he wasn’t and he knew it. She did too. He was just a struggling dad in another hour of need. His son was facing his first proper Christmas with him solo in Scotland and now his nanny had made a speedy exit; the last thing Josh needed. All Lyle wanted was an end to the upheaval, the stress. He wanted this to work.

And he didn’t need to find his hormones responding to Brigitta’s replacement. He had to keep remembering he was a no woman zone.

‘Spaghetti sounds interesting. But maybe I can do better?’ Maddie’s look encouraged him. ‘How about we drop by an Italian deli instead – I happen to know the best around. My Uncle Marco’s place is awesome.’

‘He wouldn’t mind?’

‘Not at all. Marco loves showing off and giving guided tours.’

‘You really do take charge, don’t you?’ Lyle said. His voice teased, his eyes sparkled in challenge.

‘Isn’t that what you pay me for, to take the pressure off your shoulders?’

Lyle pressed his lips together and permitted a wry smile. ‘Okay Lieutenant, you’re in charge on this one. Onwards to victory.’

Easy options sounded good, but this woman was no easy proposition herself. Glossy hair, fresh dewy complexion, vibrant manner, dazzling blue hair ends glinting at him provocatively. She looked so effortless, capable. Sexy? By the skipload – and that annoyed him more than his own tumbled mayhem earlier. Especially as he itched to edge closer and inhale that flowery shower-fresh scent.

He watched her prop her small tote bag in the kitchen corner and deposit her jacket beside it. Then he saw her gaze sweep the room.

‘Maybe I am overstating my pasta prowess.’ And understating her attraction’s impact.
‘
But only if your uncle won’t feel it’s an imposition.’

‘Lyle, my mother was a Scots-Italian who moved to America. I have genes made for get-togethers. We don’t sit back and play shy baby. We hug, we grin and we revel in any gathering. I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought it would be a problem. Plus, Josh will love it and he’s my job.’

Lyle nodded sagely. ‘Okay. I’ll get him. You want to call the restaurant first?’

‘Nah – they’ll be prepping the lunch service in a couple of hours and if we go now we’ll get exclusive access to the pizza oven. Will an authentic pizza suffice for Josh’s kindergarten project?’

Lyle nodded. ‘Perfection, I’d say.’ He pointed towards her bag. ‘You haven’t brought much for your stay here with us?’

She watched him with those electro-blue eyes. ‘I can always slip home, it’s not far and this is just a trial, after all.’

Trial in more ways than one.

Maddie Adams was everything he wasn’t ready for. Sassy, American, free and easy, and comfortable in her own skin. Able to correct him in a blink. This was going to be tricky. Especially as she’d be staying under his roof as nanny for the foreseeable future. Something about her turned his fight or flight reflexes to turbo zoom. Like sitting behind the wheel and starting the engine of a top flight sports car for the first time, wondering how it would handle beneath his touch.

She placed her hands on slim hips. ‘Uncle Marco’s the pizza king. He has the whole taste of old Italy thing down to a fine art.’

‘This your uncle who had the run-in with Brewster the review hack?’

‘Yep. Don’t even talk about Brewster in Uncle Marco’s earshot. Or it’ll be hot sauce pizzas all-round. With jalapenos and a firecracker on the side.’

‘To be honest I’ve only been back in Edinburgh since settling Josh here from London in the spring and I’ve rarely dined out. So I’ve never even come across your uncle’s restaurant, even though I’m a born and bred native. My only excuse is that I spent a lot of years travelling all over Europe in my rally days. Spent a lot of time in Italy too.’

‘You’ll like Bonafonte’s. It’s a home from home.’

‘Okay, that’s what we’ll do. Joshy,’ he called to his son who was zooming up the hallway with his toy jet planes. ‘You going to come make some pizza?’

‘Yippee!’

Maddie grinned. ‘I think that was kidspeak for yes.’

She gently caught up with his son and had him jacketed in minutes through some clever humorous ploy. His son was clearly way more comfortable with the situation than he was; he wished he could relax even half as much.

‘Let’s go make pizza,’ Lyle said, his tone fast and a touch gruff because of the landslide of confused feelings. Sometimes he still felt clumsy, unpractised and flailing as a good-times dad.

Even worse as a flesh and blood man with a live pulse of attraction still functioning inside him. One he pushed deep and stifled. Because even though Becca had been liberal in her extra-curricular flirtations, Lyle had remained constant to his vows, for the sake of his son.

Maddie’s eyes met his. ‘Let’s head out to Marco’s.’

Lyle may have changed and shaved but some other areas still needed considerable work.

When they drew up outside her uncle’s Stockbridge suburb trattoria, Maddie guided Lyle to a private car parking space at the rear of the building.

‘This is my space but you can use it for the jeep.’

‘You live here at the restaurant?’

Maddie smiled at Lyle as she undid her seatbelt. ‘Upstairs. Noisy sometimes but the free food perks are amazing. Emergency tiramisu when I need it, bliss!’

She’d suggested coming here because she’d hoped to provide a fun distraction from the bonding they were all finding awkward to navigate.

Pizza chef Stefano waved behind the window of Bonafonte’s Trattoria and then undid the shop door bolts for them to enter.

‘Stefano – how goes?’ Maddie smiled.

‘Back so soon?’ Stefano said hugging her to him. The hug was light but Stefano’s fruitless crush on her clearly lingered on, despite her no-go warnings. Maddie had no intentions of encouraging his advances. Ironic that she was still recovering from the intense sparks induced by glimpses of Lyle this morning. Crazy stuff – the woman who’d recently sworn off men couldn’t keep her thoughts away from Lyle, her new boss and a widower to boot.