The Nanny and the CEO Read online

  “Where have you been? I need to discuss the Grayson merger with you. I’ve run into a snag and want your help.”

  “I’m aware of that, but it won’t be possible today or tomorrow. Can’t you talk to Uncle Phil?”

  “He’s at the dentist getting a new crown this afternoon.”

  “Then ask Greg.”

  “He doesn’t know all the ins and outs. It’s too tricky for him.”

  “Nevertheless I can’t come in the office until Monday.”

  “That might be too late, Nicky.” His father’s younger brother had always been an alarmist.

  “Sorry, but it can’t be helped.”

  “Since when? I don’t understand.”

  No. He wouldn’t. His uncle and aunt had been childless. “Today I brought Jamie home for good.”

  There was a deafening silence. “I thought he—”

  “He’s been with his grandparents too long as it is,” he broke in.

  “But how will you manage?”

  So far…better than Nick had thought possible. “I’ve hired a nanny.” A totally feminine, beautiful, unexpected young woman. The image of her clutching Jamie to her while they were still in the limo—as if she was the mother—refused to leave his mind.

  “I had no idea you’d even been looking for one. Your father never said a word.”

  “He and Mother were already in Cannes when I made the decision.”

  “I hear a decent one is almost impossible to come by. Is she over forty?”

  His patience was running out. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because anyone younger who still has their eyesight will do whatever it takes to get set up with you.”

  If Nick had inherited a cynical gene, it had to have come from his uncle. But in this case he wasn’t worried. Leah would have done a thorough check of Ms. Chamberlain’s background. He paid his secretary a salary that ensured mistakes like the one his uncle was talking about didn’t happen.

  “See you on Monday, Uncle Stan,” Nick muttered before clicking off. Now to get busy dismantling his office. But before he did that, he changed out of his suit into something more comfortable.

  To his relief, Jamie slept through the next two hours. By the time the concierge rang him at five and told him he was on his way up with Ms. Chamberlain, Nick had just wheeled the baby crib into the empty room.

  He walked through the apartment to the entry and opened the door. Soon his nanny emerged from the elevator carrying bags in both hands. As she passed by him she said, “Merry Christmas.” She was intriguing and amusing at the same time.

  Behind her came the concierge pushing a dolly loaded with cartons. Paul brought up the rear with more bags. He winked at Nick, who was still reacting to her comment. “This bag goes in the kitchen. Then we have one more load,” he whispered before heading for the other room.

  “You’ve done the work of a thousand—” she exclaimed to Nick after the men had filed back out of the new nursery. “Jamie’s going to love this room once we’ve whipped it into shape. How’s he doing so far?”

  She had such a vivacious personality, Nick was mesmerized. No wonder Leah had picked her. Ms. Chamberlain had to have stood out a hundred miles from any of the other nanny candidates.

  “He’s still asleep on my bed.”

  “I’ll just wash my hands and peek in on him.”

  “While you do that I’ll ask the kitchen to send up our dinner.” He made the call, then started looking through the bags, curious to see what she’d purchased for one tiny baby. In a minute the concierge came through with even more cartons.

  “Have fun putting all this together, Mr. Wainwright. Leave the empty boxes outside in the hall and I’ll pick them up.”

  Nick thanked him and walked him out in time to ask the waiter to set up their dinner in the dining room. Halfway back to his bedroom he met her in the hall carrying Jamie in her arms. “This little guy was awake. I guess he could hear the noise and started to fuss. He needed a diaper change and let me handle it, but I think he wanted you to do the honors.”

  “Well, now that the deed is done, our food is ready in the dining room.”

  “That sounds good. If you’ll open the carton that says baby swing, we can set it up in there and he can watch you while we eat. It will be perfect for him when we go out on the terrace during the day.”

  He hadn’t seen one of those at the Hirsts’. “You want to swing?” Nick gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading into the nursery. Reese followed him and waited while he opened the carton.

  “There should be some batteries taped to the inside of the lid.”

  “Batteries?”

  “They make it swing and play music at the same time.”

  Though he moved millions of dollars around on paper every day, the world of a baby and all its attendant necessities had passed him by completely. Whether his boy needed a swing or not, he had one now. Thankfully it wasn’t as difficult to put together as installing the base of the infant car seat in the limo. It had taken him several attempts before he’d managed to do it right.

  “Let’s go try this out.”

  “Your daddy’s a genius to assemble it so fast, Jamie.”

  “Don’t speak too soon in case it goes crashing down, taking my son with it.”

  “We’re not worried.”

  He stared into her shimmering blue eyes, dumb-founded over Leah’s find. “Then you should be.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  WHEN Nick looked at her like that, Reese’s heart began thudding for reasons she didn’t dare explore right now.

  She followed him back to the living room. The floor-to-ceiling French doors at the end had been opened to reveal a dining room that took her breath. First came the chandelier of Czechoslovakian glass. One of this kind and size was a museum piece. She thought the same thing of the massive Italian provincial hutch that lined the far wall.

  Its shelving held handblown Venetian glass and stunning pieces of china no longer made. On the opposite wall was a long European hunt board with its distinctive stylized pheasants and peacocks. A still-life oil painting of fruits hung above it.

  The window featured tapestries with tassels pulled halfway down depicting various pastoral scenes. When she could tear her gaze away, it fell on the rectangular table of dark oak dominating the room. She counted sixteen chairs around. The exquisite woodwork was complemented by the upholstery fabric, a blend of rich green and cream striping on velvet.

  Two candelabras with lighted tapers flanked a breathtaking centerpiece of fresh flowers including creamy lilies and roses interspersed with greenery. The top of the beautifully carved table had such a highly polished surface, everything gleamed. Two places nearest the doors had been set where their dinner awaited them.

  She finally looked at her employer. “I’m afraid whoever dreamed up this masterpiece of a room didn’t have that swing in mind.” He’d set it on a gorgeous Persian rug at the corner of the table.

  “I have to give my wife credit for much of the apartment’s decor.”

  So they had lived here together. How painful this must be for him. “She had incomparable taste.”

  He took the baby from her and fastened him in the seat. “Let’s see if he likes this.” When he pressed the button, it started to swing and played “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” Jamie looked at his father. The baby acted happy and it brought a ghost of a smile to his father’s lips.

  Mr. Wainwright’s eyes unexpectedly narrowed on her features. “Your contribution to the room keeps it from feeling like a museum. Shall we eat?”

  Reese could imagine the apartment felt that way to him with his other half gone out of his life. But he had his adorable son staring up at him in wonder, as if his father was the whole world to him. That had to compensate for his loss.

  Leaving him to sit at the head of the table, she took her place at the side just as the song changed to another nursery rhyme. It played a medley of ten tunes.

  He removed the
covers from their plates, sending a mouthwatering aroma through the room. “Help yourself to coffee or tea.”

  “Thank you, but I’ll just have water.” She poured herself a glass from the pitcher and drank a little before starting in on her food. “This roast chicken is delicious.”

  “I’ll tell the chef. He was plucked from a five-star hotel in Paris.”

  “The chicken or the chef?”

  His deep laugh disarmed her. “Touché.”

  She laughed with him. “It explains the buttery taste I love. I’m afraid I’m as bad as Julia Child. We think alike. Butter is the building block for good food.”

  His dark eyes flicked to hers. The candlelight reflecting in them made the irises look more brown than black. Until now she hadn’t been able to decide their exact shade. “You eat a lot of it out in Nebraska, do you?”

  “We Cornhuskers never heard of cholesterol,” she teased, laying it on a little thick. “In truth, all of us healthy farm girls thrive on it.”

  One dark brow shot up. “If I offended you, I didn’t mean to.”

  She smiled. “I know you didn’t. I was just having fun.”

  “That’s a refreshing quality of yours, Reese. Mind if I call you that?”

  His genuine warmth came as a surprise. She hadn’t expected a truly successful, wealthy CEO like him to be so well-rounded. It was probably that quality as much as his brilliant mind that drew people to him and made him such a paragon.

  “To be honest, I hate being called Ms. Chamberlain, Mr. Wainwright.”

  He smiled. “If that was more funning on your part, I still get the hint. Call me Nick.”

  “Thank you. I was afraid it wouldn’t happen for a while.”

  Another chuckle ensued. “Am I that impossible?”

  Reese was already too addicted to his potent charisma. “Not at all, but I’d like Jamie to know I have a first name. Ms. Chamberlain is kind of heavy for a ten-week-old.” She put her fork down. “Speaking of the baby, I know it looks like I bought out the store, but everything I purchased was for a reason. Of course I’ll take anything back you don’t like or find necessary.”

  “I’ll reserve judgment until tomorrow. We’ve worked hard enough today and need an early night.”

  “The only thing we ought to do before turning in is to fix up Jamie’s crib.”

  “What’s wrong with it?”

  “Nothing, but it needs a mattress cover under the fitted sheet and a bumper pad to go around the edges so he won’t hurt his head against the bars. And I bought a cute little mobile with farm animals that plays tunes. Anything with bright colors and he’ll reach for it.”

  He glanced down at Jamie. “You know what, sport? I have a feeling Reese is going to spoil you rotten.”

  “That’s the plan,” she interjected. “You can’t spoil babies enough because they’re too cute.” She leaned over to cup his cheek.

  “Would you like dessert?” he murmured.

  She felt his dark gaze on her, making her so aware of him, it sent heat to her face. “I don’t think I have room for any, thank you. The dinner was wonderful.”

  Reese started to get up from the table, ready to take the dishes into the kitchen. She assumed it lay beyond the door at the other end of the dining room. But he said, “Leave everything for the waiter. He lets himself in and out. So do the maids.”

  “I didn’t realize.” She remained in place.

  “When you need a wash done for you or the baby, just put it in a laundry bag on the counter in your bathroom. You’ll find them in the cupboard beneath the sinks. If you need pressing or tailoring done, phone them to indicate what you want.”

  She left her napkin next to her plate. “Do you always have your meals brought up?”

  “No. Most of the time I eat out. Occasionally I fix something in the kitchen and sit at the island. While you’re here, feel free to order whatever you want from downstairs. All you have to do is pick up the house phone and dial one for the chef’s office, or two for maid service. They come in every morning. Your job is to take care of Jamie, nothing else.”

  “Understood.”

  “You’re welcome to fix your own meals whether I’m home or not. Tomorrow there’ll be time for you to look around the pantry and compile a list of groceries you’d like to have on hand. Dial three for the concierge. Give him the list and he’ll see they’re delivered.”

  He pushed himself away from the table and stood up to take the baby out of the swing. “Come on, Jamie. Let’s see how long it takes your old man to put that mobile together.”

  “You’ve been given a reprieve on that one,” Reese said, bringing up the rear. “The only thing you have to do is fasten it to the end of the crib and turn on the music. There’s a small sack of batteries somewhere, but give me a minute to make up the crib first.”

  He moved fast on those long, powerful legs. She had to hurry to keep up with him. When they reached the nursery, she found the item for him, then quickly got busy. After she’d tied the last part of the bumper pad, she reached for Jamie.

  “I’ll feed him while you set up the mobile.”

  She darted into Nick’s bedroom and got a bottle of formula out of the diaper bag, sat down on the end of his bed and fed Jamie.

  “You’re a hungry boy.” He drank noisily. His burps were noisy, too, making her laugh. When he’d drained his bottle, she wandered back into the nursery where she found Nick watching the mobile turn while it played a song.

  He glanced at her as she walked in. “I know I didn’t have one of these when I was growing up.”

  She nuzzled Jamie’s neck. “I think you’re going to like what your daddy just put up.” When she lowered him to the mattress, the tune drew his attention, as did the plush animals going around and around.

  “Look, Nick—his cute little body is squiggling with excitement. He loves it!”

  “I think you’re right.” When she looked up, their eyes caught and held. The intensity of his gaze made it difficult to breathe. “If you want to call it an early night, go ahead. I’ll get up with him during the night. Tomorrow will be soon enough to take care of everything else and set up a schedule.”

  Then he looked back at Jamie with so much love, Reese was spellbound. She got the hint. He wanted time alone with his son. Nothing could be more natural or more reassuring to Jamie who, would be spending tonight in brand-new surroundings.

  “I’ll say good-night then and see both of you in the morning.” As she reached the door, she turned around. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I’m very grateful. He’s a precious boy.”

  Without waiting for a response, Reese slipped out of the nursery to the bedroom across the hall. After taking a shower and getting ready for bed, she climbed under the covers and reached for her cell phone to call her parents. It was an hour earlier in Lincoln.

  “Reese? I’ve been hoping you’d call, honey.”

  “Sorry about that, Mom, but I’ve been so busy today, this has been my first chance to call. I’ve gotten myself a nanny job.”

  “Of course I’m happy for you, but everyone misses you.”

  “I miss them, but with the salary I’ll be making here, I can concentrate my time on studying for the Series 7 and the Series 65. I have to take the test at the end of July before classes start again at the end of August. It shouldn’t be a problem putting in the hours I need and still work around the baby’s schedule.” But she needed to get busy right away, which didn’t give her much breathing room.

  “You only have one child to look after?”

  “Yes. He’s ten weeks old. Oh, Mom, Jamie’s the most beautiful child you ever saw.” That was because his father was the most arresting male Reese had ever laid eyes on in her life. The byplay of muscles beneath his T-shirt revealed a fit masculine body. Working out in his gym on the roof every day was the reason he was so buff.

  “What are his parents like? I hope they’re nice. Do you think you’ll all get along?”

  Reese b
it her lip. “There’s just the father. His wife died during the birth.”

  “Oh, no—”

  “It’s very sad.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Nick Wainwright. He’s the CEO at Sherborne-Wainwright. It’s the kind of brokerage company every student at Wharton would kill for in order to be able to work there. Would you believe I’ve been installed in his penthouse on Park Avenue? If Jackie Onassis were alive today, she would gobble it up in a second.”

  Her mom chuckled. “Be serious.”

  “I am. Who ever dreamed I’d be an honest-to-goodness nanny in a household like his?”

  “How old is he?”

  “It’s hard to tell. Thirty-three, thirty-four maybe.”

  “Well…you’ve got a terrific head on those shoulders and broke off with Jeremy for a reason. I don’t have to worry about you losing sight of your career plans just yet, do I?”

  “Nothing could make me do that.”

  “I believe you. Destiny has already singled out my brilliant daughter for something special. Tell me more about this financial prince of Park Avenue.”

  “Mom—” Reese laughed. “Financial prince…what a thing to say.”

  “Tell me the truth. Is he as gorgeous as Jackie’s son was?”

  Her mother would keel over if she ever got a look at Jamie’s father. “There are no words.”

  “Well. Coming from you, that says it all.”

  Reese was afraid it did.

  “Still, if I know my daughter, you won’t let anything get in the way of your goal. I happen to know you’re going to be a big name to contend with in the business world one day.”

  Reese’s eyelids prickled. “Thanks for believing in me, Mom.”

  “Oh, I do! Just don’t let those mothering instincts make you too attached to the baby. It can happen.”

  Reese knew it was one of the hazards of the job, but she’d deal with it. Jamie was an adorable little boy and it would be so easy to get attached to him, but Reese reminded herself that she would only be here for three months. “I love you. Give Dad and everyone else my love. I’ll call you soon.”