Сьюзен Мейер – Falling For The Nanny: The Billionaire's Baby SOS / The Nanny Bombshell / The Nanny Who Kissed Her Boss (страница 15)
She caught his gaze. “Don’t take that the wrong way. It’s nice for Bella to have that connection.”
“It’s good to remind her of her mom?”
“I don’t think she thinks of her mom. I think she associates the dancing with love.”
His heart froze in his chest. He looked from Claire to Bella and back to Claire again. “Dancing makes her feel loved.”
“That’s what I’m guessing.”
“Then we’ll dance.”
TEN minutes later, Claire carried Bella to Matt’s office, an odd feeling in her stomach. For as much of a big, strong, stubborn guy as Matt Patterson was, he really wanted to do what was right for this baby. He genuinely wanted to be a good daddy. He didn’t mind looking a bit silly. And he wanted to learn.
She sat on the chair in front of the desk as Matt dialed the number for the nanny service.
“Hello, this is Matt Patterson. May I speak with Mary Mahoney?”
He sat in silence, waiting to be transferred, while Claire straightened the collar on Bella’s pale green one-piece pajama. “You look especially pretty in green.”
As if she understood the compliment, Bella grinned at her, but her little blue eyes were red from crying and still watery. Claire’s heart twisted. In an hour or so they’d put her down for a nap again, then the temporary nanny would arrive, Claire would leave and Bella would wake up to two people she considered strangers. Plus, there was no guarantee that the nanny would teach Matt. Or even let him spend any quality time with Bella. Or let him dance.
If Matt knew more about babies, he could stand his ground with a stern nanny. But as unconfident as he was now, he’d let a nanny take over. And Bella would lose her daddy.
Suddenly Matt straightened in his chair. “Hello. Yes. Ms. Mahoney. I’m Matt Patterson. I recently got custody—”
She pressed her fingers on the button in the cradle for the phone receiver and disconnected the call.
He gaped at her. “Are you trying to make me look like an idiot?”
“No.” She hugged cuddly Bella to her, swept her lips across her downy hair. “But I think it might be premature to leave Bella with a nanny. I think what we need to do is have me stay another day so she can get more adjusted to you.”
He slowly replaced the phone receiver in its cradle. “You want to stay?”
Refusing to meet his gaze, she fussed with Bella’s pajamas again. “I wouldn’t say I
“I can’t say it’s a bad idea, but you might want to mention these things to me before I call someone, instead of just hanging up the phone when I’m talking.”
She winced. “Sorry.” She said it casually, but the full ramifications of what she’d done by hanging up the phone began to sink in. She’d slept in a bedroom next to his the night before. True, she’d closed the door, but she was still in his house. And they’d kissed—because they were attracted. True, they’d talked that out. They weren’t suited. So they were avoiding or ignoring that attraction.
But what if something happened that they couldn’t? What if they kissed again? What if he wanted to do more than kiss? Could she resist him?
She mentally shook herself. Of course she could resist him. She’d been resisting men for five
She peeked up at Matt. Strong shoulders. Handsome face. Sexy eyes.
She’d be spending another whole day with him…sleeping next to his bedroom again—
Oh, boy.
Studying her across the desk, he leaned back in his chair. “So what do we do now?”
The smart thing to do would be to keep them so focused on Bella and so busy she could forget this ridiculous attraction. Especially since he didn’t seem to be having the same trepidation about it that she was. “You said you wanted to learn a few more things before a nanny completely takes over. Why don’t we spend today doing some of that?”
He sat up. “Okay.”
Trying to be nonchalant, she said, “Too bad she doesn’t need a diaper change, since you danced instead of changed her diaper the last time she cried.”
He sniffed a laugh.
The room got quiet.
The urge to run bubbled up in her, but she gathered her courage. After all, she was doing this for Bella.
“So since she doesn’t need a diaper, has already been fed and doesn’t want to sleep…maybe we should play.”
He glanced over. “Play?”
“Sure.” She rose, walked the baby to the thick Oriental rug in front of the sofa and lowered herself and Bella to the floor. “Babies are naturally curious. So sometimes playing can be as simple as setting her on the floor and letting her explore.”
He ambled over. “And how do I fit into this equation?”
“You keep her from getting hurt, as you point out things that might be fun for her.”
He sat on the floor beside her. “Like what?”
She peered around. There wasn’t a damned thing in his house that might interest a baby. Worse, sitting on the floor with him only inches away, sprawled out comfortably, caused weird feelings to ripple through her. This was how he’d be with Bella. A sort of clueless but affable dad. He’d be sweet. Loving.
Great. Adding emotion to her attraction had been real smart.
She popped up off the floor. Seeing him as a good dad upped his likability by about a thousand percent. If she wasn’t careful, she wouldn’t just be fighting a sexual attraction; she’d be falling for another guy who was all wrong for her.
“Maybe I should go upstairs and get her one of the rattles and her bear.”
She walked up the spiral staircase and back the hall to his bedroom, then took a deep breath as she leaned against the closed door.
She was fine. There was nothing to worry about. She’d learned her lesson about falling for self-absorbed men. She wasn’t in any danger of losing her heart. Even thinking that was stupid. She’d agreed to stay for Bella. Bella needed a real daddy, not just a guy who paid for a nanny. She needed a daddy who would play with her when he came home from work, tuck her in at night, kiss her forehead. And she could teach him to do all that, if she kept her wits about her. It might be a little uncomfortable for her and she might have to miss work—
Miss work! She hadn’t told her boss she would be taking time off!
She raced to her purse and retrieved her cell phone. With one click she speed dialed Joni’s number.
“Dysart Adoptions.”
“Oh, my gosh! Joni! I’m so sorry! I forgot all about you.”
Joni, the owner of the adoption agency, chuckled. “That’s okay. I figured you were busy with Bella.”
“I was.” She winced. “I
“Oh?”
“We were just walking back to the den to contact a nanny service when Bella woke up from her morning nap and she was inconsolable.”
“Poor thing!”
“I know. The sweet baby is having so much trouble adjusting. Matt grabbed her out of the crib and it didn’t even slow her down. But when she saw me, she reached for me and cuddled in and pretty soon she was calm.”
“She’s gotten accustomed to you.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re not ready to leave her.”
“I can’t leave her like this. Plus, once she was calm, Matt took her and danced with her.”
“Danced with her?”
“It calms her. I didn’t tell him. He figured it out for himself. I can see he has the potential to be a really great dad. In a few days, I could teach him so much and then he would be comfortable around the baby and wouldn’t desert her to a nanny when he gets one.”
“You think he has the potential to get so accustomed to Bella that he’d spend time with her?”
“Yes. There’s just something about the way he deals with her that makes me see he wants this. He
“It’s Tuesday. That’s four whole days.”
“I know…but Bella needs me.”