Chapter1
It was a long walk down the winding driveway from where the taxi had dropped her at the gate. The cab driver had offered to take her all the way to the house, but she declined. She wanted some peace and quiet to think, and a chance to familiarize herself with her new surroundings.
Meticulously trimmed trees lined the smooth road, and between them, little bushes dotted the immaculate landscape. Beds of flowers bloomed here and there, and an occasional marble statue rose from the emerald lawn, looking out over the expansive estate.
Charlotte adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder and closed her fingers tighter around her suitcase. She wondered how a young woman like herself was ever going to fit into the kind of place she was seeing. She had grown up in a modest home that resembled every other home around it, nestled in suburbia. She’d gone to elementary, middle, and high school with all the same kids, and then started college after graduation. NYU was the biggest change her sweet and simple life had ever known. Living in a dorm room was an adjustment for her. Having a heavy load of classes on campus, meeting all new people; it had all been a big change, but with ever step she took, she knew she was walking toward what would be the biggest change of her life.
Rounding a corner, the house came into view. She only continued a few more paces before she could see all of it, and she stopped on the side of the road and put her bag and suitcase down, staring at the mansion before her.
It was tall and graceful, with marble columns and wide windows. It had the look of a beautiful Italian villa, or at least it looked like some that she had seen in photographs. There was a rounded driveway before it, embracing a manicured lawn and boasting a five-tiered glittering stone fountain that poured shining water from one level to the next. The area was encircled by a white marble balustrade and it mirrored the grandeur of the home behind it.
Reaching her hand down, she tugged at her dress, straightening it a little more. It fit her almost like a glove, trimming her hourglass figure from her shoulders to just above her knees. It was sleeveless with a scoop neck and a narrow waist, in a light lavender shade with little dark violet flowers sprinkled over it. The purple tones complemented her milk chocolate skin, bringing out her warm, dark brown eyes. She ran her hands over the material, smoothing it out, though it was already neat and tidy.
Charlotte pushed her fingers through her long black hair, loosening the waves that fell to her waist. She knew she looked nice, but standing down the road from the house, it felt to her like she might not look as nice as she should. She closed her eyes and told herself that it was too late, she was nearly there. She only needed to close the distance and the looming beginning would be behind her.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her bag and slipped the strap over her shoulder again, and then picked up her suitcase. She didn’t own much. Charlotte had never had her own place; she’d gone from her parent’s house to the dorm, and when her college bills had gotten to be too great, she had started looking for a job, and she had found one. After a brief interview at a coffee shop near the college, billionaire Brady Douglas had hired her to be his daughter’s live-in nanny. She had gone from the dorm to a mansion, packing all that she had into the suitcase and bag she carried with her, and putting the rest into a few boxes that were being delivered.
It was surreal to her that the palatial edifice before her was going to be her home. She never would have imagined it, not in her wildest dreams. She had planned on graduating and finding an affordable apartment, and then getting a job as an administrative assistant somewhere, and working her way up the corporate ladder one rung at a time. Living on a massive estate and caring for a three-year-old girl had never been in her realm of reality, yet there she was, and it was happening. It had happened so fast that she’d hardly had time to let it all sink in. It was part of the reason she had chosen to walk up the long, winding driveway; she had wanted to take it all in bit by bit so that it might be easier to believe, but the closer she drew to the front door of the home, the more dreamlike it seemed to her.
She placed her suitcase beside her lavender pumps and raising a slightly trembling hand, and pressed the button for the doorbell. Chimes rang out behind the closed door, and it sounded like a church on Sunday morning. She wasn’t sure if she should expect a butler to answer it, but she was a little surprised and relieved, at least for a moment, when it was answered by the owner, Brady Douglas.
Charlotte had met Brady once for her interview. He had been dressed in a business suit, tailored with a vest and a tie. He’d looked as though he might have just come out of a business meeting; professional and cool. She had remembered from their interview the week before that he had been handsome, but as she stood there looking at him in the doorway, she was struck with just how incredibly gorgeous he really was.
Brady was wearing a collarless white cotton shirt that fit the solid muscles of his arms and chest like a second skin. There were three buttons in a row going down from the neck of the shirt, though none of them were done. His tanned skin and a slight tuft of dark brown hair showed through the opening in the shirt. He was dressed in form fitting jeans, and where his suit had outlined him well, his jeans left much less to the imagination. Her cheeks warmed as she took him in.
His wavy brunette hair was combed to the side, though not quite as carefully shaped as it had been when she’d met him. It looked as if he might have run his fingers through it a time or two before she arrived. His green eyes were the color of the sea, bright, mysterious, and taking in every inch of her just as much as she was of him.
He gave her a warm smile. “Charlotte, it’s nice to see you. Welcome to your new home.” He bent over and picked up her suitcase and the scent of his cologne followed him, teasing at her nose. She closed her eyes and gave her head a shake.
“Thank you. I’m glad to be here.” She answered as he held his free hand out towards the interior of the house.
“After you.” His voice was low and soft.
She stepped in through the doorway and he followed her as she entered the foyer. It was a grand area, with terra cotta colored marble floors that were in keeping with the Italian villa look of the outside of the house. There was a cupola ceiling adorned with a crystal and brass chandelier, and the circular space was framed by a spiral staircase that led up from the floor to the upper levels of the house.
Two great cream colored marble archways led out of the foyer into adjoining rooms on each side; to the left was a sitting room, and to the right, a great room with piano and other musical instruments. Both rooms were designed with rich silks in umber and gold, summer greens and russet ruby reds over the furniture, the drapes on the big windows, and in small touches throughout each space.
“This is beautiful!” She exclaimed in wonder, trying not to sound too overwhelmed.
He smiled. “It is. I’ve put a lot of work into it. I’ve got Irish and Italian ancestry, and the Italian lends itself to artistic design. I’ll show you to your room, and then give you a tour of the house.”
She nodded and followed him as he headed up the wide, round staircase to the second floor. The landing opened up into a broad hallway lined with thick cushioned carpet. At one end of the hallway was a set of glossy dark wooden double doors, and on the other side of the hallway were four sets of doors.
“Your room is this way. I’ve put you beside the nursery in an adjoining room so that you’ll be able to get to Abbie easier when she needs you,” he said, turning right and going a few steps down the hall.
“Is she here?” Charlotte asked, anxious to meet her new charge.
He shook his head. “No, she’s with my mother every Friday and Saturday night. Elaine likes to have her grandmother time with her granddaughter. She’ll bring Abbie back tomorrow around noon. Then Abbie will be yours for the week, until next Friday.”
He walked into the room with her and set her suitcase down on the fine wooden chest at the end of the bed. The room was large, with windows looking over the back of the property, including a big patio ground, an Olympic pool, and a swimming pool, as well as a pool house. There was an en suite bathroom with a deep jetted tub and a spacious stone wall shower. The mirror spanned the length of one wall, and there were skylights there as well as in her bedroom.
A dark polished wood four poster bed stood against the wall opposite the bathroom. It was filled with pillows of various sizes and shapes at the head of it, and covered in a thick duvet. There was a wooden desk that matched the bed, sitting near one of the windows, with a Tiffany lamp and a new laptop computer. An ample wardrobe was against another wall, and the doors for it were open, waiting for her to fill them. Not far from it was a walk-in closet that was bigger than her dorm room had been.
She set her bag down on the wooden chest at the end of the bed and noticed the dresser, which was part of the bedroom set. Sitting on it was a crystal vase filled with fresh flowers. “Those are lovely!” she walked over and breathed in the sweet scent of them. Admiring them for a moment, she turned and saw that he was studying her.
“Shall we show you the nursery?” he asked, pulling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and walking to a doorway that led into the adjoining room. “This is where Abbie sleeps and plays.”
Walking in behind Brady, she found herself in a room that was slightly smaller than hers, and was entirely designed around childhood fantasy. A painted white canopy bed draped with pink satin and white lace was set near the corner while the rest of the room was dotted with matching furniture pieces; a small table and four chairs was near the window, draped with lace curtains. A dresser and toy box were a little further off, and a rocking chair of the same design was placed beside a bookshelf lined with children’s books, and topped with a delicate crystal musical carousel and a lamp that could be reached from the rocking chair.
There was no small detail left undone; a soft blanket was folded over the back of the rocker, a pretty little tea set at the center of the little table, dainty pillows set about on bigger pillows on the bed, and in the nursery bathroom, a small robe hung on a hook on the wall over a pair of slippers.
On the wall was a set of portraits of Brady and Abbie. She was adorable, with a round face and pink cheeks, green eyes like her father and same brunette hair shining with golden highlights in the sun, pulled into pigtails at the top of her head.
“She looks happy.” Charlotte said, gazing at the photographs and smiling.
Brady slid his hands into his pockets and grinned at them. “She is. We have a good time, her and I, but it’s not easy to work as much as I do and raise a child on my own, so that’s why you’re here.”
Charlotte turned and looked at him then. “I’m glad to be here. I’m looking forward to it.”
He nodded. “Well, let’s show you the rest of the house, and then you can come back up here and unpack.” He paused a breath, and spoke in a careful tone. “I notice that you didn’t bring much. You are planning on living here full time, aren’t you? Do you have more coming?”
“I don’t have much. I was in a dorm. I do have a few more boxes coming.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “I am planning on living here full time.”
“Good.” He turned and headed out of the nursery back into the hallway. “Those are guest rooms.” He waved his hand in a general direction down the rest of the hall after the nursery.
“It looks like there’s only one room at the other end of the hall.” She said, noting the double doors which were closed.
“That’s my bedroom.” He turned and looked at her, catching her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she looked away from him.
“There’s a study on this floor as well, on the other side of your room, in case you want to sit and read by the fire or work in a quiet area.” He headed down the stairs and she followed him.
Brady showed her the lavish dining room, the massive Italian kitchen, the breakfast nook, the gym, the library, his office, the sitting room, the great room, the theatre room, the steam and sauna rooms, and then took her outside to see the pools, Jacuzzi, and the pool house, which was a full house, used for guests on occasion.
They walked back to the kitchen and he poured them each a glass of lemonade. Charlotte looked around the room, taking more time to see the details of it. There was a big island in the center of it with a cooktop and a sink. Along two walls was a long stone countertop with two big deep sinks and an eight-burner stove with a twin oven beneath it. On the far wall was a generous pantry loaded with a wide array of foods. The flooring in the kitchen, unlike most of the rest of the house, was a light wood, adding to the warmth of the country Italian villa kitchen feel and look of the room. There was a breakfast nook, connected but off to one side, surrounded by windows and overlooking a garden. The dining room was also connected, at the other end of the kitchen, and separated by a set of dark wooden doors that were kept closed.
“You have a beautiful home.” She said with a smile, taking a sip of the lemonade. “Especially this kitchen. I’ve never seen another one like it.”
“Thank you. I’ve taken a lot of time in designing the look. The kitchen is the most important part of a home, I think. It’s the heart of it. It’s where the family and friends come to nourish their bodies with good food, and to nourish their hearts and minds with each other’s company.” He took a long drink of his lemonade and watched her.
“That’s an interesting view of it. I think you must be right. The hearth fire of the home.” She considered it, and liked the idea of what he was explaining to her.
“Actually, that brings me to another point that I should discuss with you. The evening meals in this home are a key element of my day. I always make certain that Abbie and I share dinner together in the kitchen every night. You’ll be joining us for that each evening.” He looked at her pointedly. The green in his eyes was shining and she felt her cheeks get warm again.
“I like that. I’ll be glad to join in. Thank you.” She answered, turning her gaze toward her glass so that she wouldn’t feel as if she was blushing again.
He kept his eyes on her for a long moment and then gave her a half smile. “I’ll let you go unpack and get yourself settled. I’ll see you down here for dinner at six.” He took her empty glass from her then and she headed upstairs to her room, letting out a long, slow sigh of relief at having some space between them.
It didn’t take her long to unpack and get her few things sorted. When she was done, she saw that it was still two hours until dinner time, so she picked up her phone and called her best friend. Rita Jackson, They had been best friends since middle school, when Rita had moved to New York from New Jersey.
“Hey! There she is! I was wondering when I was going to hear from you. Where are you? Did you start your new job yet?” Rita asked, bubbling over with questions and smiles that Charlotte could hear through the phone.
“Hey! Yeah, I’m at the house now. I just started today.” Charlotte answered, walking to the windows and looking out over the vast expanse of grounds behind the house. There were a set of glass double doors set in the center of the windows that opened up to a deck with a stone balustrade around it. She pulled the doors open and walked out into the sunlight. The hustle and bustle of Manhattan felt a million miles away from where she was, though it wasn’t that far off at all. She could see the outline of it in the distance, though from where she stood it might as well have been on the other side of the world.
“Well? What’s it like? Is it nice? Do you think you’re going to be happy there?” Rita pressed, wanting to know all about it.
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and looked around at the house behind and beneath her. “It’s really different. Don’t get me wrong; it’s beautiful, but it’s so very different from anything I’ve ever seen or known. I’m just a bit out of my element here, that’s all. This isn’t me. I don’t know if I’ll fit in here.”
“Sooner or later you will fit in there. It will conform to you, and you will conform to it, and the same thing with the family, and then it will all work out well.” Rita sounded so sure of herself. “So, what’s the baby like? What’s the dad like?”
“I haven’t met the baby yet. She’s out with her grandmother today and I guess she’ll be back tomorrow around noon. The dad is…” she stopped and let images and thoughts and feelings about Brady Douglas course through her mind. “He’s powerful, strong… gorgeous. Too gorgeous.”
“Too gorgeous?” Rita asked, her interest piqued. “What’s that mean?”
Charlotte giggled a little bit. “I blush when I look at him. I have to look away. He’s really… just beautiful and he has this air about him, like he owns the world, but in a casual way, like he doesn’t have to prove it, it’s just a fact. He’s really confident and self-assured. I like it.”
Rita chuckled too. “It sounds like you like him.”
Quick to defend herself, Charlotte changed her tone. “Not in an inappropriate way. I mean, he’s my boss, but there’s definitely something different about him. I guess I’ll have to get used to it.”
“You’ll get used to it, and it will fade. It’s probably just because it’s a new place and you’re nervous and like you said, you aren’t sure how you fit in yet. That will all come. Don’t worry too much about him for now. You’re just getting used to each other. That will change in time.” Rita was certain about what she said.
“I hope so.” Charlotte sighed, leaning her elbows on the stone railing and gazing out at all the natural green beauty around her. “I’d like to be comfortable here, and I would be sorry if it was awkward between him and me. I really want this to be a good fit and to work out.”
“I have no doubt that it’s going to work out. You’re a hard and dedicated worker, and this will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. I know you’ll give it your best.” Rita sounded so positive. “In the meantime, drink some ice water and cool down and don’t stare at your boss.” She teased just a little.
Charlotte laughed. “Exactly what I need to do!”
They talked a long while about other things, and when their conversation was over, it was time for Charlotte to join Brady for dinner. She touched up her makeup and pulled her hair up in a soft twist behind her head. Slipping on a pair of small diamond earrings that her parents had given her for her graduation from high school, she turned and looked in the mirror, giving her enviable figure an approving smile. She looked good. She wanted Brady to be glad that he had hired her, and to be reassured that he had chosen he right girl for the job. Presentation was almost everything, she told herself.
Going down the stairs, she found him in the kitchen, standing before the cooktop on the island, three different pots steaming away as he moved between them, finishing up the last elements of their meal.
“You cooked dinner for us?” She asked in surprise.
“I cook dinner every night. I like to cook. It’s a good outlet for stress,” he said, giving her a wide smile as he put the lid over a big pot.,
“Can I help you with anything?” she asked, looking around for some way to be of use.
“You could pour the wine for us. It’s on the table. I’ve got the rest of this.”
She looked at him sidelong as he was cooking; adding a dash of this and stirring that. He looked content and fulfilled, and she liked it. She tried not to let her eyes linger too long on the form of his shoulders, chest, and arms sculpted beneath the snug material of his cotton shirt. Her cheeks warmed again as she poured wine into their glasses.
Charlotte wondered when she was going to get used to working for a man who was at the very least distracting. She thought that Rita had to be right; it would change and she wouldn’t even notice him after a while.
He walked over to the table and set two plates of fettuccini parmesan on the table, and came back a few moments later with a delicious looking green salad, tossed with walnuts, cheese, honey, and pears.
“Wow!” Charlotte exclaimed with a smile as they sat together. “This looks incredible.”
Brady smiled wide, pleased with the compliment. “I hope you like it. I love cooking, and most nights we eat like this.”
They began their meal and a few bites in, he looked at her and his chiseled face took on a serious expression. “You know some of the routine here now, but I wanted to go over some more details for you. I work in the city, so I’m gone from very early in the morning until late afternoon. There are occasional nights when I have to be gone for a business meeting or some event, but those are rare. I try to keep my evenings open for Abbie. You’ll have her during the day and we’ll do a kind of co-caring system for her in the evenings when I’m here. If you ever need time off for anything, just let me know. I’d be glad to work it out for you.”
He took a long sip of his wine and set the glass down, his eyes focused on her. “So, you’re continuing your classes online, is that correct?”
“Yes. I wanted to do both, and I was able to shift all of my classes for the rest of the year to online courses,” she answered with a smile. She liked that he was devoted to his daughter. She wondered where Abbie’s mother was, but she didn’t feel that it was her business to ask.
It was clear that there was no mother in the house. There weren’t even photographs of a woman around, other than a woman with well styled silvery white hair who was either with Brady or Abbie, or both of them, and Charlotte was confident that the woman was his mother. A total absence of Abbie’s mother or even signs of her left Charlotte with questions that she thought she would ask later, when she was more comfortable in the home.
“I’m glad to hear that. I’m very much in support of you continuing your education and furthering your occupational possibilities in the future. Abbie isn’t going to need a nanny forever. This is a good time for you to set a foundation for future years.” He swallowed a bite of the pasta and continued.
“You have most Friday and Saturday nights off while my mother has her. Once in a while she’ll do something; some social party or other, but most often she has Abbie. You’ll have the new Toyota in the garage; that’s yours to use while you’re here. There’s a car seat in it already. Abbie should go out for fresh air and exercise every day, whether it’s s here or at the park. She has a big playground in the back with a little fence around it, and she loves it there, but I like her to be able to play with other children, so try for a park a few times a week. Also, you said you are a good swimmer, yes?” He asked, raising his brows slightly as he looked at Charlotte.
“I am a great swimmer. I was a lifeguard at the community pool every summer of high school.” Charlotte was suddenly glad that she was able to use that time as a marketable skill.
“Great. I have been spending time with Abbie in the pool, but I want you to teach her how to swim well, please. Lessons a few times a week.” He leaned back in his chair thoughtfully and took another long pull of wine, and then leaned forward to refill his glass.
“I can do that.” Charlotte smiled, thinking of how much fun she would have with Abbie in the days to come.
Brady turned to her again, filling up her wine glass. “I want you to be comfortable here, too. This is your home now, so use it as you would use your own home. Eat what you want to, cook anytime, use the house, use the swimming pool. You have the new car. You’ll also have a spending account for anything that you and Abbie need. I have a card for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled it out, sliding it across the table to her. “That account is for you both, so don’t hesitate to use it, just save all the receipts.”
Charlotte blinked in surprise. “Thank you!” She picked it up and saw her name spelled out on the raised plastic letters. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to do that.” He replied evenly. “You’re caring for my most valuable asset; my daughter. No expense should be spared. To that end, I know we had discussed a monthly salary of three thousand dollars. I’m going to increase that to five thousand. I want her to be your first priority, so if you have no financial concerns, it leaves more of your focus on her.”
She was floored. She had never imagined making that kind of money; not even after she graduated and got the job she was hoping to get. “I… I don’t know what to… thank you.” She fumbled through her amazement and gratitude.
He waved his hand. “Well, that’s taken care of.” His shoulders lowered slightly as if he was relieved and a weight had been taken off of them. He took a few more bites and then he lifted his eyes to meet hers again, and she felt her stomach flip over once. She wished that it wouldn’t happen.
“Are you seeing anyone? Romantically?” He sat still and waited, watching her. Her heart beat quickened.
A slight frown formed on her full lips and she lowered her brow. “What does that have to do with…” she began, trailing off.
“I’m asking so that I’ll know if I should be expecting anyone around the house. This is your home and you’re free to live here how you like, but it’s my home as well, and if there will be anyone around, I’d like to know about it.” He didn’t even blink. His stare was deep and intense, and she was sure he was peering so far into her that he could have seen for himself the answer for any question he might have.
Her cheeks warmed again and she cursed herself for reacting as she was. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she began, somewhat flustered. “No, I’m not seeing anyone.” She shook her head and looked down at the pasta and salad before her, wishing she hadn’t questioned him.
In looking away, she missed the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. “Good.” It was all he said, letting his eyes drift over her lovely face. Her cheeks were high and delicately curved down to her slender jaw. Her eyes were wide and dark brown, framed with long, thick black lashes. His gaze lingered on her rounded lips, and after a long moment he turned his attention back to the meal before him.
When their dinner was over, Brady insisted on taking care of the dishes himself, and he told her he would be working that night since Abbie was away with her grandmother. He gave Charlotte the evening to herself.
A short while later she was soaking in a hot bubble bath, the tension of the day melting away from her. She took her time washing herself, all the while wondering how her life was going to be living in such a different kind of world. She was excited to find out.
Later, she drifted off to sleep in her bed, her mind whirring with thoughts going in every direction. When she woke up, it would be the first day of her new life.