“And you claimed you weren’t involved with anyone.”
“I’m not.”
“Then it’s a moral objection.”
She gazed at him helplessly. “You don’t understand.”
He cupped her face, drew her upward so their mouths met, colliding in soft passion, igniting sparks he didn’t dare allow to catch fire. “Then explain it to me so I will.”
It took her a moment to gather her wits enough to reply. “I adore Isabella, you know that. I’d do anything to ensure her recovery. But it would be wrong for me to agree to this, wrong on so many levels.”
“It would be temporary, Annalise. Once CPS signs off, you’re free to leave whenever you want. I’ll make sure you’re provided for.”
“You mean money,” she said bluntly. “You mean, you’ll pay me to be your wife.”
He’d never been accused of being a charming man, so he didn’t bother trying to act the part. “I believe it’s called alimony. But if you’d prefer to consider it wages—just like you’re paid wages as Isabella’s nanny—that’s fine with me.”
Her chin quivered. “Well, it’s not fine with me.”
“Because of the money or because you think it’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands. “I just don’t know.”
“Listen to me. I’m not paying you for sex. If you choose to share my bed, it’s because we’re attracted to each other physically. Consider this an old-fashioned, arranged marriage. I’m a man with a child in need of a wife and mother. You’re a woman who has career goals which can more easily be met as a result of our marriage.”
She bowed her head and he waited for endless moments while she weighed her options. Finally, she spoke, her voice whisper-soft. “My father once told me that being a single parent was the most difficult job he’d ever attempted. He never felt he’d done a proper job. The guilt ate him alive.”
Jack forced himself to use her admission, hating himself even as he said the words. “I won’t have that guilt or those concerns, if you marry me.”
Her hands dropped to her sides and he could see tears welling into her eyes. “How long?” she whispered.
“Figure a couple of years, tops.”
Pain ripped through her gaze again. “And then you expect me to simply walk away?”
“You were going to walk away regardless, remember?” he reminded her softly. “You agreed to a two-year contract while you pursued your master’s, and then you were going to teach.”
Her gaze strayed in the direction of Isabella’s room and a hint of panic deepened the intense color of her irises, turning them to amber. “This job is just temporary.” She said it almost as though reminding herself of that fact. “I know that.”
“All I’m suggesting is that you spend those two years as my wife instead of Isabella’s nanny.”
For once her self-control deserted her, leaving her open and defenseless. “It won’t be easy for her when I leave. We’ll have grown attached.”
“I won’t cut you off. I lived that existence, remember? I wouldn’t do that to my niece any more than I’d do that to you. We’ll make the transition as slowly and gently as possible. I won’t prevent Isabella from seeing you whenever she wants.”
To his concern, her tears escaped, streaking down her cheeks. “I wasn’t supposed to become attached.”
“We’ll work it out. You have my word. But all this will be moot if CPS takes Isabella from me.”
For some reason, reminding her of that fact got through as nothing else had. She bowed her head and scrubbed the heels of her palms across her cheeks. “She belongs with you,” Annalise whispered. “She needs you. I want to do whatever I can to cement your relationship with her. That was the whole point in taking this job.”
“Then marry me. I swear you won’t regret it.”
“Yes, I will.” She looked at him. “I’ll probably regret it for the rest of my life. But I don’t think I have any choice.”
The first time he’d seen her, he’d thought her eyes overflowed with ancient wisdom and intense vulnerability. Tonight they also reflected a gut-wrenching devastation. She’d suffered in the past, he sensed, even more than he had. He found he wanted to know her, to dig down through all that pain and uncover her most deeply guarded secrets. As though sensing the direction of his thoughts, shutters snapped closed over her expression and she took a step backward.
“Very well, Jack. I accept your proposal,” she said. “I’ll marry you and do whatever I can to convince CPS to give you full custody of your niece.”
He closed the distance between them, unwilling to allow her to shut him out. They may have chosen to enter their marriage in a cold-blooded fashion, but it wouldn’t continue that way. He slid his hands around her waist and tipped her into his arms. She fell against him, all feminine softness and delicious warmth.
“Don’t,” she pleaded. “It’s too much for me to handle.”
“Handle?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Or control?”
“Either. Both.”
“Then let go. I’ll take care of everything.”
He lowered his head and took her mouth. It was a simple kiss, yet one that created an intense explosion of pleasure. She struggled for a brief instant, more against herself than him. And then she wrapped her arms around his neck and sank into the heat.
He wished he could claim that he was kissing her for Isabella’s sake. But it would have been a lie. Selfishly, he wanted her for himself. Wanted it all. Wanted to right the world for his niece and try to give her some measure of happiness. And he wanted this woman in his bed, to wake beside her each morning. Endless Sundays filled with Family Bed stretched out before him, the mattress overflowing with child and dog, husband and wife. It was a life he’d never known.
It was a life he’d do whatever was necessary to create.
Seven
The wedding ceremony took place two short days later. It had been a struggle to convince Annalise that a formal wedding gown and tux was an absolute necessity. When he suggested as much, she’d stared at him in horrified disbelief.
“You must be joking.”
“Not even a little. Think it through logically, Annalise. This needs to be convincing. The unfortunate fact is, my name is going to generate news. Our marriage is going to generate news. I intend to use that to our advantage. I want every newspaper, rag and media outlet to splash lots of pictures of us in formal wedding gear. I want all the articles to rave about the whirlwind romance between the ruthless tycoon and the adorable nanny who won his heart.”
She paled. “My father. He has no idea I even work for you. What am I supposed to tell him about our marriage?”
“Tell him it was love at first sight.”
“He’ll never believe that.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
“He just won’t,” she argued. “He knows me. He knows I’m not the type to fall for someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” He wondered if he sounded as offended as he felt.
“Rich. Powerful.” She regarded him impatiently, refusing to reflect even a modicum of nervousness at his reaction. “It’s too fast. I’m a cautious type of person.”
“What’s really going on, Annalise?”
Her chin shot up. “You once told me your father taught you to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Well, mine taught me not to make rash decisions. Just as you’ve taken your family motto to heart, so have I. My father knows I wouldn’t marry someone I’ve only known for a couple of weeks.”
“Then you’ll have to find a way to convince him that you’ve made an exception this one time.”
She spun away, turning her back to him so he couldn’t read her expression. “Dad agreed to captain a charter into the Caribbean for the summer. It may take a while to track down his boat and get word through to him. This is something that needs to be done in person. When he does get in touch, I’ll do my best to convince him it’s a love match, but I suggest we come up with an alternative story. Because I guarantee we’re going to need one.” She faced Jack once again. She’d gathered up her self-control and hid every scrap of emotion behind a calm expression. “How will your father react to our marriage?”
“I guess we’ll find out when it hits the newspapers.”
Her air of calm evaporated. “You’re not going to tell him yourself?”
He bared his teeth in a grin. “Trust me. It’ll be more fun if we do it my way.”
He didn’t give her time to argue the situation. Instead he dropped her and Isabella off at an exclusive little boutique with instructions to the proprietor to dress his bride-to-be in the most romantic gown available, and to make sure that his niece wore something that matched. The blank check he offered to make certain everything was completed on time ensured satisfaction on behalf of both parties. Much to his private amusement, he left Isabella glowing and Annalise glowering.
The next morning Derek had surprised him by showing up on his doorstep with Taye McClintock in tow.