The Nanny Proposition(17)

She tickled Meg’s sides, eliciting a giggle. “I’d sing one with you,” she said, “but I only know them in my own language and that might be a bit hard for you to sing along with.”

He tried not to seem thrilled that he couldn’t be expected to sing. “You just go ahead on your own, then, and I’ll listen.”

“Bonnie would adore hearing you sing her something.” Jenna tucked some of her silky blond hair behind her ear. “What about a song instead? How about ‘California Girls’? No, something simple to start with. Do you know ‘Edelweiss’?”

He nodded, resigned. “My childhood was filled with my mother watching musicals, so I could probably manage that one.”

“What do you say, girls?” Jenna asked, tickling a baby with each hand. “Shall we give it a go?”

Jenna’s hand brushed his thigh and his heart skipped a beat, but no one else seemed to notice. Meg squealed her delight and Bonnie’s little legs started pumping.

“I think that’s a yes,” Jenna said.

She began the song, and after a few words, Liam joined in, uncomfortable at first, but once they reached the chorus he became more confident with the melody. Jenna moved into a harmony and his eyes strayed from Bonnie to her nanny. He’d never sung in front of anyone before, let alone in a duet, but it felt natural and...strangely, good with Jenna.

Her face shone and her angelic voice wrapped around him, lulling him into a magical place where anything was possible. She smiled when their last note faded away, so obviously enjoying having sung together that he closed the few inches separating them and kissed her.

At first, she didn’t kiss him back, but she didn’t pull away either, just let herself be kissed, and he was more than happy to oblige. Her lips were sweet, sensual, but not enough. He’d never get enough

Meg squealed in glee and they both froze, then quickly broke apart.

As he tried to regain his mind, Jenna blinked, then a fleeting frown marred her forehead and she turned to Meg and Bonnie.

“Did you know he could sing like that?” she asked them in a breathless voice. “We’ll have to encourage him to sing more often, won’t we, girls?”

It took him a bewildered moment to realize she was going to ignore the fact that they’d kissed. He should have been pleased that she wasn’t making a big deal out of it, but, for some reason, he wanted her to make a big deal, to be more affected. As affected as he was.

He drew in a breath, trying to get some oxygen to his brain. “I’m not so sure—”

“Bonnie loved it,” she said, smoothly cutting him off. “While I’m thinking of it, you should take some photos of Bonnie soon too. You take such gorgeous, professional shots and you should capture this age. She’ll grow up quickly.”

“What do you mean by professional shots?” he asked, trying to catch up on the conversation. “I can take some snapshots of her.”

“If you use the camera you use in your work, you could get some lovely portraits. We could hang one or two on the wall in here.” She swept an arm, taking in the pale walls of his living room.

He shook his head. As a diversionary topic that she’d pulled out of thin air, it wasn’t bad, but he needed to set her straight. “I don’t have any experience in photographing people, but feel free to call a professional out, and make sure you get some of Meg for yourself, too.”

“Liam, those photos on the bedroom walls aren’t just snapshots. The lighting, the angles you’ve chosen, the whole package—they’re good. Really good. You might see yourself as a scientist, but you’re more than that. You have a creative soul. And deep down, I bet you know that.”

For long seconds, Liam couldn’t talk. Could barely think. Jenna had seen him in a way no one else ever had. Perhaps she’d seen through his façades more than anyone. Being with Jenna while he was with his daughter and learning about fatherhood meant he’d let his guard down. Kissing her was dangerous. He should never have done it once, let alone twice.

If he let his guard down and fell in love with someone who saw the real Liam and she rejected him—rejected the real him, the man he hadn’t shown another woman—that would be a thousand percent worse than anything he’d suffered in the past.

Which was the reason he’d always kept things superficial with women. And one more reason he needed to back away from his nanny. Quickly.

“About that kiss,” he said, his voice heavy with the emotions pulling at him. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

The corners of her mouth twitched. “You said that last time.”

“And I meant it last time. I’m sorry for both times.”

She sighed. “So am I. We have good reasons not to do it again.”

“Your life is in disarray.” Though he still didn’t know what that meant exactly. “How about we don’t bother with the reasons, and we simply agree that it’s not a path forward that either of us is interested in exploring.”

“That might be best,” she said softly.

The aching sadness in her voice tore at his heart. “Jenna, just because I don’t think we should repeat the experience doesn’t mean that wasn’t an amazing kiss.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “It was. Amazing.”

“It was,” she agreed, then wrenched her gaze away.

He stood, gave Bonnie a hug and laid her back in the position she’d been in on the sofa when he’d arrived. “I’d better get back to work.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Then he turned on his heel and strode from the house.

* * *

The next day Jenna was sitting cross-legged on the floor in her bedroom playing blocks with Meg when Liam appeared in the doorway.

“My parents are here early,” he said with an apologetic glance. “I should have expected they wouldn’t be able to wait and would come straight from the airport.”

Jenna jumped up, her mind clicking into gear. “Bonnie’s asleep, but she shouldn’t be for too much longer. I can bring her down when she wakes up.”

Liam nodded. “I thought she might be. They said not to wake her if she was sleeping, but they’d like to meet you.”

“Oh, right.” It was reasonable they’d want a chance to assess the person looking after their granddaughter. She’d met them in passing when she was Dylan’s housekeeper, but she’d never had a conversation with either of them. And now a proper introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Hawke took on more meaning—after all, she’d never kissed Dylan....

Liam scooped Meg up and tickled her under the chin. “What do you say, Meg? Want to meet my mom and dad?”

Thrilled to be in Liam’s arms, Meg squealed and babbled, probably telling him about her day. It made Jenna’s heart ache that Meg would never know Alexander and would lose Liam from her life when they left his house.

“Are you ready?” he asked, turning to Jenna.

She looked down at what she was wearing—a long floral skirt and a red tank top. She wanted Mr. and Mrs. Hawke to think their granddaughter was in safe hands. Would these clothes make a good impression? She had splatters on her skirt from the finger painting she’d done with Meg earlier, and her top was covered with creases from where Bonnie had gripped it in her little fists, but she figured because she was trying to make an impression as a good nanny, the look was probably appropriate.

She smoothed the skirt and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Picking up the baby monitor, she followed him down the stairs, blowing Meg a kiss as her daughter watched her over Liam’s shoulder.

When they entered the living room, Liam’s mother came over and grasped Jenna’s hands. “It’s so lovely to see you again, Jenna.”

Pleasantly surprised at the familiar greeting, Jenna squeezed the older woman’s hands. “You too, Mrs. Hawke.”

“Please, call me Andrea.” She swept her arm towards her husband. “And this is Gary.”

“All right. Andrea. Gary.” She nodded at each one as she said their names, relieved that they already seemed to approve of her as their granddaughter’s nanny. “I’m sorry that Bonnie’s still asleep, but I don’t think it will be long before she wakes.”

“That’s okay,” Andrea said. “We can wait. In the meantime, we can keep ourselves busy with this beautiful girl. You must be Meg.” She put her hands out to the baby in Liam’s arms, then hesitated. “Do you mind, Jenna?”

“No, please feel free to hold her. Meg loves new people.”

Andrea took the baby from Liam, and Meg looked around with quick movements until she spied Jenna, then smiled. Jenna gave her a little wave. Satisfied, Meg turned back to the new person she’d found.

Liam dug his hands into his pockets. “Do you want to freshen up while you wait?”

“No, we won’t be here long.” Andrea sank down onto the sofa with Meg, playing a game on the baby’s fingers. “We just wanted to meet Bonnie, then we’ll get out of your hair.”

Gary turned to Jenna, his hands in his pockets, mirroring his son. “You’re from Scandinavia somewhere?”