Teresa Hill - The Nanny Solution

“Then he’s a genius,” Simon quipped.

Audrey fought a grin once again. “And by now Tink probably knows just how to get to you.”

Simon looked incredulous. “You’re trying to tell me I’ve been playing mind games with a dog?”

Audrey just looked at him.

“And you think the little devil is winning, don’t you?” Simon Collier looked as if she might have just called him a whiny, little girl or something equally offensive.

“I’m saying the dog feels the animosity between the two of you, and it’s not helping the situation. Try to be the bigger man here. How about that?” Audrey said, hoping she wouldn’t completely alienate him before she even started the job.

“And how,” he asked, looking not at all pleased, “would the bigger man behave here?”

“He’d realize this is a battle he doesn’t care to fight—”

“You want me to walk away from a fight?” he asked, incredulous again.

“I’m saying that Marion told me you detest wasting time, above all else. Surely you see it’s a complete waste of your time to play mind games with this animal. It’s completely beneath you. Go take over a country or something. Isn’t that more your kind of challenge?”

He looked taken aback and stared at her as if he might be truly seeing her for the first time and found someone worthy of his notice.

Oh, Lord.

Was he furious?

She couldn’t tell.

Finally, as snotty as you please, he said, “I don’t happen to own any countries.”

Then he burst out laughing, and Audrey could breathe again.

“I think we’re going to enjoy working together, Audrey. I’ll see you Friday evening when I get back into town.”

He strode into the garage, got into that sleek, beautiful, black Lexus that looked like a very pretty, fancy toy, whipped it out of the garage and down the driveway and was off.

The dog started crying pitifully and dancing on his hind legs again, obviously feeling he deserved Audrey’s complete attention.

Damn, Audrey thought.

What had she gotten herself into?

Simon couldn’t get the sight of her out of his head, even though she’d covered herself up from head to toe. Which was a damned shame, he thought, to cover up a body like that.

He picked up his phone as he drove down the road and called Marion.

“You didn’t tell me she was gorgeous,” he told Marion.

She laughed. “Since when have you needed me or anyone else to tell you a woman is gorgeous?”

Simon put the phone aside and swore softly.

Marion laughed some more.

“I really don’t need this right now. I still haven’t gotten myself untangled from the last woman I allowed into my life.”

“Believe me, you are the last kind of man Audrey Graham wants, which means you’re perfectly safe with her.”

“And why wouldn’t she want me?” he bristled. “I’m a helluva catch.”

Any rich man was. Rich, single and under forty made it doubly so. It wasn’t his ego talking, simply the facts. There would always be a supply of women who wanted a man with money, and Simon had loads of it.

“I make it a point not to spread tales about other people’s business, Simon. You know that. But I’m sure Audrey would be much more comfortable with you knowing that she just got rid of a man like you and doesn’t want another one.”

“What do you mean, by ‘like me’? Sweet tempered and sexy?”

“Oh, yes. Those are exactly the words that come to mind when I think about you,” Marion said. “Although, I have to say, you seem to be in a much better mood than usual. Are you feeling all right?”

“It’s temporary, I’m sure.”

It was the idea of someone taming the monster-dog, making Peyton happy, making Ms. Bee happy and ensuring she didn’t quit that was easing all of Simon’s headaches.

Or maybe it was just meeting a gorgeous, dark-haired woman with a little attitude who clearly wasn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with him that was causing his good mood.

There weren’t a lot of women who’d dare.

Or who could make him laugh as he had with her.

“I just need someone to fix the dog and the yard,” he said, maybe to remind himself even more than Marion.

“And that’s exactly what I found you,” she claimed.

“You wouldn’t try to fix me up with her, right? You know better than that.”

Ms. Bee probably was the only woman alive who could live happily with him. He accepted that, was fine with it.

Life was so much less complicated that way.

“It wouldn’t matter if I was. I told you, she most certainly does not want a man in her life right now.”

Which was a damned shame, Simon thought, though he certainly shouldn’t.

He liked a woman who wasn’t intimidated by him, who could spit fire every now and then.

Especially in his bed.

Audrey still couldn’t believe she’d actually done it!

She’d gotten a job! One that came with a place to live that was tantalizingly near her daughter.

The first step of many toward getting back into her daughter’s life.

Not even meeting the ultrascary Ms. Bee could ruin this day.

And Ms. Bee was ultrascary.

Frosty as a cold north wind, squinty-eyed, rail-thin with a spine as straight as a ruler and if possible, even more adept at firing off orders than her employer.

She’d allowed Audrey entrance into her spotless, cavernous kitchen only long enough to get her social security number and reiterate her hatred of the dog and all that Audrey was expected to do without bothering or causing any additional problems for the man of the house or Ms. Bee.

And Audrey was most definitely not to get any ideas about causing the kind of trouble that involved an unworthy woman trying to get her hands on Simon Collier.

Audrey tried to assure Ms. Bee that she wanted no kind of trouble at all in her life at present. She didn’t think Ms. Bee was convinced.

“Whew,” she said to herself when she finally escaped the confines of the kitchen and was safely in the backyard again.

Good thing she wasn’t here to make friends.

She was headed for her car to leave when Tink, who’d been sleeping under a nearby tree, lifted his head and came bounding toward her as if the dog had experienced more than enough of Ms. Bee and couldn’t bear the thought of Audrey leaving him all alone with her.

He promptly jumped up on Audrey, barking excitedly and trying to lick her face again.

Audrey had to work to put on a somewhat stern face and say, “Off,” while giving the dog a little push until he was on all fours again.

Then she knelt down beside him and scratched his pretty black head.

“I have to go, but it’s only going to be for a little while. I promise. And then I’ll be back, and you and I are going to be buddies,” she told him.

He made a half-crying sound, as if he understood that she was leaving and thought he might convince her to stay.

“Oh, baby,” she said, knowing what it was like to feel all alone in the world and unloved. “I just have to get my clothes and some shoes, a few CDs, some gardening books, maybe some treats for you, and then I’ll be here all the time.”

More crying.

Pathetic crying.

The dog could really turn on the sympathy cries when he wanted to.

“I’m sorry. I have to go.” Audrey kissed him on the snout, then stood up to go.

Tink started barking like crazy.

She couldn’t shush him fast enough.

Ms. Bee appeared in the open back door of the house, a scowl on her stern face, clearly ready to rebuke the dog until she saw Audrey and turned her scorn to the adult in the group.

“Oh,” she said. “You’re still here.”

And then she gave a rather theatrical huff, as if it were an insult that Audrey hadn’t left quickly enough, and she stood even straighter, her expression becoming even more annoyed.