Professor and the Nanny (Silhouette Romance) (13 page)

“Then why don’t you follow your natural instincts?” she asked softly. “Why do you let that harridan of an ex-wife of yours dictate the course of your life?”

She felt his muscles stiffen. “I don’t—”

“Oh, yes you do,” she insisted. “You’re doing it right now. You’re emotionally pushing me away even though I haven’t done anything to you except love you.”

He groaned and lightly kneaded her thigh. “I’m not pushing you away, sweetheart, even though I know I should be. Or maybe I am, but it’s not just because of Hannah. It’s the difference in our ages that makes a relationship between us impossible. You don’t love me. It’s just infatuation—”

“Don’t tell me what I feel,” she said, bristling, and tried to pull away from him.

He tightened his hold on her to keep her from escaping, but his voice was low and husky as he said, “You’re right, I can’t truly know how you feel just as you can’t know how I feel, but neither can I take advantage of your loving nature just because I need you so much.”

He gently positioned her head back to his shoulder and again she slumped against him, unable to stay mad. She knew
he meant well and that he really believed the gap in their ages was an impenetrable barrier to their ability to be happy together.

She turned her head slightly and kissed the side of his throat. “I’m surprised Hannah would want to take Danny to Italy with her,” Brittany said, changing the subject. “She didn’t have any qualms about turning him over to you when she moved to Chicago. Why is she so eager to take him out of the country to live with her when she knows you will oppose it?”

Ethan’s hand moved up an inch or so and the muscles in her leg jerked. “I asked her the same thing,” he said, “and you’re going to find this hard to believe, but she told me Antonio loves children and wants a big family—”

“But surely she can give him children of his own,” Brittany interrupted.

He shook his head. “No, she can’t. She didn’t even want Danny, and after he was born she had minor surgery to make sure there would be no more babies. She’s afraid to tell him the truth. He comes from one of those big loving Italian families and he’d never understand, so instead she told him she couldn’t have more children because of ‘complications’ when Danny was born.”

Brittany felt her eyes widen with dismay. “You mean she’d lie about a thing like that in order to get a man to marry her?”

His hand moved to caress her inner thigh and she squirmed with building excitement. She’d never before experienced such an erotic touch.

“Not only that,” Ethan said, “but that’s when he insisted she get custody of Danny again. He thinks Hannah should raise her own child and he also wants to adopt others. Apparently, he really is a nice guy who loves kids and wants to make life easier for those with no homes of their own. But my son has a family and I’ll never let Hannah take him away from me.”

Brittany was incensed. “I sure wouldn’t want to bet on the longevity of that marriage.”

He shook his head. “Neither would I, but in the meantime I don’t want Danny subjected to the quarrels they’re bound to have once Antonio gets to know his bride. I swear Hannah is never happier than when she’s engaged in a blazing battle with somebody, and that’s not just an unkind remark. It’s the truth. I tried to get her to go for counseling. I even offered to go with her, but she’d have none of it.”

She could tell he was getting upset. His heart speeded up and his breathing became labored. Tentatively she put her palm on his chest and rubbed it gently in an effort to calm him down. The muscles beneath his T-shirt flexed, and her own heart started thumping.

“You know, you’re making it awfully difficult for me to concentrate on this conversation, don’t you?” he said, and picked up her hand to kiss her palm before putting it back on his chest and holding it there.

“Sorry about that,” she apologized, but made no effort to remove her hand. “I’ll try to control myself.”

With her tongue she played with his earlobe for a moment, then changed the subject. “About the custody suit, surely no court would allow a child to be taken away from his father and out of the country to live just because his mother needed an acceptable excuse for not having more children.”

“Oh, I’m sure none would,” he agreed, and pressed her closer against him, “but Hannah has no intention of testifying to her real motive in court, and she says if I try to get it admitted she’ll deny everything.”

Brittany couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You mean she’d commit perjury to get custody of a child she doesn’t even want to be bothered with?”

Ethan shook his head sadly. “I don’t know. In spite of her thorny disposition I’ve always found her to be basically honest.
However, if snaring this millionaire is so important to her she might.

“It’s not as if Danny wouldn’t be well taken care of,” he continued, “he would be. She’d make sure of it, but she wouldn’t do it herself. She’d hire people to do it for her. He would never get the tender loving care from her that all children need, whereas I would give it in abundance.”

Brittany looked up and licked the hollow beneath his ear. “Mmm, you taste good,” she whispered as she pulled his shirt from beneath the waistband of his jeans and worked it up to his armpits. “Now, put up your arms,” she commanded lovingly.

He did as he was told and she pulled the shirt over his head. “Young lady, are you hitting on me?” There was humor mixed with the frustration in his tone.

“Yes, sir, I am,” she admitted. “Do you object?”

“Object!” he muttered, and put his arms around her again. “I love it. Just make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew, as the old saying goes. My resistance to you is almost nonexistent.”

“Speaking of biting,” she said. “I’m very talented at that. Would you like a sample?” She devoutly hoped she could follow through with that untried boast.

Before he could answer she nipped him on one shoulder and worked her way across his breastbone to the other one. He shivered and leaned back against the sofa, then lifted her up and laid her across his lap so that his face was just above hers. She turned slightly so they were chest to chest, her arms circling his neck. He lowered his head and his mouth found hers, tenderly but hot with passion.

“You could get into big trouble teasing me like this,” he warned her when at last they broke the kiss.

“I’m not teasing,” she insisted. “If you want me—”

“
If
I want you,” he groaned. “I’ve wanted you ever since I first saw you, and what’s more, you know it.”

She laid her cheek against his shoulder. “If that’s true, and I’m not saying it is, then why won’t you take what I’m offering?”

“You know why,” he said, and cupped the firm rise of her breast gently. “We’re both totally wrong for each other. You need a young man who will play baseball with your kids and grow old with you, and I don’t need a woman at all.”

Brittany clenched her jaw and resolved to blot out some of that smug assurance he so proudly displayed.

“So you don’t need a woman, huh?” she challenged. “Well, let’s just see about that.”

Before he could suspect what she had in mind, she tightened her arms around his neck and fastened her lips against his, forcing them open. Her tongue invaded his mouth and for a few seconds she was in control. Then without her knowing just how it happened, he flipped them over so that she was lying on her back on the wide sofa with him beside her and one leg draped across her lower body.

She could feel his arousal against her hip. It was hard and throbbing and she knew that the one thing she wanted most in all the world was for him to make love with her right here and now.

It no longer mattered whether or not he loved her. She didn’t even care if he was especially fond of her. She knew she was tempting him beyond his ability to resist, but she couldn’t help it. She was as caught up in this inferno as he was.

Shyly she reached her hand down between them and touched him intimately.

“Brittany, sweetheart, this is not right!” It was half moan and half sob as he bucked against her hand, but he made no effort to pull away from her, instead moving further on top of her.

Suddenly, without warning, there was a sharp cry from the
foyer followed by the crashing sound of a heavy body barreling down the stairs.

“Nate!”

“Dad!”

Brittany and Ethan cried out in unison as they sprang apart and tore up the hall to the staircase.

Nate lay crumpled on the tile floor at the bottom. Brittany ran to him while Ethan said, “I’ll call 911,” and rushed to the nearest phone.

W
hen the police arrived Nate was sitting up on the floor and insisting there was nothing wrong with him.

“I just slipped on that step about halfway down and lost my balance,” he explained. “I’m not goin’ to any hospital.”

“You were unconscious for a couple of minutes and your speech is a little slurred,” Brittany said crossly. “You’re going to do whatever the paramedics say is best for you.” His fall had frightened her badly, and now her relief that he didn’t seem to be seriously injured was so great that she wasn’t inclined to cater to his stubbornness.

He opened his mouth to speak but the ambulance siren announced the arrival of the paramedics. They examined him thoroughly and, like Brittany, found no broken bones, but the injury he had was to his head so they advised taking him to the hospital where he could be given more extensive tests.

Nate was having none of it. “You guys are just in cahoots with the hospital to get money from my insurance company—”

Brittany had had enough. “Nathan Thorpe, you be quiet and get your keister on that stretcher right now!” she ordered.

Nate’s eyes widened and Brittany was equally shocked. What had gotten into her? She’d never talked to a patient that way before. Even the paramedics looked somewhat surprised. Ethan was the only one who seemed to be taking it in stride and he was actually grinning.

The tension built and then she noticed lines of humor twitching at the corners of Nate’s mouth and a sparkle in his dark brown eyes.

He laughed. A full rolling sound of pure enjoyment. “Feisty little thing, aren’t you. And just what are you gonna do if I don’t plant my behind on that stretcher? Wrestle me?”

The apprehension was gone and she grinned. “I might, and don’t think I couldn’t put on a good show,” she threatened, “but I’m more inclined to sic Ethan on you.”

Nate chortled. “Oh, well, if you’re gonna get ornery…” He spread his arms and looked up at the medics. “How about a little help, guys?”

Brittany had found that humor in the right place could alleviate a difficult situation. Now she’d been proved right again.

The EMTs strapped Nate on the stretcher and wheeled him out to the ambulance. Brittany walked along beside him as he grumbled about this trip being a waste of time and money.

She heard Ethan ask the driver which hospital they were taking Nate to and advised them that he’d follow in his car.

The ambulance left and Ethan and Brittany went back in the house. “I wish you could come with me,” Ethan told her.

“I wish I could, too,” she said, “but I have to stay here with Danny. Emergency rooms are no place for a child unless he’s the patient. Please call as soon as they’ve examined him.”

He nodded. “I will, and Brittany…”

He paused then continued. “I’m…I’m sorry about what happened earlier….”

Her stomach lurched and she was afraid she was going to be sick. She didn’t want self-reproach from him. That meant they were all the way back to square one again.

Well, that’s where they were going to stay. No more making a dunderhead of herself. It was no wonder he didn’t want to get involved with her. Her actions today had just proved to both of them how truly immature she was.

“Please, don’t apologize,” she begged. “I can’t talk about it now. Besides, I’m the one at fault.”

She hated the idea that either one of them was “at fault” for enjoying the perfectly natural sensations they’d been caught up in, but obviously he didn’t share her feelings. He didn’t want to make a commitment to her and she was finally getting it through her head that he meant exactly what he said. That he was sexually attracted to but not in love with her.

She could see from his expression that he was going to argue that last point and hurried on. “You promised Nate you’d be right behind the ambulance, and I think I heard Danny stirring from his nap, so let’s postpone this discussion until later.”

She turned and headed for the staircase.

It turned out that there was a long wait before Nate could be seen by the emergency room physicians, an even longer wait while they did the necessary scans, and in the end they recommended that he be kept overnight for observation.

Ethan called Brittany several times to let her know what was going on, a nicety she greatly appreciated, but when he called the last time to tell her they were checking his dad in and Ethan would be home soon she took a quick shower and went to bed. She didn’t want to talk to him face-to-face.

The next morning Danny woke up earlier than usual, which meant no more sleep for any of them. Brittany dressed herself, then Danny, while Ethan put his clothes on and then called the hospital for news of his dad.

The three of them met at the top of the staircase and Ethan took Danny from Brittany.

“Let me carry him,” Ethan said. “He’s too heavy for you
to tote up and down these steps, and we don’t want another fall.”

“How’s Nate?” she asked as they walked down the stairs.

“He slept well with no medication,” Ethan reported, “and they’re just waiting for the doctor to come and tell them if he’s to be discharged.”

They came to the bottom of the stairs and headed for the kitchen. “What time is your appointment with Hannah and the lawyers this morning?” she asked.

“Eight o’clock,” he answered. “The attorneys had to work us in to their schedules, hence the early hour. I hope it won’t inconvenience you.”

“Not at all,” she assured him, and plugged in the coffeepot that she’d set up the night before. “If they release Nate from the hospital, shall I pick him up if you’re not here?”

He put Danny down and the child went toddling off full speed ahead. “I’d appreciate it if you would. You’ll know how to take care of him once you get him home.”

“Yes,” she said, and ran out of conversation. There was nothing more to say on that subject, and she certainly didn’t want to talk about the brouhaha yesterday when she’d disgraced herself.

The silence between them expanded until Ethan’s nerves were about to snap. How could he have let things get so far out of hand as they had yesterday? Talk about immature! He’d behaved like a teenager with more testosterone than good sense.

If Nate hadn’t fallen and distracted them he’d have taken Brittany right there on the couch. He’d been powerless to stop, and no thirty-six-year-old man should lose control that completely.

Now what? They didn’t have any common ground to bridge this gap. They didn’t have the same values and they didn’t
communicate on the same level. He’d always known any relationship between them would come to this. It was inevitable.

To his relief the grandfather clock struck seven-thirty and broke his contemplation. He almost welcomed the coming tussle with Hannah and her lawyer. At least it would take his mind off this struggle.

“I’d better get started,” he said. “I don’t want to be late after the attorneys were nice enough to accommodate us.”

He chased Danny down in the family room, lifted him up and kissed his round little cheek, then put him down, called goodbye to Brittany and hurried out of the house.

Hannah’s lawyer was Clifford Jensen, young, brilliant and sought-after. Also expensive, but apparently Hannah’s fiancé could afford him. His office was in one of the new mirrored buildings near the courthouse.

Ethan parked his car in the attached parking building and walked to the elevator. He couldn’t help contrasting this setup with that of his own lawyer’s. Zachary Oliver was the one who’d negotiated the custody settlement for the Thorpes the first two times, but those had been uncontested.

He was a man in his early fifties, moderately successful, and his father was a friend of Nate’s. His office was in one of the older office buildings that was slated to be torn down soon to make way for a new one. It looked seedy and out of date.

This meeting was being held at Jensen’s office because that’s where Jensen and Hannah had insisted it be held. They’d trampled all over Zach’s preference to meet in his own office. His lack of influence didn’t bode well and Ethan worried.

Was he making a mistake by relying on a family friend as a legal adviser instead of selecting a more high-powered and up-to-date one?

Ethan was a few minutes early, but even so Cliff Jensen was already there and waiting. The two men introduced themselves and Cliff offered Ethan a cup of coffee. He accepted it
gratefully just as Zach walked in, followed a few minutes later by Hannah dressed like the consummate professional she was.

Everyone was served a beverage and then, true to form, Cliff took charge of the meeting. “As I understand it, Professor Thorpe, you’ve told my client you’ll fight her petition to regain custody of her small son. Am I right?”

“Danny’s
my
small son, too,” Ethan corrected him, “and you’re right, I won’t allow her to take him out of the country.”

“Can you tell me why? She is, after all, his mother.”

“And I’m his father,” Ethan countered. “Up until two months ago Hannah had physical custody and I had weekend visitation rights, but then she relinquished him to me completely so she could resettle in Chicago and be free to travel—”

“Now, just a minute!” Hannah interjected angrily. “I only left him with you temporarily because my job required that I travel extensively, but from now on I’ll be based in Italy—”

“A foreign country where he doesn’t even understand the language,” Ethan growled, “whereas I’ll be right here where I’ve always been. I can give him a much more stable environment—”

From then on the conference deteriorated into point-counterpoint until the attorneys stepped in and silenced them.

“You’re both too upset to be rational,” Zach said, “and we’re getting nowhere. I see no way to settle this but to let a judge decide. Is that agreeable with you?” He looked from one to the other and they both nodded their heads.

“All right then,” he continued, “I’ll set up a hearing date.”

He picked up the phone from the desk and punched in a number.

Ethan shifted nervously in his chair. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper. He’d intended to be cool, calm and professional. To present the facts without showing any animosity toward the mother of his child. But when she started presenting
innuendos and half truths he couldn’t let her get away with it.

Fortunately the attorneys squashed their quarrel before he lost control completely and told the lawyers the truth about why Hannah wanted custody of Danny. That could have been disastrous! He had no proof other than her confession, and no one had heard that but him.

He’d have come off looking and sounding like a disgruntled ex-husband who would bad-mouth his ex-wife and say anything to win his suit. That would have done him more damage than good.

His ruminating was interrupted when Zach put down the phone and groaned. Obviously he didn’t have good news for them.

“What’s the matter?” Cliff asked.

“Well, it seems the calendar is booked up for weeks,” Zach said, “and we only have two options. One, we can go to the end of the line and wait our turn, which is unacceptable to both litigants, or they can take advantage of a last-minute cancellation and opening for tomorrow afternoon—”

“But that’s great!” Cliff said enthusiastically. “You told them we’d take it, didn’t you?”

Zach hesitated. “As a matter of fact, I didn’t. I need to talk to my client first. Is there somewhere we can go…”

Both Cliff and Hannah looked puzzled. “You can use this room,” Cliff said, and stood. “Hannah and I will wait in the reception area.”

He motioned to Hannah, who rose slowly and followed him out of the room.

Ethan was as surprised as Hannah and a little afraid that Zach had made a big mistake that could cost him his son.

“What’s going on, Zach?” He tried to keep his voice steady. “There’s no reason to prolong this. If there’s time open tomorrow, both Hannah and I will be happy to use it.”

Zach shook his head. “You don’t understand, but Cliff certainly
will. There’s just one judge handling custody cases tomorrow and that’s Rose Stewart.”

Ethan blinked. “But what does the choice of judge have to do with anything?”

“The choice of judge is always important,” Zach informed him, “but in this case it’s lethal. Rose Stewart hates men! I’ve never known her to give custody of a child to its father unless the mother was proved unfit!”

Nate had been released from the hospital midmorning, and Brittany was giving Danny and him their lunch when Ethan came home. He looked haggard, and she could tell things had gone badly before he said a word. Their gazes met and meshed, and she winced at the anguish she saw in his eyes.

Her first inclination was to go to him, hold him and let him hold her, but she steeled herself against it. No more of that. No matter what had happened today she was moving out of the Thorpe house. It was the only way she could survive with even a modicum of dignity intact.

Nate’s voice was the first to break through the clatter of Danny’s spoon being banged on his high-chair tray. “How did everything go, son?”

“Hi, Dad, good to see you home,” Ethan answered, then sat down and proceeded to tell them about the morning’s events.

“Naturally I didn’t want Rose Stewart for the judge, but Hannah was delighted at the prospect of having her,” he concluded. “We argued back and forth for quite a while, but I gave in when Zach pointed out that we could always appeal if the decision went in Hannah’s favor. Apparently quite a few of Judge Stewart’s opinions have been overturned lately.”

“But does that mean Hannah can take Danny back to Italy with her now?”

Ethan nodded. “I’m afraid so, Dad. That is,
if
the decision
goes against us. So far we’re only speculating about that. We’ll find out tomorrow.”

Brittany’s heart ached for Ethan, and also for Danny. How could Hannah be so cold-blooded as to bounce her little son back and forth between his mother and father with every whim that tickled her fancy? The poor child would grow up never knowing just who he was or where he belonged.

And now she, Brittany, was going to make this chaos even messier for Ethan. She hadn’t counted on a hearing date being set this quickly and had used her spare time this morning to pack up her things and find a place to stay temporarily. She was all set to move out now that Ethan was home.