Then Came You (The Wilde Sisters #2) (16 page)

“Hey.” Grayson pulled over onto the shoulder and put the car in park. “Thyme, look at me.” He waited for her to lift her doe eyes to him and smiled. “I never had a type. The women I dated before were pre-selected. By my grandmother. How pathetic does that make me sound? You’re the first woman I’ve ever sought out. You’re
my
type.”

“Really?” Grayson nodded. “Your grandmother picked out your girlfriends?” A smile escaped her lips and she wiped away a stray tear. “That is pretty pathetic. It’s a good thing you found me.”

Grayson laughed and pulled her close to him. “Damn straight.”

“So your grandmother. I read a little about her.”

“The press made her into an empress decades ago and it went straight to her head. Thinks she rules the world.”

“Every family is entitled to one crazy relative. I take it Grandma Sophia is yours.”

“She’d grow a wrinkle if she heard you use the
G
word. Sophia is one scary lady. No one crosses her or disagrees with her.”

“Why?” Thyme folded one leg under her lap and leaned into the conversation with interest.

“Because she’s a Buchanan. Anyone who is anyone wants to be photographed wearing one of her designs. It’s a sign that you’ve made it in our stuck-up society.”

“Just because she designs killer clothes doesn’t make her a decent human being. Are your people really that ignorant and shallow?”

The insult of
his people
made him laugh. Even before Maddie and Thyme entered his life he’d begun to feel the separation between him and his elite network of associates. Grayson didn’t have friends. Colleagues, clients, connections, yes. But not friends.

“Sophia has been controlling more than the fashion industry. She’s manipulated my mother, my father, and sadly, me as well. I’ve been working to break free from her control.” It was liberating speaking so freely to Thyme. He no longer worried about making an impression on her or revealing skeletons in his closet. She didn’t cast judgment or look down on him because of his family, something those who socialized in his grandmother’s circle did so freely. When surrounded by the snobbish rich, it was important to keep your secrets close and pretend like everything in your world was perfect.

“But you’re into architecture. What does she have to do with your company?”

“She controls people. That’s what she does. She likes power hungry, cold, emotionless people.” He didn’t want to waste any more time on his bully of a grandmother. “And I don’t think she’s going to like you one bit.”

Thyme’s lip lifted into a goofy smile. “Can I call her Great Gram? Think that’ll reverse her latest Botox injections?”

“You can do whatever you want.”

“What if I want to climb into your lap and kiss you?” Thyme sat up on her knees and leaned into him, sucking his lip into her mouth.

Their lips met and mingled in a slow, leisurely dance as he wrapped his arms around her, finding comfort in her touch. When the windows started to fog, he pulled away. “We better stop now before I get arrested for indecent exposure.” Grayson zipped up her coat that had somehow become free and helped Thyme back into her seat.

“Do you have a bedroom on this jet of yours?”

“Unfortunately, no. Just stop looking at me like that and we’ll make it to my place in—” he looked at the clock on the dashboard “—three hours.”

“Hurry the hell up, then.”

***

“Wow. The elevator plops us right to your apartment. Cool.” Thyme shrugged off her coat and hung it on the back of his Italian leather couch. “I thought New York apartments were supposed to be small and cramped. Your place is beautiful. Did you decorate it yourself?”

Grayson never felt ashamed of his upbringing until he met Thyme. “No. My grandmother hired a decorator.” He had no say in anything from the color palette to the style of furniture. Just like he’d never had any say in his clothing or the women he dated. All handpicked by Sophia Buchanan. Pathetic.

“Well, it’s a bit cold, but you have a few nice touches.” Thyme bent down and picked up a Barbie car. “I take it this wasn’t here a few weeks ago?”

Grayson laughed. “I’ve only recently started playing with Barbie cars.” She looked good standing in his apartment. The only thing off was the décor. She was right. Everything was cold with hard lines. As an architect he should be ashamed and embarrassed of the stereotypical million-dollar bachelor pad. His creativity should shine in his home as well as on the job. The best parts of his apartment were the splashes of color on his fridge—drawings from Maddie—and the basket of dolls in the corner of his living room.

“Well, give us girls another few weeks and we’ll soften the place for you,” Thyme teased.

“That sounds good to me.” Grayson took the car out of her hands and tossed it on the couch. She looked alarmed. He did promise he’d respect her need for space, but he had to touch her one more time. Unfortunately his mother and daughter stepped out of the elevator and into his penthouse, forcing his hands back to his side.

“Thyme!” Maddie ran and jumped into Thyme’s arms. “You came to see me.”

Grayson watched the two reunite. The tears in Thyme’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed by him, but Maddie was too excited to see her nanny’s emotion. “Are you going to live in New York too? Grayson said I’m going to live with him. I have a nanny. Her name is Rebecca. Will you both be my nanny now?”

“Easy now, princess. One thing at a time.” Thyme laughed.

“Can we go to a restaurant for dinner tonight? Grayson said I could wear a pretty dress and we would see
The Lion King
again. Will you come too?”

“Well—” Before Thyme could get a word in, Maddie continued with her monologue.

“You can sleep in my bed. Grayson bought me a huge gigantic bed! Come see my room.” Maddie squirmed her way out of Thyme’s arms, reached for her hand, and pulled her toward the bedroom.

“I thought she’d take a little nap, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.” His mother looked at him differently now. Ever since Aruba. Ever since meeting her granddaughter.

“Thank you for watching Maddie while I went to Maine. She loves spending time with you.”

“And I adore her. I won’t meddle, but I do hope you tell your father and Sophia soon.”

“I will.” It wasn’t a conversation he looked forward to. However, if he wanted to take charge of his life, he needed to do things for himself, not for his family obligations.

“Please give Maddie and Thyme a kiss for me,” his mother said with a knowing smile. “I need to get to the hospital for a meeting.” Eva kissed his cheek and squeezed his hand before turning away and getting in the elevator.

The giggling coming from Maddie’s room tugged at his heartstrings. Shrugging out of his coat, he picked up Thyme’s and hung them both in the hall closet. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he groaned as he took it out, hoping it wasn’t another work emergency.

It was.

“Grayson. It’s Derek. I need you in San Diego. Yesterday. Our head foreman just left.”

Not again.

“Left? John had impeccable recommendations. I’ve seen his other projects. The man wouldn’t quit on a job this big.” Grayson ran his hand through his hair, pacing his living room.

“Sorry. I should clarify. He just left for the hospital. Major heart attack. Since his right-hand man is his son, I’m assuming we’ve lost him for a few days as well,” Derek grumbled. “I’m scrambling together an emergency meeting tomorrow morning. I’ve called in a few guys I know hoping one of them can handle the job. But I need you to go over the layout. The green stuff. That’s not my thing.”

“I’ll be there. Email me the leads you have. I’ll look them over on the plane.” Grayson turned off his phone and pressed his forehead against the window that overlooked Central Park.

“Grayson, Thyme said she doesn’t have a pretty dress to wear so we can go to
The Lion King
another night.”

“Easy there, peanut. I never said we’d go
tonight.
I said we’d go soon.”

“But tonight is soon. I’ll give you a kiss on the nose. Then can we go?”

“That is a very tempting offer.” He looked up at Thyme and frowned. “Unfortunately I have to leave for San Diego.”

“Now?” Thyme’s disappointment twisted in his stomach.

“I just got a call. We’re in crisis mode and I need to figure a few things out. I hope to be back by the end of the week.”

“And then we can go to
The Lion King
?”

Grayson crouched to his knees and pulled Maddie close. “I promise we will go to a fancy restaurant and see a show when I return.”

“And Thyme too?”

“And Thyme too.” He looked up at Thyme, desperate for her to understand and believe in him.

She crossed her arms, clearly not impressed with him jumping ship so soon. “I didn’t pack any nice clothes. I’m the nanny, remember? No reason to get dolled up.”

Ignoring her sarcasm, Grayson kissed the top of Maddie’s head. “You be good for Thyme. I’ll call you as soon as I get a chance.”

“Yeah, right,” Thyme muttered under her breath.

He couldn’t blame her. The last time he left them for San Diego he didn’t call for four days. The stress of his job didn’t allow him any time to daydream about Thyme. Now that he’d experienced all her curves and soft spots firsthand, he didn’t know how he’d stay focused at work.

“I need to call my pilot and pack my bags. Rebecca has some frozen dinners in the freezer, or feel free to go out.” He took out some cash and held it out to Thyme. Her arms still crossed, she perked an eyebrow and snarled at him.

“I’ll manage.”

Grayson didn’t have time to deal with one of her moods. He dropped the cash on the dining room table and headed back to his room to pack. It wasn’t exactly the reunion he had planned, but the unwelcome distance would give him time to think about his next move.

***

Thyme

The rat bastard. He totally seduced her into coming to New York and the second she took off her coat he went running. Typical spineless man. Thyme knew she shouldn’t get involved with a man like Grayson Montgomery. Granted, one of the conditions she made in coming to New York was that they put their passion aside for Maddie’s sake. He agreed a little too easily. Something Thyme hadn’t questioned in Maine while his strong hands were on her body and his clean, masculine scent filled the air.

Her short relationship with the rich liar had been a turbulent rollercoaster. Ups and downs and spinning all around. Couldn’t she fall in love with a normal man? One who wasn’t afraid of her. Or his grandmother. One who wanted her, not needed her to fill a gap in his life.

Thyme warmed up a frozen chicken potpie and caught up on all the important news from Maddie. The fancy restaurant she went to with Eva that served her a tea party with tiny cookies and cakes and the giant toy store Grayson brought her to that had lollipops the size of her head, as well as her night out to see
The Lion King
. Maddie talked about Rebecca and the lessons they did, the pictures she drew, the M&M store with more colored candy than she ever knew existed.

When Maddie had exhausted all conversation, Thyme helped her into the tub and then into her pajamas.

“Are you going to sleep with me?” Maddie asked.

Grayson didn’t have time to give her the grand tour before he bolted, but Thyme poked around after he left. Only two bedrooms. They were large, but still. Maddie’s room had been his office and he’d moved his desk and other furnishings into his room. Every square inch of his gigantic master suite was filled with high-end furniture. Maddie’s room was plenty big enough for her queen bed, long dresser, and full-length mirror. She had a vanity in one corner and a dollhouse in the other. One would never know she’d been living there for only a few weeks.

Grayson did a wonderful job making his daughter feel at home, giving Maddie her own space in the apartment. And where would Thyme stay? She assumed Rebecca came in the morning and left in the evening. From what Maddie had told her, the woman sounded like the perfect grandmother. Did Grayson intend for Thyme to stay in his room? Even after she flat out told him she wouldn’t sleep with him while being paid to be Maddie’s nanny?

Tonight she’d sleep in his bed. Soak up his scent. Roll around in his thousand thread count sheets. And tomorrow she’d go apartment hunting. She doubted she could afford to rent a broom closet in his building, but maybe she could find someone looking for a roommate. She didn’t have any furniture and had no idea how long she’d be sticking around anyway.

The next morning Eva surprised them by showing up shortly after breakfast. “I’d like to take you both out on the town. Do a little shopping, go to lunch.”

“Eva, you don’t have to do that. I’m here to watch Maddie. You don’t have to take care of me.”

“Well.” Eva glowed. “I’m actually here as a favor for Grayson. He called and asked me to take you out. He feels terrible for having to leave last night.”

So he sent in his mother once again. The man was priceless. Controlled by his grandmother and calling his mommy to relay the difficult messages. “Grayson doesn’t owe me any favors. He hired me to take care of Maddie, and that’s what I’m going to do.”