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The Dragon’s Brave Nanny (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #4) Chapter 6 27%
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Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

***KEITH***

K eith handed a towel-wrapped squirming Jordan to Stella, then turned to look at the mess they’d made of the bathroom and groaned. Grabbing a towel off the stack on the shelf, he mopped up the water on the floor, gathered the baby’s dirty clothes, and wrung them out in the sink before hanging them over the shower curtain rod. After piling the sopping towels in the corner of the room, making a mental note to leave a big tip for the housekeeping staff, he stumbled back into the bedroom.

Stella was sitting on her bed, the baby already dressed and wrapped up in the new blanket they’d bought that afternoon, and he paused, the sight awakening something inside him. A wave of protectiveness washed over him, followed by a stab of affection for both of them, but what stunned him the most was the wave of desire that blocked the other feelings out, leaving his body yearning for something that was completely off-limits.

Stella’s laughter only a second later cooled his ardor. “You look like a drowned rat,” she said. “Did you enjoy bathtime?”

He gave her a dirty look, relieved to be annoyed at her again instead of whatever had been going on before. “You could have warned me,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “I would have waited to take a shower.”

“You could have just taken a shower with the baby,” she said, grinning at him. “But I didn’t think you were ready for that.”

He gave her another dirty look, “I’m going to change into something dry,” he said, going over to his suitcase and pulling out another pair of pajamas. “Unless I’m going to get wet or dirty before Jordan goes to sleep.”

Stella looked down at the baby. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” she said. “He’s already half asleep.”

“So am I,” he said with a sigh. “I’m exhausted, and it’s only nine o’clock.”

Stella’s laughter followed him into the bathroom, and he stood staring at himself in the mirror, both annoyed and turned on, not sure what to do with either emotion. He took his time drying off, then hung his wet things next to Jordan’s, shaking his head at what a failure he was as a father. Not only had he almost drowned his son, he was lusting after his nanny like a randy teenager. It was humiliating and completely unlike him.

Jordan had turned his life upside down in more than one way. He needed to get himself under control before everything went sliding sideways, and he lost more than just his dignity. Now more than ever, he needed the business to prosper. If today's total at the store was any indication of what it was going to cost to raise a child, he’d need all the income he could get.

Taking a deep breath, telling himself to take it one step at a time, he walked over to the door and turned the handle, then pulled the door open, bracing himself for what he would see this time. To his relief, the baby was curled up in his crib between their beds and Stella was rifling through her suitcase with her back to him, and he managed to walk by without looking directly at her.

Grabbing the remote, he switched on the television, turned the volume down and began surfing the channels, trying to ignore Stella, but feeling like the room had suddenly gotten smaller. It was a relief when she finally slipped into the bathroom and closed the door, but only seconds later, he heard the water running in the shower, and an image of her naked under the water popped into his head.

With a groan of frustration, he forced himself to focus on the television, hoping to find something to distract him but failing miserably. Half an hour of pure torture later, the door opened and Stella stepped out, then headed straight for her bed, but not before he saw what she was wearing. Amusement mixed with desire flooded him and he let out a little chuckle before he could stop himself, earning him a dirty look.

“What are you laughing about?” Stella demanded, pulling the covers up to her neck.

“Nothing, I just didn’t picture you as the long-sleeved flannel nightgown type,” he said. “You’re going to roast in the heat on the island. There’s no air conditioning in the cabins.”

“This thing wasn’t my choice,” she said, then hesitated, a strange look on her face. “My apartment caught fire last week, I lost almost everything, and the insurance hasn’t paid out yet, so I was stuck with what I could get from shelters and thrift stores.”

“And that thing is the best you could do?” he asked, trying not to laugh. “It looks like something my grandmother would wear.”

“Very funny, Mr. Sensitivity,” she shot back. “If we weren’t sharing a room, I wouldn’t be wearing anything at all, so leave me alone.”

His body responded to that image with a burst of desire so strong, he began to harden, and he quickly shifted position. “I’m sorry, Stella, you’re right, I shouldn’t have said that,” he said. “I’m sorry your apartment caught on fire. I won’t make fun of you anymore. If the rest of your clothes are like that though, maybe we should do some shopping for you in the morning before we go to the marina. I can give you an advance on your salary to cover it until the insurance comes through.”

She stared at him for a second. “What’s wrong with you?” she finally asked. “One minute you’re being a jerk and the next, you’re doing something sweet. I can’t keep up, Keith, and it’s driving me crazy.”

To his horror her eyes filled with tears and she started to cry. He jumped out of bed and ran over to her, then stood over her not sure what to do. “I’m okay,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. “It’s just been a long day.”

***Stella***

Stella couldn’t believe that she was crying, but couldn’t stop the tears or the sorrow that spread through her as she sat there thinking about the life she’d left behind. A second before she’d been proud of how easily she’d told the lie about the apartment fire, but then the truth had hit her. Her life really had been burnt to the ground. Her job was gone, her apartment, all her wonderful clothes, and worst of all, the memories of her parents she’d kept so carefully packed away in the boxes stacked in her closet.

She willed herself not to think about all she was going to have to give up because of one wrong turn, one simple mistake, but she couldn’t block reality out any longer. Keith’s kindness had loosened something inside her, and there was nothing that would stop the flow until she was emptied out. Burying her face in her hands, embarrassed by the loss of control, she sobbed, wishing she was alone, that Keith wasn’t witnessing her complete meltdown.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, sitting down next to her on the bed and pulling her into his arms. “It must be terrible to lose everything you own. I’m sorry I made fun of you. You’re just so cute when you’re mad that sometimes I can’t stop myself.”

His words penetrated the pain and grief. “You did not just say that,” she said, pulling away from him. “You really are a jerk, Keith Sanders.”

“Oh, no, she is using my full name now,” he said, grinning down at her, his arms still firmly around her. “I must really be in trouble.”

She gave him a dirty look but didn’t push him away, the feel of his arms around her too comforting to give up, but promised herself she would in just a second. “Why do you always have to make a joke when things get serious?” she asked, looking at him, then wishing she hadn’t when their eyes met and a wave of desire rushed through her.

“Because I like to hear you laugh as much as I like to make you mad,” he said, then leaned down and kissed her. “Do you feel better?”

“I guess,” she reluctantly said, knowing the time had come to end what was happening between them. “I think you can let go of me now, I promise not to start crying again. I guess it just hit me all at once.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, tears are cleansing,” he said, slowly getting up from her bed. “You probably needed that, and my offer still stands if you want to go shopping in the morning.”

“I might just take you up on that,” she said. “I promise not to spend too much money, and you can take it out of my first check.”

“That’s a deal,” he said. “Maybe we should get some sleep. We’ll need to get an early start tomorrow. ”

“Good night, Keith,” she said. “I hope you sleep well.”

“Good night, Stella,” he said. “I’m sure going to try.”

The next morning, Stella stepped out of the elevator on the first floor, Jordan in her arms, cooing happily after a big breakfast. She held it open while Keith and the two room attendants hauled their luggage and the baby supplies into the lobby. Feeling a lot better about the next part of the trip, she followed Keith over to the front desk, but the manager intercepted them, a big smile on his face.

“Good morning, I trust you slept well,” he said. “I’ve made all the arrangements you requested, Mr. Sanders. There’s a van waiting out front, and the driver has instructions to take you anywhere you want to go before dropping you off at the marina.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” Keith said. “Is there any paperwork I need to do before we leave?”

“I just need a quick signature on the bills,” the manager said. “If you wouldn’t mind following me.”

Stella waved him off when he threw her a questioning glance, then started wandering around the lobby, pointing out things she thought would interest the baby. “Look at the pretty flowers,” she said, holding the baby closer. “They smell so good.”

Jordan put his little nose up to the flowers just like she had, then pulled back and sneezed. “Well, bless you,” she said. “I hope you’re not allergic.”

She was just about to turn the other way when a man sitting across the room caught her attention, and she stopped, staring at him rudely and trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. A second later it hit her and she let out a little gasp, making the people around her turn their heads to look at her, including the man, and she quickly turned around. Walking as fast as she could without running, she headed out the front door, her heart hammering in her chest, the urge to look behind her almost impossible to resist.

Only a second later, Keith came out, and the room attendants followed him. They began loading up the van. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked when he finally looked over at her. “You’re white as a sheet. Maybe you should get into the van.”

On trembling legs, she climbed inside, managed to get Jordan buckled in, and then, unable to resist any longer, looked back over at the hotel. Expecting the man to come bursting out of the door any second, she sat staring out the window, her muscles tensed to bolt if he came after her. The minutes ticked by, and then, to her relief, Keith jumped in next to her, gave her a big smile, and they drove away from the hotel.

Simon Maynard sat staring at the door for a long time, then shook his head, deciding it couldn’t be the woman who could send him to jail for the rest of his life; it just wasn’t possible. Looking back down at the newspaper in his hands, he tried to push it out of his mind, but the idea was firmly lodged in place, something in his gut telling him to go after her. Dropping the newspaper again, he looked back at the door and, with a big sigh, got to his feet, strode over to it, and stepped outside just as the van was disappearing down the street.

The feeling in his gut was still there, so he went back inside and rushed over to the reception desk, the story he would tell slowly forming in his mind. “Good morning,” he said, smiling at the young woman. “I wonder if you could help me? I just missed my sister, and she was supposed to be my ride; I wonder if you could schedule another one for me?”

“Of course, sir,” the young woman said. “Where do you need to go?”

“Well, that’s the thing, she was going to surprise me, so I don’t know,” he said. “She’s never going to forgive me if I don’t show up. They just left in the white van that was parked out front; maybe you could find out.”

“Oh, I know where they were going,” she said. “Shopping first and then to the marina. Would you like me to order you a car?”

“That would be wonderful,” he said. “Thank you so much.”

He walked away, surprised at how easy it had been, collected his newspaper, and went up to his room, wondering if his exile was going to be over sooner than expected. When he came back down ten minutes later, a gun tucked up under his shirt, he waved at the woman behind the desk, hoping that his gut was right and that the bitch who could connect him to the hit on Senator Riley was really just a few miles away.

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