so maybe Miss December was going to be an asset. He liked that she offered natural options for Madelyn’s care. He also liked that she seemed to be completely unimpressed with his celebrity status. Something about that was so refreshing and even more attractive.
Watch it. You already got in trouble with one sexy woman. She’s the nanny, not the next bedmate.
He told himself he didn’t need the silent warning that rang in his head. Scarlett Patterson would only be here until the day after Christmas. Surely he could keep his libido in control for that long. It wasn’t like he had the time anyway. He couldn’t smooth the ruffled feathers of his family, care for his child and seduce a woman all before December 26.
No matter how sexy the new nanny was.
Besides, he thought, it couldn’t get more clichéd than that—the movie star and the nanny. How many of those stories had he read in the tabloids of late?
No, there was no way he was going to make a move on the woman who was saving his sanity and calming his baby. Besides, he respected women; his mother had raised Southern gentlemen, after all. The media liked to report that he rolled out of one woman’s bed and right into another, but he wasn’t quite that popular. Not to mention, any woman he’d ever been with had known he wasn’t looking for long-term—and agreed with it.
Beau had a feeling Scarlett would be a long-term type of girl. She likely had a family—or maybe she didn’t. If this was her full-time job, she probably didn’t have time to take care of a family.
Honestly, he shouldn’t be letting his mind wander into the territory of Scarlett’s personal life. She was his nanny, nothing more.
But damn it, did she have to look so good in her little pink capris and white sleeveless button-up? Didn’t she have a uniform? Something up to her neck, down to her ankles and with sleeves? Even if she was completely covered up, she still had those expressive, doe-like eyes, a perfectly shaped mouth and adorable dimples.
Damn it. He should not be noticing each little detail of his new nanny.
“Why don’t you go rest?” Scarlett suggested, breaking into his erotic thoughts. “I can take care of her. You look like hell.”
Beau stared across the narrow space for a half second before he found his voice. Nobody talked to him like that except his brothers, and even that had been years ago.
“Are you always that blunt with your clients?”
“I try to be honest at all times,” she replied sweetly. “I can’t be much help to you if you just want me here to boost your ego and lie to your face.”
Well, that was a rarity...if she was even telling the truth now. Beau hadn’t met a woman who was honest and genuine. Nearly everyone he’d met was out for herself and to hell with anyone around them. And money. They always wanted money.
Another reason he needed the simplicity of Pebblebrook. He just wanted to come back to his roots, to decompress and figure out what the hell to do with his life now. He wanted the open spaces, wanted to see the blue skies without buildings blocking the view. And he needed to mend the relationships he’d left behind. What better time than Christmas?
“I’m Beau.” When she drew her brows in, he went on. “I didn’t introduce myself before.”
“I’m aware of who you are.”
He waited for her to say something else, but clearly she’d formed an opinion of him and didn’t want to share. Fine. So long as she kept his daughter comfortable and helped him until Maggie returned, he could care less what she thought.
But she’d have to get in line because his brothers had already dubbed him the prodigal son and were eager to put him in his place. Nothing less than he deserved, he reasoned.
As he watched Scarlett take over the care of Madelyn, Beau knew this was what he deserved, too. A sexy-as-hell woman as his nanny. This was his penance for the bastard he’d been over the past several years.
He’d do well to remember he was a new man now. He’d do well to remember she was here for his daughter, not for his personal pleasure. He’d also do well to remember he had more important things to do than drop Scarlett Patterson into each and every one of his fantasies...even if she would make the perfect lead.
Madelyn had calmed down and was now settled in her crib napping. There was a crib in each of the two bedrooms, but Scarlett opted to put Madelyn in the room Maggie had vacated. This would be Scarlett’s room now and she simply didn’t think going into Beau’s was a smart idea.
After she’d put her luggage and purse in her room, Beau had given her a very brief tour of the cabin, so she’d gotten a glimpse into his personal space. The crib in his room had been nestled next to the king-size bed. Scarlett tried not to, but the second she recalled those messed sheets, she procured an image of him lying there in a pair of snug boxer briefs...or nothing at all.
Scarlett groaned and gently shut the bedroom door, careful not to let the latch snick. She wasn’t sure how light of a sleeper Madelyn was, so until she got to know the sweet bundle a little better—
But she couldn’t get to know her too much, could she? There wasn’t going to be time, and for Scarlett’s sanity and heart, she had to keep an emotional distance. Giving herself that pep talk and actually doing it were two totally different things.
Before her surgery, she’d thrown herself into each and every job. Before her surgery, she’d always felt like one unit with the families she worked with.
Before her surgery, she’d had dreams.
The hard knot in her chest never eased. Whether she thought of what she’d lost or was just doing day-to-day things, the ache remained a constant reminder.
Scarlett stepped back into the living area and found Beau standing at the patio doors, his back to her. At least he’d put a T-shirt on. Even so, he filled it out, stretching the material over those chiseled muscles she’d seen firsthand. Clothes or no clothes, the image had been burned into her memory bank and there was no erasing it.
“Madelyn’s asleep,” she stated.
Beau threw her a glance over his shoulder, then turned his attention back to the view of the open field.
Okay. Clearly he wasn’t chatty. Fine by her. He must be a lonely, miserable man. She’d always wondered if celebrities were happy. After all, money certainly couldn’t buy everything. Her stepfather was proof of that. He’d been a state representative for years before moving up to governor. He’d wanted his children—he included her in that mix—to all enter the political arena so they would be seen as a powerhouse family.
Thanks, but no thanks. She preferred a simpler life—or at least one without lies, deceit, fake smiles and cheesy campaign slogans.
“If there’s something you need to go do, I’ll be here,” she told Beau. Not surprisingly, he didn’t answer. Maybe he gave a grunt, but she couldn’t tell if that was a response or just indigestion.
Scarlett turned toward the kitchen to take
