style="font-size:15px;"> “We’ll need one.”
“Talk to your mom. She takes care of the house. If there’s anything you need to have fixed, remodeled or repaired, she does the hiring.”
“Got it.” She nodded and turned away from him, still appraising.
Feeling safe, Dominic let his gaze ripple from her tiny waist, down her backside to her shapely legs. The part of him that longed to forget his responsibilities and flirt with her begged to be given at least a few seconds of consideration, but he silenced it. He had to get her set up, rush with her to Marsha’s mom’s, then hurry to the office. He didn’t have time to slow down the process. He honestly wondered if he’d ever get another free minute. Running the monolithic family business was overwhelming all by itself, but as of an hour ago he had also become a daddy.
A daddy.
“Give me another second to check out the empty room.”
Glad she knew what she was doing, Dominic said, “Sure. Knock yourself out.”
Audra disappeared into the storage room, and he blew his breath out on a tired sigh. The second he’d taken Joshua from Olivia Trabold’s arms, memories began tripping over themselves inside his head. Peter talking incessantly about becoming a dad. Agonized Peter suffering with Marsha as they tried unsuccessfully for nearly ten years to create a child. Peter passing out cigars in the hospital waiting room, so proud of his brand-new son that his smile had lasted a week.
And Dominic standing behind him, making faces at his sap of a brother. Dominic didn’t deserve to be Joshua’s father. The baby should have known strong, wonderful Peter. Not crazy, party guy Dominic.
Audra walked out of the empty room. “As soon as we install a door that connects the two bedrooms, this will be perfect. Let’s go see how my mom is making out with Joshua.”
Dominic followed her down the back stairs to Mary’s office. They entered to find her sitting in her tall-backed chair behind her desk with Joshua nestled against her.
Audra sighed. “Look how cute!”
“I know. I’m an adorable grandmother.”
Audra laughed. “I was talking about Joshua. He’s so beautiful.”
Dominic puffed with pride as if he’d had something to do with the little boy’s appearance into this world, but he stopped himself. This was Peter’s son. The child for whom Peter had yearned for a decade. Dominic felt like an interloper, a thief who’d usurped his brother’s job and his child, who wasn’t qualified for any of it. He might have enough accounting knowledge and business savvy to keep Manelli Holdings on top with a good staff to prevent him from making any huge mistakes, but he’d never, ever considered becoming a father. Hell, he’d never wanted a serious relationship. He had friends. He had fun. And now he was the head of a company and somebody’s dad. He didn’t even have enough memories of Peter as a father to try to imitate him. The only parental words in his head belonged to their own father.
“In the Manelli house we don’t call boys beautiful.”
Audra’s mom rose. “Dominic’s right. The senior Manelli would have your head if he heard you call any Manelli male beautiful.”
As Mary rounded her desk, Dominic watched the baby in her arms, unwittingly realizing both Greene women were correct. Though his dad might have anyone’s hide for calling a Manelli male beautiful, with his eyes closed in sleep and his round cheeks flushed pink Joshua was beautiful.
Audra laughed lightly. “He’s stealing your heart, isn’t he?”
And looking into her sparkling blue eyes, Dominic felt another tug of emotion. Except this tug had nothing to do with family love. This one was all about attraction. Audra’s face glowed with life and vitality. Her full lips bowed into a smile so warm he felt it reach out and touch him. In one quick glance he saw and responded to the way her breasts strained against the pretty blue top she wore over a navy-blue skirt that subtly outlined a very shapely bottom.
Two weeks ago he’d have turned on enough charm to light New York City in a blizzard. Today he turned away. “I don’t have time for anybody to be stealing my heart.”
“And that scares you?”
It didn’t scare him as much as it filled him with remorse, regret and even guilt. While Peter had gone looking for a wife, Dominic had had his pleasure with every woman who suited his fancy. While Dominic took trips to Monaco, Peter had studied. While Peter attended business meetings and summits with their father, Dominic hadn’t paid more than a passing glance of attention at the family business.
Dominic had thoroughly enjoyed the past fifteen years that Peter had spent working, settling in, doing the right thing by the family. And now Dominic, the family playboy, suddenly had everything his brother had wanted—the business and the baby. He couldn’t fail. He refused to fail, to let everything Peter had started fall to ruin. Yet Dominic didn’t feel right taking charge, either. He was confused, grief stricken and in over his head.
All he really wanted was his own life back. The one he knew how to live.
Mary quietly said, “Do we now have someplace I can lay him down to sleep?”
Audra turned to the door. “The baby carrier is in the kitchen. I’ll get it.”
Dominic followed her. “I might as well bring the rest of his things to the nanny suite.”
“Good idea.”
“Then I’ll accompany you to Olivia’s, but after that I’m off to work.”
Audra said, “That’s fine. I can handle the furniture shopping this morning.”
“Then this afternoon you can move in.”
***
That comment stopped Audra dead in her tracks. For all her talk of getting up for 2:00 a.m. feedings, it hadn’t sunk in that she’d have to move into the nursery while Dominic scouted a permanent nanny. Still, what difference did it make? She needed money. She was offering to be a nanny to get that money. And nannies usually lived in. No big deal. Especially considering Dominic was the epitome of the type of man she had sworn off forever.
She turned to tell him that she’d be moved in by the time he returned from work, but their gazes caught and she didn’t see the fun teenager who had turned into a playboy. She saw a man who had lost his brother three months ago in a tragic accident and who had gained custody of Peter’s son because of another family tragedy. Circumstances had made him serious and sad in a way that caused Audra’s heart to awaken from a near year-long sleep. She felt it yawn and stretch and open again, as if welcoming him.
Any teasing comment she could have made froze on her lips. She might have been immune to the playboy, but would she really be safe with this guy? With a child to raise, he didn’t have time to gallivant around the globe. He’d be underfoot. A brooding, sexy man aching for love. Like Heathcliff. What woman could resist that?
Worse, they would be living together. Running into each other in various stages of undress as they went about their morning and evening routines.
Still, it was too late to back out now. This deal was all about promises. She’d
