They’d been in each other’s presence for only two hours at the most and he was willing to spend time with her each day.
This was wrong, Jake thought. He didn’t need anyone around to babysit him. He had a housekeeping staff that kept the place clean and a food service that managed his meals. He had a driver to take him anywhere he needed to go. Even if Lauren checked out, he could let her go if he had to as soon as Cal left for his job.
And he couldn’t be inconveniencing Lauren. She could go to her new place and begin her new career, whatever that was, sooner than she expected. It would work out for both of them.
However, before she left he’d get her to tell him what she did to his arm to relieve the pain.
LAUREN LOVED HER brownstone in Brooklyn. It was three stories and a basement, long with high-ceilinged rooms and character that new homes couldn’t come close to duplicating. But when she stepped through the door of Jake’s apartment, she felt that her entire house could fit into a single corner. She dropped her suitcase and a small thud sounded, but no dust cloud rose up from the magnificent carpet.
The housekeeper showed her to her suite, a large bedroom with a king-size bed, a sitting room and her own bathroom. She’d been there for an hour and she hadn’t seen Jake yet.
She headed into the kitchen and found the Mrs. Turner. The older woman had changed her shoes and her purse hung from her arm. She was obviously preparing to leave.
“Do you know where Mr. Masters is?” she asked.
“Dr. Masters,” she corrected. “I rarely see him. He spends a lot of time in his room. I come in three mornings a week and clean up, but I don’t see him.”
Lauren looked over her shoulder. From the kitchen she couldn’t see the staircase that led to the second floor. Even if she could, she didn’t know which room was Jake’s.
“Well, good morning,” the housekeeper said. “I have a key and I arrive around seven, but I can come later if that’s inconvenient.”
Lauren shook her head. “Seven is fine.”
“I’ll see you in a couple of days,” she said.
With the closing of the door, Lauren was alone. The huge space felt like being inside an opera house, except the generous light coming through the windows made her think she was outside and not in a dark concert hall.
She wondered if Jake had a routine. Neither he nor his brother had mentioned anything except certain appointments that Caleb emphasized were important for Jake to attend. Lauren sighed. If he didn’t have a routine, he was about to get one. Being alone too much was not good for him. She’d been pushy when they met. It was time for her to show him who was boss.
On her way up the stairs, she passed the rooms that had been assigned to her and went to the end of the building. If there was a master bedroom in the spacious apartment, it would probably be in one of the corners. She knocked on the door and waited. She heard nothing from inside. No movement, no radio’s or television’s muffled voices. Knocking again, she waited as the seconds ticked by.
On the third try, she knocked and opened the door simultaneously. She’d chosen the right door. The room was dark, curtains drawn and Jake lying in the massive bed. He didn’t move as she came in, leaving the door open to let in light so she could see around any obstacles.
“Good morning, Jake,” she said, using a stern voice.
He tugged the corners of his pillow over his ears. Again he didn’t respond. This told her he was wide awake and ignoring her. She went to the windows and looked for a pull cord, but couldn’t find one. Retracing her steps, she went around the bed, picked up a remote and pressed the power button. It would either open the curtains or turn on something electronic.
The drapes began to slowly open, letting in the eastern light.
“Close those.” The gruff voice made her jump. Jake sat up in bed, throwing the covers back and turning toward her, all the while squinting at the light.
“Close those!” he shouted. Blinking, he looked at her. Lauren could tell he didn’t recognize her at first.
“What are you doing here? I don’t need some nanny showing up with her bag of tricks.”
“You think I’m a person trusted enough to care for the well-being of children?” She thought about that for a moment. It gave her an idea. “Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“And just to be correct, I don’t have a bag of tricks. What I do is pure magic.”
“Really.”
She smiled. “You never know.” Taking a step toward the bed, she surveyed the room. “It is still morning. If you don’t get moving, you’ll barely make it downstairs before it’s time for lunch.”
“I don’t want any lunch.”
“I do, and I don’t want to eat alone. So get up and get dressed. The housekeeper is gone for two days. This room smells like a gym and I imagine you do too.”
Lauren didn’t wait for a reply. She hurried out of the room, although she did leave the door open.
Twenty minutes later, he appeared in the kitchen. His hair was wet from the shower and he wore a wrinkled T-shirt, equally wrinkled shorts and no shoes.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” he began.
“That’s a good idea,” she interrupted him. “I’m here temporarily at the request of both you and your brother, so we need to have some ground rules.”
“I—”
Her hand came up, palm out, stopping him. “The housekeeper says you rarely leave that room when she’s here. From now on, you let her clean it.” She gave him a piercing glance. “Toast and coffee are already made.”
She poured Jake a cup and handed it to him. He took it and drank.
“I don’t like black coffee,” he said.
“Then you should have put your own cream and sugar in it.” She indicated the items on the table.
“I also don’t eat breakfast.”
“I believe there is a list of things you don’t do, but that will change.”
“Oh?”
She raised one eyebrow. “You don’t intimidate me,” she told him. “Your brother filled me in on your accident and your attitude since then.”
“I bet he did. Did he tell you I don’t need or want a babysitter, not even a nanny who performs magic?”
“He also told me you don’t want to see anyone, but you shouldn’t be alone. And nanny or not, you’ve got me.”
“Did he tell you
