Professor and the Nanny (Silhouette Romance) (10 page)

“Anyway, I was really glad to see Colin this afternoon,” she continued, “and when he invited me to go to the concert with him I said yes. I’m of age, Ethan. There was no reason for me to ask your permission.”

Ethan looked away. “You’re right, but if you wanted to go why didn’t you tell me? I would have taken you.”

Brittany couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You would?”

He nodded. “Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. What man wouldn’t be proud to escort you anywhere?” He paused. “On the other hand, why should you go out with me when you can have your pick of all the handsome young men on campus.”

She didn’t know what to say. Why was he paying her all these compliments now when usually he hardly noticed her? She was afraid of responding for fear of saying the wrong thing.

The magnetism between them was radiating enough heat to cause a meltdown. If she did what she wanted to do she’d go behind that desk, put her arms around him and snuggle up to his warm, muscular body, but being too forward is what got her into trouble with him in the first place. If she deliberately tempted him again he’d probably fire her, and she wasn’t going
to be that unsubtle. This time if he wanted her the first move would be up to him.

She pushed her chair back and stood. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” she said as he stood, too. “I assure you I know Colin McTavish well and he’s a very nice guy. If you’re here next Saturday when he picks me up, I’ll introduce you. You might remember him. He says he’s taken one of your classes.”

Ethan looked interested. “Oh, which one?”

She grinned. “I don’t know, but he said that anyone who passes one of your classes will be well versed in the English language.”

He cocked one eyebrow. “Was that a compliment or an insult?”

Her grin turned to a chuckle. “A little of both, I think. He indicated you are a hard taskmaster.”

“Well, he’s got that right,” Ethan admitted. “I can’t be bothered wasting my time trying to teach students who have no desire to learn.”

They had somehow moved closer together than was advisable, but Brittany couldn’t make her legs take a step back. “Are you going to give me a bad time when I go back to school to study for my degree?”

He brought up both hands and cupped her face. His palms were soft and smooth on her cheeks, and she watched, mesmerized, as he lowered his head until she could feel his fresh breath on her mouth. “You’ll never be in one of my classes,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t allow it. You’re far too distracting.”

He leaned down and kissed her on the lips ever so lightly, then quickly let her go. “Now, get out of here,” he said brusquely, “and don’t forget I want to talk to McTavish before he takes you anywhere.”

Brittany didn’t get much sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Ethan’s suntanned face slowly descending
to her upraised one until their mouths touched. It had been so gentle as to be almost innocent, but there was nothing virginal about it—the ardor that motivated it was intense and passionate. However, by the next day, he was back to his friendly employer-employee mode as if last night had never happened.

Maybe it hadn’t, she told herself. Maybe she’d just dreamed it all.

For the following week Brittany made an effort to keep her thoughts off Ethan and skipping ahead to the Beer and Ballet concert at the university theater. Named for its unique blend of the classical and the redneck, it was an annual event that had been going on for several years, but she’d never attended one of the performances before.

As the end of the week approached, Ethan started to get grumpy again. He complained about things that had never bothered him before, and even fussed at Danny for behavior all little ones engage in now and then.

Brittany didn’t know what was the matter with her employer but she was getting pretty tired of it.

By the time Saturday rolled around he was in a real snit, starting at breakfast when he discovered they were out of his favorite cereal and continuing all day until, after Danny’s nap, she took him to one of the parks that had a playground for children in order to escape.

Danny enjoyed playing on the small-scale, brightly colored slides and swings until a glance at her wristwatch told her it was time for her to start getting ready for the concert.

Ethan met her at the front door when they got home and took Danny from her. “Isn’t it getting a little late?” he asked. “What time does that concert start?”

“Not until eight,” she told him. “Colin is going to pick me up here at seven-thirty, so I’ve got plenty of time to get ready. Don’t forget it’s casual dress.”

She walked toward the stairway and Ethan headed toward the kitchen with Danny in his arms.

An hour later Brittany had showered, shampooed and blow-dried her hair, and was dressed in white jeans, a sleeveless red banana-print shirt and ankle-high boots. Her face was innocent of makeup since this shimmering heat tended to melt even oil-free undercoat and mascara.

With a steady hand she outlined her full lips with liner, then filled them in with lipstick the same color as her blouse. A close inspection in the mirror assured her she’d made a wise choice, and she dropped the tube of lipstick in the small clutch bag she planned to take with her tonight.

She was standing on the landing at the top of the stairs when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” she called.

That would be Colin, and she hoped Ethan would take the hint and let her have a few minutes to chat with her date before interrogating him.

No such luck. Ethan was striding to the door before she even reached the first step. All she could do was hope he would be a gracious host and not treat Colin as if he were here to take an overprotective father’s virgin daughter on her first date!

She hurried down the stairs as the two men shook hands, and Colin was the first to see her. “Hi, honey,” he greeted as she approached. “You look gorgeous, as usual.” He put his arm around her and hugged her.

It was just a friendly squeeze, but she saw Ethan scowl and her own temper began to rise. “Thank you, sir,” she said lightly. “And you are still the best-looking man I know.”

That wasn’t true. Oh, he was handsome enough even in the blue jeans and denim shirt he was wearing, but not as much so as Ethan. She just said it to let Ethan know he wasn’t the only man she was attracted to.

Ethan’s expression didn’t change, and Brittany felt ashamed
of herself for taunting him. After all, he was just looking out for her.

“I won’t offer you a drink since you’ll be driving,” he said to Colin, “but I would like to talk to you for a few minutes if you have the time.”

Brittany felt a wave of dread, but Colin seemed pleased. “I’m early, and as you know you’re only a mile or so from the university so we have plenty of time.”

“Good,” Ethan said, and led them into the parlor. “Please sit down. There are just a few things I’d like to ask you.

“Brittany tells me you took one of my classes a couple of years ago?”

Colin’s face flushed, and she knew he was wondering if she’d told Ethan what Colin had said about him and his teaching methods.

“Yes, sir, I did,” he said, then actually laughed. “I never studied so hard in my life, and still I only got a B.”

Brittany relaxed with relief. Now she remembered something she’d forgotten about Colin. He was never intimidated by anyone. Not even the college professor he called “sir.”

Ethan laughed, too. “I didn’t remember your name when Brittany told me about you, but I recognized you as soon as I saw you just now. You were the brightest kid in that class, but you tended to malinger. That’s why I piled the work on you. You could handle more than the other students and I wasn’t going to let you waste all that intelligence.”

Colin glowed with pride. “Thank you, sir. You taught me not only to assimilate facts but also the shortcuts on
how
to do it. In case you don’t remember, I’m studying to be a civil engineer and now I’m getting straight A’s.”

“Good for you,” Ethan said as he glanced at the grandfather clock and stood up.

“I didn’t mean to keep you so long,” he apologized. “I’d hate for you to be late for the concert.”

Colin and Brittany jumped up, too, and Colin put out his hand. “It was a real pleasure to meet you again, Professor.”

Ethan took the proffered hand. “Same here, and call me Ethan.”

He let loose of Colin’s hand and walked to the door with them, but when Brittany and Colin stepped out onto the porch Ethan spoke again. “Uh…Colin, Brittany has become pretty special to the Thorpe family since she’s been working for us, and I guess we’re a little protective of her since she has no parents of her own….”

His voice trailed off and Brittany felt the hot blush of part anger and part embarrassment. Damn him! She knew he’d pull something like this!

“What I’m trying to say,” he continued, “is that I feel responsible for her, so take it easy on the drinking. If you need a ride home just call me and I’ll come and get you.”

“Ethan!” she muttered through her teeth. “You have no right—”

Colin put his hand at her elbow. “It’s all right, Brittany.” He looked at Ethan. “If it comes to that I’ll bring her home in a cab, Ethan, but thanks for the offer.”

Ethan watched as they got in a nearly new white Toyota and drove off. Damn! He’d done exactly what he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do. He’d acted like the father of a teenager on her first date. He’d seen the anger in Brittany’s expression before Colin intervened and led her away, but he couldn’t help it.

He hated the idea of her drinking even though she was old enough, and the prospect of Colin drinking and then driving with her in the car was terrifying.

If anything happened to her…The notion was unbearable! It was also a case of overreacting.

From what he remembered of Colin McTavish from a couple of years ago, he was a bright and responsible young man
who always had his work in on time and was serious about his goals. If he drank to excess it had never been brought to Ethan’s attention by drunken behavior or hangovers in class.

Ethan went back into the house and headed for the family room. It was time to put Danny to bed, and after that he’d catch up on his reading.

The chimes in the grandfather clock struck twelve just as Ethan finished his novel, and he closed the book and turned on the television. Might as well watch the news until Brittany came home, which should be any time now. Those concerts seldom lasted more than three hours.

Actually, she could easily have been home before this, but they probably stopped somewhere for a drink. He tried to talk himself out of that thought. There was beer on sale at the concert, so why would they need to stop at a bar for more liquor?

His attention had been so exclusively diverted to Brittany that he didn’t hear the first few minutes of the news until an announcement flashed on the screen that read News Break and a voice broke in.

We’ve just been informed that there’s been a two-car collision at the intersection of Euclid and Main. No details as yet but stay tuned. We’ll bring them to you as they come in
.

A shiver of apprehension froze Ethan. That wasn’t far from the university! Could it be some of the concertgoers who were involved? He sat down before his shaking knees gave way.

Get a grip on yourself, man, he told himself. Even if it was someone from the audience, hundreds of people would have attended that function. It would be too much of a coincidence if Brittany and Colin were involved.

It seemed like an eternity, although it was probably no more than ten minutes at the most, before the next news break came on.

We’ve been informed there are two fatalities in that automobile
collision we reported earlier, but so far the victims have not been identified. However we do know that one of the cars is a white Toyota and the other a blue Ford. Stay tuned
—

Ethan didn’t hear the rest. The car Colin McTavish had been driving tonight was a white Toyota!

B
rittany was having a great time. She’d forgotten how much fun it could be to hang out with the gang, go to concerts, sports events, or just sit around and talk.

Tonight she’d covered all three bases. The concert had been a hoot with the audience dressed in shorts, slacks or jeans and seated at round tables on the floor. They were served their choice of beer or soft drinks while they watched the music department’s excellent interpretation of the classical ballet
Romeo and Juliet
.

She and Colin had met the rest of their friends there and afterward had gathered for pizza and partying at the home of one of the fellows whose parents were out of town. It was a big house with a game room that contained a pool table as well as a floor suitable for dancing on and a CD player with wraparound sound.

Brittany was having so much fun that she lost track of time until during a lull in the music and the conversation she heard a clock chime. The student sitting next to her on the floor looked at his watch, then jumped up and exclaimed, “Holy
Moses, I’m sorry to break up the party, guys, but I’ve got a summer job and if I’m even a little late I’ll get fired. I’ve got to go home and catch a few Zs.”

Brittany hadn’t counted the number of times the clock chimed but now she looked at her watch and found that it was three o’clock. She could hardly believe the evening had gone by so fast!

She’d never had a deadline for when she was supposed to be home from a date. Her parents were seldom around, and the various nannies and housekeepers who took care of her in their absence hadn’t bothered to argue with her about it.

In this case, though, she felt a little uneasy. Ethan went to bed at around eleven o’clock and she was usually sacked out before that. Surely he wouldn’t wait up for her. No, of course not. She was a full-grown woman and could stay out as long as she wanted to.

Even so, the party was over. Everyone was standing up and Colin came over and offered her his hands. She took them and he pulled her to her feet and into his arms.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful evening. Thank you for bringing me.”

“My pleasure. Thanks for coming with me.” He gave her a squeeze, then released her.

It was close to four o’clock before Colin pulled his car up in front of Ethan’s home and turned to look at Brittany. “Is the professor apt to be upset about you coming in so late?”

She’d been wondering that, too, and hoping he’d been asleep for hours. “Ethan?” she blustered. “Oh, no. What I do on my days off is none of his business.”

They got out of the car and Colin walked her up to the porch. The lights were on but he put his arms around her and was just lowering his head to give her a good-night kiss when the door was wrenched open and Ethan stood there looking like death warmed over.

“Where in hell have you been?” he demanded.

She was too surprised to do anything but gasp. He truly looked ill. His complexion was gray, his hair tousled as though he’d been running his fingers through it, and his brown eyes, usually so bright and shimmering with flecks of gold, had lost all their luster and were lifeless and desolate.

She felt Colin stiffen beside her. “Now, look, chum…” he growled, but Brittany put her hand on his arm in hopes of reassuring him until she could find out what had happened to unnerve Ethan so badly.

Her knees quivered and she could hardly speak. “Ethan. What’s the matter? Is it Nate?”

Then another possibility shook her. “Oh, God, surely not Danny!”

Ethan shook his head and reached for her. “I thought you were dead!” he moaned, and his whole body trembled as he hugged her close and buried his face in her hair.

Brittany was vaguely aware of Colin walking past them through the open doorway and into the house as she wound her arms around Ethan’s neck and caressed his back.

After a while he spoke again. “I’ve been going out of my mind,” he said raggedly. “Why didn’t you phone me and let me know you were all right?”

She nuzzled his neck. “Darling, I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about—”

Just then Colin came toward them from the kitchen with a whiskey decanter and several glasses on a tray. He took them to the parlor, then came back and put his hands on Ethan’s shoulders. “Come on, fella,” he said as he gently pulled Ethan away from Brittany and headed him toward the parlor. “Let’s get you set down before you fall down. You’ve obviously had a nasty shock. I’ve raided your liquor cabinet. A few belts of your best whiskey should help to steady you.”

They walked into the room with Brittany right behind them, puzzled and without a clue.

Colin set Ethan on the sofa, and he leaned over and put his head in his hands. Colin poured whiskey from the crystal decanter into a bar glass and handed it to Ethan.

“Here, drink some of this,” he said firmly. “You need something to calm you down.”

That’s for sure, Brittany thought as she watched him take the glass. His hand shook so badly that the whiskey nearly spilled. She sat down beside him as he took a large swallow that made him cough, then another before putting the glass down on the antique coffee table and reaching for Brittany. She was aware that Colin was watching them with a guarded expression, but for now it didn’t matter. She’d sort things out with him later. Now her big concern was for Ethan.

She snuggled into his embrace, but it was Colin who spoke. He paced slowly in front of them as he directed his remarks to Ethan. “I need to know why you thought Brittany was dead, then I’ll leave. I don’t want to pry into your personal affairs, but you’re not exactly making sense and I have to know she’ll be all right alone with you.”

Ethan’s arms tightened around her. “Didn’t you hear about the accident?”

Both Colin and Brittany blinked. “What accident?” they asked in chorus.

Ethan took a deep, stabilizing breath and told them about the news breaks that had been coming over the television. “At first I was concerned simply because it was pretty late and I’d expected you home earlier, but then when they showed pictures of the accident scene in which the fatalities had occurred I was terrified. The car was an exact replica of yours, Colin, and it was totally crushed.”

He rubbed his cheek in Brittany’s hair again. “That’s when I began going out of my mind,” he told them. “I called the police, the highway patrol, the sheriff, but the victims hadn’t been identified yet. Still haven’t been. I considered waking Nate and Danny and taking them with me to go down there,
but the officers I talked to were adamant in their objections. They said there were too many people blocking traffic already and it was no place to bring a child or an elderly person with medical problems.”

Brittany shivered and Ethan kissed her on the temple. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but now maybe you can understand why I behaved like a maniac when I opened the door and saw you standing on the porch.”

She raised her head. “But you seemed more angry than relieved.”

“I guess I was,” he admitted. “Frankly, I couldn’t handle all the emotions that roared through me with the subtly of a freight train.”

He started counting on his fingers. “There was the lingering terror that I felt when I thought you might be dead, relief that you weren’t, and fury that you hadn’t called to let me know you were safe.”

“But I—”

“I understand,” he interrupted. “You didn’t even know there’d been an accident, but who said I was making sense by then?”

Colin stopped his pacing and looked at Brittany. “Will you be okay?”

She nodded and sat up straight, disengaging herself from Ethan’s embrace. “Yes, we’ll both be fine. It was just a misunderstanding….”

“Well, then I’ll be leaving.” He turned toward the foyer.

Brittany stood and joined him. “Thanks again for everything,” she said as they walked to the door. “I’m sorry—”

Colin reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Don’t apologize. I just hope my parents didn’t see the same newscast and are worrying about me.”

She opened the door and he stepped outside. “I’ll call you in a few days if that’s all right.”

“Please do,” she said with a smile.

Ethan was no longer in the parlor when she walked in, but she noticed a light on in the family room at the end of the hall. She picked up the tray of drinks and carried it with her. As she neared the room she heard the CD player playing softly and noticed that the lamps had been turned on low.

What was going on here? Ethan didn’t usually play romantic music or arrange dreamy settings. In fact, he avoided that sort of thing when they were together.

She went through the large entry and saw him sitting on the sofa facing the fireplace. There was no fire, it was too hot to light one, but the huge stone fireplace was a focal point of natural beauty.

She walked over and stood in front of him. He looked up, turned slightly so that he was sitting at an angle between the back and the arm of the sofa, and held up his arms. She set the tray on the coffee table and sank down beside him.

He cradled her across his lap. “I need you,” he murmured in her ear. “I need to hold you, touch you, kiss you. I need to know you’re here, safe in my arms.”

“I’m sorry you got such a scare—” she started to say before he interrupted.

“You had no way of knowing about the accident, and I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions so quickly.” He ran his hand up the outside of her jeans-clad thigh.

She caught her breath and tightened her arms around his neck. Their faces were on the same level, and unable to resist she brought her lips to his, hesitantly but insistent. She heard the rumble of a moan deep in his throat as he opened his mouth in welcome.

She wasn’t sure what to do next, but he took over and taught her tongue to dance. Her heart pounded in an erotic rhythm as his hand continued its journey upward across her hip then stopped.

Brittany squirmed with the unfamiliar throbbing at the core of her being and pulled Ethan’s shirttails out of his pants, then
gasped as he cupped her breast in his hand, sending hot blood surging through her veins.

She slipped her hand under his shirt and caressed his bare back, stopping now and then to draw lines and circles on his skin with her fingernails. It made him shiver and buck against her derriere.

When they reluctantly pulled apart she buried her face in the side of his neck and labored to catch her breath.

“My goodness!” was all she could think of to say as his awkward fingers struggled with the small buttons on her blouse. “Oh, my goodness.”

His fingers stilled. “Do you mind?”

Mind! How could she mind? She’d never been so revved up before in her whole life.

“No, please don’t stop,” she begged as she gently sucked on his earlobe.

“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to,” he murmured. “You know this is madness, don’t you?”

She blew in his ear. “I don’t care. I want you so much. I never intended to stay a virgin all my life. Just until the right man came along…”

Too late she realized he’d stopped unbuttoning her shirt.

He growled a barnyard expletive and set her off his lap.

Oh, damn! Now she’d done it! How could she have been so stupid. He’d told her early on that he wasn’t going to make love with her because she was a virgin, but she’d hoped that in the heat of passion he’d forget that resolve until they’d actually done it. After that the point would be moot.

Now that happy event would probably never happen!

She watched his expression change from loving to uncertain.

He stood. “You knew I didn’t intend to have sex with you since you were inexperienced, didn’t you?”

Now that it was too late she found herself incapable of
telling him anything but the truth. She bit her lower lip and said, “Yes, I did.”

“Then why were you coming on to me so strong?” he growled. “Why didn’t you stop me? Were you deliberately seducing me?”

Looking down at the floor, she nodded. “Yes, I was,” she confessed, then looked up and into his eyes. “I’m an adult. I have a right to make my own choices, Ethan. I also have a right to make my own mistakes.”

He shook his head. “That’s true, but you’re forgetting one thing. Your rights end where mine begin. I have an equal right not to make love with any woman I might be attracted to but don’t find suitable….”

“Suitable!” she exclaimed. “What does that mean?”

“You know what it means,” he told her. “We’ve been over it many times. You’re too young for me to have intimate relations with. I could get fired from my teaching job and lose custody of my child, to name just a few of the consequences.”

He ran both hands through his hair. “I can’t deal with this tonight,” he said hoarsely. “Go to bed and we’ll talk about it in the morning.”

She hated to leave things the way they were now and made an effort to talk. “Ethan—”

“I said we’d discuss it in the morning,” he said flatly. “Now, go to bed!”

She did.

Ethan poured more whiskey in a glass as he watched Brittany stride up the hall to the foyer and the stairway. What kind of idiot was he, anyway? Had he suddenly lost his mind? Why was he blaming her for his mistakes?

He was supposedly the mature one in this romantic soap opera. She was little more than a child. How could he expect her to play his adult games? It wasn’t difficult for a single man to get his male urges satisfied in this sophisticated society
where almost anything goes. But if he were an honorable bachelor he’d choose a woman of his own age, experience and ultimate goals.

He didn’t doubt that she thought she was in love with him. She’d probably thought she was in love with Colin when she was going with him, too. There would be other men in her life before she settled down to be a wife and mother, but he wasn’t going to be one of them.

He had a father and a baby son to take care of. He wasn’t going to add a teenage wife to the list. At least, she wasn’t far out of her teens. So what was he going to do about her?

There wasn’t going to be a repeat of what happened tonight, that was for sure. And since he found her so totally irresistible he was going to have to send her away. Just the thought made his heart shrivel with pain.