"No thanks," Terry said. "I think I can tuck myself in." He walked toward the door.
Hunter could not resist. He stopped his new nanny and kissed him on the forehead.
Chase couldn't resist either. He went for Terry's hair.
"Ouch," Terry cried out. "That hurts, you little demon."
Hunter freed Terry's hair from Chase's grasp. "Sorry, sport, Uncle Terry is tired."
"Wake me up in an hour," Terry told him. "I'll come down and fix your breakfast."
"Okay," Hunter lied. "Get some sleep." He watched the still bare-chested Terry walk out of the nursery with his hair flowing down his back. "I was so close to getting some of that," Hunter said to Chase as they left the nursery and walked downstairs.
Chase giggled.
"Sure, laugh. If I didn't know better I'd swear you gave yourself a fever just to keep me away from your nanny."
Chapter Six
Maybe he should have wakened Terry in an hour. He'd made the mistake of letting his son walk around the den to play and the kid had destroyed the room. Chase had also been crying off and on for no apparent reason. He felt the child's head but there was no fever. He was just about to straighten up the den when the doorbell rang. Hunter put Chase into the playpen and went to answer the door. Rebecca's parents stood on the other side.
Of all the rotten luck
.
"Come on in," Hunter said inviting them into the living room. Freda Reynolds looked older but her husband, Alfred, hadn't changed a bit except he'd lost more hair. Hunter spotted Terry's shirt and briefs on the floor. "Sorry," he said scooping them up. "Please have a seat."
The Reynoldses sat down and looked around. Lucky for him, Terry had cleaned and dusted the living room the day before.
"You have a nice home," Freda replied, still taking in everything, and probably trying to find something to use against him.
"Would you care for something cold to drink? I was in the den playing with Chase when you arrived."
"Is that him crying?" Alfred asked.
Hunter nodded. "He doesn't like to be alone," Hunter said, easing toward the door. "I'll go get him." The den still looked like a disaster area since Chase had time to pitch the toys out of the playpen.
"Daddy," Chase said recognizing him.
Hunter picked him up and carried him back into the living room and handed him to his grandmother. Chase took one look at the woman and started to cry. "You two get acquainted while I get those drinks." He felt horrible. He had the choice of leaving Chase with them for an extended period of time while he straightened up the den before the Reynoldses asked to do a walkthrough of the house, or he could leave the room a mess and hope to bypass the den on the tour. "Leave it," Hunter decided. With his luck the Reynoldses might make a run for it with Chase if he left them alone together for too long. He found three glasses, filled them with iced tea, which Terry had made, and then carried the tray into the living room. He found the Reynoldses trying to talk to Chase but he wasn't having any of it.
"He looks well taken care of, but he's not a very friendly baby," Freda said. "Rebecca was a happy child."
"He's just shy around strangers," Hunter said, placing the drinks in front of his guests.
"We're not strangers," Alfred replied. "We're his grandparents."
"Chase is one-year-old, sir. He really doesn't know that."
"That's because you've kept him from us," Freda said.
Here it goes
. "You moved out of the state."
"I mean before that."
"I did not," Hunter argued. "You were still mourning Rebecca. I was just giving you time to grieve. I wasn't trying to keep you from seeing Chase. You're his family too."
Freda swept away the sentiment. "Did you receive the paperwork from our attorney?"
"Yes; is this really necessary?" Hunter asked.
"I think so," Freda said. "Chase needs a female in his life."
"Says who?" Hunter asked.
Chase started to whine again.
Freda moved her legs around trying to rock and soothe him.
"A child needs both a mother and a father," Freda continued. "He needs someone who can be there for him twenty-four-seven. You have to work, which means he has to go to daycare."
"He has a nanny," Hunter told her. He heard the shower turn on upstairs.
"Our lawyer told us she quit."
So, they were having him investigated.
Big deal
. "She left because she got married. But I've hired another one whom Chase simply adores." That was so true it frightened him. His son had a big old boy-crush on his nanny. He heard a door open and close upstairs.
"Do you have company?" Alfred asked.
"Yes," Hunter said. "Not exactly. It's Chase's nanny."
Terry's footsteps echoed on the stairs. He entered a room across the hall.
"Is she a live-in nanny?" Freda asked, raising a concerned eyebrow.
"What difference does it make?" Hunter asked.
"You're a single man. It doesn't seem appropriate," Freda replied.
Another door opened and closed again. Hunter inhaled and blew out the air.
All hell is about to break loose the moment Terry walks into this room
.
The doorknob turned then the door opened.
Alfred and Freda turned for their first view of their grandson's nanny.
Terry entered, dressed in a black suit, grey shirt with a black tie.
Hunter's heart fluttered. Terry looked the part of a proper male nanny, professionally coiffed with his long black hair parted in the middle and pulled back in a bun at the nape of his neck. He was freshly shaven and wore his glasses perched on the end of his nose.
"Good afternoon," he said, bowing as he entered. "It is time for Master Chase's nap."
Chase honed in on Terry's voice and stopped crying.
Oh, oh, don't blow it kid
. Chase reached for Terry.
Terry scooped Chase out of Freda's arms and left the room quickly.
"Chase has a male nanny?" Freda asked.
"Yes, his name is Terrence Rayburn."
"Isn't he a bit young?" Alfred asked.
"He's a senior in college. He majors in child psychology and he's a nutritionist. He prepares everything Chase eats, reads to him and sings him lullabies."
"That's very nice," Freda replied. "But what happens if the child gets ill?"
"Terry goes without sleep to care for him. Last night, for example, Chase had a fever. Terry stayed up until five this morning tending to him. He has a certificate in adult and child CPR and as you've seen for yourself, Chase adores him."
Alfred finished his drink. "Can we see the rest of the house?"
"Certainly," Hunter said, rising. He took the Reynoldses on a tour of the downstairs first, holding his breath as he opened the door to the den. The place had been cleaned and all the toys were put away neatly. The dishes had been loaded into the dishwasher and it whirred softly as they entered the kitchen.
"Bedrooms and the nursery are upstairs," Hunter said after he gave them a tour of the backyard, his office and the library.
"Did you see the tiny swing set in the backyard?" Alfred asked Freda. "What kid wouldn't love a swing?"
They followed him up the stairs.
"This is Mr Rayburn's suite." Hunter opened the door. Immaculate, as usual. His bed had also been made and his dirty clothes were in the hamper. Terry must have cleaned both rooms shortly after he woke. "And this is the nursery," he said outside the door. He put his finger to his lips and opened the door. Terry sat in the rocker reading a book to Chase.
Terry nodded to them but he did not stop reading. Hunter and Chase's grandparents tiptoed down the stairs and re-entered the living room.
"You have a lovely home," Alfred replied. "And Chase seems well taken care of."
"Thank you," Hunter said trying to sound humble. "I'd give him the world if I could."
"We really should be going," Freda said. "We have a long drive ahead of us."
"You're not staying in town for a couple of days?" Hunter asked.
Freda shook her head. "No, we've already been in town a week, checking up on our property and visiting Rebecca's grave. The caretaker told us you put fresh flowers on it every week."
"I did love her, you know," Hunter replied. He walked the Reynoldses to the door and watched them get into their car. Hunter closed the door and locked it the moment they sped off.
Terry stood in the living room waiting for him. "Well, how do you think it went?"
Hunter gathered him into his arms and hugged him. "I don't know, Nanny Dearest. I hope they will at least give me a fair chance."
"I need to go upstairs and get out of these clothes," Terry said. "I have to get lunch ready."
"You look fantastic," Hunter told him once he freed him. "Where did you get that outfit?"
"I used to work part-time for a tailor. He liked to make suits for me," Terry replied. "He said I was good for business."
"I swear I think Freda Reynolds nearly died when you walked into this room. She thought I was shacked up with a pretty little female nanny."
"So I overheard." Terry paused. "Did they happen to see my briefs?"
Hunter shook his head. "I scooped them up before they got the chance."
"Great."
"You know you really must be careful flirting with the boss."
Terry rolled his eyes at him.
"Is the baby asleep?" Hunter asked following Terry out of the room.
"Yes, why?"
"Because I'm feeling kind of frisky. That uniform is really something. Those pants are tailored to fit your cute little behind."
"I have a meal to prepare," Terry said. "And you ex-in-laws are still in the vicinity."
"You're afraid they'll come back and catch us in a very compromising position?"
"Yes," Terry answered.
"Then can I have a rain check for later tonight? We'll snuggle by a cozy fire and watch a romantic movie."
"What would you like to have for dinner, sir?" Terry asked, ignoring him.
"I'd like a sweet little nanny, naked and trembling, and served in bed."
"Don't make me regret applying for this job," Terry said with a chuckle. A blush rose on his cheeks.
"And don't worry about bringing the condiments. I have five flavors of fruity, fat-free lube," Hunter told him.
"Oh, my word," Terry replied. "You're going to corrupt me."
Chapter Seven
"It has to be a sin to be so pretty," Becky said to Hunter and the rest of the staff as they watched a photographer create a work of art with Terry. Joel had come in earlier and done his thing then gone home to study because finals were just a week away.
Uncle Adam had taken Chase off to charm the heck out of the female employees in the building, giving Terry time to get his photos taken. Terry was a natural, good eye contact, a winning smile and a model-slim body. Hunter got comfortable in a seat, enjoying the view.
"Can we get a few shots with your hair down?" the photographer asked.
Terry hesitated, looked around and then released his hair.
"Yes, it's sinful, isn't it?" Hunter replied, not caring if Becky heard the desire in his voice. He and the nanny never got around to getting busy last night. Chase ran a fever again and Terry figured out the little terror was teething. Poor Terry had another sleepless night but it was hard to tell at the moment. He didn't need much makeup for the shoot, just enough to cover the dark circles under his eyes. Becky had insisted he needed a little lip-gloss to make those lips more enticing. Terry balked at first but Hunter applied a little, satisfying Becky but making Hunter seriously horny.
"Kid, your hair is great," the photographer said, rapidly taking pictures. "Chicks will be knocking down your door just to get to you."
Let them knock
, Hunter mused.
Terry's definitely not answering
.
"Maybe tomorrow we'll take some pictures of Terry and Joel together. Chicks go wild for two guys posing with each other," the photographer insisted.
Hunter tried to imagine a photo with Joel and Terry together. Yes, he'd definitely be hanging the picture over his bed. Hmmm, it got him wondering if the two of them had ever been lovers. They'd lived together and shared a room for four years. For some reason he didn't think so. They seemed more like brothers than lovers.
"Just a couple more shots," the photographer said. "Then we can wrap this up."
Adam picked that moment to come in with Chase.
"Ma-ma," Chase screamed when he saw Terry with all his hair down.
The photographer stopped shooting, looked from Terry to Chase then back to Terry again and smiled.
"Can we get one with Terry holding Chase?" Becky asked.
"Sure," the photographer replied.
Adam handed Chase over to Terry.
Terry swept his hair back to keep it out of Chase's reach. The photographer posed them and then took the picture.
"That's one for the cover shot," the photographer said.
Nope, that's one for the den wall
, Hunter mused. And he had just the place for the portrait… right over the fireplace.
* * * *
The next day Terry teased Joel as he watched the cosmetician apply makeup to his face. "You are so beautiful."
"So not funny, little dude," Joel said to him. "That's a blow to my masculinity."
Another male cosmetician entered the room. "You," he said pointing to Terry. "Plant yourself in this chair."
Terry rose and sat down across from Joel.
"Would you look at all that hair," the cosmetician said. "You, darling, can be some rich man's fantasy."
Joel laughed.
"So not funny," Terry said. "That is going to scar me for life."
"But it's true," Joel teased.
"It is not," Terry mumbled, knowing it was so true.
"How's the new job?"
"Great. Chase and I spent the morning together in the park. I let him run around until he tired himself out."