More Than A Manny (Gay Romance) E-Book

Trina Solet

• Herausgeber: Trina Solet
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

A very young, wealthy widower needs a nanny, but a hot manny would be even better. That's where Nate comes in. Brent is a loving but irresponsible father to two young children from a marriage of convenience. He needs Nate in his life, but how will Nate, a first time nanny, fit into his unconventional household? The kids are a handful, especially little Georgie. Her big brother, Ricky, has a few issues of his own. But Nate is more than ready to take on the challenge and let all three of them steal his heart.

Leseprobe

More Than A Manny: Gay Romance

By Trina Solet

Copyright © 2014 by Trina Solet

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or actual events is entirely coincidental.

This novel contains material intended for mature readers.

More Than A Manny

Gay Romance

By Trina Solet

Chapter 1

At the age of eighteen, Brent Leighton was living the life of a spoiled, rich boy. In reality, he was a poor boy. He just didn't know it yet. It was only after his parents died that he found out the state of his family's finances. Mr. and Mrs. Leighton had been better at spending money than making it. A few disastrous investments and it was all gone, like water down the drain.

For their twentieth anniversary, Brent's parents had gone on a luxury, Mediterranean cruise to relive their glory days. It had been planned for and paid for long ago. They were hiding the truth of their financial situation from everyone, including Brent. As long as they could, his parents wanted to live the high life, pretend that it was their honeymoon cruise all over again, and that they didn't have a care in the world. They died during this last hurrah. While they were taking a side trip to Cyprus, the small boat they were in capsized. Until their bodies were recovered, Brent held out hope that his mom and dad might have made their way to shore somehow.

The bad news he received about the empty bank accounts and depleted credit lines didn't have much sting to it. In his grief, he couldn't even understand why the lawyer and the accountant kept bothering him about money. But when he was told he would have to leave school and find his own place to live, start working to support himself, Brent woke up to reality slapping him in the face.

At first there were things he could sell to keep himself going. Some of his friends helped him out for a while. But as his money ran out, his friends started to avoid him. The jobs he managed to get paid little and didn't last. And every job he failed to keep was another bad reference. As his resources dwindled, he panicked. He was starting to consider offers that couldn't be called honest work. Brent was tall, blond and muscular. His good looks combined with his desperation attracted those kinds of unsavory offers from men who couldn't have him any other way. He had been tempted to say yes more than once, but he had only recently started having sex with guys. It seemed wrong to turn that into something sordid. One day as he was walking by familiar stores he could no longer afford, he came upon the answer to his problems.

Brent had known Greta casually and liked her. To her and many other people, Brent was still bi. He certainly wasn't going to tell her otherwise when they ran into each other, and she offered to take him to lunch. Brent had already skipped a few meals. This was the first decent food he had eaten for weeks. It was the kind of thing he used to take for granted. An expensive lunch was something he could only appreciate now that he couldn't afford to eat more than once a day. While he scarfed down his food like a wolf, he wasn't shy about telling Greta how afraid he was of what life had in store for him. Greta wasn't like most of his friends. She was older and a serious businesswoman. He was hoping she would help him find a real job.

"I might have something for you," she said and invited him to dinner that night and then several times during the next month. She didn't discuss any kind of job with him though. They had a nice time together, and then one day, she proposed to him. Brent was shocked. But on thinking about it, he had to admit that it was the most decent offer he had received.

Greta was always busy and very serious about her work. Brent could tell that she was looking for a certain kind of marriage. She wanted a compliant husband who would make for a pleasant atmosphere at home and not challenge her. A husband with no money of his own was likely to be more agreeable. And Brent was gorgeous as well as good in bed. He knew many men chose their wives using those same criteria. So why shouldn't Greta choose a husband the same way?

Brent couldn't face an uncertain future and a life without money. He agreed to marry Greta, who was fifteen years older than him and independently wealthy. She had no family to call him a gold digger though everyone else did. Her two-year-old son from a previous marriage was part of the deal. Ricky wasn't a bad kid, but he didn't exactly take to Brent.

Greta was attractive, thin, severe and stylish, but that didn't matter to Brent one way or the other. What mattered was that she was generous and not difficult to please either in bed or out of it. She did want to give Ricky a little brother or sister right away. It turned out to be a sister, Georgie, the most beautiful baby in the world.

Unfortunately, Greta didn't get to enjoy their daughter for long. Soon after she had Georgie, Greta became ill. That's when Brent found out what that "in sickness and in health" part of their wedding vows meant.

Greta fought her cancer for almost two years. During that time, all sorts of new responsibilities fell to Brent. The hard decisions he had to make weighed on him. But when Greta was gone, Brent was even more terrified. He had been left with two young children. Thank God for Pamela who took care of the kids. She had been with them since Georgie was born. She stuck around for two years after Greta died though Brent didn't always make it easy on her. Then Pam went back to Costa Rica when she got married.

Brent had been making up for lost time, living the gay life. Now without Pam, he once again felt the serious responsibility he had inherited. That's why he needed a new nanny as soon as possible. Not that he was alone. Brent had hired John to act as his assistant and deal with everything Brent didn't want to deal with. That included bills, paperwork, and all communication not likely to lead to sex. Then there was Quin, whom Brent hired because he looked so good in his dark sunglasses, standing next to a sports car. Brent's immediate offer of a job was answered with, "You see a black man next to a car, and the first thing you think is chauffeur?"

"Actually the first thing I think is sex," Brent told him.

Quin took the job when he found out how much it paid and the kinds of cars he would get to drive. Greta was seriously into cars. Though Brent didn't share her enthusiasm, she had bought him every car he so much as looked at. Most of them just sat in the garage now. With Quin there, they were finally going to see some action.

John and Quin had always been willing to look after the kids in a pinch. After Pam left, they insisted that he hire a full time nanny or take care of the kids himself. Brent didn't consider that a choice.

John arranged for a parade of would be nannies to show up at the house. Brent knew the interviews were going to be a chore, but a chore now meant freedom later. When the potential nannies showed up, John insisted on being present so Brent wouldn't screw up the interviews. Brent offered to leave him to it. John just gave him one of those withering looks he had perfected just for him. John was an uptight beauty with dark hair and eyes, tall and slim. He was a treat for the eyes only. His heart belonged to Quin. He took his duties seriously so Brent didn't have to.

The nanny interviews were excruciatingly dull and repetitive, just like Brent knew they would be. But then they turned into the manny interviews when a hot, young guy walked in and took his breath away. His name was Nate Ralha. His eyes were brown and magnetic. His direct stare mesmerized Brent. While Brent couldn't look away, Nate looked from Brent to John like he was trying to figure out who was really in charge. Nate had the body of Brent's dreams, a full mouth and close cropped, brown hair. His smile was warm and confident. Brent never wanted to take his eyes off him, but even more, he wanted his hands all over that beautiful man. Now the question was why a guy who looked like that would want to work as a manny. Brent wasn't sure he cared. He was ready to hire him on the spot. But John nudged Brent in warning, or more like kicked him. That was his way of telling Brent that he had to stop drooling and conduct an actual interview. Then he made Brent interview the last three nanny candidates instead of just sending them away. There was a further delay as John had a thorough background check done on Nate Ralha. Like his angelic smile, honest and gorgeous brown eyes, and perfect body, didn't tell him everything he needed to know.

Even with the delay, Brent was pleased with how things worked out. But later that day, he overheard John complaining about him to his boyfriend. Quin had just brought the kids back to the house, and he and John were in the kitchen. The kids had run off somewhere to play so Quin and John were left alone, almost. When he heard them talking about him, Brent stopped just behind the corner to listen.

"That man thinks with his dick. He has no sense of responsibility," John grumbled to Quin.

"That's why he has you, baby," Quin tried to soothe him.

"Don't call me baby when we are at work."

"We're always at work, baby."

This time his words made John smile.

Then Quin added, "We'll be out of here by the end of the month, We'll start our new life, and you'll never have to deal with him ever again."

"What new life? What are you talking about?" Brent asked, coming out from behind the corner. He was feeling a little panicked. Then he saw that Quin was grinning at him with a gotcha look in his eyes while John's look was more reproachful.

"Damn you, Quin," Brent said realizing that he'd been had.

"Damn you, Brent," John said. A man couldn't say one thing to Quin without John jumping down his throat.

"Blame your shiny appliances," Quin told him. He pointed to the refrigerator door and then to the window in the small dining room. That's where he saw Brent's reflection when John opened the door to get a bottle of water.

"Damn my appliances then. But you are not going anywhere, right?" That's all Brent cared about.

John sighed.

"No, you big baby," John said, then he added, "Not that you deserve us. The hiring of a nanny shouldn't make me feel like a pimp."

That's when Ricky came into the kitchen. He had just turned seven and looked a little bit like Greta and a lot like her late husband, who was blond like Brent. Ricky's eyes were blue and very serious. Brent was surprised that Georgie wasn't trailing after him.

"Where's Georgie?"

"She's looking under all the beds," Ricky said.

"Why?"

"Quin told her to."

Georgie ran into the kitchen, breathless. She was four years old. She had Greta's dark eyes but her hair was a light brown.

"I didn't find them," she said to Quin.

Quin only smiled.

"Find what?" Brent asked Georgie.

"The nannies," she told him.

"You were looking for nannies under the beds?" John asked. He looked over at Quin accusingly.

Ricky explained what was going on.

"Georgie said that maybe the nannies were still here. And Quin told her, 'Sure. They might be hiding under the beds.' So Georgie went to look under all the beds."

"I couldn't find any," Georgie said.

"Are you sure you looked under all the beds?" Brent asked her.

"All of them!"

"The nannies are gone," John told her before Quin or Brent could send her on another wild goose chase. He stayed serious and disapproving while Quin and Brent cracked up. Ricky wanted to stay serious too, but he couldn't hide his smile. Georgie didn't know what was going on. She was just disappointed she missed all the nannies.

Brent gave the kids the good news.

"One of them is coming back as soon as John says it's OK."

"When? When? When?" Georgie pestered John.

"Soon."

Though Ricky was obviously just as curious about the new nanny, he still grumbled, "She isn't going to be as nice as Pam." He wasn't trying to dampen Georgie's spirits. He was just very loyal to Pam.

"It's not going to be a she at all. It's a man," Brent told him.

Ricky tilted his head. Brent could tell that the idea intrigued him. While Georgie jumped up and down with impatience, Ricky went away with a thoughtful look on his face.

A little later, Brent watched through the kitchen windows as Quin and John went to the guesthouse, where they made their home. They walked with their arms around each other, bumping each other slightly. As they stopped at their door, John leaned his head on Quin's muscular shoulder.

Quin had built up his body beautifully. Soon after they met, he showed Brent pictures of himself as a skinny teenager who got picked on one too many times. No one in their right mind would mess with him now.

While he watched them, Brent tried not to envy Quin and John. After all he wasn't that kind of guy. He wasn't pining for that one, perfect man. In fact, when Brent hired the two of them, he was hoping he would get some extra benefits from having two hot guys close at hand. But instead of getting some privileges, Brent had to watch them shack up with each other in his guesthouse while they cut him out completely. That's why he needed that manny hired pronto. He refused to be the third wheel in his own house. He must have said this aloud because from behind him Ricky said, "It's Mommy's house."

Brent turned to look at him.

"Yes, it is," Brent said. Then he thought about it and corrected himself. "Actually, it's not. It's our house."

Ricky met Brent's eyes with a frown. That was a claim he couldn't deny.

"Hey, make us some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," Brent told him. "Make one for Georgie too."

Ricky sighed and started gathering what he needed. Brent helped by handing him the jars of peanut butter and jelly. Then he folded his arms and watched Ricky assemble them sloppily.

Ricky carried off the two sandwiches for him and Georgie. While Brent ate his, he looked around. Brent had never loved the house, but now he was used to it. The house wasn't the kind of place where he wanted to live. If it wasn't for the kids, he would have sold the house and moved to a penthouse. But he couldn't do that to Ricky and Georgie. He couldn't displace them. They loved it here. It was their home. Though it wasn't ideal for Brent, it did have a certain comfort to it, a familiar warmth. After a hard day's partying, it wasn't a bad place to return to. If John ever gave his approval, it would be even better with Nate in residence.

John took his sweet time checking him out, or at least that's how it seemed to Brent. It took days. Brent was even starting to wonder if he had imagined the way looking into Nate's eyes had made his whole body tense with pleasure, not just his dick. Maybe Nate was just another attractive guy who only interested him for the moment before the next one caught his eye. There was no way to know until he saw him again. If Brent's impatience was anything to go by, Nate had some kind of power over him already.

The happy day arrived eventually. The manny stood on their doorstep, with his bags, ready to move in.

Chapter 2

Nate first heard about the nanny job because he asked about live-in positions in the Bridgegrove area. Considering what an upscale neighborhood it was, he expected some domestic positions might let him live there. He certainly couldn't afford rent anywhere near the place. He found out about some personal assistant jobs, but none of those positions were live-in. He interviewed for a job helping out an elderly couple, one of whom had Alzheimer's, but he didn't get that job. Since nothing more suitable came up, he took a chance and interviewed for the job as a nanny.

Nate was seated in a large airy foyer, which was turned into a makeshift waiting room with the addition of assorted chairs. Seeing how many other candidates he was up against worried Nate. He was the only man, and he had minimal experience. As he fought to keep up his confidence, he tried to imagine living in a place like this. The part of the interior he could see was stark and spacious, meant to impress not put one at ease. What really awed him was the view he saw as he drove up. The house was elegant with a gray and white exterior and tall, narrow windows. It wasn't the most imposing house in Bridgegrove, but the grounds were something else. Every other mansion had artfully trimmed hedges, meticulous landscaping and a perfect lawn, like every blade of grass was arranged with tweezers. This place was almost like a park or even a forest. A closer look revealed the signs of careful maintenance, but otherwise it looked natural, almost wild in places. It made Nate want to get hired for the job just so he could spend time out there.

The next pleasant surprise was the children's father. He was unexpectedly young and stunningly attractive. His assistant was hot too. But while the assistant, John, was dark and slender, Brent Leighton was blond with brown eyes and had a more muscular physique. He was sitting behind a magnificent desk, and he started grinning as soon as Nate walked into his office. If this wasn't a job interview, Nate would have started flirting with him already. Instead, he admired the much more welcoming decor of this room compared to the foyer. The windows let in plenty of light making caramel colored wood glow where the sun hit it. Shelves of books and binders lined one wall. On another wall, paneling and shelves for display were done in some sort of exotic, patterned wood. But Brent Leighton couldn't be ignored in favor of furniture for very long. Getting up, he came to greet Nate and shake hands with him for longer than was necessary. Now that Brent was standing, Nate could tell that he was tall with a beautifully muscled body. It would be a treat to work for someone like that. But Nate wasn't sure he even had the basic qualifications for being a nanny. He only took care of his cousins when his aunt worked long hours.

The interview was a little strange with Brent and his assistant talking over each other. Brent was asking personal questions more appropriate for a date while John was more interested in Nate's qualifications and references. In the confusion, Nate wasn't sure what kind of impression he made, but somehow he still got the job. He suspected that it had something to do with the way his future employer looked at him. It was like Brent was a big, beautiful shark and Nate was his dinner. Nate wasn't worried about that. He knew he could handle himself. Plus anyone who made his intentions so obvious couldn't be all bad.

Instead of worrying about why he was hired, Nate was curious about the vibe he got from both Brent Leighton and his assistant. His interest in Nate made it obvious that Brent was either gay or bi, but his assistant was reserved and businesslike and not as easy to read. Nate wondered if they were lovers.

Some of Nate's questions were answered when he arrived with his belongings in front of his new home and workplace. His beat up old Toyota Cressida parked in front of a house like that one made for a strange sight. Before Nate had a chance to knock on those giant, double doors, Brent opened the door eagerly. Behind him, John rolled his eyes. There was another man with them in the foyer. As Nate set his bags down, Brent did the introductions.

"As you know, this is my butler, Jonesey."

"I'm not your butler, and my name is John."

"This is Quincy, my driver and bodyguard."

Nate looked over at the man Brent had just introduced and waited for him to confirm or correct what Brent said about him. He did a little bit of both.

"It's Quin, and I'm only an unwilling bodyguard because everyone and their mother wants to beat his ass, starting with Jonesey here. Can't let the man who signs the paychecks get offed."

Based on the look on John's face, Nate decided that Quin might not be a source of reliable information either.

"I put the two of them together," Brent bragged.

Nate looked at Quin and John and wondered if they were a couple or if this was just more misinformation.

"You mean when you tried to get us both into bed for a threesome, and we told you where you could stick it?" John said.

"If only I could stick it up my own ass, I would be the happiest man in the world."

This kind of uncensored talk made Nate ask when the kids were due home. The only one who heard his question was Quin. He told Nate that he would be picking them up a little later. While Brent bickered with his assistant, Nate looked around. He was even more interested in his surroundings now that he was going to be living and working there. The place was both minimalist and opulent as one walked in, but the office had been inviting in its own way. The entry and a large open area beyond were decorated in a contrasting combination of wood stained a dark, coffee brown and furniture upholstered in creamy white. There were touches of smoky, dark gray glass. A geometric pattern was inset into the marble floor under his feet. Directly above him was that art deco, black crystal chandelier he had noticed before. There were art deco touches everywhere, but the style was eclectic overall. Nate wondered whose taste it reflected.

After introductions and bickering were over, Quin and John left, and Brent showed Nate to his room. As they went up the marble stairs, Nate admired the intricate detail in the wood of the railing while Brent admired him. The stairs ended at a circular loft that overlooked the entryway and its high windows. The upstairs had a more comfortable feel. The decor was still stylish in that subtle way that screams of great wealth but without the stark contrasts. The loft showed signs of use including an overturned cup and some toys under the furniture. From there Brent led him down an L-shaped hallway. The doors along the way had a geometric designs set into the lacquered wood. Nate counted at least six bedrooms. Hanging on the walls of the hallway were painted portraits of two children at different ages. Seeing Nate looking at them, Brent told him, "That's them. You notice that we couldn't get them to sit still."

Nate had noticed, and he didn't think that was a bad thing. He admired the way the children were captured while playing not sitting in some gaudy armchair. When they passed a set of open double doors leading into a large bedroom, Brent said, "That one is mine. As you can see, the door is always open." Brent tried to catch Nate's eyes with a leering look, but Nate just walked on down the hall.

Catching up to him, Brent pointed at the kids' rooms with less emphasis. A door across from the kids' rooms and next to Brent's was where they stopped. Nate's new bedroom was a good size but decorated way too fancy for Nate's taste, in pewtery gray and pale blue fabrics. The wood was very dark with the shimmer of hard candy. The style carried through into the bathroom. At least the bed was big and looked comfortable. It must have looked inviting to Brent as well. Instead of leaving him to unpack, Brent stretched out sideways on the bed. He looked far too comfortable and also attractive. Anybody would be crazy to ask him to leave when he looked that good on their bed. By lying there, it was like he was displaying himself for Nate. His long legs and the rest of his tightly muscled physique called to Nate like no other in recent memory. Though Brent was dressed in casual but, no doubt, expensive clothes, it was too easy to picture him naked, every muscle exercised to perfection.

When Nate set a stack of his boxers on the bed, Brent made a grab for them. Nate was faster though.

"Those aren't the ones I want to get my hands on anyway," Brent said.

Nate almost looked down at himself to make sure he was still dressed. The way Brent looked at him, you would think he was naked. As Nate turned away to put those boxers in a drawer, Brent sighed. Nate wasn't surprised to find that he was ogling his ass. Since Nate wasn't shy, he just shook his head and smiled.

"Did you see those two?" Brent said and actually made eye contact with Nate. "I thought I had it made when I hired John and Quin. But neither one of them did it with me even once before they hooked up with each other. Can you believe it? And John is so uptight, even Quin can't loosen him up. When they started shacking up, I thought at least I would be seeing a new and improved John. Nope. Same old John, always on my case." As Brent bitched, he spoke like he and Nate chatted all the time and hadn't just met a few days ago and not spoken two words since then.

"You were hoping for a sex induced personality transformation?" Nate said while he hung up his clothes. They didn't even come close to filling the closet.

"I hope you aren't going to disappoint me," Brent said and gave Nate a heavy lidded look.

"I'll do my best," Nate promised, "to take good care of the children."

Brent's expression became sulky, but he still looked too attractive to kick out.

"If I'm hearing you right, I will have to take a serious look at my hiring practices." Brent turned to lie on his back and look up at the ceiling. Following his gaze, Nate saw it was covered in metallic decorative tile with a small dome at the center of the ceiling. Lights were mounted around the edge. That probably made for a nice effect at night. Some people had money to burn.

As Nate looked at the ceiling, he considered Brent's problem from another angle.

"Maybe you're too good at finding the right people," Nate said just as Brent was getting up to leave.

He turned back to ask, "What does that mean?"

"That you end up doing your best despite your worst intentions. You might have hired me for the wrong reasons, but I plan to do a good job."

"I screwed myself again, is what you're saying?" Brent said not letting go of his main concern.

"I'm sure you get plenty of action elsewhere," Nate told him and looked him up and down to underscore his point. Rich and gorgeous, Brent wasn't getting any sympathy from him. "This way you can get some peace and quiet at home."

"Screw peace and quiet. I want a nonstop orgy."

"When are the kids getting picked up from school? I'd like to ride along," Nate said, partly to remind Brent of their existence.

"Talk to Quin. That's his department."

Since Brent gave him no directions before he left, Nate had to find his own way around. He wandered the halls, opening doors. He found an impressive gym and pictured Brent working out in it. After opening more doors, he stumbled into the garage. It looked more like a luxury car dealership. Nate wasn't a car guy so the only way he could recognize the make was to read the back. A Bentley and an Aston Martin were all he had time to admire before Quin came in.

"This is what you get to drive?" Nate asked him.

"I get my pick," Quin said. "Except for that last one. That one is Brent's."

"Is that a Range Rover?" Nate asked, surprised at his choice.

"Yes. Right next to a Maserati. His daddy had a Range Rover. Brent is sentimental that way," Quin said with a shrug, then he pointed at a sleek, black number. "This baby is my favorite."

"Jaguar," Nate said as he admired it.

"That's right. A big, black cat."

"Sounds good. I'm coming with you," Nate told him.

"Just keep it in your pants. I'm spoken for and so is the car," Quin warned him as they got in.

Brent was right about Quin. He did look good in his dark sunglasses, sitting behind the wheel. But he didn't look like a chauffeur at all, and not just because he was dressed casually. Quin had a commanding presence and an easy confidence of a guy in charge. It was hard to believe that he worked for someone like Brent. Nate found him to be tough but easygoing. As he drove, he filled Nate in on a few things.

"John does the paperwork. I do the real work. And Brent..."

"Let me guess."

"That's right. He does no work. What I don't do is baby sit. No offence," he said with a sideways glance at Nate.

"It's not for everyone. No offence," Nate told him.

Quin chuckled then continued telling Nate how things worked.

"I drive the kids to and from school, that's it. But me and John were stuck babysitting for a while because Brent was dragging his feet hiring a nanny, until he had a look at you, that is." Quin looked him up and down appreciatively as they stopped at a red light.

Quin ranted a little about Brent, but he also gave out some useful information. He told Nate that Brent's wife, Greta, had died after a long battle with cancer. Nate wondered if Brent was bi since he was married to a woman. Quin told him that Brent ended up with nothing after his parents died. Though he was gay, he married Greta soon after.

"You do the math," Quin said.

From what Quin told him, Nate gathered that Brent was a party boy and a trophy husband, but now he was stuck with two kids. Nate was a little apprehensive about them. Was there any chance in hell they weren't spoiled?

About Ricky, Quin said, "That kid is alright. He's always up a tree or with his nose in a book. Or both. You'll spend all your time trying to keep Georgie from climbing up after him. That girl has no mercy. She's a little pest, and you'll be on pest control duty 24/7. I don't envy you. But Ricky doesn't really mind about her."

Quin told Nate that Ricky was Brent's stepson and that Brent had adopted him before his wife died. Ricky's father crashed his plane off the coast of Nova Scotia soon after Ricky was born. Ricky inherited some of his daredevil spirit. In Quin's opinion, that was what drove him to spend most of his time up one of the many old trees that made the grounds look like a forest.

"Greta liked them big and blond so the kid kind of looks like Brent, but he sure doesn't act anything like him," Quin said. "Georgie more than makes up for it. She's just like her daddy through and through. She's trouble."

"I'll watch out," Nate joked.

"Don't kid yourself. You're outmatched," Quin told him.

Nate was going to be able to judge for himself soon. Georgie was getting picked up first. She went to preschool then daycare. The daycare place might as well have been a gingerbread house. It was too cute to be real. In front, there was a white picket fence and flowerbeds in every color. Nate could see an elaborate playground in the back. The building itself was white with pink and blue trim and precious in every detail. It could have been made of sugar cubes and whipped cream.

As Georgie climbed in and Quin secured her in her seat, he told her, "Hey, G, you know who this guy is? He's the new nanny. What do you think of that?"

Her thoughts on the subject were summed up with an eager little "Hi, new nanny!"

Nate stayed turned toward her so they could get to know each other. She was four, and had dark, mischievous eyes and dark blond hair. Nate told her his name. She said, "Hi, Nate." When she said her own name, she didn't bother with the r. She chattered and Nate caught about every other word.

Ricky's school was the next stop. Georgie waved out the window as soon as she spotted her brother. He was seven, and just like Quin said, he resembled Brent, at least from a distance. On closer look, Nate could tell that the resemblance was only superficial. He was Georgie's opposite, but he was cute in his own, more reserved way. As soon as he got in, Georgie asked him, "Did you bring me anything?"

"No." Ricky sounded dour as he answered her, like he knew that this was just the beginning of an endless barrage of questions.

"Candy?"

"No. That only happened one time."

"Did you paint me a drawing?"

"You don't paint a drawing. You paint a painting. You draw a drawing."

"Did you?"

"No."

"Give it a rest, G. These two guys need to get acquainted," Quin said to put a stop to her pestering.

"That's Nanny Nate," Georgie said to her brother and pointed at Nate.

Nate knew he had to nip that in the bud before he was stuck with that as his new name.

"Honey, you won't be calling me that. Just Nate," Nate told her firmly then he turned to Ricky.

"Hi, Ricky. As you heard, I'm Nate."

Ricky looked at Nate curiously. After the introductions, Quin had to prompt him, "Say hi to the man."

Ricky did. After his initial staring, he only looked at Nate when Nate wasn't looking at him. But unlike Georgie, he answered all his questions about school thoroughly. Nate had a feeling he was going to like this kid.

When they arrived back at the house, Brent was waiting at the front door. Georgie ran into her father's arms as he called her "My girl". Ricky came up the front steps slowly, almost sullenly. Brent greeted him with "And my boy" and brushed the top of his head with his hand as he passed by wordlessly. Nate made a mental note to teach that boy some manners.

Brent had no instructions to give Nate, but Ricky was willing to fill him in on their routine. The first order of business was a snack. Nate got his first look at the huge kitchen that would be a dream come true to someone who actually cooked. The counter was black marble delicately veined with white. The cabinets were almond white and stretched to the ceiling. The oversized appliances looked professional but with a vintage flavor. While he admired the kitchen, Georgie tried to convince him that ice cream was on the menu.

The kitchen was impressive, but it wasn't exactly well stocked. There were several jars of peanut butter though. More than one had been opened. Nate sandwiched some crackers with peanut butter and banana slices. Then he crossed his fingers hoping that the kids would actually eat it. Georgie gobbled them up. Ricky was more cautious but ate his too. He also informed Nate that Georgie would eat anything with peanut butter.

Next it was homework time. Nate watched over the kids as they sat at the breakfast table. Out the windows that almost surrounded the kitchen, Nate could see a wrought iron table and chairs sitting right on the grass. If they ate out there when the weather was nice, it would minimize clean up. Nate also made some plans for the other work he needed to do. Monday, he would be starting at his second job, and he was looking forward to it. Just as Nate was going over his schedule in his head, Brent came to join him. Leaning against the kitchen counter next to Nate, Brent looked him over thoroughly. Nate pretended to ignore the visual strip search.

"I remember you had some academic excuse for taking this job. Does that mean you are an egghead because you don't look like one?" Brent asked like he knew what had Nate preoccupied.

"I'm a part time egghead. I took a break for a year and a half so I could earn some money. I would be an egghead full time, but I need a job that actually pays the bills. And right now, I need to live in Bridgegrove somehow. If I lived anywhere else, the commute would be murder, and my car is crap."

As Ricky did his homework, and Georgie drew random squiggles in imitation, Nate elaborated on what he had told Brent and John at the interview.

Nate was working on his masters in history, and he had stumbled onto an opportunity he couldn't miss. While tracking down some original sources from the Revolutionary War, he learned about a private collection of documents from that period. It belonged to the late Professor Lester Pullman. After he died in the 1980's, it was all but forgotten and neglected at his house in Bridgegrove. Nate visited the house and found that Professor Pullman's elderly daughter now lived there. He offered to organize her father's papers for her and also use his collection to write his master's dissertation. But he needed to live in that area to be close to the house of the late professor.

"I figured a job that came with room and board would kill two birds with one stone," Nate told Brent. "I'm working on my M.A. in American History. Just started, really. And Professor Pullman's archive can help me. It's something else. He was well-off, and he could spend serious money on buying old journals, letters, documents relating to the Revolutionary War. His daughter didn't even know what she had. She's in her seventies, a nice lady. I made a deal with her. I would put the papers in order in exchange for a small fee and access to his materials for my own research for my thesis. She is going to donate a lot of it, but she wants to keep the professors own writing for possible publication. I have to sort through all that."

"Boring and boring," Brent said. But from his expressive eyes, it was clear that he had listened to everything Nate said very attentively.

"It's not boring to me."

"So when do you plan to do all this boring stuff?" Brent wanted to know.

"During my time off. When the kids are at school and daycare. And don't forget, I have night classes three times a week," Nate reminded him. This was all discussed at the interview, and Brent had agreed to the terms.

"That doesn't leave us any time to hang out," Brent complained.

"I'm not your nanny," Nate told him.

"I'm way better than some old books," Brent claimed and bumped into his shoulder.

"Not to me. This is important work. I'm lucky I got this chance."

"You better save some time for me," Brent said as he stared at Nate intently.

"I'll see if I can fit you in," Nate said with a smile.

"I hope you mean that in the dirtiest possible way." Now Brent was grinning too.

"I'm going to check Ricky's homework now," Nate said to him.

Nate checked over Ricky's homework and Georgie's scribbles too. She was very proud of herself when he gave her his approval.

When Nate turned back to where Brent had been leaning, he was gone. Realizing that he was hoping to see him still standing there, Nate smiled to himself. Brent was so attractive and guileless that Nate couldn't help liking him. He didn't really mind his blatant come-ons. His open nature and lack of seriousness were part of his appeal, though mostly he was just plain gorgeous. In particular Nate remembered Brent's pretty brown eyes looking at Nate while he was telling him all that stuff he called boring. It must be something to have those eyes to look into while coming, not to mention getting to enjoy everything else that came with the package. He wondered if Brent would make a more aggressive move one of these days. Nate didn't want to complicate his already busy life, or he might even take him up on it.

Chapter 3

The rest of Nate's day passed in the company of Ricky and Georgie as they showed him the grounds. It was amazing to walk and walk and not reach the fence. There were some paths and benches, but mostly it was just nature allowed to do its thing with minimal human guidance. The flowering plants were few and seemed like they belonged. There was plenty of shade under the big trees which looked untrimmed but probably were. Between the trees were a few sunny, open areas. Nate noticed Georgie looking in some bushes along the way.

"What's she doing?" he asked Ricky.

"She's looking for bunnies."

"Bunnies are always hiding," Georgie complained.

"That's because you're always chasing them," Ricky told her.

"I want to play with them," Georgie said.

"Quin told you bunnies are wild animals. They don't want to play with little kids," Ricky reminded her.

"If you make so much noise, the bunnies will run away. Let's be quiet and sneak up on them," Nate suggested.

She went along with that plan for about two seconds, then she was back to being Georgie. As they wandered aimlessly, she monopolized the conversation, if you can call it that. Ricky corrected her a lot, but she didn't let him get away with that without a fight. Brent caught up to them at one point and begged to be saved from John.

"He's boring me with business," he said to Nate and the kids, pleading for their sympathy.

Ricky made a long suffering face while Georgie was ready to play the hero to her lazy dad.

"We'll help you, Daddy," she said.

When his phone rang, Brent handed it to Georgie to answer. She was happy to chat with John, but he made her give the phone to Brent. Brent held the phone away from his ear as John yelled, "Get your ass back to the office, or I'll fucking quit!"

Georgie burst into a cute little laugh while Ricky looked guilty for hearing bad words.

"You didn't hear that," Nate told them. Only Ricky took him seriously. To Brent he said, "So John has a temper."

"I bring out the worst in him," Brent admitted with a smile and made no move to do as he was told.

"Get going already," Nate told him.

Brent saluted Nate crisply, kissed Georgie and Ricky on the tops of their heads and ran back to the house.

"You can do that? Pam couldn't make Brent do things," Ricky said almost like he thought it might be a special power Nate had.

"Not really. That was just a fluke." Nate wanted to ask Ricky why he didn't call Brent Dad, but Ricky spotted Georgie trying to climb a tree and went over to pull her down. Of course that started a wrestling match and a screaming fit from Georgie. She was laughing again pretty soon though. The kids chased each other for a while and made Nate tired just from watching them.

It was evening, and Nate was poking around in the kitchen when Brent came in. Georgie had asked for a snack, and that made Nate aware that it was dinnertime. He looked for something that needed minimal prep work or that he could just heat up, but he didn't see any suitable dinner options. When he mentioned this to Brent, he shrugged and said, "So what are you going to cook us?" He hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter. Nate was again struck by how attractive and almost irresistible he was. Nate looked away from those warm brown eyes and down to Brent's long legs in jeans, crossed at the ankles, his feet bare. Nate wanted to see those legs out of those jeans. But now it was time to deal with dinner.

"I told you at the interview that I can't cook," Nate reminded him.

"I wasn't listening. I was busy imagining you naked and then arranging you in different sex positions."

"Can you cook?" Nate asked.

"Come on, be serious," Brent said like expecting him to have any useful abilities was a ridiculous idea.

"What about Quin and John?"

"Yes, they can cook, but they went somewhere."

"We have to feed those kids something. What did you do before?" Nate asked.

"Me? Nothing. Pam cooked."

"I'll dig around some more," Nate decided and turned back to give the huge fridge another try.

Brent had a different idea as he came to lean on the fridge door so he could stand close to Nate. He ran his hand along the edge of Nate's shirt sleeve and said, "Let's go out."

"The kids too right?" Nate said since Brent sounded more like he was asking him out on a date.

"If they must."

"I'll get them ready," Nate said.

And he did know how to make a few basic things like pasta with sauce as long as a box and a jar were involved. He just didn't want Brent to get more out of him than he was paying for – in more ways than one.

While Nate got the kids ready, Brent went to his room to change. And he did know how to cook a little. It was fun as long as he did it only when he felt like it and maybe experimented a little. Tonight he felt like going out with Nate even if it was just a family night and not something more adult and intimate. Normally he would have gone out by now to hang out with the guys, wasting some hours before it was late enough to show up at the clubs. Brent wouldn't have been back home till late or early. Today was different. He didn't want to miss out on spending time with Nate. And going out with the kids was always fun. Maybe even too much fun for Nate's first day on the job. But Nate seemed like a guy who could handle himself. His calm, strong demeanor was just one of his many attractive qualities.

Brent put on a white dress shirt with a jacket and no tie. When he saw Nate and the kids coming down the stairs, he asked Nate, "Why didn't you dress up?"

Nate hadn't changed his clothes at all. He still wore jeans and that checkered shirt with snaps instead of buttons. He looked hot, but Brent wanted to see him put in a little effort.

"We are going out to eat with kids," Nate said like that was any excuse.

"Why didn't you dress them up too? Ricky looks damn cute in a suit," Brent said.

Ricky frowned at him as he came down the stairs.

Georgie said, "I want to dress up." She ran in circles around Brent, who tried to catch her. She was wearing a denim skirt with random, colorful buttons sewn in all over and a shirt with a picture of balloons on the front. Ricky wore jeans and a buttoned down checkered shirt. Brent looked from him to Nate as they stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"I hope we're going somewhere kid friendly," Nate said. Hearing all this talk about suits and dressing up must have worried him.

"Sure," Brent said. He caught Georgie and lifted her high as she giggled.

Nate didn't look like he believed him.