The Nanny Who Kissed Her Boss. Barbara McMahon

it?” She held her breath.

      “Whatever.”

      Savannah laughed. “Deal.”

      They reached their hotel room before Declan returned.

      “Time for a shower and shampoo before dinner,” Savannah said when Jacey dropped the bag from the store on her bed. “Want to go first?”

      “I guess. You could use Dad’s bathroom since he isn’t here,” she suggested. “Then I can take as long a shower as I want.”

      She was once again trying to reach her mother by phone. Savannah didn’t know if Margo had ever called her daughter over the weekend. If not, Jacey must be getting annoyed at being ignored.

      “Okay, that’ll work,” she said. Judging how much longer until the dinner time Declan had suggested, she figured she’d have time to be in and out before he returned.

      Savannah walked through Declan’s bedroom to his bath a few moments later. She kept her gaze averted from the bed, ignoring the few things of his on the dresser. But stepping into the bathroom brought back even more memories. His scent permeated the air. She saw his razor on the bath counter, his aftershave in a bottle beside it. For a moment she was immobile, remembering.

      Shaking off the past, she stepped into the shower and soon felt the soothing beat of the hot water. Focus on your job, she admonished herself. Jacey had been cordial most of the afternoon—actually, almost friendly toward the end. Trying on clothes was fun no matter what kind of attitude she was trying to maintain.

      Still, it felt good to have a few moments to herself. She wondered what Declan had been doing while they shopped. Not that she cared. Maybe she should suggest he take Jacey to dinner and let her stay behind to order room service. It would give the two of them time alone. And she would be spared dining with him again.

      Not him precisely. Nothing like before. Despite all the pep talks she’d given herself, it was hard not to feel something around him. An innate curiosity, a feeling of déjà vu, an attraction that sprang forth as strong as ever before. And a memory of his hard words, the end of her love.

      After drying off a few moments later, Savannah slipped on one of the thick terry robes the hotel provided. She towel-dried her hair, needing to get the mousse on it. Now it was flat and boring. She didn’t know how her sister stood having such long hair. Short hair was so easy to care for. And she liked the sassy look it gave her.

      Opening the door she stopped suddenly when she saw Declan lying on the bed. His legs were crossed at the ankles, one arm under his head, as he stared at her coming from his bathroom. Heat flooded, her heart raced. So he’d looked many times before when they’d spent a weekend somewhere. Swallowing hard, she tried to breathe.

      “Oh.”

      “Oh, indeed,” he said, rising. He crossed slowly over to her as his gaze traveled down the length of the terry robe. Her heart flipped over, pounded harder than ever.

      “Jacey and I wanted showers before dinner. You weren’t here. I hope I didn’t hold you up,” she said. She also hoped he wasn’t getting any ideas about her appropriating his bathroom. Obviously she’d misjudged how long he’d be at the store.

      He stopped inches away. She wore only the robe, closed with a sash that with one flick of a wrist could be undone. Trying not to think of how little she had on beneath the robe—like, nothing but bare skin—she edged sideways toward the door. He stepped closer and for a split second she thought he was going to reach for her. The surge of longing to feel his arms around her one more time caught her by surprise. Her gaze flicked to his mouth, her own almost tingling in yearning to feel those lips against her again, drawing a response from her that she’d once so freely given.

      Then the echo of the words he’d said that had ended everything sounded in her mind.

      She was fantasizing about him ripping off the robe and taking her into his arms, kissing her for real, a full-blown lip lock that would blow her mind, when he’d so cavalierly thrown her over for Margo. Now Margo was gone. Did he think he could step back in where they’d left off?

      She took another step, watching him warily. What could she say to make sure he knew she was so over him it wasn’t funny? That she’d taken this job only for Jacey’s sake.

      Declan stepped closer. She could feel the warmth from his body. Her eyes locked with his as her imagination ran wild.

      “Declan,” she started, but that husky voice didn’t sound like the crisp professional tone she was striving for. She cleared her throat, took two more steps to the door and opened it.

      “How did it go with Jacey today?” he asked.

      She turned and looked at him over her shoulder.

      “Actually, better than I expected. She actually thawed a bit by the time we reached the second store. I had her trying on any dress she wanted as long as it wasn’t black. She even let me buy her a blue one. If she wears it tonight, be complimentary, but don’t make a big deal over it.”

      “Any luck with the makeup?”

      “Young girls need to experiment. I’d say you have a typical teen. Once in the wilderness, no makeup for a few days and a compliment or two thrown her way, and I bet she doesn’t go back to it. I suggested we could go to one of the major department stores and have a makeover. But her response was tepid at best. Maybe when she gets back to New York you can take her to one of the stores there.”