Chapter 1

Jake

I closed the door with a soft click, making sure it didn't make any noise that would rouse the twins from their sleep. I wondered how they would take the news of me finally putting them in separate rooms; later this year, they would turn seven and I wanted them to get used to each of them having a space of their own. A small smile crossed my lips when I imagined Kelvin shooting down the idea, not because he didn't want a room for himself, but because he didn't want his twin alone. An involuntary sigh fell off my lips, as I did not like the fact that Karl was so timid and scared of everything. It never ceased to amaze me, the difference between them. The two were as different as night and day, although they looked alike. We all never had trouble telling them apart because their voices were different, the same as their preferences and behaviours. A thought of Victoria saying something like, 'that's what makes them special. Why have two that act like one when we can have two act like two; that's more fun.' with a smirk on her beautiful face, and her ever-shining eyes radiating joy.

Years might have passed, but I couldn't forget. Your soul mate would always be your soul mate and I already lost mine to a car crash. Now, I was a father to two growing boys, with a job that takes me away from the country most of the time, who rarely had the chance to be around his kids. Thank God for technology, because thanks to it, I was able to be involved in whatever went on with my kids from afar. It still didn't beat the advantage of being close to them. The thought reminded me of the trip to Paris next week, and I groaned, sick of travelling; globe-trotting wasn't as fun as it used to be now that I was in my late thirties. I had a few feet to cover before I could get to my room, but I didn't wait to cover them before I started taking off my dress shirt; no sleep for close to twenty-four hours could do that to a man.

I pushed open my door and threw the shirt on the back of the antique chair close to the door, not stopping, in my desperation to hit the bed and shut down. I yanked back the covers only to see the nanny of my children, with nothing but her birthday suit on, smiling up at me like she wanted to eat me up. My first reaction was to rub my eyes, since I wasn't with my glasses, testing my eyes to see if I was seeing things correctly. She smirked before slowly going on her knees, rubbing her hand back and forth seductively on her collarbone.

"I was waiting for you." She said like we had been doing this before and it was normal. She came forward, her arms stretched to touch me on my exposed chest, which the moon from the slightly open window, at the side of the room, gave a silvery glow.

"You look so delectable," she said, staring at my chest while licking her lips, with a hungry look in her eyes that made me want to raise my hands to cover my chest or run back to get my shirt off the chair.

"I couldn't wait anymore to have you. I haven't seen a man who couldn't decode when a lady is giving him access to being naughty with her." She said and I had to control my gag reflex. Was that what she was doing when she would accidentally pour tea on my trousers or shirt, or when she would bend down to pick up things in front of me?

I honestly thought she was clumsy, I was even doubting the sense of hiring someone who seemed to cause a ruckus everywhere she went. Susan, my head of staff, nicknamed her the klutz.

This is what you get for being out of the game for close to six years...

I immediately caught her hands before they could touch my chest and carried her off the bed. She gave an excited shout, probably thinking I was about to go caveman on her, but I was so disgusted I couldn't even bring myself to speak. I turned, carrying her surprisingly heavy form on my stiff back muscles, and walked out of the room with her, grabbing my discarded dress shirt off the chair. She kept asking where we were going but I didn't say anything. I increased my pace when she began to pant while digging her long nails into my back, doing my best not to make a sound. I went to the part of the mansion for the house staff and kicked open Susan's door, the door coming off its hinges.

She jumped off her bed, clutching the book she had been reading to her chest. Her fright was soon replaced with shock, when I threw the nanny on her vacated bed, throwing the dress shirt I took off initially so she could cover herself.

"Jesus!" Susan said, looking at the lady on the bed, who was trying her best to look anything but embarrassed. "Jane, what is this?" She asked a question that I thought was stupid, although I refrained from making my thought public.

"Susan, get her out of here tonight." It was clear from my tone of voice that it was an order, one I expected to be followed immediately without any delay. Jane, who had already begun buttoning the shirt I threw at her, started to plead with me, telling me she was sorry and that it wouldn't happen again. Unfortunately for her, her breast kept spilling out of the shirt she had misbuttoned in her haste to beg me, making me more irritated.

"Get her out of here, now! Ensure someone cleans my room as early as possible tomorrow, paying particular attention to my bed." I turned, not waiting for an answer and almost knocked down the butler, Jones. He gave me a nod, but I was so pissed I ignored it and moved past him, leaving them to do what I wanted.

I rushed to the study on the first floor, moving immediately to the mini bar tucked in a corner, so I could pour myself a drink. I stood watching the grounds of the mansion when I saw a yellow taxi coming from the direction of the main gate. I watched as she came out, her hair in disarray and her clothes which I was sure had been packed hastily in her suitcase, sticking out at the sides. She now had on a black gown, and a red flip-flop on her feet.

The driver took the luggage from her and opened his booth to dump it, while she moved towards the cab, opening the door to go in. She suddenly paused to look around, before she looked at Jones and Susan who were both frowning. She then directed her gaze to the study window, giving me a stare that I found disconcerting like I was being threatened or at least a promise of it was being made. I squared my shoulders and gave an unyielding stare of my own I used to intimidate my opponents in the world of business.

She turned to look at the driver who probably told her to get in and finally went in. The amount of relief I felt as I watched the cab take her away, never to return, made me release a breath. I heard a knock on the door and I told whoever was behind the door to come in.

I didn't turn to face whoever came in but I saw from the reflection on the stained glass that it was Susan and she had her head bent, probably feeling guilty that this happened on her watch.

"It's not your fault," I told her, taking a sip of my drink.

"It is sir, I accept it. I should have scrutinized her well when she came for the interview." She said, beating herself up about something she couldn't change.

I turned, a hand buried deep in my pocket and the other enclosed around the glass tumbler I held.

"You couldn't have known that she would act that way." Now that Jane was gone, the adrenaline that had been keeping me awake soon fizzled out and I became tired and in need of sleep again. My back also began to ache again, especially after the added strain called Jane's body.

"I promise you, sir, that your children's new nanny would either be old or married. I would make sure they are not single and young." She sounded serious as she made her promise and I couldn't hold back the tired smile that crossed my lips.

"That's unreasonable. Just make sure whoever you hire is not interested in me, okay." I said before I downed the remaining whiskey. I dropped the tumbler back where I took it and left Susan alone in the room.

"I promise you, this won't happen again. I swear on it." Susan said, her mind made up on the qualifications for the next nanny.