Too Cold To Love Read online

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2012 Doris O’Connor

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-017-9

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To the UCW girls—always an inspiration

  TOO COLD TO LOVE

  Doris O’Connor

  Copyright © 2012

  Chapter One

  Elise scanned the crowded Starbucks for her mirror image and frowned. Where was Jemima? She impatiently tucked a strand of her dark blonde hair behind her ear and pursed her lips in disgust at the state of her trouser suit. The crowded journey over on the tube in rush hour had crumpled her clothing beyond repair and left her hair a complete mess, if the loose strands falling into her eyes were anything to go by. So not the look she usually chose to portray to the world.

  Her clothes were her armor against the likes of the overenthusiastic businessman, trying to peer down her cleavage. She glared at him, and he visibly sobered. Sheesh, loosen just two buttons on her blouse. Men.

  Where was Jemima? Her flamboyant twin sister could normally be spotted straight away wherever she was. So why was she hiding? A toddler's high pitched squeal caught Elise's attention. Something about the intensity of that screech tugged at her heart strings. And then she spotted her, a little dark haired girl, her angelic little features screwed up, tears streaming down her face; left strapped into her pushchair, parked against a table in a corner. No discernible adult with her. What the hell? Maybe they had gone to the toilet, but would you really leave your child like this?

  Instinct took over, and Elise's legs moved of their own accord. Before she could stop herself, she had unstrapped the little darling and, hoisting her on her hip, murmured silly nothings in her ear. The little girl's arms went round Elise's neck in a strangle hold, and an ice cold fist clamped round her heart as painful memories swamped her. The toddler snuggled into Elise's neck, and her heart-wrenching sobs slowly subsided.

  "There, there little one, where's your mummy gone? You can't be here all by yourself?" Elise forced the words past the lump in her throat and opened her eyes to see the little girl smiling at her. She really was adorable, and Elise couldn't help but smile back at her. She tightened her grip on the chubby little legs, which begged to be tickled; and the little angel giggled in earnest.

  It was then she spotted Jemima. Her twin emerged from the toilet with a sheepish expression on her flawless features. She pulled down her shocking pink miniskirt that barely covered the vitals, whilst trying to tuck her lime green t-shirt into her waist. She looked suspiciously flushed, as did the rocker type dude that followed her out of the toilet. Surely not?

  Jemima shimmied across and took the little girl out of Elise's arms. The toddler looked between the two of them with huge blue eyes. Jemima put her back in her push chair.

  "I see you met Mimi." Jemima said.

  "She's with you? What were you thinking leaving her like this, and who the dickens is that?" Elise gestured towards the leering fellow behind Jemima.

  "Oh that's Mike. He's a musician, and I'm going to go on tour with him. He's got this hard rock gig going touring Europe, and I'm going with him. What's the matter, Elise? Sit down; you look rather faint all of a sudden. Mike, give us a minute will you? This won't take long, and I'll be right out."

  "Sure thing, Sugar."

  Mike took off, leaving a completely baffled Elise to stare after him.

  "What do you mean, you'll be right out? And why have you got Mimi with you? I know she's not yours, so whose is she? What have you done,Jem?" Elise's heart beat a little faster. What on earth had Jemima done this time?

  "Relax, will you, it's cool." Jemima's offhand dismissal had Elise praying for patience.

  "Cool? What's cool about leaving a little girl by herself in a café whilst you go off and do goodness what in the toilets with the likes of this Mike?" Elise was warming to her subject, once again exasperated with her flighty five minutes younger twin. It felt like she had bailed Jemima out of one or the other of her many escapades for as long as she could remember. She glanced down at little Mimi, who was still smiling at her whilst looking at Elise with a slightly disconcerting intensity.

  "Well, she was asleep, didn't think she would wake up soon, and when you've got an itch, well you got to scratch it, right?"

  "Jemima."

  "Oh excuse me; I forgot you've frozen your nether regions out of action forever." Jemima rolled her eyes and sniggered."Well, that's too bad. I have made no such silly vow, and I intend to enjoy myself.Lots.With Mike!"

  Elise just shook her head.

  "Enjoying yourself is what keeps getting you into trouble, Jemima. I thought you learnt your lesson last time. This new job of yours was going well, last I heard. Then, this morning, I get this panic-stricken phone call, so here I am. What is the problem?"

  She once again glanced at Mimi. The little girl was still looking at her, something odd about that fixed stare. It was too intense for someone so young.

  "Mimi is the problem," Jemima sighed. "You see, I'm her nanny. Well strictly speaking, you're her nanny—"

  "Excuse me? Did you just say you're her nanny? You?" Elise had to laugh. "You don't even like children, and hang on, what do you mean strictly speaking I'm her nanny? Oh my God Jemima, what have you done?"

  ****

  Across town Marco Giovanni was in a foul mood as he slammed the front door shut behind him. He loosened his tie, unbuttoned the top three buttons of his expensive shirt, and flung the tailored suit jacket on the little table in the hall. He raised his head to listen. Where was that good-for-nothing nanny of his now? Definitely not here, that's for sure. There was no loud rock music assaulting his ears and no god-awful clothing ensemble to make him wince.

  If it wasn't for the fact that Mimi seemed to like this one and she had come with such excellent references, he would have gotten rid of her weeks ago. At least she hadn't made any sudden moves on him. He ran his hand through his slightly too long black hair and smiled grimly. Thank heavens for small mercies. He certainly had no interest in his nanny or any woman for that matter. They were all just scheming harlots, and he and Mimi were better off without them. If it wasn't for his aunt's constant meddling he would have been quite happy to have Mimi looked after by his housekeeper. Stella Giovanni, however, had other ideas. He knew better than to argue with the head of the Giovanni Clan. Stella had been insistent that Mimi needed to have a proper nanny and had chosen the girls herself. Marco didn't think it was a coincidence that every one of the nannies she had sent his way had been young and attractive. The woman was matchmaking. He closed his eyes recalling the last conversation he'd had with Mamma Giovanni.

  "You really ought to think about getting married again, Marco. It's not natural for a young man like you to bury himself in his work, and Mimi needs a mother."

  "She's got a mother, Aunt Stella."

  "Hah, she's not a mother, and you know that. You need a good woman like Kitty here. Look how well Alex and sheare suited."

  Marco had been grateful for Kitty taking Stella to one side, whilst his cousin Alex had slapped him on the back, before offering him a beer.

  "Don't mind her. You know how she gets. You will find y
our match when you're least expecting it. I know I did."

  Marco had snorted at that, but he had to give it to Alex. He'd fallen on his feet, literally, a slight limp the only remembrance of the terrible accident that had almost cost him his life. Those had been dark times for the Giovanni. Marco still felt guilty about his own behaviour at the time. He'd been so caught up in his troubles with his now ex-wife, he'd been little support then.

  Dannazioni, this maudlin wasn't getting him anywhere. He was wired tonight. He needed a good work-out to chase away the demons. He shrugged out of his clothes, once again grateful to have the house to himself, as he headed for the gym room.

  ****

  Elise slowly approached the impressive building with a heavy heart. The circular driveway led to a mini mansion of red brick and mullioned windows, surrounded by immaculately landscaped gardens. The place reeked of wealth and power, and Elise took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. What had Jemima gotten her into now? And why on earth had she agreed to bail her out? But then, what else could she have done? She couldn't believe that Jemima had stolen her identity to take this job.

  The coffee shop had not been the place to delve deeper into Jemima's reasoning. All of Elise's internal alarms had gone into overdrive at the nervous way Jemima had dodged her questions. Her twin's desperation, barely masked by her overly cheery attitude, had finally convinced Elise to just go along with it for now. Jem would confide in her when she was ready and not a day too soon, and there was the child to consider.

  Not that Elise could stay. She would have to put in her notice first thing tomorrow and just hope that they could find a replacement quickly. Going back to nannying was out of the question. Already the painful memories threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't be around children, she just couldn't, especially adorable little girls like Mimi.

  The little one was toddling ahead of her now, excited to be home. Jemima said she didn't talk at all, which was strange, yet she clearly understood what was said to her.

  "Ok, Mimi, give me a minute to find the right key."

  Elise rummaged around in the oversized bag that Jemima had given her, and she grimaced, catching sight of the lime green shirt that she had swapped with her twin sister in an effort to look more like her. She'd refused to wear that ridiculous excuse for a skirt though, preferring to keep her own trousers on. Her shoulder length hair, completely freed from its bun now, was arranged in the messy style that was all Jemima.

  Her twin had looked at her with a satisfied smile. "Yeah, that should do it. He's been moaning at me to dress more conservatively, so you never know Mr. Grumpy Pants may even crack a smile. I wouldn't count on it, of course. Never in my life have I met a moodier man. He'd be quite handsome if he smiled more."

  "Jem, you haven't, have you?"

  "Argh with him?Nah. Take a chill pill, sis, he's not my type, and I reckon we're not his. Probably no one is actually. He's had a succession of nannies, you know, from what I can gather, since his wife upped and left them, and well… you'll see."

  Elise remembered that conversation with a certain amount of dread now. How she was ever going to pass for the flamboyant sister was beyond her. They were as different as chalk and cheese in personality; in looks they were identical right down to the two annoying freckles on their jaw line.

  Bother it all to heck and back, where is the front door key?

  Mimi grabbed hold of the strap, and the entire contents of the bag spilled all over the door step, yet still no key. Before she could bend down to retrieve the contents the front door opened, and Elise forgot to breathe. The man stood glowering down on her had to be at least six foot two of hard muscle, perfectly showcased in vest top and low slung joggers. She'd interrupted a workout if the fine sheen of perspiration on his face was anything to by. Ice cold blue eyes, framed by heavy lashes, sat in a proud, patrician face, covered in a day's worth of stubble. He raised his hand to push his slightly too long, black hair away from his face, and the musk of hot, sweaty male, mixed with the faint scent of his cologne invaded Elise's senses. Her fingers itched to touch the impossibly broad shoulders, and she hastily dropped her eyes and balled her hands into fists to resist giving in to the impulse. This was Marco Giovanni?

  ****

  Marco groaned when he opened the door to see the devastation on his door step. Oh goody, the nanny is back.

  "Ciao, Mimi, where have you been?" He smiled at his daughter who gave him a bear hug, before wriggling to get down when she spotted Agnes the housekeeper.

  "Yeah okay, just one before dinner, Mimi." His tone turned frosty when he addressed Elise.

  "I am assuming you have not allowed her to stuff herself full of junk again? Cat got your tongue, woman? Ah let me guess, you forgot your keys again?"

  He winced taking in the shirt that, quite frankly, ought to be burned. Damn it, he paid the woman enough to buy clothes more in keeping with her position. At least she had some decent trousers on for a change. His eyebrows rose when he heard her slightly breathless reply.

  "Certainly not, I do not forget things, I just...urm. Well."

  "Mislaid it again, have you, Miss Donovan? You seem to be mislaying a lot of things lately."

  "Yes, well, that is about to change I can assure you, Mr. Giovanni," she mumbled under her breath. She bent down to retrieve the contents of her garish bag and gave him a perfect view of her tight ass. Hell, he had no business noticing how the fabric of her trousers clung to those long legs and showed the curve of her bottom off to perfection. Who'd have thought it? What are you doing?That's your nanny, man. Hands off!

  "Here let me help you with that. You'll be there all day." His voice was gruffer than he intended it to be, but bending down next to her had brought him close enough to notice her subtle feminine scent— something light and flowery and very unique to her. How come he never noticed how good she smelled?

  "Hah, I knew I had the key. Here it is!"

  Elise straightened at the same time as he did. Holding the key triumphantly in the air, she stepped away from him. Her foot caught on the door step, and Marco told himself later, he had to grab her around the waist to stop her from falling over. The contact brought her firm breasts in direct contact with his chest, and he heard her gasp. He felt the connection like a kick to the gut, and all his blood rushed south. Hot damn! It had been too long since he held a woman in his arms, if his instant arousal was anything to go by. Why did his libido have to remember its existence now, when he held his nanny in his arms, his nanny for god's sake? He shifted, grateful for the loose fitting pants helping to hide his hardening cock.

  "Urm, you can let go of me now. I should see to Mimi."

  Her breathy whisper raised his blood pressure a few more notches, and he automatically pulled her closer, taking a deep breath of her enticing scent.

  "Mimi is fine. Have you changed your shampoo?"

  "My shampoo?" She looked at him as though he'd lost his marbles.

  "Si, there is something different about you." His voice sounded rough even to his own ears, and she looked, damn, she looked frightened. Her expressive chocolate brown eyes widened in alarm, and her curvy frame trembled in his arms. He forced himself to let her go. What the hell was going on here?

  "No, I'm sure I don't know what you mean. I really must go and see to Mimi, excuse me."

  She grabbed the bag along with Mimi's stroller, and looking uncertain for a minute,she straightened her shoulders and walked off in the direction of the kitchen.

  Marco slammed the front door shut, his body still tingling where it had touched hers.If he didn't know better, but no, that was impossible.She must have just decided to take his orders on board finally, and he was pumped full of adrenaline still following his workout. That was the only explanation for the sudden primal interest in Mimi's nanny. She was strictly off limits, and he needed a long cold shower.

  Chapter Two

  Elise stared at the contents of the wardrobe in disbelief. Jemima had excelled herself. Every col
or of the rainbow was looking back at her and some that she'd never even heard of. How on earth was she supposed to wear any of this? This just wasn't her. She longingly thought of her own clothes back in her cosy little flat. What she wouldn't give to be back there now.

  More clothes went flying out of the wardrobe to join the colourful heap on the floor, and Mimi giggled. Elise smiled at the sound; Mimi really had the most infectious laugh. Right now Mimi was climbing on top of the rainbow heap of clothes, throwing them in the air, clapping her hands in delight when they fell down. At least that junk was good for something.

  It was good to hear Mimi be so carefree. She hadn't been last night. Elise had been woken up from a disturbingly erotic dream, involving none other than Mimi's father, to the little girl's screams echoing across the hall. She'd scrambled out of bed, completely disoriented, and by the time she found herself across the hall towards Mimi's room the crying had subsided. The sight that greeted Elise had done little to calm her already overactive libido.

  Marco Giovanni had sat on the floor in front of his daughter's cot, holding her tenderly in his rather well defined arms, whilst singing her a lullaby in Italian. Clad in only very low slung pajama bottoms Elise had had a perfect view of washboard abs, a broad, slightly hairy chest and impressive shoulders, whose muscles flexed slightly as he rocked his daughter off to sleep. She couldn't get a clear view of his face, buried in Mimi's hair, but the voice that sang to his child so tenderly was full of painful emotion, that Elise recognised only too well. Feeling like she had intruded on a very private moment, she'd padded back to her room.

  Looking at Mimi now, she wondered what the story was. Not that it was any of her business. She was not staying. In fact, looking at the time, she had to ring the temp agency she worked for to let them know that she wasn't available for the next four weeks. At least, that's what she assumed her notice was. Damn Jemima for dropping her in it like this. And what about Mimi?Yet another new nanny? No wonder the little thing had nightmares.