“I’ve actually decided it’s the kick in the pants I needed to push me to do what I’ve been wanting to do.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I’ve always dreamed of being a teacher, but I never did anything about it. Now I’m thinking that maybe I should. I can’t right now, obviously. I mean, I don’t even have a job and I don’t have the money saved for school. But I heard you were looking for a nanny.”

It took my brain a few seconds to catch up with her words. “Yes,” I finally said. “Yes, we are.”

“If you haven’t found anyone, I’d appreciate the opportunity to interview for the position.”

“The position is still available.” We had yet to find someone we connected with who also connected with Elizabeth and Henry. “You know we’re living part-time in Wilmington, Delaware, now?”

“Yes, I have family about twenty miles from there. So I’m familiar with the area.”

The more I thought about it, the more and more I liked the idea of Lynne working for us as a nanny. I’d always liked her, and having someone in the lifestyle would make many things easier for us. “Are you free this weekend?” I asked. “Would you be willing to come to Delaware to meet with me and Nathaniel and be introduced to Elizabeth and Henry?”

“This weekend would be perfect!” Her voice nearly hummed with relief.

“Great! Let me confirm a time with Nathaniel and I’ll e-mail you details.” No sooner had I spoken the words than a thought hit me. “What will Simon think about you being in Wilmington?”

She didn’t answer and the silence was so absolute I looked at the phone to make sure she hadn’t hung up.

“Simon broke up with me,” she finally said.

“Oh, Lynne, I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“I know we were only together for a little while, but I really liked him. We tried playing a bit, but he said I wasn’t ready. He thought I wasn’t really a submissive.”

I didn’t know Simon very well, but it didn’t sound like him to break up with her so suddenly. Something else must’ve been going on with them—or at least with him.

She sighed. “I don’t know what I did wrong. And then when I asked him about it, he wouldn’t talk.”

“That really doesn’t sound like Simon. Something’s going on. I’ll have to talk with Nathaniel.” Nathaniel knew him better than I did, so I hoped he might be able to find out what was going on.

“Oh no, don’t do that. I don’t want Simon to know I was talking about him.”

“He won’t know. I’ll just ask Nathaniel if he knows what’s going on.” She didn’t say anything, so I continued, “I promise Simon won’t know you were talking about him.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” The monitor at my desk crackled with Henry’s babbles. “I have to go, kids are up. I’ll be in touch.”

I jogged up the stairs, elated because I was willing to bet I’d just found our nanny.

Later that night, after the kids were asleep, Nathaniel and I were relaxing together by the indoor pool. We’d just finished doing laps and were sitting in our deck chairs, both wrapped in robes. We’d turned on a few low lights and lit some candles I kept out by the pool, so the room was bathed in simmering shadows.

“Something must have happened with Simon,” he agreed after I told him about my conversation with Lynne. “I only wish I knew what.”

“When was the last time you talked with him?”

“I hate to admit how long it’s been,” he said, shaking his head. “I haven’t kept up with anyone the way I should. Especially those in our New York BDSM group.”

“Please don’t tell him Lynne called. I promised we wouldn’t let him know she had mentioned him to me.”

“I won’t. I’ll just call him to catch up. I’ve been meaning to do it anyway.” He ran a towel over his hair, drying it further. “I think it’d make a lot of sense if we hired her to be our nanny and she moved in with us. That way she can put aside money for school instead of paying rent. And she’s familiar with the lifestyle…” I nodded at his reasoning. “So she wouldn’t be surprised if she came across us doing something in the middle of the night or if she stumbled into the living room and saw you kneeling at my feet while we watched the news.”

“Exactly,” I said.

“Why don’t you call her tomorrow and see when she can come meet with us and the kids? If she doesn’t get along with them, there’s no reason to move forward.”

“This is going to work out. I just have a feeling.”

“I hope you’re right. It would make things easier for us.”

“There is one more thing,” I said. “I want to hire Jeff to do a background. I mean, I’ve always liked her and she was in our New York group, so you would think everything’s fine, but we really don’t know her that well…”

“You can never be too safe. I agree. Let me know what she says after you talk to her and I’ll have Jeff run a preliminary before she comes to Wilmington. If that one comes out well, we’ll have her sign paperwork for a more in-depth one.”

I nodded. “That would make me feel a lot better. I’m glad you don’t think I’m being too cautious.”

“There’s no such thing when it comes to my family’s safety.”

His voice was low and gruff and turning me on. Especially the way he was sitting, all wet and half-naked. I glanced up at the clock. Only nine forty-five. Not too late …

“Come here for a minute.” His voice was downright husky now and I forgot all about the clock.

Perplexed, I walked over to his chair and he scooted over to make room for me.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I set the video camera up in the bedroom.” His fingers untied my bikini top and pinched a nipple.

My mouth grew dry. Holy hell, I loved it when he set up a camera. “You did?”

He pinched harder.

“Oh God, Nathaniel …”

He dipped his head and nibbled my neck while he slipped a hand between my legs and teased the material aside so he could stroke my entrance.

“Go upstairs and wait for me on the bed.”

I groaned. He was making me feel too good to stop and move upstairs. But he had the camera set up and I knew that would be fun, so I made myself move away from him and took my time getting to our room. While I walked, I thought about how I was going to act.

He found me a few minutes later, standing at the foot of the bed.

“I thought I said on the bed?” he asked, arms crossed.

“Don’t want to,” I said. I didn’t have his collar on and I felt like playing hard to get. “I don’t want you to fuck me.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

I winked at him, then said, “You better let me out of this room.”

He took two long steps to me and put his hand around my throat. Not tight, but there. “You’re not going anywhere, naughty virgin maiden. I’ve captured you and you’re going to bend over that bed and let me fuck you.”

Barbarian and captured virgin maiden … we hadn’t done that one in a while.

“Please, Sir,” I said, batting my eyelashes. “If my betrothed finds out I’m not pure, he won’t marry me.”

“Not my problem, wench,” he said, getting into his role. “Your father should have thought about that before he allowed you to go off by yourself into the woods.” He swept a finger across my breast. “And he should have warned you about the dangers of swimming naked.”

“I didn’t know anyone was watching.”

“I don’t believe you. I think you knew I was there.”

“I didn’t. I—”

“Silence,” he said. “You’re mine now and you have to serve me.”

“But, Sir.” I blinked my eyes. “I’m a virgin maiden. I don’t know how.”

“I’ll instruct you. And if you do a good job, I’ll keep you to myself. Do a poor job and I’ll give you over to my guards to do with you what they want.”

“No, anything but that.” I tried to look properly subdued. “Tell me what to do, Sir.”

He pointed to the floor. “Kneel here and remove my drawers.”

I snickered. “Your drawers? Have you turned into a dresser?”

“Knickers?” he suggested.

“Maybe loincloth?” We both laughed, and I moved to my knees and pulled his bathing suit down over his hips, revealing his erection. I gasped. “My heavens, Sir. What is that?”