Nanny and the Beast. Donna Clayton

      His square jaw dipped low. “Trust me on this. She wanted me to see her body, and she left nothing to the imagination.”

      Sophia frowned and murmured an apology on Lily’s behalf. That girl was in for it, that was for certain.

      He shrugged. “Young people act rashly. They don’t think about consequences. I see it every day.”

      No wonder he’d stormed into her office like a roaring lion. In this day and age of sexual harassment in the workplace, he’d had every right to be furious. Heck, he’d had every right to fire her.

      Sophia told him, “That should never have happened.”

      Awkwardness tightened the air. Finally, she said, “I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power while I’m here to follow your guidelines to the letter.”

      As she made the pledge, she knew she was clinging to the age-old business adage that the client was always right. She was determined to do whatever it took to save her good business reputation. However, if she discovered that his rules were really as restrictive as she’d heard, she had every intention of somehow turning things around, of making him see that his agenda was way too rigid for the mere mortals who were caring for Hailey, not to mention a one-month-old infant.

      “I appreciate that,” he told her. But his tension didn’t seem to lessen.

      “I want you to know,” he continued, “that your only job is to care for Hailey. I don’t want you doing any housework or cooking or anything else while you’re here. Your focus should be on my daughter.”

      That was a relief. One of the biggest complaints she heard from the nannies she placed was that parents kept adding responsibilities that had nothing whatsoever to do with childcare; running errands, performing household chores and such. One nanny was asked to attend a parent teacher conference at her charge’s school. The young woman had felt awkward about approaching the parents, so Sophia had stepped in and clearly outlined everyone’s proper role in the business relationship.

      He went quiet for a moment, and Sophia finally had a chance to glance over the schedule he’d prepared.

      “Were you in the military?” she asked, her eyebrows arching a fraction. She really had been aiming to play it cool and not cause problems, but she reacted before she could stop herself.

      Her question seemed to confuse him, so she explained. “The schedule you’ve set for Hailey is so…regimented. Up by seven, fed by seven-thirty, bathed and dressed by eight. Diaper change at nine, another at ten. Snack at ten thirty. Diaper change at eleven.”

      She peered at him over the top edge of the paper. “What if she isn’t hungry at seven-thirty? Or what if she doesn’t need a diaper change at ten?”

      His jaw went taut. “What is it with you people?” he asked, exasperation sharpening his tone. “Whose child is this? How I want to parent my child is up to me, isn’t it? You just finished promising me that you’d follow the guidelines.”

      “Yes, but I never said I wouldn’t question the logic in them.” Instantly, she realized that had been the wrong thing to say. “Look—” she held up her hand in an attempt to appease him “—all I’m saying is that—”

      “I’ve already told you that I believe scheduling is everything,” he interrupted. “She has to learn that meals are served at regular intervals. How else is she supposed to understand the program? How else is my daughter going to learn to fit in to my life?”

      “Fit in to your life?” Did he not understand how outrageous his thinking was? “We’re talking about a baby. Not a puppy. Hailey’s brand-new to this world. She hasn’t a clue about rules and schedules. As her father, you have to figure out what Hailey’s schedule is. And although you may not like it, you have to arrange your life around her for a while. New parents are always complaining about feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, but—” she shrugged “—them’s the breaks. You have to suck it up and live by Hailey’s rules. Not vice versa.”

      She pointed to the rule regarding diaper changes. “You must be wasting an awful lot of disposable diapers. Hailey can’t possibly need changing every hour.”

      “I would think that diaper rash is painful, and I would also think the best way to prevent it is to keep her bottom dry.” He was positively glowering. Clearly, he was not a man who was used to explaining his actions or his motives.

      Her gaze darted for an instant to his lips. He had a nice mouth, even when it formed a straight, hard line. When he’d laughed in her office earlier his whole face had changed. His expression relaxed. The muscles of his smooth shaven jaw had contracted and his lips had curled into a smile. A nice smile, she remembered, trying to hold on to the image.

      “And besides that,” he continued through gritted teeth, “at some time in the future my daughter has to realize she shouldn’t be wetting her diaper. If her diaper is changed often enough, she might catch on to the concept more quickly.”

      The very idea tickled Sophia, and she let out a chuckle. It was only a small one, and she choked it off quickly, but her reaction only heightened his irritation; she could tell by the ire that flashed in his dark eyes.

      She reigned herself in automatically, shaking her head as she said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. I understand that this is a serious matter.”

      Even as she said the words, she had to fight back the humor bubbling up in her chest. Either he didn’t know a thing about babies, or he was one of those overly diligent parents who pushed their children to the brink to achieve. The thought of anyone thinking they could potty train a newborn, though, was downright silly to her.

      “Forgive me,” she said, luckily able to keep a straight face, “but I have to let you in on a little secret. It’ll be many months—a couple of years even—before Hailey is ready to ‘catch on’to the concept of potty training. And changing a dry diaper is like tossing money out the window.”

      Michael couldn’t believe his ears…or his eyes. This woman was laughing at him. She attempted to hold it back, but humor was dancing in her deep, blue eyes. Not only that, but she’d questioned the schedule he’d put so much thought and effort into. She wouldn’t rest until she’d criticized each and every rule, too, he was certain.

      Had she just told him to suck it up? Had she really just suggested that he let his one month old daughter make her own rules? What kind of craziness was that?

      “If you’re not worried about the money,” Sophia continued, “think of the environment. It’s one thing to throw soiled diapers into a landfill, but perfectly clean ones? Come on. That’s harmful for the world and everyone in it.”

      Her gaze continued to twinkle. She was obviously a people person; someone who attempted to chastise gently and without insult. A person who had been trained to work with children.

      Well, he was no child.

      He wasn’t offended by anything she’d said, but he did feel like a total idiot. Would it really be years before Hailey was out of diapers? He’d thought it would be five or six months, maybe, but not too much longer than that.

      How could he insist that Sophia change Hailey’s diaper every hour after she’d pointed out that doing so would be harmful to the environment?

      Damn, but he hated feeling inadequate and ignorant, and that’s all he’d felt since his daughter had been tossed into his arms when she’d only been a few days old. How was he supposed to know how often a baby made poo?

      “May I make a suggestion?” she asked.

      He remained silent. He had a strong suspicion that nothing he said would keep this woman from offering her idea.

      “How about if I promise to check the baby’s diaper every hour? No, every thirty minutes.” She tilted her cute oval face to one side. “The moment I detect any dampness, I’ll whip that diaper off and clean her little bottom. Cross