Taste of Desire

“It was a small horse, but it was still a horse,” Riquet went on. Then she looked at Salina again. “Do you like horses?”

“I love horses,” Salina told her.

“My mommy used to love horses, too,” Riquet said sadly. “She’s in heaven now.”

“I know.” Salina sighed softly. “I’m so sorry she’s not with you anymore.”

“Daddy said she had a more important job to do in heaven. She’s an angel now, and she watches over me and daddy, to make sure we’re safe.” The little girl smiled broadly.

The words tugged at Salina’s heartstrings. Such bravery for a girl so young.

“I saw her picture,” Salina said. “She was very beautiful.”

“She’s the most beautiful angel in heaven. My daddy says that all the time.”

Hearing Riquet speak made it clear to Salina that Jake McKnight was a man of honor. It was obvious he had loved his wife dearly, and in her absence he had tried to share with his daughter all the wonderful things about the woman. In this day and age, when happily-ever-after stories were tainted by the reality of infidelity and divorce, Salina admired the fact that Jake had truly loved his wife.

“Can I show you my bedroom?” Riquet asked.

“You want to show me your bedroom?” Salina asked.

Riquet nodded vigorously. “I have lots of horses in there.”

Salina stood and extended her hand to the girl. “Sure.”

A smile spread on Jake’s face as he watched Riquet walk off toward her bedroom with Salina. He was impressed. Salina had instantly taken to his daughter. Indeed, Riquet had also instantly taken to Salina in a way he had never known her to so immediately like or trust anyone else.

It did his heart good to know that he had made the right choice. Thank goodness for Emma letting him know that her sister was not only in need of work, but that she had worked with children before. It was clear Salina was a natural. She obviously loved children, and would be a great replacement for Maria while she was gone.

He heard laughter, airy and bright, as he approached Riquet’s bedroom. Salina’s and Riquet’s. It had been a long time since he’d heard laughter like that between these walls, the kind that filled the apartment with warmth.

Emma had told him that Salina was twenty-seven, which meant she was a good twenty years younger than Maria. Maria had brought a wealth of experience to her position as nanny, having raised two children single-handedly. Those children were now attending NYU, her daughter studying to be a future filmmaker, and her son in a pre-med program. Maria was a gentle and loving woman, and had been a good replacement caregiver in the wake of his wife, Janine’s, death.

From everything Emma had said—and from what Jake was witnessing now—Salina would also be an equally good replacement. He could tell that she was a free spirit, unlike Maria, who was more serious, and she would no doubt do well with Riquet. He only hoped that with her younger age she wouldn’t be obsessed with partying every night, or gabbing on the phone with her friends at all hours. That had been the problem with the first nanny Jake had hired, a twenty-two-year-old au pair from England.

But he had known Emma for five years, and he trusted her. Indeed, if Salina was anything like her sister, she would be an extremely hard worker.

Salina and Riquet exited the bedroom, the two holding hands. This was working out better than he had expected. Here he had worried that Riquet would not take well to Maria’s replacement, but he needn’t have been concerned.

Salina met his gaze, her lips parted in a smile, and Jake was instantly struck by her beauty. She had big, bright eyes, a slender and shapely frame, and full lips that made him think of kissing. Indeed, he felt a pull of attraction so strong for her in that moment it stunned him. He opened his mouth to speak, but found he had to swallow first.

“Um,” he said, but no other words came to his lips.

“Riquet’s bedroom is gorgeous,” Salina announced. “And all those pictures of hers on the wall … My goodness, she’s a talented little artist.”

“Yes.” Jake cleared his throat. “Yes, she is.”

“Are you sleeping over?” Riquet asked.

“Not tonight, sweetie,” Salina said.

Riquet looked up at Salina with doe eyes. “Please?”

“I can’t. I don’t have anything I need with me.”

“Awww.” Riquet crossed her arms over her chest.

Jake bent down in front of his daughter. “Don’t worry. Salina will be back in the morning before you wake up. She’s going to be your nanny while Maria is away, so you’ll be seeing her every day. Okay?”

Riquet nodded, accepting Jake’s words.

“I’d better go,” Salina said. “I’ve got to head back to Brooklyn, then get back here bright and early.”

Jake stood to face her, and once again her lips were parted in a slight smile. Goodness, those lips were sexy, and he couldn’t help thinking that they looked utterly kissable.

Jake’s chest tightened. What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like him to feel this kind of attraction to a pretty face.

He averted his gaze, hoping to break whatever temporary spell he was under.

“Bye, Riquet. See you tomorrow. See you in the morning, Jake.”

“Yes, see you in the morning,” Jake replied. “Oh—wait.”

He hurried to his bedroom and retrieved the extra key. Returning to the foyer a moment later, he passed it to Salina, his fingers brushing against hers as he did.

Damn if he didn’t feel an electrical charge.

“I’ll let the staff downstairs know your status as my new nanny, so you won’t have any problem coming and going. And with this key you can let yourself in to the apartment when you arrive in the morning.”

“Thanks.”

Jake nodded, still making sure to avoid direct eye contact with Salina.

Once she was out the door, he released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

He would take a cold shower, and hopefully that would rid his system of whatever had him in its temporary grip.

By the morning he would be back to normal.

He was sure of it.

Chapter 4

“So how did it go?” Emma asked when Salina returned to the apartment, her eyes bright with expectation. “How did you like him?”

“It was great,” Salina responded. “Jake seems like a lovely man who really adored his wife. The apartment is still filled with her pictures, memories of the two of them together, and of course of them with their daughter. Riquet is just precious. It broke my heart as she was telling me how her father told her that her mother is in heaven, and that she’s one of the most beautiful angels up there.” Salina sighed. “I can’t imagine that kind of heartbreaking loss. Especially after they couldn’t have been married all that long. It’s one thing to lose someone after years and years of marriage, but to be left with a small child to raise—”

Salina stopped speaking and inhaled a deep breath. She could already see herself getting attached to Riquet, and she needed to do her best to keep a bit of an emotional distance. She would only be in the girl’s life temporarily.