Книга - Billionaire Boss, Holiday Baby

Billionaire Boss, Holiday Baby
Janice Maynard


This bachelor boss gets a little holiday surprise…Being stranded with her crush-worthy boss isn't part of Dani Meadows's job description! But she and sexy CEO Nathaniel Winston are snowbound for Christmas…along with an adorable baby who might be Nathaniel's daughter.Nathaniel needs Dani's help. But his fantasies about his executive assistant are nowhere near as hot as the reality of having her in his home…and in his bed. When the snow melts, will he be able to say goodbye?







This bachelor boss gets a little holiday surprise...only from USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard!

Being stranded with her crush-worthy boss isn’t part of Dani Meadows’s job description! But she and sexy CEO Nathaniel Winston are snowbound for Christmas...along with an adorable baby who might be Nathaniel’s daughter.

Nathaniel needs Dani’s help. But his fantasies about his executive assistant are nowhere near as hot as the reality of having her in his home...and in his bed. When the snow melts, will he be able to say goodbye?


“All I can think about is kissing you.”

He paused, his forehead damp and his hands clammy. In desperation, he said, “You’re in my head, damn it. And in my gut. I can’t sleep. Tell me I’m not alone in this delusion. Or tell me I’m an ass, and I’ll go away.”

Almost in slow motion, he reached out and took her hand in his. “I need you, Dani. Badly.”

She looked at him with an expression that was partly fear and partly the same burning curiosity tearing him apart. She took a step toward him. “Nathaniel.”

The way she said his name, husky and sweet, was his undoing.

* * *

Billionaire Boss, Holiday Baby is part of Mills & Boon Desire’s No. 1 bestselling series, Billionaires and Babies: Powerful men…wrapped around their babies’ little fingers


Billionaire Boss, Holiday Baby

Janice Maynard






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


USA TODAY bestselling author JANICE MAYNARD loved books and writing even as a child. But it took multiple rejections before she sold her first manuscript. Since 2002, she has written over forty-five books and novellas. Janice lives in east Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, traveling and spending time with family.

You can connect with Janice at:

www.janicemaynard.com (http://www.janicemaynard.com)Twitter.com/janicemaynard (http://twitter.com/Twitter.com/janicemaynard)Facebook.com/janicemaynardreaderpage (http://www.Facebook.com/janicemaynardreaderpage)Facebook.com/janicesmaynard (http://Facebook.com/janicesmaynard) and Instagram.com/janicemaynard (http://www.Instagram.com/janicemaynard).


For Charles, who makes every Christmas special…


Contents

Cover (#ua00f85b6-f641-5020-bb4d-6b739a6ab03a)

Back Cover Text (#ud5c4ca03-4d11-52a6-81d2-4a446a63e9d2)

Introduction (#ub9e584a6-b238-5579-be1e-93a77af55e07)

Title Page (#u31577a1a-e4e2-54c9-9d91-5643f4c7dd0e)

About the Author (#u893cd9cc-e672-5f30-aed4-f399f1030c15)

Dedication (#u4410e822-52c9-5f02-a892-038a56af39fe)

One (#u4afa980e-e313-5449-9eae-03bc27dd0f5d)

Two (#uf45ef126-3189-54bc-b9ab-99639d3a4c99)

Three (#u9f71eb49-9dd0-5424-8597-1a18ef0094b9)

Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


One (#u06677bb9-c4af-59f7-bb75-c361e1df0494)

December 23

The calendar might say otherwise, but for Dani Meadows, today had been the longest day of the year. The morning started out okay. Business as usual. Her taciturn but oh-so-handsome boss had not by any stretch of the imagination been exhibiting a holiday mood.

She’d spent several hours locating hard-to-reach suppliers who were already in vacation mode. While most of the country was shutting down for a long end-of-the-year break, Nathaniel Winston, president and owner of New Century Tech, was looking for ways to increase the bottom line in the upcoming months. He worked hard. Dani, his executive assistant, matched him email for email, working lunch for working lunch.

The only place their schedules differed was in the fact that Dani left for home at five every day, while Nathaniel sometimes worked well into the evening.

He didn’t expect that of her. In fact, he was an extremely fair boss who never asked anything of his employees that was out of line. If there were occasionally situations where the company needed an extra measure of devotion, Nathaniel never demanded it. Such assignments were strictly voluntary. The employees who participated were compensated well.

Dani glanced at her computer screen and sighed. She’d just received another out-of-office reply. That made a dozen in the last two hours.

Nathaniel should give up and go home himself. That, however, was as likely to happen as the snow-pocalypse forecast to hit Atlanta tonight. The capital of the Peach State got ice occasionally. Sometimes a dollop of snow. But never in December.

Yesterday had been a balmy fifty-five degrees. Today, though, a cold front was predicted to move through. In Dani’s experience, that meant a miserable rain event and temps in the upper thirties. No worries. She kept her rain boots in a tote under her desk. A sprint to the MARTA station during a downpour wouldn’t hurt her.

She raised her voice to be heard above the whoosh of the heat kicking on through the vents. “Nathaniel? I’m not having any luck. Do you want me to keep a record of these calls and emails and try again the first week in January?”

A tall, dark-haired man appeared without warning in the doorway to her office. He was overdue for a haircut, but his tailored suit was pristine. Intense brown eyes and a strong jaw shadowed with the beginnings of late-day stubble contributed to an appearance that was unequivocally male.

He raked a hand through his hair, for a brief moment appearing frazzled. The show of emotion was so unlike him, she blinked. “Um, you okay, boss? Is there anything else you want me to do before I leave?”

He leaned a shoulder against the door frame and frowned. “You’ve worked as my assistant for almost two years, right?”

She gulped inwardly. “Yes.” Customarily, she went to his office and not the other way around.

Instead of answering, he glanced around her cramped quarters and frowned. “We need to do something in here. New carpet maybe. And furniture. Make that a priority when you get back.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he scowled, she backtracked quickly. “Yes, Nathaniel.” His name threatened to stick in her throat.

In the privacy of her own thoughts she often referred to him as Nathaniel, but it was another thing entirely to say it aloud, even though he insisted that all his employees call him by his first name.

She noted he had said when you get back, not we. Which probably meant he would be working in this building all alone during the holidays. He didn’t have any family that she knew of, though anything was possible. He was a private man.

It was ridiculous to feel sorry for him. The guy was a gazillionaire. If he wanted a homey, cozy Christmas, he could buy himself one.

After a long, awkward silence, Nathaniel glanced at his watch and grimaced. “I suppose I have to make an appearance downstairs?” The tone of his voice made it a question.

Dani nodded. “They’ll be expecting you.” She indicated a manila envelope on the corner of her desk. “I have the bonus checks right there.”

“You could give them out.”

She sensed he was only half joking. Just in case, she answered seriously, “Your employees like hearing from you, Nathaniel. Getting a perk from the boss himself is a nice way to start the holidays.”

“What about you?”

This conversation was taking a turn that made her palms sweat. “Payroll put a check in there for me, too,” she said.

He grimaced. “You deserve more. This place wouldn’t run half as well without you.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but the usual bonus check is fine. Let me shut down my computer, and I’ll be right behind you.”

“I’ll wait.”

She took that terse statement to mean in the reception area. But no. Nathaniel watched her every move for the next five minutes as she took care of the brief routine she repeated at the end of every workday. She decided not to take her purse and tote to the party. It would be easier to pop back up here before she went home. Because the office contained sensitive information as well as her valuables, she slipped a key card that opened the executive suite into her pocket. If the boss got trapped at the party, she didn’t want to have to wait.

At last, she stood and smoothed the skirt of her simple black dress. She’d chosen sophistication over traditional holiday colors. At five feet four inches and with plenty of curves, she tended to look like a perky tomato when she wore all red.

Nathaniel studied her in silence. There was nothing insulting or offensive about his regard. Still, she knew without a doubt that in this moment he saw her as a woman and not simply a piece of office equipment.

She picked up the envelope with the checks and handed it to him. “Shall we go?” Her heart beat far faster than it should. It was becoming more and more difficult to act normally. Feeling so aware of him rattled her. Something had to change, or she was going to end up embarrassing herself.

No one would blink an eye if she and her boss entered the large conference room downstairs together. Nathaniel Winston might as well be a monk. His reputation with the opposite sex was not only squeaky clean, it was nonexistent.

That fact shouldn’t have pleased her. But she was attracted to him, and in some tiny corner of her psyche, a fantasy flourished. It wasn’t as if she had any real shot at a relationship with him. Even so, his single status kept her reluctant fascination alive. It was impossible to be near him day after day without wondering what it would be like to share his bed.

Dani felt on edge as they walked toward the elevator and then headed twelve floors down in silence. Nathaniel had his hands jammed in his pockets. More than once she had wished she could read his mind. In the beginning, it was only because she wanted to know if he thought she was doing a good job. Now that she had a serious crush on him, her curiosity was far more personal.

Why didn’t he date? Or maybe he did go out but in secret. Not likely. What woman would put up with his workaholic schedule?

On impulse, she blurted out a clumsy conversational gambit. “Will you be traveling for the holidays?”

He shot her a sideways glance tinged with incredulity. “No.”

Poor man. She had probably shocked him. No one asked the boss about his personal life. Dani was the closest employee to him, yet she managed to be remarkably circumspect despite the many questions she had. At this point, the deliberate choice to avoid any hint of intimacy, even conversationally, was the smart thing to do.

She wanted to learn everything there was to know about Nathaniel—of course she did. Keeping a professional distance was a matter of self-preservation. By relegating the man at her side to a box labeled boss, she told herself she could keep from getting hurt.

The elevator dinged as the door opened. The unmistakable sounds of merrymaking drifted down the carpeted hallway. “Well,” Nathaniel muttered. “Here goes.”

As bizarre as it sounded, Dani thought he was nervous. Surely not. Her boss was well educated, well traveled and wildly successful at a young age. There was no reason at all for him to dread this momentary formality.

Just inside the doorway of the crowded room, Dani abandoned the man who drew attention with no more than a quick, guarded smile.

As people greeted him, she found a group of women she had known from the beginning of her employment at NCT. Several of them shared a Pilates class. A couple of others had bonded over their young children. Ever since Dani became Nathaniel’s assistant, though, her coworkers treated her with a certain deference.

She didn’t particularly like it, but she understood it.

As she sipped a glass of punch and nibbled on a cheese straw, she noted the men and women who had already imbibed to the peril of their careers. Dani had nothing against alcohol. Sadly, though, some employees lost all circumspection when they enjoyed the office party a little too much.

Nathaniel was socializing, though his posture betrayed his lack of ease. At least it did to Dani. He was playing the genial host, but he would rather be most anywhere else. She’d bet her last dollar on it.

Nathaniel was never too excited about the office Christmas party. He wasn’t a warm, fuzzy kind of guy. On the other hand, he was no Scrooge, either. At his urging, Dani had planned this lavish, catered affair complete with an open bar. The festivities had begun at four o’clock and were still going strong two hours later.

At last, Nathaniel made his holiday toast and passed out bonuses to key players of the various divisions. His speech was wry and funny and remarkably charming. Dani had to step forward when he called her name. “Thanks,” she muttered.

Their fingers brushed briefly. “Merry Christmas, Dani,” he said gruffly.

“Thank you.” Her throat tightened inexplicably. Boyfriends were a dime a dozen. She needed a good job more than she needed a fling with her boss. But for the last year and a half—the length of time she had been fantasizing about Nathaniel—the idea of a physical relationship, no matter how unlikely, had made it increasingly uncomfortable for her to work with him. So much so that she had actually polished up her résumé and sent out half a dozen applications already.

During her five years working at New Century Tech, she had completed an MBA at Emory. She was definitely overqualified for the job she now occupied, however working as Nathaniel’s executive assistant paid extremely well. Not only that, but watching him operate in the business world, learning from him, was invaluable experience.

Time moved on. People did, too, or they stagnated. It made perfect sense to extract herself from the temptation of a possible affair with the boss, and even more sense to pursue opportunities that would advance her career.

Unfortunately, all the pep talks in the world didn’t make it any easier to do what she knew she had to do.

A couple of weeks ago—as soon as she emailed the first batch of job applications—the guilt began. NCT was a great place to work. Nathaniel had been a phenomenal boss from day one. Maybe she was jumping too soon.

Still, something was beginning to change, ever so slightly. She didn’t think she had betrayed her intense fascination. Even so, she was getting a vibe from Nathaniel recently that was more personal than business.

Or maybe it was the mistletoe and her overactive imagination. If those feelings were real, she was in trouble.

A commotion on the far side of the room derailed her wistful thoughts. The maroon and navy drapes had been drawn before the party to shut out the gray December day. The heavy cloth panels, festooned with lighted garlands, gave the room a festive feel. Just now, someone had peeked out and received a big surprise.

A rain/snow mix had already begun to fall. The usually crowded thoroughfare in front of the building was alarmingly empty. Though local snowstorm forecasts were often disregarded because of one too many near misses, apparently this one might be the real deal.

Nathaniel assessed the situation in a glance and acted with his customary confidence.

“Let’s wrap this up, folks. Unless some of you want to spend the holidays sleeping at your desks, I’d suggest you head for home ASAP.”

He didn’t have to tell them twice. It was Friday on a holiday weekend. A number of the staff had saved vacation days so they could be off until after the New Year. Suddenly, there was a mass exodus.

As Dani watched, Nathaniel said a quiet word here and there, making sure that anyone who was impaired ended up in the charge of a designated driver.

In half an hour, the room was empty except for Dani and the boss, who stood in the doorway saying a few last goodbyes. Without thinking about it, she began to tidy the tables. Fortunately, there was not much food left. She chucked it all in a large trash container and stacked the trays. New Century Tech used a nearby catering company for all their events.

As she began folding the soiled tablecloths into a neat stack, Nathaniel startled her by speaking from behind her shoulder.

“Leave that alone,” he said abruptly. “That’s not your job. The janitorial staff will take care of it in the morning.”

Dani turned slowly and lifted an eyebrow. “If the snow does what they’re saying it will, I doubt anyone is going to go anywhere anytime soon.”

“That’s a lot of anys,” he teased.

“Well, I’m right,” she grumbled. “Besides, nobody wants to look at this mess when it’s three or four days old.”

“Do you honestly believe the storm is going to be that bad?”

The Weather Channel was headquartered in Atlanta. Dani knew the forecasters by name. At one time in high school, she had actually thought about going into meteorology as a career.

“They say it’s possible. Moisture is riding up from the Gulf of Mexico and colliding with the cold air. Even when the snow tapers off, we may get ice on top.”

Nathaniel grimaced. “That sounds lovely.”

His sarcasm made her grin. “Look at it this way. We only get hammered a few times a decade. Apparently, we’re overdue.”

“Well, in that case, shouldn’t you be getting out of here?”

“I’ll catch the six-thirty train. I’ll be fine.”

“What if they shut down the system?”

For the first time, a trickle of unease slid through her veins. That thought had never occurred to her. Her car was parked at a commuter lot four stops north. What was the likelihood she’d be able to drive home even if MARTA took her where she needed to go?

This time, riding the elevator up and back down was more about expediency than anything intimate. While Nathaniel grabbed what he needed from his office, Dani shrugged into her coat, tugged on her boots and adjusted the strap on her purse so she could use it as a cross-body bag. She wanted her hands free to hang on to stair rails if necessary.

Outside, the city was eerily quiet. The snow was heavier now, blanketing buildings and muffling sound. Nathaniel cursed quietly beneath his breath when he saw the conditions. “I’ll drive you to the train station,” he said, his tone brooking no opposition.

“Thanks,” Dani replied, not even bothering with a token protest. On a normal day, the half-mile walk was pleasant exercise. Under these conditions, she’d never make it in time, not to mention the fact that she’d be a frozen mess.

New Century Tech’s main parking facility was a three-level garage attached to the back of the building. For VIPs, a private side-street lot big enough for a dozen spaces provided easy access and the assurance that no clumsy drivers would back into a high-end vehicle.

Nathaniel drove a shiny black Mercedes with all the bells and whistles. Dani had been inside it only once, when she and the boss had gone together across town to present a proposal to a clothing firm seeking to update their online presence and ordering capabilities. Today, when they rounded the corner of the building and spotted Nathaniel’s car—the only one in the lot—she had a sinking feeling that Nathaniel’s offer of a ride had been premature.

The Mercedes was coated with snow, and there were no marks on the ground. Either the various vice presidents had parked in the garage today, or they had left long enough ago for the storm to cover their tracks. Something about the solitary car looked odd.

Nathaniel was the first to respond. “What the hell?”

He jogged the last few feet, Dani close on his heels. They stopped abruptly in tandem. Dani blinked. “Is that a car seat?” she asked, her voice rising an octave in disbelief.

Nathaniel lifted the wooly blanket covering the oddly shaped lump. “Good God. It’s a baby.” His head snapped around, his gaze scanning the immediate area. The blanket was peppered with tiny bits of snow, certainly not enough to indicate the child had been there more than a few minutes.

Dani, too, peeked under the blanket and gasped. An infant, maybe six months old, slept peacefully in a baby carrier. The child was covered from head to toe in a fleecy one-piece snowsuit, but even so, the temperatures were dangerously cold.

“Call 911,” Nathaniel said, his voice as icy as their surroundings. “I’m going to look around. Whoever did this must be close. My guess is they’re watching us to make sure we retrieve the kid.”

Dani was afraid to unfasten the straps and take the baby out. The heavy carrier was offering at least some protection from the elements. As long as the baby slept, he or she must not be terribly uncomfortable. The snowsuit was pink. Dani took a wild shot that the child was a girl. The baby’s cheeks were a healthy color. Her chest rose and fell at reassuring intervals.

Hoping she was doing the right thing, Dani removed her gloves and dialed the authorities.

* * *

Nathaniel was pissed. He’d received several texts in the last few days from a number he recognized all too well, offering veiled threats. Never in his wildest imagination had he imagined something like this happening to him. The escapade had his ex written all over it.

Ophelia wasn’t actually an “ex” anything. Nathaniel had met her at an in-town conference over a year ago and spent two nights in her hotel bed. That had been the end of it. Or so he thought.

He’d used protection. No way in hell was this baby his, despite what Ophelia’s rambling emails had insinuated. If she had ever come right out and accused him of fathering her child, Nathaniel would have secured a lawyer and taken the necessary steps to pinpoint the baby’s paternity.

He stood in the shadow of his own building, covered his eyes to keep the snow out of them and scanned windows near and far. Damn it. Ophelia could be anywhere. What was she trying to pull?

At last, he gave up his futile search. Dani stood where he had left her, one hand resting protectively on the edge of the car seat. “I found a note,” she said, holding it out to him. “I read it. I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have.”

Nathaniel unfolded the elegant card with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The contents were much as he had expected:

Dear Nathaniel:

I cannot care for our baby right now. You’re my only hope. When I get my life back together, we’ll talk.

Yours always,

Ophelia

He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying not to overreact. Women had tried to trap men with this ruse since the beginning of time. He’d done nothing wrong. He had nothing to fear.

Crushing the note in his fist, he shoved it in his pocket and opened his eyes to find Dani staring at him with a stricken expression.

“It’s not mine,” he insisted. “I went out with a crazy woman a time or two. She’s trying to blackmail me or something. I don’t know. What did the police say? How soon can they get here?”

Dani hunched her shoulders against the wind. “They weren’t very encouraging. The snow is causing pileups all over the city.”

His heart pounded in his chest. “What about the foster care system? Surely they can send someone.”

“Do you really want to entrust a baby to a stranger on the Friday afternoon of a long holiday weekend? Most foster families are wonderful, but you hear horror stories...” Dani trailed off, her expression indicating that she was upset. Maybe with the situation. Maybe with him.

“Fine.” He sighed. “What exactly do you think we should do?”

“We?” She stared at him as if he had grown two heads. “I’m walking to the MARTA station. If I’m lucky, my route will still be open.”

Atlanta’s transit system was only partially underground. Unlike other major cities, Atlanta did not have enough snow-removal equipment to deal with a weather event of this size. Blizzards were so rare the expenditure would be wildly extravagant.

Nathaniel’s palms started to sweat inside his gloves. “You can’t go yet,” he said. “I need help.” The words threatened to stick in his throat. He wasn’t a man accustomed to needing anyone. Dani wasn’t just anyone, though. He was counting on her soft heart and her overdeveloped sense of responsibility to sway her.

“What exactly do you think I can do?” she asked. Her eyes held a mix of dubious suspicion and the urge to run.

Nathaniel recognized the urge. He felt it in spades. “You’re a woman. Help me get the kid to my condo. Let’s get her settled. After that, I’ll call a car service to take you home.” Without waiting for an answer, he unlocked the car and leaned in to toss his briefcase on the back seat.

Dani thumped him on the shoulder, hard enough that he jerked and hit his head on the door frame. “Ouch, damn it. What was that for?” he asked, whirling around.

“Are you crazy?” Dani asked. “You can’t drive around with an unsecured infant carrier, especially with snow on the ground.”

In all his emotional turmoil over realizing Ophelia had dumped a baby in his lap, Nathaniel had lost track of the weather. Now he blinked and focused on the world surrounding them. The snow was at least two inches deep already and showed no signs at all of letting up. “Good God,” he said weakly. “This is a nightmare.”

Had he said that last bit aloud? Maybe not. Dani wasn’t giving him any more of those disapproving looks. Instead, she huddled miserably against the side of his car, using her body to keep the falling snow from reaching the baby.

“We’re out of options,” he said, his brain whirling like a hamster on a wheel. “I’ll put the seat belt around the carrier. My condo isn’t all that far. Three miles. Come on. The longer we stand here, the colder we’ll be.” Without waiting for his unflappable executive assistant to protest, he retrieved the infant carrier, covered it with the blanket and scooped it up.

Holy hell. How did new mothers do this? The thing felt like it weighed fifty pounds.

Strapping it into the back seat was an exercise in frustration and guilt. To be honest, he half expected Dani to turn around and trudge away in the opposite direction, heading for the train station and home. But she joined him in the car.

The wave of relief he experienced was alarming. Was he honestly that afraid to be stranded alone with a baby, or did the idea of spending time with Dani outside the office hold a certain appeal?

She was a very attractive woman always, but today—dressed up for the office party—she exuded a warm, sexy charm that made him want to forget every one of his self-imposed rules.

Though it probably wasn’t wise, he took one hand off the wheel and loosened his tie. Having Dani sit so close to him tested his patience and his self-control.

New Century Tech was located in a trendy section of Atlanta known as Buckhead. Elegant glass office buildings stood amongst quirky restaurants and specialty shops selling everything from expensive watches to high-priced real estate. Nathaniel’s penthouse condo offered him the privacy he demanded along with an unparalleled view of the city.

Unfortunately, today’s drive was not going to be easy. Though he managed to back out of the parking space and exit onto the street, he felt the tires slip and slide beneath him. He barely managed to avoid sideswiping a fire hydrant.

With his eyes on the road and a firm grip on the steering wheel, he focused on the objective at hand. Reach his condo. Rest and regroup. What he hadn’t expected was to have Dani tug at his arm several blocks before their destination. “Stop,” she cried. “That one’s open.”

That what?

At her insistence, he eased the car off the road and parked beside a chain drugstore. She didn’t pause to explain. Before he could protest, she was out of the car and headed inside. With a shrug, Nathaniel retrieved the baby and followed Dani into the store.

The kid still slept. Had it been too long? Was she unconscious? His stomach knotted. What the hell did he know about babies? Even a bad foster family might be better than what Nathaniel had to offer.

Every inch of the infant’s body was covered except for her rosy cheeks. Still, she wasn’t wearing high-tech fabric rated for low temperatures. The little girl might be cold. How would he know?

Just about the time he had worked himself into a frenzy of doubt and frustration, Dani reappeared, her triumphant smile a blow to his stomach that took his breath and squeezed his heart.

Was he simply damned glad to have her help, or was the prospect of spending time with Dani enticing him to do something stupid? Every logical cell in his brain shouted at him to send her away. He was fine. He could cope.

Besides, though it was true he wanted Dani, he didn’t “want” to want her. As long as he kept that in mind, he’d be okay. Despite his confusion and the alarm in his gut, he didn’t tell her to go. That was undoubtedly his first mistake.

Somewhere, she had found a shopping cart. It was loaded with diapers, wipes, formula and bottles. He stared at the bounty of baby supplies, incredulous. He’d been so focused on getting the kid to his condo, he’d never even thought about the fact that he had nothing—zero—with which to care for a child, especially one this small.

If this were a test to see what kind of father he would make, he was already failng miserably.


Two (#u06677bb9-c4af-59f7-bb75-c361e1df0494)

Fortunately, Dani didn’t appear to notice his turmoil. “I did a lot of babysitting in college,” she said. “I’ve tried to remember everything you’ll need, but I don’t know if I have it all. It’s hard when you’re not used to taking care of an infant.”

“Tell me about it,” he muttered. He wasn’t going to admit he would have forgotten half of the items in that cart. “We’re lucky somebody’s still open,” he said. This was a hell of a time to feel arousal tighten his body. Dani was irresistible with her pointed chin and her flyaway hair.

She gave him a cute little half frown that said she thought he was an idiot. “You should unbutton your coat,” she said. “Your face is all red. We need to hurry.”

“I was hoping to be home before she wakes up. If she starts crying, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

Dani looked better than any woman should while negotiating the beginnings of a blizzard with her brain-dead boss and an unknown baby. She was average height for a woman, though her snow boots lent a couple of extra inches. Her body was curvy and intensely feminine. The clothing she wore to work was always appropriate, but even so, in recent months, Nathaniel had found himself wondering if Dani was as prim and proper as her office persona would suggest.

Her wide-set blue eyes and high cheekbones reminded him of a princess he remembered from a childhood storybook. The princess’s hair was blond. Dani’s was more of a streaky caramel. She’d worn it up today in a sexy knot, presumably because of the Christmas party.

While he stood there, mute, with melting snow making the wool of his overcoat steam, Dani fussed over the contents of her cart. “If the baby wakes up,” she said, “I’ll hold her. It will be fine.”

“I hate to be the voice of reason in the midst of your impressive knowledge of babies, but the Mercedes trunk is small. We’ll never fit all that in.”

Dani’s tired grin was cheeky. “The guy back at the pharmacy said they’ll be making deliveries until ten tonight in a four-wheel drive. Right now, you and I will take only the essentials. I stressed to him how important it is that we get our order. He swears he won’t let me down.”

It was no wonder. Dani’s smiling charm would be hard to say no to under any circumstances. She was an appealing mix of girl-next-door and capable confidence. In that moment, Nathaniel realized he relied on her far more than he knew and for a variety of complex reasons he was loathe to analyze.

Clearing his throat, he fished out his wallet and handed the cashier his credit card.

Baby paraphernalia was remarkably expensive. Once the transaction was complete, the clerk gave Dani a large plastic bag. The two women ripped open packages and assembled an only-the-essentials collection that would hopefully suffice for the next few hours until the delivery arrived.

“I think that’s it,” Dani said with satisfaction. “Let’s get this little angel home.”

Unfortunately, their luck ran out. The baby woke up and let the world know she was hungry and pissed. Her screams threatened to peel paint off the walls.

Dani’s smile faltered, but she unfastened the straps of the carrier and lifted the baby out carefully. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I know you want your mommy. Nathaniel and I will have to do for the moment. Do you have a wet diaper? Let’s take care of that.”

The clerk pointed out a unisex bathroom at the back of the store, complete with changing station. Nathaniel found himself following in Dani’s wake. The tiny room was little bigger than a closet. They both pressed inside.

For the first time, Dani seemed frazzled. They were so close he could smell the faint, tantalizing scent of her perfume.

“You’ll have to stand in the door and hand me things,” she said. “We can’t both fit in here.”

“Sure,” he said, feeling guilty for not offering to take charge of the diaper change. On the other hand, the baby’s needs should be paramount. God knows Nathaniel was the last person on the planet qualified for the task.

Was it weird that being this close to Dani turned him on? Her warmth, her femininity. Hell, even the competent way she handled the baby made him want her.

That was the problem with blurring the lines between business and his personal life. He couldn’t let himself be vulnerable. On the other hand, he would be lost without Dani’s help, so he didn’t really have a choice.

It was clear Dani hadn’t overstated her experience with children. She extracted the baby from the snowsuit, unfastened the romper and made quick work of replacing the baby’s extremely wet diaper with a clean and dry one. Fortunately, no poop...at least not yet.

Then it was everything in reverse. When they were ready to go back out into the cold, Dani hesitated.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Dani grimaced. “I’m wondering if we should try to feed her before we start walking again.”

Nathaniel brushed the back of his hand over the baby’s plump cheek. Her skin was warm against his chilled fingers. “I think she can make it. She’s a trouper.”

“Are you basing this on your personal DNA?” Dani asked wryly.

“I told you, she’s not mine,” he said sharply. “The only reason we’re taking her home is because of the storm and Christmas and the fact that every emergency worker in the city is covered in snow...literally.”

“Okay. Calm down.”

He bit his tongue to keep from making a cutting remark. Dani was helping him. He couldn’t afford to alienate her, and he definitely couldn’t risk wondering what it would be like to kiss her.

Outside, they faced the next hurdle. Three cars had slammed into each other right in front of the drugstore, effectively blocking the only exit from the parking lot.

Nathaniel cursed beneath his breath. “Well, that’s just great.”

“We can’t wait,” Dani said. “Besides, aren’t we close to your condo?”

“I don’t like leaving my car.”

She grinned. “Might be safer here than out on the road.”

He squared his shoulders. “I suppose so. I’d forgotten how insane drivers can be when this happens.”

To be fair, the streets were a mess. Road crews hadn’t been able to salt anything more than the interstates, and the swift drop in temperature had added a layer of icy danger to the situation.

In the short time he and Dani had been inside the store, the situation had grown exponentially worse. People in other parts of the country couldn’t understand, but Atlanta was particularly vulnerable to weather events like this one.

After retrieving their personal items from the car and consolidating their purchases, he and Dani struck out for the final leg of their journey.

They walked in silence, negotiating sidewalks they could no longer see and trying to move as quickly as possible.

Dani had the baby tucked inside her coat for extra warmth, which had to be a damned awkward way to walk. Nathaniel lugged the carrier and the supplies. When he offered to take the child after several minutes, Dani shook her head. “I’m fine.”

It was a miserable, soul-crushing slog through ice and snow. He could barely feel his feet. Dani must have been equally miserable, but she didn’t complain. Thank God they didn’t have far to go.

When they finally arrived at Nathaniel’s building, he had never in his life been so glad to see the doorman or the elaborately decorated lobby.

They dripped their way onto the elevator with Dani juggling an increasingly fractious baby. On the top floor, Nathaniel found his key, unlocked the door and ushered his unexpected guests inside. “Home sweet home,” he said.

* * *

Dani was frozen to the bone. Her feet had long since gone numb. Though her coat and boots were nice, they were never meant to trek through deep snow for any length of time. She had struggled to keep up. Nathaniel, by all indications, was naturally athletic. He probably played multiple sports in high school and college.

They took turns holding the baby while shedding their outerwear. Dani’s chic black dress was damp and rumpled. What she wouldn’t give for a roaring fire and a cozy robe.

At the drugstore she had paid for a handful of personal items just in case. It seemed unlikely she was going to make it home tonight, though she still held out hope. Right now, all she wanted was her own bed, a warm nightie and something fun to binge-watch on Netflix.

Now that she had stripped off her black tights with the silver sparkles and was barelegged, she began to shiver. Nathaniel noticed immediately.

“If you’re going to feed the baby, we’ve got to get you warmed up first. Come with me.”

Clutching the little girl like a life preserver, Dani followed her boss down the hall.

The first thing she noticed was that Nathaniel’s condo was three or four times the size of her own modest apartment. It was decorated in soothing shades of blue and gray with occasional pops of color. Coral cushions. An abstract painting that called to mind a Gauguin nude in the tropics. The space was silent and perfectly appointed in every way. Not a magazine out of place. No dirty socks.

Dani wanted to like Nathaniel’s home, but she couldn’t. It looked more like a magazine spread than a peaceful sanctuary at the end of a long day. She stopped in the doorway to his bedroom, unable to take another step.

Nathaniel, clearly unconcerned, rummaged in his dresser and came up with a pair of cream woolen socks and some faded gray sweatpants that looked ancient. He lifted one shoulder and lowered it with a sheepish grin. “I was smaller back in high school. These will still be too big for you, but at least they’ll stay up. I think.”

After that, he flung open his closet and found a soft cotton shirt in a pale blue. “Here we go,” he said triumphantly. “Will this do?” She caught a brief glance of neatly pressed dark suits and crisp white dress shirts before he closed the closet door again.

She nodded. “Of course.”

“Use my bathroom,” he said. “I’ll entertain the little one.”

Dani frowned. “What should we call her? The note didn’t say.”

“How about Munchkin? That’s generic enough, isn’t it?”

“What kind of mother leaves her baby in a snowstorm?”

“I think Ophelia was probably watching us from somewhere nearby. She’s a little weird, but not crazy enough to bring harm to a child.”

“Why would you get involved with someone like that?” Dani wanted to snatch the words back as soon as they left her lips. It was none of her business.

Nathaniel’s neck turned red. He avoided her gaze. “We weren’t exactly involved. It was more of a physical thing.”

“Casual sex.” She said the words flatly, oddly hurt to know that Nathaniel was no better or worse than any other guy.

“I think we should change the subject,” he said tersely. “Hand me the munchkin.”

Dani passed off the baby and scuttled past man and child, already regretting that she didn’t have the little girl for armor. Using Nathaniel’s bathroom felt oddly decadent and personal. Everything was sybaritic and gorgeous. Marble. Brass. And mirrors. Those mirrors were her downfall. She looked as if she had been on an all-night bender at the North Pole.

Wincing at her reflection, she quickly took off her dress. At least her bra and panties were dry. The sweatpants were fleece-lined, and the socks were thick and warm. The shirt was miles too big, but she rolled up the sleeves. Though she was still chilled, the borrowed clothes made her feel more human.

Nathaniel smothered a grin when she reappeared in his bedroom. Wise man not to make any smart remarks. She was in no mood to be teased about her appearance, especially when it was Nathaniel’s fault she was in this predicament.

“I bought a few bottles of premixed formula,” she said. “It’s expensive, but I didn’t want Peaches to have to wait any longer than necessary?”

“Peaches? I thought we were calling her Munchkin.”

“Well, we found her on Peachtree Street, so it seemed fitting.”

“Fair enough. If you girls want to get settled in the den, I’ll change and join you in a minute. Then it might be time for the grown-ups to eat. Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” Dani said.

She made her way back down the hall and found the den. It was a more appealing room than anything she had seen so far. And hallelujah, there was a gas-log fireplace. One flip of a switch and the flames danced.

“Oh, Peaches,” Dani said. “What kind of mess have we gotten ourselves into? These are pretty fancy digs, but you should be with your mama, and I’m supposed to be going home for Christmas tomorrow.”

The baby whimpered while Dani shook the bottle and removed the protective cap. The formula was theoretically room temperature, but it might still be chilled from being outside. Fortunately, the child was too hungry to care.

Dani settled deeper into a cushioned armchair and propped her feet on the ottoman. The baby suckled eagerly. Was she old enough to take any other foods? This was a heck of a mess. Maybe they should try another call to the authorities. Or even to social services directly.

Then again, it was after nine o’clock, and tomorrow was Christmas Eve.

The child was a sweet weight in her arms. Enough to wonder what it would be like if this were really her child. Dani envied her sister at times. Angie and her husband were happily married and hoping to start a family soon. Then again, her sister was thirty-five. Dani was only twenty-eight. There was still plenty of time.

She didn’t know what was taking Nathaniel so long, but did it really matter? She couldn’t imagine leaving him in the lurch, even if this situation was his fault. Could the baby really be his? Contraceptives failed all the time. He acted like the kind of man who would live up to his responsibilities, but did she really know him that well? He seemed very sure he wasn’t a father.

What alarmed her was how content she was to spend this time with him. Though the moment was fraught with emotional danger, she was happy to be here. Against all odds, Nathaniel had shown her his human side. Seeing him in this situation made her feel woozy inside. He was visibly shaken and yet so very determined to seize control.

His masculinity was in stark contrast to the baby’s helpless vulnerability. Dani’s regard for him grew, as did her need to explore what was sure to be a doomed attraction on her part.

She was almost asleep, her head resting against the back of the chair, when her boss finally appeared.

Nathaniel surveyed the sleeping child. “She seems like a pretty easy baby, doesn’t she? If all she needs are food and diapers, maybe it won’t be so bad to wait it out until someone shows up to claim her.”

“I burped her a couple of times halfway through the bottle. She took it like a pro. I still feel bad, though. Peaches should be with her family at Christmas.”

“Fortunately, she’s too young to remember any of this,” Nathaniel said.

“Maybe. But she has to know we’re strangers.”

“I called 911 again. They asked me if the baby was in any danger. I said no. They wanted to know if the mother was someone I knew. I had to say yes. The officer apologetically insisted that they’re completely at the end of their resources and recommended I preserve the status quo until Tuesday.”

“Tuesday?” Dani cried, startling the child. “That’s four days.”

“I don’t know what else to do.” Nathaniel ran a hand across the back of his neck as he prowled the confines of the den. “It’s already the weekend now. Sunday is Christmas, which means everything will be closed Monday. If the snow has melted, we should be able to get some answers on Tuesday.”

Dani stroked the little girl’s back. “Poor Peaches. Grown-ups can be so stupid sometimes.”

“Was that a dig at me?” Nathaniel asked. He slouched in the chair across from hers. He looked very different in jeans, a navy sweatshirt and leather moccasins. Different and so very moody and sexy.

“Not at all,” she said.

“I’m innocent until proven guilty. Ophelia’s note means nothing.”

“Relax,” Dani said. “I’m not judging you. Besides, it’s Christmas. Everybody deserves a little miracle this weekend.”

“It will be a miracle if I don’t find Ophelia and wring her neck.”

“Poor Nathaniel. Everyone at works thinks you have no social life at all. Now you may have a child.”

“I’m not the father,” he said. “Quit saying that.”

“So you don’t want children?”

He huffed in exasperation. “Not now. Not today. Certainly not with Ophelia. I have no idea why she thought palming a kid off on me was a good idea. I haven’t a clue what to do with Peaches.”

“It’s not so hard,” Dani said, yawning. “The worst part is the sleep deprivation, or so I’ve been told,” she said hastily. “I’m not ready to be a parent, either.”

The room fell silent after that. Nathaniel had clearly nodded off. With his eyes closed, she was free to explore him visually to her heart’s content. For years, she had seen him in suits. He was a very handsome man who wore tailor-made attire well. But here in his home habitat, tired and discouraged in comfy clothes like any other American male, he seemed more real to her.

She didn’t want to care about his well-being. She didn’t want to worry about him. And she most assuredly did not want to get involved with him. Life was complicated enough without adding drama and heartbreak.

Time passed. She must have dozed off herself. The drowsiness was the aftermath of being so cold for so long and then getting dry and warm. Now, though, her stomach growled when she roused. If she stretched her leg, she could barely touch Nathaniel’s toe. “Wake up,” she whispered. “Nathaniel, wake up.”

He yawned and stretched, revealing a few inches of tanned, taut abs. “What’s wrong?” he grumbled, only half-awake.

“You promised to feed me.”

His eyes shot open. A look of stupefaction flashed across his face before he got ahold of himself. “Right.”

Dani rolled her neck to get the kinks out of it. “Sorry, it wasn’t a dream. The kid and I are still here.”

“Very funny.” He rolled to his feet. “I usually order in, but somehow I don’t think that’s an option.”

“I’d settle for peanut butter if you have any.”

“That I can do.”

After Nathaniel left the room, Dani stood carefully and cradled the sleeping baby against her shoulder. Her body ached from sitting in one position. More than that, she needed to walk around, anything to break the spell of intimacy that came from napping in her boss’s den. Too cozy. Too weird. Too everything.

Built-in bookcases flanked the fireplace. Books of every genre were mixed in together with no apparent regard for organization. Interesting pieces of glass and pottery shone in the illumination from can lights overhead.

Nothing about the library or the art matched what she knew of Nathaniel. Curiouser and curiouser.

He returned silently, startling her badly. The baby whimpered when Dani jumped. Nathaniel didn’t seem to notice. He set the food on the coffee table. “I have coffee or soft drinks. Which would you prefer?”

“Black coffee if it’s decaf.”

“It is.”

The tension in the room increased exponentially along with the vivid awareness that Dani didn’t belong here. Her presence was an accident of weather and timing. She bore no responsibility, either moral or otherwise, for Nathaniel and his surprise Christmas gift. Even if the little girl truly wasn’t his, Dani was not involved in that fight.

Then why was it so painful to think about leaving this sexy man and adorable baby tomorrow?

As if he had picked up on her tumultuous thoughts, Nathaniel shot her a look as he poured coffee. “Is there someone you need to call?”

“My family will be expecting me tomorrow afternoon, though with the weather, I’m not sure we’ll all be able to make it.”

“Where do they live?”

“My parents are in Gainesville. My sister and her husband settled in Chattanooga for work and because they love the area. My only brother, Jared, lives in Marietta. He’s probably the one who will have to come get me if I can’t drive my car. Mine’s a VW Beetle, so not really snow-worthy.”

“I see.”

It wasn’t much of a response. She gave up on chitchat and managed to eat one-handed. Either Nathaniel made a habit of buying gourmet peanut butter, or Dani was hungrier than she realized.

Her dinner companion prowled while he ate. The tension in his body broadcast itself across the room. Dani could understand his frustration.

When he pulled back the drapes and stared out into the night, Dani joined him at the window. All they could see in the beams from the streetlights was heavy, swirling snow. Nathaniel pulled out his phone and tapped the weather app. “Good Lord,” he said. “Look at the radar.”

The storm was far from finished. In fact, there was every indication it would still be snowing until the wee hours before dawn.

The scary situation had turned into an actual blizzard. It didn’t matter that by Tuesday the temps were supposed to be in the midfifties again. For now, they were well and truly stranded.

Nathaniel left her and began prowling again.

The silence built until Dani couldn’t bear it anymore. “Are you Jewish?” she asked, blurting it out before realizing that was not the kind of question one asked a work colleague.

He paused in his pacing to stare at her. “No. Where did that come from?”

Dani shrugged. “No Christmas tree. No decorations.” It was a logical conclusion.

“I live alone,” he said, his tone indicating a desire to shut the door on this particular line of conversation.

“So do I,” Dani pointed out. “But I have a tree and other stuff. It makes the season fun.”

“That’s a lot of work for only me to see. Can we change the subject?”

“Sure.” Maybe Nathaniel was a certified Scrooge. The idea made her sad. But she couldn’t very well persist in the face of his disinclination to explain. His lack of December frivolity was well documented and would remain a mystery. “I am worried about one thing,” she said.

“What’s that?”

Nathaniel had finished his sandwich and now cradled his coffee cup between his big, long-fingered hands. Oops. No thinking about hands, Danielle.

“Well,” she said slowly, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “I’m afraid this little one has slept so much during the evening she’ll be up all night. I’ve heard about babies who get their days and nights mixed up.”

“I can get by on a few hours of sleep. I’ll take the night shift. You deserve some rest.” He stood up. “Let me show you the guest room. I guess you’ll need a different shirt to sleep in?”


Three (#u06677bb9-c4af-59f7-bb75-c361e1df0494)

He made it a question. Having Dani wear his clothes and wear them so damned well made it hard for him to think about babies and responsibility. He’d been attracted to her for a long time, but he knew better than to get involved with an employee. He’d learned that lesson the hard way. It wasn’t one he would soon forget.

It was imperative that he get rid of Dani before he did something stupid—imperative for two reasons. One, he didn’t need the temptation of having his charming, cheerful, cute-as-the-proverbial-button assistant underfoot outside of office hours. And two, he felt guilty as hell for ruining her holiday plans. Maybe they were still salvageable. She said she hadn’t planned to leave until tomorrow, and Gainesville was not even two hours away.

Unfortunately, the massive and almost unprecedented winter storm was the wild card in this scenario. And then there was the baby. If he did the right thing and sent Dani home for Christmas, he’d be stuck caring for an infant. The notion was more than a little terrifying.

“Another shirt would be helpful,” Dani said quietly, not meeting his gaze.

“Follow me,” he said gruffly. The condo had two guest rooms. One he used as a home office. The other was furnished simply and elegantly in shades of amber, chocolate and ivory.

He’d hired a professional to do the whole condo when he bought it. Everything but the den. That was his and his alone. The huge comfy couch, big-screen TV and gas fireplace were things he had purchased on his own. Except for sleeping, he spent most of his leisure hours in the den. Ah, who was he kidding? He worked in there, as well. Creating boundaries had never been his strong suit.

In the guest room, Dani explored, the baby still in her arms. But the little girl was waking up.

Dani grinned and kissed the baby’s head. “Hey there, Peaches. Mr. Nathaniel is showing me around. You want to sleep in here with me?”

It was tempting, very tempting, to let Dani rescue him. But such cowardice would be wrong on several levels. He took the baby from her and shook his head. “Take a shower if you want to. Get ready for bed. Then you can help me get everything set up in my bedroom for the night.”

“Okay.” Dani’s eyes were big as saucers. Maybe she was worried about the innocent baby.

“I won’t let anything happen to her,” he said. The defensive note in his voice was unavoidable. As unpalatable as it seemed, he had to at least acknowledge the possibility, however slim, that Peaches was his. “We’ll give you some privacy,” he said. “When you’re ready, come find us.”

* * *

Dani returned to the foyer and gathered all her things. If she hung the dress and tights carefully, they might be wearable again. At the drugstore, she had bought toothpaste, a toothbrush and some facial cleanser. Fortunately—because of the Christmas party—she had made sure that morning to put mascara and other makeup in her purse for touch-ups.

After a quick shower, she rinsed out her bra and panties and hung them on the towel bar. Then she put on the sweatpants sans undies and spent a few minutes blow-drying her hair. It was thick and shoulder length, maybe her best feature. Because it was still a little damp when she was done, she left it loose. Whenever Nathaniel remembered to give her a second shirt, she would change into that for the night.

Barely half an hour had elapsed by the time she went in search of her host, forty-five minutes at the most. It wasn’t hard to locate him. All she had to do was follow the sound of screaming. Little Peaches had a great set of lungs.

Dani stopped dead in the doorway of Nathaniel’s bedroom, taking in the scene with openmouthed awe.

Nathaniel’s head shot up and he glared at her, his expression hot enough to melt steel. “If you dare laugh, you’re fired.”

She swallowed hard, schooling her face to show nothing more than calm interest. “I wouldn’t dream of laughing.” It was maybe the biggest lie she had ever uttered. Poor Nathaniel.

Peaches had experienced what those in the parenting world not-so-fondly call a blowout. A poop so big and messy it squirts out the sides of the diaper and into every crevice imaginable. It was clear Nathaniel had made a heroic effort to remove the dirty diaper and replace it with a clean one, but he was taking too long, and poor Peaches was mad.

Dani grabbed several wipes out of the container and began cleaning the spots Nathaniel had either missed or hadn’t gotten to yet. The baby was stark naked. Nathaniel had poop on his hands, his sweatshirt and if she weren’t mistaken, a smudge on his chin. He was wild-eyed and flushed.

Her heart squeezed in sympathy. Most parents had nine months to get used to the idea of a baby. Nathaniel had been tossed in the deep end. If Peaches weren’t his at all, this whole experience was even more unfair.

“I’ll pick her up,” Dani said. “You start getting rid of all the nasty stuff and throw your comforter in the washer.” She was afraid the bed covering was beyond redemption.

Carrying the baby into the bathroom and using the sink as a miniature bathtub was her next step. Fortunately, the little one stopped crying when she saw herself in the mirror. Dani adjusted the water temperature and grabbed a washcloth.

The bottle of liquid hand soap on the counter would have to do for now. Moments later, she wrapped the sweet-smelling infant in one of Nathaniel’s big, fluffy towels and returned to the bedroom.

Nathaniel had just finished cleaning up the mess that was his mattress. He held out a fresh diaper. “You can do the honors.”

“Of course. I can’t believe this Ophelia person left you with nothing. We don’t even have another outfit for the baby.”

“I turned up the thermostat. And I put her sleeper in the wash with all the rest. It will be ready in a couple of hours.”

“I guess that will have to do.” Since Peaches was sucking on her fist, it seemed another bottle was in order. “I’ll feed her again. Your turn in the bathroom.”

When she turned to walk away, Nathaniel put his hand on her shoulder lightly. “Thank you, Dani. I know my thanks is not enough, but I want you to know I’m grateful.”

They were standing so close together she could see the dark stubble on his chin. It was the end of the day. That made sense. His brown eyes were deep pools of melted chocolate. He smelled of soap and a tiny hint of aftershave and maybe even a whiff of baby poop. Dani bit her bottom lip. Why had the baby chosen now to be docile? A diversion would be helpful.

“You’re welcome,” she said quietly. “I know this isn’t easy. You’re doing the right thing.”

He shrugged. “It’s not as if I had a choice.”

“Even without the snowstorm, I think you would have taken the child. Because you have to know...one way or another.”

“Who made you so smart?”

“Not smart. Just realistic. You’re not the kind of man to walk away from a responsibility, unpleasant or otherwise.”

“It’s more that that,” he said.

His hand was still on her shoulder, fingers splayed, though she wasn’t sure he noticed. “How so?”

“What if Peaches is mine? Birth control is never a hundred percent. What if this little girl is my only shot at having a child?”

“You don’t think you’ll get married one day?”

The hour was late. It had been a very strange day. Nathaniel was practically embracing Dani and the baby. She wanted to lean into him and rest her head. She was tired and confused and very afraid of doing something she would regret.

It took everything she had to step back and break the spell. “I shouldn’t have asked you that,” she said hastily. “I’m sorry, Mr. Winston.” She used his last name as a shield, but it was flimsy armor at best.

You can’t put a genie back in the bottle, though. Nathaniel gave her a pointed look as if he saw right through her attempt to be businesslike. “I think we have to concentrate on what’s important here. If you and Peaches are really okay for the moment, I’ll jump in the shower. I still smell like a diaper pail.”

“No, you don’t,” Dani protested, laughing. “But yeah, we’re fine. Take your time.”

On her way to the den, the doorbell rang. No one could come up without going through the reception desk downstairs, so this must be the delivery from the drugstore. She pressed the intercom button and waited for confirmation just to be sure.

After the young teenager unloaded all the baby paraphernalia in the foyer, Dani tipped him well and sent him on his way.

“This is it, Peaches,” she said, bending down to pick up the smallest package of diapers. “I hope I did the math right. This has to last us until the snow melts or your mama shows up, whichever comes first.”

Of course, it didn’t take a genius to guess that Ophelia was probably snowed in wherever she was hiding out. It was creepy to think a woman like that had been watching as Nathaniel and Dani spotted the infant carrier for the first time. What would she have done if the two of them had walked away? She must have been relying on the decency of human nature. Even so, Dani would never have left her own baby in such circumstances. It was too risky.

She wandered back to the den and spread an afghan on the thick carpet so the baby could have tummy time. Peaches was very mobile already and trying her best to sit up. No signs of any bottom teeth poking through. Dani guessed the little girl was about five months old, maybe six.

As the baby played with a rattle from the drugstore, Dani stretched out beside her and leaned back on her elbows. It was a strange feeling to be a guest in her boss’s home. Definitely outside the parameters of their usual interactions. Up until today, she’d had no clue where he lived.

Now, suddenly, everything was different.

When Nathaniel reappeared, his hair was damp and he had ditched the clothes the baby had desecrated.

“Much better,” Dani teased, telling herself her heart wasn’t beating faster.

He grinned, the sudden smile taking her by surprise. Her boss was more serious than playful as a rule. “Is it still Friday?” he asked, leaning a hip against the arm of the sofa. “I feel like we’ve fallen through the rabbit hole.”

“Still Friday. I’m guessing your life isn’t usually so tumultuous?”

“You could say that.” He raked both hands through this hair. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”

“Look at it this way. You probably saved me from being stranded on the side of the road. At least I’m safe and warm and dry.”

“What a testimonial. Have you called your family yet?”

“Yes. I told them I was staying with a friend and that I would check in again tomorrow.”

“Let’s hope we don’t lose power.”

“Bite your tongue. That’s not even funny.”

“I wasn’t joking. If we do get ice on the back end of this thing, the situation could get dicey.”

“Oh, goody. Something to look forward to.”

He cocked his head, his lips twitching. “How have I never noticed what a smart mouth you have?”

“I’m always deferential in our work environment.” She smiled demurely, astonished to realize they were flirting. Of course, with a baby between them nothing could happen. But still...

Nathaniel stood up to pace. She was beginning to recognize his signature mood when he was agitated. He did it occasionally at work, but it was more pronounced on his home turf. “Is she getting sleepy?” he asked. “When should we put her to bed?”

“How should I know? Do you have work you need to do? You might as well let me take care of her for the moment. It’s not like I can go anywhere.”

“I know, I know. And I’m sorry.”

“Quit apologizing, Nathaniel. Humility doesn’t become you.”

“Ouch.” He squatted and rubbed the baby’s tummy, his gaze pensive. “She doesn’t look like me, not even a little bit.”

The non sequitur betrayed his inner turmoil. Dani felt her heart squeeze. “In my experience, babies this age rarely look like anybody but themselves, Nathaniel. Don’t torment yourself. Until you know for sure, she’s just a baby.”

“I suppose.” He glanced sideways at her. “Go on to bed, Dani. I’ll come get you if I get in trouble.”

“You promise?”

“I do.”

* * *

Nathaniel sighed beneath his breath. Hopefully Dani didn’t realize how completely out of his element he was. He had learned long ago—while earning his stripes in the business world—never to show fear. He could negotiate with the baddest of the badasses. What he didn’t know how to do was take care of a helpless human. Little Peaches was so damned fragile.

He scooped her up. “Here’s the thing, kiddo. I need you to cut me a break tonight. I’ll feed you and change your diaper, but you need to sleep. That’s what babies do.”

The little girl stuck a thumb in her mouth and stared up at him, unblinking. What was she thinking? Did babies think about anything?

After turning out the lights, he carried Peaches to his bedroom and surveyed the furnishings. As far as he could tell, the most important thing was to keep the kid confined. He knew it was dangerous to put her in his own bed. After getting out of the shower earlier, he had spread a sheet on the soft carpet and surrounded it with several wooden chairs. He’d probably be awake all night worrying about the kid, but he’d survive.

Fortunately, the baby had worn herself out playing with Dani. All it took was a few circuits around the bedroom with Peaches on his shoulder, and gradually her little body went limp. He crouched and laid her in the makeshift bed. Poor kid. She should be with her mother right now. It was impossible not to think about the marked differences between Ophelia and Dani. One woman was self-centered and flighty...the other generous and dependable.

At one time in his life, he had assumed all women were self-centered. His mother had taught him to believe that. It wasn’t true, though. God willing, this little sweetheart would grow up with kindness in her heart.

On a normal evening, he was awake until after one. Tonight, that was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Stripping down to his boxers, he climbed into bed, stretched out on his back and exhaled. What a hell of a day.

It was impossible not to think about the fact that Dani was sleeping in his guest room just down the hall. He liked and respected her. In recent months, he’d stumbled upon another feeling he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, acknowledge.

Dani deserved to find a man who would put her first, a man who would be happy to settle down with her and create a normal family life. That man wasn’t Nathaniel. He’d certainly never experienced such a thing as normal in his formative years. All he knew was work and more work. That focus had propelled him to the top of his career. Given his long hours and his absolute refusal to date anyone remotely connected to New Century Tech, his options for meeting women were limited.

Loneliness and sexual hunger had been to blame for his hookup with Ophelia when they met at a conference. It had taken less than forty-eight hours for him to figure out that she was a narcissist and incredibly high maintenance. He’d broken off the relationship before it started, but perhaps the damage had been done.

The prospect of co-parenting with Ophelia for the next twenty years was daunting. Depressing, even. But if Peaches were his daughter, he would suck it up and be the best damned dad he could be. Never would he make that sweet little girl endure the kind of childhood he had experienced.

Unbidden, his thoughts returned to Dani. After seeing his father’s life ruined years ago, Nathaniel had forged ironclad rules for his own business relationships.

That line in the sand had never been difficult to preserve until Dani walked into his life. She had become necessary to him. He told himself it was nothing more than a good working partnership.

Now, in the darkness and privacy of his bedroom, he acknowledged the possibility that he had been lying to himself. She was here. Now. Sleeping under his roof and making him think about things that were definitely not conducive to relaxation.

Arousal tightened his body and fractured his breathing. Damn it. He rolled onto his side and told himself he wasn’t a slave to his urges.

Yawning, he tried converting foreign currencies in his head. It was better than counting sheep. Eventually, exhaustion claimed him...

* * *

The waning hours of the night turned into a long, wretched dream. The baby woke him every forty-five to ninety minutes. He knew she was disoriented and unsettled. Thankfully, each time he picked her up and cuddled her, he was able to coax her back to sleep.

At 5:00 a.m., though, the volume of her cries told him she was hungry again. Carrying her into the kitchen, he found one of the premixed formula bottles and uncapped it. He would have to learn how to mix the powder, but not while it was still dark outside.

Earlier, he had thrown on a robe with his boxers. Now he and Peaches settled on the sofa in the den. Pulling an afghan over both of them, he leaned back and watched as the baby gobbled down her meal. He remembered Dani mentioning the need for burping. When the bottle was half-empty, he hefted the baby onto his shoulder and patted her back. Peaches didn’t like being interrupted, but her loud belch told him he’d done the right thing.

While the infant finished her formula, he reached for the remote and turned the TV on with the volume muted. He had a million channels to choose from, but nothing interested him. He wanted a distraction...some assurance that the world still spun in its normal orbit. Skipping over infomercials and weird sports channels, he landed on an old movie, a Christmas film.

He had never seen it all the way through, but he knew the general premise. A man unhappy with his life wished he had never been born and then had a chance to see what the world would have been like without him.

The scenario hit uncomfortably near home for Nathaniel. He had no close friends by design. As head of the company, he knew better than to build relationships that might backfire on him. Because he worked all the time, there was no opportunity for socializing even if he had wanted to. Other than a couple of guys he occasionally played racquetball with at the gym, he was a loner, and he liked it. Mostly.

By following a rigid set of rules for his personal life, he kept his days running smoothly. This blip with Ophelia only proved what it cost to deviate from his usual behavior.

Again and again, he wondered what he would do if Peaches were his. Again and again, he shut down that line of thinking. Until the truth came out, speculation served no purpose.

Too late, he realized he should have changed the kid’s diaper before giving her a bottle. Now she had sucked down the last ounce of formula and was out cold. Fortunately, Dani had already stocked most rooms in the house with diapers and wipes. Thank God for her babysitting experience. At least one of them had some exposure to infants. Otherwise, the situation would have been far worse.

Luckily for him, Peaches slept through the diaper change, even though he fumbled and cursed and struggled with the seemingly simple task. He was able to return to his room, tuck her back into the little protected corner and fall into his own bed, facedown, unconscious in seconds.

The next time he surfaced, the clock said seven. He had a hangover headache, and he hadn’t even had a beer last night. Stumbling to his feet, he visited the bathroom and then moved stealthily toward Peaches’s corner on the floor to check on her.

The nest was empty. Panic flooded his chest for half a second before common sense intruded. The chairs were intact. Dani must have the child.

He found them both in the kitchen. Dani had fixed a pot of coffee, God bless her, and she was sitting at the window, baby in arms, drawing pictures in the condensation on the glass.

She looked up when Nathaniel entered the room. “Good morning. It sounded like this little stinker gave you a rough night.”

He winced. “You heard us?”

“I’m a light sleeper.” She shrugged, her expression guarded. “I decided that if you wanted help, you would ask, so I didn’t disturb you. You’re a very capable man.”

Pouring himself a cup of coffee and gulping it with no thought for scalding his tongue, he snorted. “Didn’t feel like it last night.”





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