“Dada, dada, dada.”
With that, Orlando was instantly out of the bed and on his feet. Oddly, as new as this whole situation was for them, they went about their morning as if they’d been doing things this way all along. They each took turns with Oreo as the other prepared breakfast and got ready for the day. They discussed the day ahead and even the evening. Orlando pulled Danica to him after she set the baby down on the highchair with his morning biscuit. He kissed her softly then leaned his forehead against hers. “You staying tonight again?” The question was asked with an air of caution. Danica could almost hear the otherwise veiled trepidation—see the vulnerability hover in his eyes—both things she thought she’d picked up on last night. It was as if he were as nervous about expecting too much too soon as she was. But it warmed her. It gave her hope that maybe she wasn’t getting too ahead of herself in everything she was feeling for him already.
Smiling because it felt like she needed to, she pecked him back. “I need to go get that change of clothes first. Already I’m wearing yesterday’s clothes.”
His expression eased a bit. “Go now. I don’t have to be at the shop until a little later. I’ll feed and hang out with this guy until you get back.” Kissing her again, he began to say something then seemed to catch himself, but then spoke anyway. “Maybe you bring a few changes?”
Gulping, Danica nodded, and Orlando wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck again. Bringing her arms around him, she let herself fall into and enjoy the heartfelt embrace. Was this really happening? It felt like a dream—just like when he fell right into her plan and asked her if she could watch Oreo. She’d now begin to do what she’d done then: wonder not if but when she’d be waking up from this. Their embrace was interrupted by the baby, who began to demand attention. Orlando put the music on and kept him distracted so Danica could make her exit without any drama or tears. The whole way home she drove in a daze. Her body was still coming down from the incredible high of being in Orlando’s arms, his kisses, and making love to him all night. Danica was no stranger to orgasms or even great sex. While Ted’s fastidious ways could be annoying as hell, she’d never complained about them in bed. He was as meticulous about satisfying her as he was controlling her. Though unlike with Orlando how their night of passion had been spontaneous, and he genuinely relished in every moment with her, even sex with Ted had felt calculated. Like he was making sure, for other reasons, she was thoroughly satisfied.
The physical pleasure she’d gotten from Orlando’s lovemaking skills was right up there with the very best she’d ever had. But there was so much more to it. The raw emotion accompanied with every kiss he’d indulged her with, was something she hadn’t expected. That he’d easily turned her on, was a hands-down given. He’d been doing that from day one just by the way he looked at her.
Quivering from just the thought, Danica smiled as she came to stop. Her heart hadn’t stopped pounding since his lips first touched hers. Only there was something troubling behind all the bliss she was feeling. Despite her efforts to drown it out, Danica had begun to hear the slow two-note utterances of the Jaws theme song in the back of her head. It’s what always happened when something was happening in her life or she was getting involved in a situation she knew had the potential to go very wrong. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Danica considered her options. She could come clean about the whole thing before things got any heavier between her and Orlando and pray he’d understand and forgive her. But he’d already been adamant about how he felt about whoever robbed him of his time with Oreo—he wouldn’t go easy on them. What if he didn’t understand? He could banish her from both their lives. “God no,” she muttered under her breath as the light turned green and she was on the move again. Her only other option was to continue as is and pray that she could keep the only poker face she’d been able to so far when it came to any talk of the baby’s mother. Thankfully, not since he first told her about it had the subject been brought up again. No matter how much she tried to relax, by the time she arrived home, her head was spinning with all kinds of worrisome thoughts. Despite the turn her life had suddenly taken being one she should be walking on air about, it only made her worries about this whole thing blowing up in her face that much more frantic. If in fact, Orlando was feeling for her what she was already feeling so deeply for him, she stood to lose even more now than when she first concocted this plan.
“Spill it,” Delia said as soon as Danica walked in the front door. Her sister motioned for Danica to follow her as she made her way toward the backyard. “You have perfect timing. It’s play time for the three I have here today, so we can chat while they run around.”
Dani glanced around the backyard, deciding how much she should share with her sister about this. “Dominic?”
“Garden club,” Delia said, taking a seat on the back-porch stairs and patting the area next to her for Dani to sit down. “He’ll be there all day today.”
Smiling, Dani nodded as she eyed Dominic’s makeshift greenhouse. He had a real green thumb, that guy. And just as she told Orlando, he was also an excellent baker. It’s why she didn’t care what the doctors said. No way could a four-year-old have the capacity to bake the cakes and breads he often did, which put her attempts to cook to shame, or be able to grow and care for all the plants the way Dominic did. “So, tell me.” Her sister peered at her as Danica took the seat next to her. “’Cause I ain’t buying you spending the night at this single daddy’s house just because it was late. Since when does Don’t-Dare-Danica have issues being out late?”
Tired of all the lying, Danica decided she’d come clean at least about this. She’d already been honest about this more full-time babysitting gig being for the same baby her sister had once helped her watch. She knew, if she ever had to bring the baby around Delia, she’d recognize him from before. Even being months older now, he still had that same adorable smile and those unforgettable sweet yet piercing eyes like his daddy. But Danica did shrug in an attempt to make less of this than she knew it was. “He’s a very attractive guy, and being around each other so much, I guess it was inevitable that sparks would fly. They finally did last night, and he asked me to stay.”
“And this is that same baby you were watching earlier this year, right?” Danica nodded, but before she could comment further, her sister went on with her next question. “How old is this guy?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“Oh wow,” her sister smiled wide-eyed. “Guess you like them older, but at least he’s not an old goat this time.”
Smiling softly, Danica lifted and dropped a shoulder, staring at her shoes. She’d considered telling her sister the truth about the baby more than once now, but she knew her sister would be worried, if not livid about it. If Orlando wanted to, he could press charges since she’d basically kidnapped Oreo those several weeks after Angie passed, knowing full well he had a father. She’d been afraid he might not be up to taking on the responsibility, but still it wasn’t her decision to make on behalf of his son. “In a lot of ways, he’s far more mature than Ted,” Danica said, “even if he is a lot younger than him. He’s owned and run his own highly successful business for several years now.”
“Well, we both know Ted’s a perfect example of older not meaning more mature. Speaking of . . . Delia sat back against the porch’s railing, turning to Danica. “I saw him on TV yesterday.”
Danica rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I did too or rather on my phone. He sent me the clip to the interview.”
“I can’t get over how well-spoken he is for such an asshole.”
Laughing, Danica nodded in agreement, feeling better about having ever gotten sucked into the man. “Yep, he’s a natural when it comes to saying all the things people wanna hear. It’s why I fell for his charm hook, line, and sinker. I’m only glad I was able to see through his bullshit sooner rather than later. But I’ll give him that. He’ll make a hell of a politician.”
“You said he’s forty-seven, right?�
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Danica chuckled, remembering how many times Ted had emphasized the irrelevance of age in correlation to a relationship between two adults. Of course, he would, since he was twenty-four years her senior. She wondered, now, if the inference would still stand if he knew about her dating a guy six years older. Her sister yelled out for the kids playing in the yard to be careful then turned back to Danica. “Well, it’s a good thing for Ted he doesn’t look a day past forty. What about this twenty-nine-year-old. He must look like a kid in comparison. But Ted seems so obsessed with everything. I’m sure he was obsessed about staying in shape and trying to look young enough to have a girlfriend your age.”
“Oh, don’t get me started on Ted staying in shape. It was just another thing he was completely fixated on.” Danica smiled, her heart going all aflutter as she brought up the photo of Orlando looking good enough to eat—literally. “This is from his shop’s website.”
Her sister glanced down at Danica’s phone, started to look away when one of the kids squealed, but jerked her head back immediately and took the phone from Danica.
“Oh. My. God. You’re sleeping with this guy?” Danica nodded, smiling softly. “Holy shit, Dani. Like Tia Yesi used to say, Dios mio! Tremendo Mango!” Danica watched as Delia continued to ogle her phone screen.
“I know. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this.”
“I’ll bet.” Her sister made a roaring sound that had Danica giggling nervously. “Regardless of Ted’s age, I still thought the guy was good-looking, but he don’t hold a candle to this eye candy. No wonder you got over him so quickly.”
Smiling softly, Danica felt her insides knot up because her sister stared at the photo for a moment longer, eyes wide, jaw slightly open. She knew what Delia must be thinking: that her main attraction to this guy must be his looks. If only she knew. There was no arguing Orlando was beyond good-looking. Danica wouldn’t even try to tone that part of this down. But there was so much more to her connection to him. She could feel herself falling for him hard already.
“Believe it or not, he’s got a lot more to offer than just his looks. He’s a super sweet guy.” She stopped short of telling her sister how Orlando’s obvious adoration for his son what was had really reeled her in. Danica had always gravitated toward older men. When she’d decided to put her plan into play, because she’d been so desperate to be with the baby again, she never imagined things would turn out the way they had. Aside from her admiration, Danica had given little worry to just what a hot bad boy her first impression of Orlando had been. Surely, he could replace her in a heartbeat. Strangely, everything she’d gone through in life had prepared her for the worst, and losing a man to another woman was hardly the worst thing she could endure—even with a man like him. Yes, it would be heartbreaking but not more heartrending than having to live without Oreo. She knew in her heart of hearts nothing would be more devastating than the baby being ripped from her life again. It was now her biggest fear.
They spoke a little more about Orlando, but it was mostly fluff. They had even more giggly girl talk like they hadn’t done in years and it felt good. Danica managed to sneak into her room while her sister was busy with the kids to grab some of her things to take to Orlando’s. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be gone this time, but it excited her to think she might be spending the night with Orlando and the baby often now. She could hardly believe things had turned out this way.
Less than an hour later she was on the road again, lost in thought. Could this really be happening? Was she really in a relationship with the baby’s father who, in not so many words, was already suggesting she just move in with them?
Before she could fully smile, thoughts of her upcoming court date resurfaced, and the Jaws music started up again. She’d been honest with Orlando about Ted having been the one who’d helped her retain her attorney. She’d just left out the fact that Blaine—his son—was said attorney. She was counting on the fact that Blaine was very professional. She didn’t anticipate him breaking their attorney-client privilege and involve Ted in her case in any way. It hadn’t felt like a big deal before not to give Orlando that detail about it. Only things were different now. She now knew what she’d thought she’d imagined when Orlando had gotten a little too intense the several times he’d interrupted the friendly banter between her and other guys. It’d been the very same expression and tone he’d used when questioning her about her tattoo. Orlando wouldn’t take too kindly to knowing she was still in touch with Ted in any way. She’d just have to hope Blaine’s professionalism and Ted’s fear of her threat to out him to the public about what a controlling and borderline abusive jerk he could really be would keep him at bay. Still, slowly and menacingly, the Jaws music got louder, and her heart pounded as she turned the corner onto Orlando’s street.
Chapter 22
Danica
Rushing up the stairs of the courthouse, Danica dug through her purse for the documents she was told to bring with her. She’d been waiting on this day for over a year, but it’d never felt as urgent to get this taken care of as it did now. Despite her angst about hoping today went well, the endless flutter in her heart was still there. It’d been there since that very first kiss from Orlando. Could this really be happening? Of course, it could. Only under these circumstances could such a perfect guy—the father of her precious Oreo—have some genuine interest in a woman like her? As Danica got through the security clearance at the entrance of the courthouse, she spotted Blaine. As usual, he was standing in the crowded hallway of the courthouse, attaché on the floor next to him as he read through some paperwork in his hands—Danica’s paperwork no doubt—that would hopefully finally get her felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor. Blaine did a double take when he glanced up and spotted Danica walking toward him. He smiled, giving Danica hope that he had good news. “Anything yet?”
“Not yet,” Blaine said but continued to smile. “I think it’s a go though. Last time I spoke with the district attorney he said everything looked good. As long as you continue to stay out of trouble, and I can’t stress this enough, Danica. You cannot get into any kind of trouble from now until they decide. But if all goes well, he didn’t see any reason why the judge wouldn’t agree to this.”
Danica gulped, remembering the day her sister pulled out the gun on Ted and then how she’d hidden in the bedroom when the police arrived as Delia explained to them about the incident. Once again, her sister had covered for her, explaining that her ex, not Danica’s, had showed up demanding to talk to her. That when she asked him to leave, he got pushy, and it’s why she’d called the cops. She never mentioned the gun to them or that Danica had even been there. Danica had no idea what kind of trouble that might have meant for her had the incident gone on her record, but she was just glad it hadn’t, especially now that she needed this so bad. She wondered now if Ted had mentioned the incident at all to either of his kids. But given the fact that he’d told them the breakup was just them going through a rough patch, she’d assumed he hadn’t. Danica would just as soon not mention it either. She was certain Blaine would not approve, despite the circumstances warranting the way her sister had taken matters into her own hands. A few minutes remained until they let people into the courtroom. Blaine walked away to discuss something with another client. Danica stood in the busy hallway of the courthouse. She was lost in thought when someone nearly collided with her.
“So sorry—” To her surprise, a startled Felicia stopped in front of her. “Danica?” She glanced at the door behind Danica. “Hey,” she said, turning back to peer at Danica in question. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” Danica nodded, smiling nervously.
“You still watching Baby O?”
“Yes.” Danica nodded again, clutching the paperwork in her hands. “Matter of fact, I’m headed there later today.”
This time Felicia did the nodding. She glanced behind Danica again at the courtroom she’d be walking into shortly, her eyes furrowing a bit. “Oh.”
Felicia lifted the file of paperwork she was holding for Danica to see. “I work for a law firm. I just dropped off and picked up paperwork.” With a tilt of her head, Felicia’s eyes traveled down to the paperwork Danica clutched even tighter now. “Why are you here?”
“I . . .” Danica lifted a finger toward the courthouse, scrambling for a lie because, even though Orlando knew the truth now, she didn’t feel like sharing about this with Felicia. “Just have some business regarding my parents’ estate to take care of.” Another past fact in Danica’s life that came in handy now so she wouldn’t have to pull a complete lie out of nowhere. “I remember now. Orlando had mentioned you worked for a law firm,” she added in an attempt to change the subject.
“Yeah.” Felicia’s smile felt forced as if the topic of Orlando wasn’t one she was eager to discuss. “I’m here often picking up and dropping off paperwork.”
Great. Danica would now have to deal with the possibility of running into her again in any of the upcoming inevitable appearances she’d still have to make before the judge. She could only hope now that Orlando would follow through with his assurance that he wouldn’t be taking any more of Felicia’s calls. Last thing she wanted was to give Felicia a reason to feel the need to reach out to him.
“Ah.” Danica nodded, not sure what to follow up with, but she didn’t want the subject back on her. “How’ve you been?”
“Good.” Felicia smiled, though Danica didn’t miss the slight lift of her chin. “Busy, busy.” She motioned to the paperwork in her hands again. “Well, it was good to see you, but I gotta get back to work.”
Relieved, Danica waved her off. Just as abruptly as they’d nearly collided into each other, they were both off in different directions. Clearly, the girl didn’t want to stick around and have the subject veer toward the only thing they’d ever had in common. Good-bye, Felicia.
Orlando: Boyle Heights #4 Page 23