Tall, Dark and Charming

by Erika Wilde

  She paused for a moment, and Aiden felt his jaw clench in irritation at how insensitive her mother had been to Daisy. But he didn’t say anything, just gave her the time and space to gather her thoughts before she continued.

  “So, that whole Troy situation was like a huge strike against me and something she held over my head, and here comes the second strike for being so stupid as to get pregnant.” She lifted her chin tenaciously and settled a protective hand over her belly. “Not that I care at this point what she thinks, because I will never let this baby ever feel like they weren’t wanted, despite how they were conceived. And I also know that you’d never walk away from this child, either.”

  “Never,” he assured her, and was tempted to add that, for him, she was part of the deal, too, but knew she wasn’t ready to hear that yet. There was no sense telling her how his feelings for her had shifted beyond friendship and have her put up those defensive walls he was slowly trying to tear down, thanks to her dickhead ex who’d blindsided and deceived her and had basically fucked with her emotions.

  She sighed, the sound heavy and disheartened. “I just know it’s going to be a difficult conversation to have with my mother and I dread it.”

  He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, making a spontaneous decision. “If it would help, I’d be more than happy to go with you when you tell your mother so you’re not alone.” So she’d have his support and he could make sure her mother knew he was going to take care of Daisy and their baby, despite any doubts she might have about him or the situation.

  “She lives in LA, right?” he asked, brushing his thumb along the backs of her fingers. “It’s just a few hours’ drive from here and we could be there by early afternoon.”

  She smiled at him, but it did nothing to erase the unease he saw in her gaze. “Thank you for the offer, but I’d rather not tell her in person. Trust me, it’s going to be awkward and humiliating, and at least with a phone call or FaceTime I can hang up once she’s done berating me for getting myself in this situation.”

  “Then let’s call her this morning,” he suggested. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.” Because he wasn’t letting her do this alone.

  “Okay,” she said, resigned. “I suppose there’s no time like the present to get it over with, because it’s certainly not something I’m going to be able to hide for much longer.”

  He chuckled. “No, you’re not. I’ll clear the breakfast dishes while you get your phone.”

  They both stood up, and while he cleared the dirty plates and took them to the sink to rinse, she retrieved her iPhone and they sat back down at the table. She set up FaceTime and propped the phone against the salt and pepper shakers so she didn’t have to hold on to it while she talked, then with a deep, fortifying breath, she called her mother.

  Aiden was sitting next to her, close enough for emotional support but out of the frame of the camera. He watched as Daisy rubbed her hands anxiously on her thighs and pasted on a forced smile just as her mother answered and her face appeared on the screen. From his angle, he saw a woman with short brown hair and green eyes like Daisy, but that’s where the similarities ended. Their facial features were distinctly different, making Aiden assume that Daisy had taken on more of her father’s traits.

  “Hi, Mom,” Daisy said, and Aiden knew her well enough to know she was trying hard to be upbeat. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked. How are you?”

  “I’m okay,” the other woman said with a shrug, her tone lacking any enthusiasm over hearing from her daughter. “And you?”

  “I’m good.” She chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds before going on and filling the silence. “I’ve been busy at work . . . but I did call to tell you something I wanted you to know.”

  “Oh? And what’s that?” she asked, her tone only mildly interested in what she had to say.

  Aiden could see that Daisy’s nerves were close to overwhelming her, and he took one of the hands she was still rubbing against her thigh and held it securely in his. She briefly glanced his way, and he mouthed the words “You’ve got this” to her.

  She returned her gaze to the iPhone screen. “I’m pregnant,” she said, her voice hoarse, as if she’d had to force the news out of her. “Almost three months along.”

  The silence on the other end was long and deafening. Panic washed over Daisy’s face, and he squeezed her hand, giving her the anchor she seemed to need as they both waited agonizingly long seconds for some kind of response.

  “Jesus, Daisy,” her mother finally said, her harsh tone expressing her disappointment. “Have I not taught you better than this? Did you not learn anything from my mistakes? What was this, a one-night stand? Do you even know who the father is?”

  Daisy sucked in a startled breath, her fingers curling tight around Aiden’s hand. The bitterness spewing from the other woman was shocking, but it was her cruel, deliberately hurtful words to her own daughter that had Aiden’s blood boiling with fierce, protective anger. Before Daisy could gather her composure to answer her mother, Aiden scooted his chair closer to hers so that he was now part of the FaceTime chat, too, and put his arm possessively around Daisy’s shoulders.

  Her mother’s eyes widened in surprise at seeing him, and instead of telling the other woman off like Aiden wanted to do, he decided to kill her with grace and kindness, because despite her horrible behavior, he wasn’t going to make the situation worse for Daisy.

  He summoned a charming grin, though he doubted it would thaw this woman’s cold heart. “Yes, Daisy does know who the father is,” he said amicably. “That would be me, Ms. Parker, and it’s nice to meet you. I’m Aiden Stone, and I can assure you that I take my obligation to this child very seriously.”

  Her thin lips pursed caustically, and she looked from him back to her daughter with a narrowed gaze. “I can’t believe you’ve gotten yourself in this predicament. Mark my words, Daisy. He’s not going to stick around. They never do once they’ve knocked you up, no matter what they say. And you’re going to be the one to give up everything, your career included, to take care of this baby.”

  “A baby who’s going to be your grandchild!” Daisy said, her voice rising in frustration. “Doesn’t that matter to you at all?”

  Her mother stiffened indignantly, clearly not expecting her daughter to snap back. “I’m just thinking about you, Daisy, and how this going to affect your future.”

  “No, you’re thinking about you and how I screwed up your future,” Daisy replied, obviously releasing years of pent-up anger and pain, and Aiden sat back and let her say what needed to be said. “But this baby, although not planned, will always come first and will never be made to feel like they were a mistake. I know it might be a struggle raising a baby as a single parent, but you know what? I’m going to do the best I can, with or without your support.”

  Aiden had to resist the urge to tell Daisy that he’d take care of the baby and her, in every way that mattered, that she’d never have to struggle or feel as if she was alone in this endeavor, ever. But she’d just discovered that she was pregnant, and there was too much going on in her head right now, too many fears and doubts she needed to come to terms with before he bulldozed his way into her life.

  As difficult as it might be, he’d give her that space, while investing the time to prove to Daisy that he wanted to take care of her, that it wasn’t an obligation because she was carrying his child but was based on his growing feelings for her. But she had to believe his intentions and not feel forced into them.

  “It’s up to you if you want to be a part of this child’s life. But I will not allow you to ever make this child feel anything less than loved,” Daisy went on, a quiver in her voice now. “So, you have some things to think about, Mom, and when you’re ready to talk about this more civilly, and with the intention of being a loving grandparent, then I’m open to that discussion. In the meantime, I’ll just say good-bye.”

  Before her mother could reply, Daisy reached out and disc
onnected the call, and by then she was visibly shaking and had tears in her eyes. Aiden didn’t hesitate to pull her onto his lap and wrap his arms around her.

  “Ahh, sweetheart, don’t cry.” It killed him to see her like this.

  She dashed away the moisture that rolled down her cheeks with her hand. “I’m crying because I’m so angry at my mom, and I’m hurt that she’d still be so damn bitter. And I shouldn’t be, because that conversation went exactly how I expected it to.”

  He gently rubbed her back with the palm of his hand and kissed her forehead. “I’m proud of you. For standing up to your mom. For making it clear that you won’t accept anything less than unconditional love for our baby.”

  She lifted her head from his shoulder, her eyes reflecting that emotional pain she’d lived with most of her life. “It’s the only way it can be, even if it means my mother not being a part of my life, because this baby’s well-being comes first.”

  He understood, though he’d like to believe that her mother would eventually come around. “Good news, though,” he said, applying a cheerful note to his voice to lighten the mood. “I guarantee my family is going to love you when they meet you.”

  She laughed lightly. “You can’t guarantee that.”

  “Yes, I can,” he said with a grin. “Dylan is already a big fan of yours.”

  “I like him,” she said softly. “He’s a nice guy.”

  He thought about his brother’s intent to ask Daisy out on a date and wondered if he’d followed through on that plan. “Umm, has Dylan called you at all since the app presentation at the office?”

  She nodded. “He left a message on my office voice mail on Friday, right before I had to leave for my doctor’s appointment. I figured it had something to do with the app, so I’d planned on returning the call tomorrow.”

  Not likely. “Well . . . don’t be surprised if his call has nothing to do with business and he asks you out on a date.”

  She blinked at him in surprise, then laughed, the amusing sound replacing any last lingering heartache from her conversation with her mother. “How awkward would that be? Me saying yes to a date with the brother of the man who knocked me up.”

  A low growl escaped his throat. “Not gonna happen.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not dating anyone like this,” she teased, indicating her pregnant body.

  “Damn straight you’re not,” he said, and splayed a hand on her belly, uncaring that he was acting like a caveman. “I’m feeling very protective of you and my baby. I don’t want any other guy touching you, and certainly not my brother Dylan.”

  She idly ran her fingers through his hair, her touch affectionate. “What do you want me to tell him?”

  Tell him that you’re mine, he wanted to demand, but managed to keep his tone civilized. “Just tell him that you’re not dating anyone right now, and when I go to dinner with him and Leo tomorrow night to tell them about the baby, I’ll set Dylan straight.”

  Her mouth quirked in an adorable smile. “I think finding out that you’re my baby daddy is going to go a long way in Dylan losing interest in me.”

  That’s exactly what he was counting on.

  Chapter Ten

  Daisy arrived to work the following morning ten minutes early. Walking toward her office, she mentally prepared herself for the conversation she and Aiden had agreed that they needed to have with Sabrina about Daisy’s pregnancy. With Aiden insisting on being an active part of the pregnancy, it just made sense to get it all out in the open and be honest about the situation and avoid any company gossip—though she was sure their co-workers would be shocked to learn who the father of her baby was.

  She was hoping that Sabrina would be understanding and supportive, but since Daisy was still feeling the backlash of her mother’s harsh reaction yesterday to the news, she had to admit she was feeling cautious and definitely nervous about the discussion to come. At some point, she’d need to take maternity leave for the birth of the baby, which meant extended time off and having to rely on someone else to handle her workload for at least a good six weeks. Surely Sabrina hadn’t been expecting that kind of absence when she’d promoted Daisy, and she couldn’t help but feel that she’d already disappointed and let down her boss.

  She sighed as she entered her office, her gaze landing on a gift someone had placed on her desk. Curious, she set down her laptop bag and purse and picked up the present, which had been covered in wrapping paper with cute baby rattles in different designs and soft pastel colors. There was no note, but since Aiden was the only one who was aware of the baby so far, and she knew he was already in his office since she’d seen his car in the parking structure, he’d clearly put the present on her desk.

  Ridiculously delighted at the thought of Aiden buying something for the baby, she sat down and tore off the paper to reveal the paperback version of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, a virtual tome of all things on pregnancy. Realizing that his gift had been chosen with careful consideration, she smiled at the sweet, unexpected gesture that told her how much Aiden cared about this process. Her heart swelled with an overwhelming emotion for this man that was getting harder and harder for her to fight. He was almost too perfect and too good to be true . . .

  “Good morning, Ms. Parker.”

  The deep, sexy drawl prompted Daisy to glance up, and she found Aiden leaning against the doorframe looking sinfully hot and gorgeous in one of his tailored navy suits. His dark brown eyes sparkled playfully, matching the smile on his lips that teased her with the barest glimpse of his dimple.

  She tamped down the desire and awareness making itself known. “Good morning, Mr. Stone,” she replied with a reciprocating grin, and pushed aside her anxiety about talking to Sabrina in favor of enjoying this simple moment with Aiden. “Thank you so much for the book. It was incredibly thoughtful.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, his voice warm and caring. “After you left yesterday I Googled what the best book on pregnancy was, and this one came up at as a number-one bestseller. So, I made a trip to Barnes and Noble and I bought a copy for you, and one for myself, too.”

  She tipped her head in surprise. “You did?”

  He nodded. “I want to know all the changes going on with you during the pregnancy, and how the baby is developing, and from what the employee at the bookstore told me, this book is pretty thorough. At almost eleven weeks, our baby is two to three inches long and about the size of a plum, and he or she is starting to open and close their fingers and curl their toes.”

  “Really?” she asked, fascinated by those details that she didn’t even know herself and completely touched by the fact that he’d already taken the time to peruse the book.

  “Yep.” Still standing in the doorway, probably to maintain decorum until they talked to Sabrina, he casually slid one of his hands into the front pocket of his pants. “As for what’s happening with your body, we already know about your fatigue and light-headedness and cravings for peanut butter cups, but your sense of smell might get more sensitive as you go into your second trimester, and you’re going to have to start buying maternity clothes pretty soon to accommodate your expanding belly.”

  She laughed at that. “Yes, very soon.” In fact, she planned on hitting a maternity shop after work this evening to purchase a few things. “From last week to today, I can’t even button up my pants and skirts anymore. This is one of the few dresses I have without a fitted waistline that I can still wear.”

  His gaze slowly tracked down the front of her body, taking in the way her much fuller breasts now pushed against the bodice of her dress, and a little lower, where her baby bump hadn’t quite yet started to show but was undoubtedly there, before his eyes raised back to hers.

  “Well, you look beautiful,” he said, his tone so soft and sincere she melted a little inside. “I totally get the whole pregnancy glow thing now, because I can see it on your face. Your skin looks . . . luminous.”

  Her breath caught, and her stomach swooped at the
adoring look in his eyes. She couldn’t ever remember any man looking at her the way that Aiden currently was. “Well, thank you,” she murmured, knowing that a warm blush was now adding to her glowing complexion.

  He straightened from where he’d been leaning against the doorjamb, his demeanor shifting to a more professional stance. “So, I just saw Sabrina in her office. Shall we go and tell her the news before everyone else arrives for the day?”

  “Yes.” She put the baby book into her side drawer, and gathering her fortitude, she walked with Aiden to Sabrina’s office.

  When they arrived, Aiden knocked on the open door. Their boss glanced up, surprised to see both of them, since they rarely spoke to her together.

  “Come on in,” Sabrina said from her seat behind her desk, where she’d been going through some paperwork. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes, everything is fine,” Aiden replied, and Daisy knew he was reassuring Sabrina that work-wise, there was nothing for her to worry about. “The two of us would like a few minutes of your time to talk to you about something personal.”

  “Of course.” She waved a hand toward the two chairs in front of her desk for them to sit as her gaze landed on Daisy. “I was hoping to find out what happened at your doctor’s appointment on Friday and how you’re doing. Can you and I do that after the two of you are done talking to me?”

  Despite her best efforts to try and remain calm, Daisy’s nerves had her absently rubbing her palms along her thighs, something she was beginning to realize that she did when she was anxious, which had been a heck of a lot lately. “Actually, my doctor’s appointment is why we’re both here to talk to you.”