Tall, Dark and Charming

by Erika Wilde

  A confused frown marred Sabrina’s brows as she glanced from Daisy to Aiden, then back again. “Okay. What’s going on?”

  When her hands kept moving restlessly, Aiden reached over and gently grabbed the hand closest to him, shocking her with that intimate touch in front of their boss. It didn’t escape Sabrina’s notice, either, and when his fingers lightly squeezed around Daisy’s to let her know he was right there supporting her, the unease swirling in her stomach suddenly increased.

  “I’m almost three months pregnant, and Aiden is the father,” she said, putting it all out there in one quick sentence.

  Sabrina’s eyes widened in shock. “Okay . . . I certainly didn’t see that coming.” Her mouth thinned as her gaze dropped to where Aiden was still holding Daisy’s hand, his thumb rubbing across her knuckles. “Is this relationship something the two of you are keeping quiet about?”

  “No,” Aiden replied before Daisy could. “I plan to be an active part of the pregnancy and, of course, the baby’s life after it’s born, so I’m sure word will spread pretty quickly throughout the office about the two of us.”

  “I’m sure it will,” Sabrina murmured, and she didn’t sound happy about that fact. “Of course you both know that there is no rule against dating a co-worker, and I’m going to trust that the two of you are going to handle this situation professionally when you’re at work, and keep any personal matters outside of the office.”

  Daisy’s stomach pitched with renewed distress, and she automatically tugged her hand out of Aiden’s grasp, and he reluctantly let her go. On the heels of her mother’s condemning words the previous night on the phone, her boss’s obvious concern about the situation compounded Daisy’s anxiety. She hated that she was now under a certain amount of scrutiny as an employee, as was her relationship with Aiden. One false move, and she stood to lose everything she’d worked so hard to gain over the past three years—her career, making it on her own, and being successful—and that thought jolted her with a surge of panic.

  “Keeping things professional at work won’t be a problem,” Aiden said, since Daisy seemed incapable of speaking at the moment around the tight knot in her throat.

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” Sabrina said, giving them both a pointed look. “Obviously, this is a huge surprise, but as long as it doesn’t affect your working relationship in any way, we’re all good. But if there are any issues, we’ll have to revisit this conversation and find a way to make it work.”

  Even if it means letting one of you go . . .

  Sabrina hadn’t said those actual words, but Daisy was smart enough to know that they were implied. Their boss had always been fair and kind, but ultimately the firm and making sure their clients were satisfied were Sabrina’s main concern, and any drama between co-workers wouldn’t be tolerated.

  Before they left Sabrina’s office and started work for the day, there was one more thing Daisy needed to say to her boss. She did her best to remain calm on the outside, even though her insides were twisting and turning and making her nauseous, and it had nothing to do with the baby in her belly.

  “Sabrina . . . I promise you that this pregnancy won’t interfere with doing my job and meeting deadlines, or anything else that is required of my position. I’m as committed as ever to the company and our clients.”

  “Okay,” her boss replied, seemingly satisfied . . . for the time being. “Then I think we’re good for now.”

  “Thank you,” Daisy said as she and Aiden stood up at the same time to leave.

  Once they were out of Sabrina’s office and had reached their own area, Aiden leaned a bit closer and said in a low voice that only she could hear, “I think that went fairly well.”

  He sounded so confident, and she wished she could feel the same. Unfortunately, life had taught her to tread carefully, and that’s what Daisy intended to do.

  * * *

  After work, Aiden went to meet his brothers for dinner at one of their favorite casual burger joints, his thoughts on Daisy and that tangible shift he’d felt between them after their conversation with Sabrina that morning. After leaving her office and starting their day, it was obvious to him that Daisy was deliberately maintaining her distance at work and keeping interaction with him to a minimum.

  He wasn’t surprised. Obviously, the discussion with Sabrina had hit Daisy where she was most vulnerable, in that deep, dark place that Aiden now knew Diane Parker was responsible for creating in her daughter at a young age. Hell, he’d heard with his own ears how her mother had blatantly told Daisy that she’d screwed up her future by getting pregnant, while insisting that she’d end up throwing away her career to take care of the baby alone.

  It didn’t matter that Aiden would never let that happen, because Daisy only knew what she’d experienced in life so far . . . and that was a parent who’d reinforced that men made promises they didn’t keep, and trusting a man who’d deceived her in the worst way possible, both of which had happened to Daisy and had confirmed her mother’s ominous warning.

  And this morning, Sabrina had unknowingly rekindled those fears in Daisy, because while their boss had accepted the situation on the surface, she’d also made it very clear that if there were any conflicts between them that affected their ability to work together, their positions within the company would be reevaluated.

  So, while Aiden understood where Daisy’s panic stemmed from, he would never do anything to jeopardize either one of their jobs. But that was something she’d have to come to accept and believe on her own. Which meant in the meantime, he wasn’t going to put any pressure on her in terms of defining their relationship. He’d play it cool and let things between them—hopefully—develop naturally and in a way that showed Daisy that she could trust him and his promises.

  Finally arriving at the restaurant, Aiden parked his car and headed into the establishment. Since it was a Monday night, the place was fairly quiet and the three of them were seated in a booth without any wait time. Aiden slid into one side of the leather seat, while Leo and Dylan settled across from him. They all perused the menu, though they always ended up ordering the same thing.

  Of the three of them, Aiden was the oldest at thirty-two, with Leo in the middle at twenty-nine, and Dylan the youngest at twenty-seven, and each one of them had been affected differently by their father’s affair and parents’ divorce.

  Being the oldest, Aiden had stepped up to the plate and taken on the responsibility of being the man of the house and primary caretaker of his mother during her cancer scare, but his father’s infidelity had always made it difficult for him to really connect with a woman on a deeper level than just sex . . . until that fateful night with Daisy in San Francisco. Everything about that weekend had changed his life and future in ways he never could have imagined or predicted.

  Leo had been an angry and brooding teenager over their dad’s blatant rejection, and Dylan had become quiet and withdrawn, though over the years, Aiden was happy to see that Dylan wasn’t nearly as serious as he’d been in high school. And Leo, well, he’d settled down in college, met a girl his freshman year who he fell hard for and had every intention of marrying once they graduated and found stable jobs . . . until she’d dumped him the day of their wedding.

  Yeah, that situation had pretty much put Leo’s heart on lockdown, not that Aiden could blame his brother.

  Their waitress came by and took their orders—he went for his normal bacon bleu cheese burger and a pale ale on tap—and once she’d delivered all of their beers and they were alone again, both of his brothers looked at him expectantly.

  “So, what’s this big news you need to tell us?” Leo asked.

  Aiden realized that there was no easy way to ease into the announcement, and he wasn’t one to beat around the bush, anyway. “So, yeah . . . I’m going to be a dad.”

  Leo stared at him, his expression unchanging, clearly not believing a word he said. “No, really, stop dicking around, Aiden.”

  Dylan rolled his eyes as h
e swallowed a drink of his beer. “Yeah, it’s not even April Fool’s Day, so quit being a dumb ass. As if we’d ever believe that you were going to have a kid. You don’t even date.”

  Leo smirked at Dylan. “Well, technically, you’re the dumb ass because he doesn’t have to date to impregnate a woman. One little slipup and bam, you’re tied to a kid for life, whether you like the woman you screwed or not.”

  Dylan visibly shuddered. “Jesus, I can’t even imagine.”

  Aiden watched his brothers go back and forth as if he wasn’t even there. As if what he’d just said was all a big joke. And while he could understand why they’d think he was yanking their chain since they always bullshitted around, in this case their comments were derogatory and disrespectful toward Daisy, even if they didn’t realize it yet—and it was something he wouldn’t tolerate.

  “Both of you, quit being so fucking crude,” Aiden said, his tone direct enough that they stopped talking and looked back at him.

  Leo’s gaze narrowed, then widened a fraction when he finally realized how serious Aiden was. “Oh, damn, you’re not kidding, are you?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Holy shit.” Dylan’s sudden shock wiped the humor right off his face. “Did you meet someone on the Little Black Book app and knock her up? Is that why you shut down your account?”

  Aiden sighed. “No, I didn’t meet her on the app, and I shut down my account because I don’t plan on hooking up with anyone else in the foreseeable future.” The only woman he wanted, quite honestly, was Daisy.

  Dylan sat back in his seat, as if he was trying to process everything he’d just learned, while Leo remained quiet, too. Thank God their waitress arrived at that moment to deliver their meals, which gave them all something to do for a few minutes while the realization sank in.

  After a few bites of his burger, Leo finally spoke. “So . . . where did you meet this woman?”

  Dylan’s eyes were on Aiden, too, his curiosity unmistakable. “I work with her. Her name’s Daisy Parker.”

  Dylan’s jaw nearly came unhinged as realization dawned. “No wonder you were acting so fucking weird when I told you I wanted to ask her out!” His voice was filled with accusation. “Why the hell didn’t you just tell me you two were dating so I didn’t make an ass of myself when I asked her out on the phone today and had to endure an awkward-as-fuck rejection.”

  His brother’s indignation made Aiden chuckle, which earned him a glare and middle finger salute from his youngest sibling.

  “Wait, you know her?” Leo asked, looking at Dylan in confusion. “You’ve met her already?”

  Dylan set his burger down on his plate. “Yes, I’ve met Daisy. I’ve been working with her on an app for one of her clients. She’s very sweet . . . and totally not Aiden’s type.”

  “Whatever,” Aiden said with a deliberate smirk. “She’s my type now.”

  “Asshole,” Dylan muttered.

  Clearly, his brother was still peeved that Aiden had essentially set him up to get turned down by Daisy, though in Aiden’s defense, he hadn’t known that Daisy was pregnant on that day. He’d just been acting on that she’s mine caveman mentality.

  “How long have the two of you been dating?” Leo asked.

  “Well, we haven’t really dated,” Aiden said, which earned another round of what the fuck frowns from both brothers. “I mean, I’ve known her for three years, so it’s not like she’s a stranger. We’re friends, and I never intended to cross that line and have sex with her.”

  Dylan scoffed. “You didn’t intend to have sex with her?” he asked incredulously. “What, did you fall on Daisy and your dick just happened to slip into her?”

  Leo laughed, and Aiden would have found it funny, too, if the joke wasn’t at Daisy’s expense.

  “Don’t be crass, Dylan. The two of us had a client meeting in San Francisco a few months back,” he explained. “And one thing led to another and we slept together with the mutual understanding that it was a one-time thing.”

  “Which turned into a lifetime thing,” Leo said, more solemnly now.

  “Yes,” Aiden replied after swallowing another bite of his burger. “We were only together that one night, but yeah, be advised that condoms are not one hundred percent effective.”

  Leo laughed. “Duly noted.”

  They all went quiet again as they finished off their meals. Once they were done and their plates cleared, Leo spoke again.

  “What are you going to do?” he asked, genuinely interested. “I mean, we all know you’re going to do the responsible thing and take care of the kid, but is this just a co-parenting situation or something more?”

  “She’s in the mindset that we’re going into this as just co-parents, and she’s very guarded after a crappy childhood and understandably wary after falling for a guy who was married and cheating on his wife, but honestly, I’m all in,” he admitted, grateful that he could put everything out there with his brothers and have someone to talk to.

  “Wow,” Dylan said, sounding a little amazed. “That’s a huge statement for someone who’s avoided committed relationships his entire adult life.”

  “Things change,” Aiden said with a shrug, and he was referring to more than just a surprise pregnancy with Daisy. “I think I’ve changed. I’ve always liked Daisy, and that night in San Francisco made me see her in a whole new light. It was like a turning point in how I felt about her, from just friends and co-workers to something more. But out of respect for her, and because we both agreed that it was just that one night, I didn’t pursue her . . . even though I really wanted her. And then to find out she’s pregnant with our baby, it was like flipping a switch inside of me, from a guy who thought he was happy being a bachelor to a man who started seeing that his life and his future could be so much more.”

  “Except Daisy doesn’t feel the same way,” Leo said, summing things up.

  “Actually, I think she does feel something for me.” Aiden had seen enough evidence to know that their connection was more than just a physical attraction, had felt that emotional shift between them that had started in San Francisco and was heightened by the fact that they were now going to have a baby together. “Except Daisy is now gun-shy when it comes to men and afraid to trust that I’m in this for the long haul. And I’m worried that if I tell her how I feel, it’ll scare her and she’ll pull back even more. So, I’m just trying to bide my time and do my best to prove that I’m not going anywhere.”

  Leo nodded in understanding. “When are you going to tell Mom?”

  Their mother had just recently taken off for a three-week European cruise with a gentleman friend—who was more than a friend, in Aiden’s opinion—and he wasn’t about to break the news to her over the phone. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that his mother had always wanted to scratch off her bucket list, and he didn’t want anything to distract her from having the best time, worry free.

  “I’ll tell mom when she gets back in a few weeks. It’s not like the baby is going anywhere anytime soon,” he said in a light, humorous tone. “Then maybe we can do dinner at Mom’s after that and I can introduce Daisy to the family.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” Dylan said.

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” Leo added. “If both of you were fighting over her, then I’m sure she’s a great girl.”

  “And just for the record, I won,” Aiden said, giving his computer nerd brother a smug grin. “I’ve impregnated her, so she’s definitely mine.”

  “Asshole,” Dylan said, but this time he was laughing.

  Chapter Eleven

  Three days later, Aiden insisted on following Daisy to her apartment so she could leave her car there while he drove both of them to her first ob-gyn appointment. Both of them were equally excited at the chance to hear the heartbeat and get their first look at their baby in the ultrasound that was scheduled.

  While at the office, she was all business, but now that it was just the two of them, she was much more relaxed,
and he took advantage of that fact to show her in a subtle way how he felt about her. That she meant more to him than just being his baby momma.

  He slipped his hand into hers as they walked toward the building where her doctor was located, entwining their fingers casually, as if it was a natural thing for the two of them to do as a couple. The connection said that she was his to anyone who happened to glance their way, and he chalked it up to a small victory when she didn’t try and pull her hand out of his.

  When they arrived at the office, Daisy filled out all the paperwork, then had to go pee in a cup so they could test her sugar and protein levels. When the nurse finally called her back for her appointment, Aiden followed without being asked, because he wasn’t going to miss out on a thing. She weighed in and groaned when the nurse informed her she’d gained another pound since they were able to compare with her regular doctor’s notes from the previous week, even though the other woman assured her that she was progressing normally.

  In the exam room, Daisy sat on the table while her vitals and blood pressure were taken, and Aiden had to admit he was relieved to see that the reading was normal and that any stress she might be experiencing at work, due to either this situation or approaching deadlines, hadn’t elevated her numbers. A barrage of questions was asked, notes were typed into a computer on the counter, then the nurse told the two of them that the doctor would be in shortly.

  A few minutes later, a woman who was probably in her late forties came into the room, a warm smile on her face. “Hello, I’m Dr. Lane,” she said as she did a quick look at the computer screen before glancing back at them. “It’s nice to meet you, Daisy, and I’m assuming you’re the baby’s father?” she asked, addressing Aiden.

  “I’m am,” he replied with a smile, and felt ridiculously proud of that fact.

  He stood next to the exam table as Dr. Lane talked to Daisy while referencing the notes in the laptop that the nurse had left for her, which included her health history. Then the other woman had Daisy lie back on the table and raise her top to just beneath her breasts and pull down her pants to right below her hips so she could measure her belly. Between those calculations and the date that Daisy gave the doctor as the day of conception, they were given a due date a little over six months from now. Dr. Lane expressed mild concern about the early bleeding that Daisy told her about, but assured them it was normal, but as a precaution the ultrasound would indicate if there were any issues.