Billionaire Boss, Holiday Baby

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

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.