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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.
