Penniless and Secretly Pregnant

by Jennie Lucas

  Leonidas’s hand tightened on the white curtains. He was furious with himself. Why had he tried to kiss her? How had he ever thought that would be a good idea, in their relationship’s current fragile state?

  He hadn’t been thinking. At all. That was the problem.

  He’d let his desire for Daisy override everything else. The stakes were so high. He had to make her feel comfortable here, so she would remain. So they could become friends. Partners. Married. For their baby’s sake.

  Instead, he could still hear the echo of her door, slamming in his face.

  How could he have been so stupid? Frustration pounded through him.

  Pulling on exercise shorts and a T-shirt from his walk-in closet, Leonidas dug out his running shoes. He peeked down the darkened hallway and saw Daisy’s door was closed. He didn’t even hear her dog. He wondered how she’d slept.

  After going downstairs, Leonidas went out into the gray dawn and went on a five-mile run to clear his head. With most of the city still asleep, he relished the quiet, the only sound his shoes crunching in the thin layer of snow.

  Daisy had such a warm heart. He’d seen it in her devotion to her father, to her friends—and their devotion to her. Her kindness. Her loyalty.

  He had to win her trust. Prove to her he could deserve it. Even if that meant he had to wait a long time to make love to her.

  Even if that meant he had to wait forever.

  He could do it. He was strong enough to fight his own desire. He could.

  Returning home with a clear head and a determined will, he ran upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. He paused when he saw Daisy’s door open. But her bedroom was empty. Had she already gone downstairs? Could she have left? Fled the city in the night—

  No. He took a steadying breath. She’d promised she’d never try to keep his child from him. And he believed in her word.

  But still. He wanted to find her. Going to his en suite bathroom, he quickly showered and dressed in a sleek black suit with a gray button-up shirt. The Liontari corporate office had recently loosened up the dress code, allowing men to skip ties and suits, though of course, the creatives and designers of the specific luxury clothing brands played by their own rules.

  But Leonidas had his own strict rule, to always represent the best his company had to offer. And so, he always wore the same cut of suit from his favorite men’s brand, Xerxes, altered to fit his unusually broad shoulders, biceps and thighs. He checked the clock. He always had breakfast around seven; he was expected at work in an hour. The thought gave him little pleasure.

  Going downstairs, he couldn’t find either Daisy or Sunny. Phyllis Berry, his longtime housekeeper, was cooking eggs and sizzling bacon in the kitchen, as she always was this time of the morning.

  “Good morning, sir.”

  “Good morning, Mrs. Berry.” Sitting at the breakfast table as usual, he hesitated. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen—”

  “Miss Cassidy?” The petite white-haired woman beamed at him as she dished up a plate. “Yes. And all I can say is—finally!”

  “Finally?”

  “Finally, you’re settling down. Such a nice girl, too. And pregnant! You wasted no time!” With a chuckle, she brought the plate of bacon and eggs, along with a cup of black coffee, and put them down on the table in front of him with a wistful sigh. “I can hardly wait to have a baby about the place. The pitter-patter of little feet. And a dog! I must admit I’m surprised. But better late than never, Mr. Niarxos. After all these years, you finally took my advice!”

  Raising his eyebrows, Leonidas sipped hot coffee, while he was pretending to skim the business news. “You met Daisy?”

  “Yes, about a half hour ago, when she left to walk her dog. Such a lovely girl.” Mrs. Berry sighed, then gave him a severe look before she turned away. “Why you still haven’t asked her to marry you is something I don’t understand. Young people today...”

  Leonidas’s lips curved upward. Young person? He was thirty-five. But then, Mrs. Berry, who’d worked for Leonidas for many years, regarded her employer with a proprietary eye. She seemed to regard him as the grandson she’d never had, and never hesitated to tell him the error of his ways.

  He heard the slam of the front door, the dog’s nails clacking against the marble floor, and the soft murmur of Daisy’s voice, greeting some unseen member of his house staff down the hall. Trust Daisy to already have made friends.

  Her dog, no longer a puppy in size but clearly very much in temperament, bounded into the kitchen first, her tongue lolling, her big paws tracking ice and snow from her walk. Mrs. Berry took one look and blanched. She moved at supersonic speed, picking the animal up off the floor. But her wrinkled face was indulgent as she looked down at the dog.

  “Let’s get you into the mudroom,” she said affectionately. “And after we clean your paws, we’ll get you properly fed.” The dog gave her a slobbery kiss. Mrs. Berry smiled at Daisy, who’d followed her pet into the kitchen. “If that’s all right with you, Miss Cassidy.”

  “Of course. Oh, dear. I’m so sorry!” Daisy glanced with dismay at the tracks her dog had made on the previously spotless floor. “I’m afraid it’s a great deal of trouble—”

  “No trouble at all,” Mrs. Berry said, with a purposeful glance at Leonidas. The crafty old lady was leaving them alone. He wondered irritably if she expected, as soon as she left the room, for him to immediately go down on one knee in front of Daisy and pull a diamond ring out of his pocket? He would have done so gladly, if it would have done any good!

  “Good morning, Leonidas.” Daisy’s voice was shy. She was, of course, wearing the same clothes from yesterday, her long black coat unzipped over her belly. “I saw you come back from my window. Were you running?”

  “It helps me relax.”

  “Does it?” She snorted. “You should walk my dog sometime, then. She’d probably love running with you. She has more energy than I do these days, always tugging at the leash!”

  He furrowed his brow. “Is walking her a problem? I could get one of my staff to handle the chore...”

  “Chore?” She looked at him incredulously. “It’s not a chore. She’s my dog. I like walking her. I just thought she might like running with you.”

  “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Sure. I could take her running with me.” He pictured Daisy walking around the streets of New York in the darkness of early morning, and suddenly didn’t like it. “Or I could come walking with you, if you want. Either way.”

  She blinked. “Really? That wouldn’t be too much of a...a chore for you?”

  “Not at all. I like her.” Leonidas looked up from the table. “And I like you.”

  She bit her lip. He saw dark circles under her eyes. Apparently she hadn’t slept very well either.

  “Sit down.” Rising to his feet, he pulled out a chair at the table. “Can I get you some breakfast? Are you hungry?”

  She shook her head. A smile played about her full pink lips. “Mrs. Berry already made me eat some toast and fruit before she’d let me take the dog out.”

  Score one for Mrs. Berry. “Good.” He paused awkwardly, still standing across from her. “How are you feeling?”

  Her lovely face looked unhappy. Her hands clasped together as she blurted out, “I think we’ve made a big mistake.”

  Danger clanged through him. “A mistake?”

  She tucked a loose tendril of brown hair behind her ear. She said softly, “I don’t think I can stay here.”

  Leonidas stared at her in consternation. Then he understood.

  “Because I almost kissed you last night,” he guessed grimly. She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

  He had to soothe her—make her feel safe. He took a deep breath. Going against all his instincts, he didn’t move. Instead, he said gently, “You have no reason to be afraid of me.”

  “I’m n
ot afraid of you. I’m afraid of—”

  She cut off her words.

  “Afraid of what?”

  Her pale green eyes lifted to his, and he knew, no matter how Daisy tried to pretend otherwise, that she felt the same electricity. Every time her gaze fell to his lips. Every time their eyes met, and she nervously looked away. Every time he touched her and felt her tremble.

  She was afraid of herself. Of her own desire. Afraid, if she gave in, that she would be lost forever.

  And she was poised to flee. If he didn’t reassure her, he’d scare her straight back into Franck Bain’s apartment—if not his arms.

  Taking a deep breath, he said, “What if I promise I won’t try to kiss you?”

  Silence crackled as they faced each other in the breakfast nook. Outside in the courtyard, there was a soft thump as snow fell from the branches onto the white-covered earth.

  “Would you really make that promise?” she said finally.

  “Yes. I’ll never try to kiss you, Daisy. Not unless you want me to.”

  “On your honor?”

  He tried to comfort himself with the fact that at least she now believed he had honor. “Yes.”

  Daisy bit her lip, then said slowly, “All right. If I have your word, then...then I’ll stay.”

  He exhaled. “Good.” He tried not to think about how hard it would be not to kiss her. How hard it was not to kiss her even now.

  He took a deep breath. “I need to go to work today.”

  “Work?”

  “I’m CEO and principal shareholder of Liontari.”

  “That’s a store?”

  “An international consortium of brands. You’ve probably heard of them. Vertigris, for instance.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Champagne.”

  “No. But I don’t really drink...”

  He was surprised. Vertigris was as globally famous as Cristal or Dom Perignon. “Ridenbaugh Watches? Helios Diamonds? Cialov Handbags?”

  Looking bemused, Daisy shook her head.

  And all of Leonidas’s plans to go into the office flew out the window. He set his jaw. “Okay. I’m taking you out.”

  “Out?”

  “We’ll collect your clothes from Bain’s apartment, as I promised. Then I’m taking you to a few shops.” When she frowned, still looking bewildered, he added, “We can buy a few things.”

  “What kind of things?”

  “For your pregnancy. For the baby.”

  “You don’t need to buy me stuff.”

  “Think of it as you helping me,” he said lightly. “Market research. You’re a totally virgin consumer. I’d like your take on my brands.”

  Her cheeks colored at the word virgin. “I don’t see how my opinion would be useful to you.”

  “It would be. But more than that, I’d really like you to understand what I do.” He gave her a brief smile. “Isn’t that what you were asking me? To understand my world?”

  “That was before...”

  “There was so much I never was able to show you before. We spent our whole time together in Brooklyn.” He paused. “Let me show you Manhattan.”

  Her light green gaze looked troubled, then she bit her lip. “I’m not sure I can leave Sunny alone here...”

  “Mrs. Berry can watch her. She’s good with dogs.” At least, she’d seemed good with Sunny just now. He’d never really thought about it. He’d certainly never lived with a dog before. His parents had despised the idea of pets. “She’s very trustworthy.” That at least was true.

  He could see Daisy weighing that, and wondered if she was setting such a high bar for who was allowed to watch her dog, would any potential babysitter for their daughter need two PhDs and a letter of reference from the Dalai Lama?

  “I suppose,” she said finally. “As long as we’re not gone for too long.”

  Reaching out, he took her left hand in his own, running his thumb over her bare ring finger. “We could go to Helios,” he said casually. “Look at engagement rings.”

  He felt her shiver and saw the flash of vulnerability in her eyes. Then she pulled her hand away.

  “No,” she said firmly. “No rings.”

  Couldn’t blame a man for trying. “There must be something you need, you or the baby.”

  She tilted her head, then sighed, resting her hand on her swelling belly peeking out from the open black puffy coat. “I suppose it would be nice to get a new coat,” she admitted. “This morning, I suddenly couldn’t zip it up anymore.”

  As she rubbed her belly, he saw a flash of cleavage at the neckline of her white button-down shirt, and he wondered what touching those breasts would feel like. A very dangerous thing to wonder. He couldn’t think about seducing her. Because he was the kind of man that if he let himself think about something, he would soon take action to achieve it.

  “But you don’t need to pay for it,” she said quickly. Inwardly, he sighed. He’d never had so much trouble convincing a woman to let him buy her things. “While we’re at Franck’s,” she continued, “I need to pick up my waitress uniform. I have a shift tomorrow.”

  Leonidas frowned. “You’re not thinking of going back to work at the diner?”

  “Of course.” Daisy frowned. “Do you really think I’d just quit my job? And leave my boss in the lurch?”

  “Why would you—” Gritting his teeth, he said, “You don’t have to be a waitress anymore. Ever. I will take care of you!”

  She put her hand on her hip. “Are you telling me not to work?”

  Raising his eyebrow, he countered, “Are you telling me it’s comfortable to stand on your feet all day, when you’re this pregnant?”

  Daisy’s expression became uncertain, and her hand fell to her side. “I’ll think about it,” she said finally. “On the drive to Brooklyn.” She paused. “Actually, could we...um...take the subway or something?”

  “You don’t like the Rolls-Royce?”

  She rolled her eyes. “It’s a limo. With a uniformed driver.”

  “So?”

  “Well, the whole thing’s a little bit much, isn’t it?”

  As much as he wanted to please her, Leonidas wasn’t quite ready for the subway. They compromised by having his driver, Jenkins—wearing street clothes, not his uniform—take them in Leonidas’s Range Rover.

  When the two of them arrived at the Brooklyn co-op overlooking the river, the building’s doorman greeted Daisy with a warm smile, then glared at Leonidas.

  “You all right, Miss Cassidy?” the man asked her.

  She gave him a sweet smile. “Yes. Thank you, Walter.” She glanced at Leonidas, clearly enjoying his discomfiture.

  “Thank you, Walter,” he echoed. The man scowled back. Obviously their last meeting, when Leonidas had threatened Daisy with lawyers, had been neither forgiven nor forgotten.

  But Leonidas was even more discomfited, ten minutes later, when, upstairs in Bain’s apartment, Daisy announced she was entirely packed.

  “That’s it?” Leonidas looked with dismay at her two suitcases and a large cardboard box full of books and a single canvas painting. “That is everything you own?”

  Daisy shrugged. “I sold most of our family’s belongings last year, to pay for my father’s legal defense.” She hesitated as she said quietly, “The rest was sold to pay for the funeral.”

  Her eyes met his, and his cheeks burned. Though she didn’t say more, he imagined her silently blaming him. When would she realize it wasn’t his fault? Not his fault that her father had decided to sell forgeries and needed a lawyer. Not his fault that Patrick Cassidy had died of a stroke in prison!

  But arguing wouldn’t help anything. Choking back a sharp retort, he tried to imagine her feelings.

  He took a deep breath.

  “I’m sorry,” he said slowly. “That
must have been very hard.”

  Looking down, she whispered, “It was.”

  Leonidas glanced at the painted canvas resting in the cardboard box. It was a messy swirl of colors and shapes that seemed to have no unifying theme.

  Following his glance, Daisy winced. “I know it’s not very good.”

  Reaching down to the cardboard box, he picked up the painting. “I wouldn’t say that...”

  “Stop. I know it’s terrible. I did it my final semester of art school. All I wanted was for it to be spectacular, amazing, so I kept redoing it, asking advice and redoing it based on everyone’s advice. I wanted it to be as good as the masters.”

  “Maybe that’s the problem. It looks like a mash-up of every well-known contemporary artist. What about your own voice? What were you trying to say?”

  “I don’t know,” she said in a low voice. “I don’t think I have a voice.”

  “That’s not true,” he said softly, looking at her bowed head. He thought of her years of love and loyalty. “I think you do.”

  Looking up, she gave an awkward laugh. “It’s okay. Really. I tried to be an artist and failed. I never sold a single painting, no matter how hard I tried. So I threw them all away, except this one. I keep thinking,” she said wistfully, brushing that canvas with her fingertips, “maybe someday, I’ll figure it out. Maybe someday, I’ll be brave enough to try again.” She gave him a small smile. “Stupid, huh?”

  Before he could answer, their driver knocked on the door. He’d come upstairs to help carry the suitcases. Leonidas lifted the big cardboard box in his arms. But he noticed Daisy continued to grip the painting in her hands. She carefully tucked it on top of everything else, so it wouldn’t get crushed in the back of the Range Rover.

  “Do you mind if we stop at the diner before we go back?” she said into the silence. He turned to her.

  “Sure.”

  Her lovely face looked a little sad. “I think I need to talk to my boss.”

  They arrived at the cheerful, crowded diner, with its big windows overlooking vintage booths with Naugahyde seats. Jenkins pulled the SUV into the loading zone directly in front of the diner.