Daddy 101 (American Romance)

by Leigh, Jo

  He heard her sit down and he hurried. In a moment, he was back with her glass and the milk. He poured for her, then sat again, pulling his chair closer.

  “Chloe asleep?”

  Dani shook her head. “No, but she’s on her way. She got kind of riled up there.”

  “Who could blame her.”

  Dani took a cookie and dunked. “Can you believe those women?”

  “It was pretty surreal, wasn’t it?”

  “That’s a good way of putting it. What were they expecting? It reminds me of Cinderella. With all the sisters coming over here to try on the glass slipper.”

  “It won’t fit,” he said. He caught her gaze just as she was bringing a soggy cookie to her mouth. “Cinderella is already in the house.”

  She put the cookie down. “Don’t,” she said. “I don’t want to hear that.”

  “What? That I think you’re special?”

  “We both know you can be smooth. That you know how to use those pretty words. And we also both know that I’m not going there. So you needn’t bother.”

  “Ouch,” he said. “Hold on a second while I pull the knife from my heart.”

  She shook her head. “Oh, don’t be so melodramatic. You’ll get over it Trust me.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Call it a hunch. But I have the feeling you won’t be lacking for prom dates once you hit Manhattan .”

  “Who did you go to the prom with?” he asked, figuring a different tactic was called for. But also, oddly, curious.

  Dani picked up her cookie again and chewed thoughtfully before she answered. Alex didn’t bother with the dunking. He just opened the cookie and ate the good part.

  “I went with Randy, the Wonder Jock.”

  “The guy what’s-her-name mentioned?”

  “The very one.”

  “So he’s your memory?”

  Dani nodded. “Yep.”

  “Want to tell me?”

  She shook her head. “Nope.”

  “I’m wounded. I thought we were so close.”

  “We’ve known each other one day, Mr. Bradley. One very interesting day, but one, nonetheless.”

  “Hmm. Well, it doesn’t make me any less curious .”

  “You’ll survive.”

  “You sure do have a lot of confidence in me.” He grabbed several more cookies and opened them up. He put the sides without the cream back into the bag. “I’ll get over it. I’ll survive.”

  “You won’t survive if you do that again.”

  “What?”

  She nodded toward the Oreo bag.

  “Oh, damn.” He reached over and got his cookie halves. “Sorry. I’m not used to sharing.”

  “I’ll let it pass. This time.”

  “Oh?” He lifted his brow. “Now what exactly would be the punishment for a crime of this magnitude?”

  She grinned. Dammit.

  “Laundry duty. Definitely.”

  “That’s not so bad.”

  “Have you ever done laundry?”

  “Yes, of course. Well, no. Kind of.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I took my clothes to the fluff-and-fold in college.”

  She laughed. He felt himself flush. Why should he care about something like dirty linens? But he did.

  “That doesn’t count, Alex. Sheesh. Fluff-and-fold.”

  He thought about it for a moment, then he took his empty cookie halves and very deliberately put them back into the bag. “Well?”

  “You realize what you’re getting yourself into?”

  He nodded. He also remembered what she’d said earlier this evening. About how she had no time. He was only going to be here a few days, and he didn’t want her to come home from the clinic and do chores. He wanted her to spend that time with him. So how hard could laundry be?

  “Okay. I’ll show you the laundry room in the morning before I leave. I warn you, though. You’re not going to like it.”

  “I’ll survive,” he said. “I might even get over it.”

  She looked at him quizzically. “You’re not at all what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?”

  She sighed. “I expected dry clean only. And now I find you’re fluff-and-fold.”

  “Who knows. Maybe I’ll turn out to be just plain wash-and-wear.”

  “Nah. That doesn’t seem likely.”

  “I might surprise you.”

  Her grin changed her face once more. Lit it up from the inside out. “Yeah, you just might.”

  DANI HEARD HIM WALKING. He was. upstairs, in the guest room, and she was downstairs in her bathroom. But she heard his footsteps on the wood floor. She’d thought he’d turned in. It had been quiet for almost ten minutes. He probably just needed a glass of water.

  She wondered if he wore pajamas, or if he went to bed in the buff. It was easier and less stressful to imagine him in the pjs. Silk ones. Navy blue. Maybe just the bottoms. Riding low on his hips so she would see that line of hair men had that ran from their belly buttons down. She liked that line. A lot.

  She turned on the water in the sink and opened up her jar of cold cream. It was still hard to get over the fact that Alex Bradley was sleeping in her house. She’d seen him on “Entertainment Tonight,” “E!” and even “Oprah.” He knew movie stars, presidents and kings. He ate in restaurants they wouldn’t let her walk near. He shopped in Neiman Marcus and Barneys, while she went to J.C. Penneys.

  On the other hand, he ate the cream side of his Oreo and left the rest. If he laughed too hard, his face scrunched up and he cried real tears. He wasn’t above an emergency goldfish rescue.

  Why on earth wasn’t she up with him right now? She rubbed the cold cream over her face and wetted her washcloth. Was she nuts? It wasn’t as if she was a virgin. She was a full grown adult, and she understood exactly where sex fit into the scheme of things. Lots of people had sex because they wanted sex. She’d never thought any less of them. What consenting adults did in the privacy of their homes was perfectly all right with her. She had nothing morally against sleeping with a man out of wedlock. She had even recommended that course for a couple of her women friends.

  She washed her face for a while, wondering if he was still walking around. Wondering what he was thinking. He’d said some awfully flattering things tonight. Were any of them true?

  The problem was, she didn’t trust her own instincts. She’d believed every pretty word Randy had told her, only to find out that he’d lied about everything but the color of the sky. She’d been a fool with him, and it had cost her a great deal. Of course, it had also given her Chloe, which she wouldn’t trade for the world, but emotionally, the penalty had been high.

  And then, after Randy, there had been Doug. The opposite of Randy in every way. She’d thought she’d finally found someone she could trust. But then his wife had called her that lovely and unforgettable afternoon, and that relationship had blown up in her face. The terrible thing was, she’d never dreamed Doug had lied to her, either. She’d just taken what he said at face value.

  Now, faces had very little value. Words were suspect. Motivations were mysteries and intentions were dubious. It wasn’t just her heart at stake, either. It was her job to protect Chloe, to make sure that she didn’t get hurt.

  So how could she trust a man like Alex Bradley who was used to using words as a tool to get what he wanted? The man had negotiation down to a science, and what was negotiation but manipulation?

  No, it was much better to be safe than sorry. She’d stick to her guns and keep her distance. Besides, even if every word the man said were true, he was still leaving in a few days. He’d forget about her the moment he got to Albuquerque. She, on the other hand, doubted she’d forget him...ever.

  She finished rinsing her face then put on night cream, brushed her teeth and hair and turned off the light in the bathroom. A creak above her made her still, but although she listened for a long time, she didn’t hear anything else. He was probably
fast asleep. Dreaming of famous beauties and champagne.

  ALEX FIGURED HE WOULD never get to sleep. He’d just lie awake all night, thinking of Dani. There were worse things. Although few less frustrating.

  What was it about her? He’d already determined it wasn’t her looks. She was pretty, sure, but not devastatingly so. No, this wasn’t physical, or maybe it was. Chemical. He felt zapped.

  He thought about an old cartoon series from his childhood. Li‘l Abner. The wonderfully drawn Stupefyin’ Jones had helped him enter puberty in her own comic book fashion. All she’d had to do was look at a man and he was stupefied. That’s what Dani had done to him. He’d been zapped by her magic rays and now he was sunk. Because he didn’t want to get her in bed. Well, of course he did, but not just get her in bed. He wanted much more from her. The more didn’t have anything specific around it. Just more. But he couldn’t have that, could he?

  On the other hand, he’d never been one to let no stand in the way. Maybe there was some negotiating room here. He’d gone to the mat with some pretty tough customers, and come out ahead. Something told him Dani would make Donald Trump look like a pussycat, but what the hell. There was nothing to lose. The problem was, he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted from her. Marriage wasn’t a good option.

  Despite his misgivings, he believed his father’s rules made some very legitimate points. The Bradley men had done well for many generations, and they’d all adhered to those same rules. But Dani as a mistress? Jeez, he didn’t even like the sound of the word where Dani was concerned. And of course, there was Chloe to think about.

  Living in New York would be a plus for the little girl. She could get the education she deserved. He could set Dani up in a practice. They’d live very well; he’d make sure of that. Chloe would get into any college she wanted. Dani could shop at her leisure, have a maid, a cook. It wasn’t such a bad package.

  The other problem was time. How was he going to convince her that he was serious with only a few days to play with? Well, he’d just have to figure that out.

  Now, if he could just get to sleep. He had to be up with Dani in the morning. Laundry. Damn. Ted would have a heart attack.

  THE ALARM WOKE DANI, and she groaned as she reached to turn off the horrifying squeal. She wondered if she’d slept an hour all night. Or even ten minutes. It was Alex, of course, that had kept her awake. Thoughts of him. Dressed. Undressed. Smiling. Kissing. Kissing. That was the killer. If she’d never kissed him, things probably would have been fine. But no. He had to go and kiss her and remind her that she had a body and it had needs and he was a man and she was a woman and they both had different parts that meshed so well together.

  She hauled herself out of bed and tried not to gasp at her image in the mirror. Thank heavens for makeup. She needed it today.

  Her shower was a quick one, and she had to consciously slow herself down when applying that much-needed makeup. But she kept speeding up—her actions and her heart. All because he was here. He was awake. He was Alex.

  What in the world was she thinking?

  She tried on four different outfits, and finally settled on a pale pink skirt and blouse. She found her pumps, slipped them on, then did a final mirror check. Good thing, too, because she’d forgotten to do her hair, which stuck out all over her head as if she’d been given an electric jolt.

  She sighed, and went back to the bathroom. She had this awful feeling today was going to be very, very long.

  When she finally made it out of her bedroom, Chloe and Alex were already in the kitchen. She heard Chloe laugh, and that made her smile. Chloe didn’t often do that, especially with strangers. Her daughter was always thinking too much to laugh freely. What had Alex said to her?

  “Guess what, Mom,” Chloe said. “Alex doesn’t know how to make toast. Can you believe it?”

  Dani looked from her daughter to Alex. He was so beautiful it took her a moment to adjust. It was him, and he was here, and she hadn’t just dreamed it all. Right now, he had a very silly grin on his face. A stunning, silly, intimate grin.

  “I do know how to use a toaster,” he said, nudging Chloe gently with his elbow. “I’m just not familiar with the intricacies of cinnamon toast.”

  Chloe laughed again, making Dani’s heart even fuller. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, you know.”

  “Chloe. Be polite. It’s not his fault that he doesn’t know the first thing about cooking.”

  “Hey,” Alex said. “I made the-coffee.”

  She looked at the counter where he pointed. He’d found an old jar of instant coffee in the cupboard, and had turned on the electric kettle. Which sat right next to the coffeemaker she used every day. “Thank you,” she said, smiling.

  The kettle hissed then, and Alex poured the boiling water into two cups. “Cream? Sugar?” he asked. He was so inordinately proud of himself, she knew she couldn’t keep it together. Her laughter was right there, and one more word from him and she wouldn’t be able to hold back.

  “I’ll get it,” she said, hoping he didn’t hear the strain in her voice. She quickly opened the fridge, but she didn’t get the cream right away. Instead she breathed deeply, forcing herself to think of anything but Alex’s face and the hot water. The man was tickled pink that he could plug in a kettle. When they talked about men being from Mars, they had to mean him. A grown man, for heaven’s sake. It was too much. What on earth would she do with someone like that?

  “Do you have to milk the cow?”

  She grabbed the cream and turned to face him.

  She caught Alex looking at Chloe. His smile was still there, but now it was totally unconscious. His eyes were narrowed a bit as he studied her daughter, who was busy mixing sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Alex’s expression was one she was familiar with. She had it herself so often. Wonder. A little confusion. Amazement. Chloe was a unique creature. An incredibly huge brain in such a tiny little thing. So pretty, and so innocent. Dani could tell Alex was seeing all of that. Maybe more.

  He turned from Chloe and focused that same intense gaze on her. Dani felt the first flush of the morning on her cheeks. How he did that to her was still a mystery. She didn’t look away, though. When his smile broadened she saw it. When the look of wonder didn’t go away, but instead grew deeper, she saw that, too.

  But mostly, she saw his desire. In the light of day, it was unmistakable. No errant shadow, no trick of the moon. He wanted her in a way that was real and tangible and spoke the question as loudly as words.

  She wondered if he could see just as clearly that her response was, “Yes.”

  “Laundry,” he said, his voice gravelly and rough.

  “Fluff-and-fold,” she whispered back.

  His grin grew mischievous. “Wash-and-wear.”

  “You guys are weird,” Chloe said. Then she took her cinnamon toast to the table, shaking her head all the way.

  Chapter Eight

  “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Alex looked at the neat piles of sorted laundry in the small pantry off the kitchen. Then he looked at his notes. “Yep. I lost fair and square. The laundry will be done.”

  “Okay. But you don’t have to.”

  “I know. I want to.”

  She looked up at him with an achingly sweet smile, and he realized that although it was a piddly task, one that meant nothing in the overall scheme of things, he really wanted to do it for her. To do it well. He wanted her to come home to perfectly folded towels and socks and shake her head and tell him she was impressed and pleased. It was also true that he could tell her quite a few tales of his financial and corporate efforts that were a hell of a lot more impressive than separating whites from darks, but right now, it was the laundry he needed to conquer.

  “Feel free to use the phone,” she said. “And eat whatever you like. I’ll come home about one for lunch.”

  “Do you want me to fix you something?” he asked.

  Her grin broadened. “No, I think you’re going to
have your hands full today. I’ll bring something back with me. Then, maybe you could come back to the clinic with me to see Pete.”

  “Great. I’d like that.”

  She really was beautiful. Standing so close to her in the small room was getting to be a little difficult. He kept wanting to touch her. To feel her skin and her hair. To kiss her. God, yes. Kiss her.

  The moment stretched. If it were another woman, he wouldn’t have hesitated. He would have swept her into his arms and kissed her till they both cried uncle. But with Dani he found himself hesitating. She wasn’t like other women. She needed deft handling, consideration and patience. He was pretty sure he could manage the first two, but patience? There was no time for a long courtship. There was barely time for any courtship at all. No, he had to let her know. Now.

  He leaned forward. She closed her eyes and leaned, too, and he felt immediate relief, and excitement. To know she wanted the same thing he did...at least for now.

  Just as his lips touched hers, Chloe opened the door.

  “I’m late for—”

  Alex jerked back. So did Dani. He picked up the box of Tide and read the back furiously, his face hot with embarrassment. Although why he felt this way was not clear. He hadn’t done anything. Even if the kiss had been completed, there was still no reason to blush.

  “I know, honey. We’re almost done here. Get your lunch and meet me at the front door.”

  “Were you two kissing?”

  Alex chanced a look at Dani. Her face was as red as his must have been, but other than that, she looked remarkably composed. Especially after that question.

  “Yes, we were. Or, we were going to.”

  “Why?”

  “Because grown-up friends sometimes kiss,” Dani said.

  She wouldn’t look at him. He went back to reading about tough stains.

  “I don’t care, you know,” Chloe said, the censure clear in her voice. “You can kiss all you want. But I’d prefer you did it when I wasn’t late for school.”