Perhaps because he was so blisteringly self-assured in every other aspect of his life, she found his lack of confidence strangely endearing. ‘You won’t make it worse.’
She walked quickly through to the kitchen and warmed milk, tension spreading across her shoulders as she heard Chloe’s cries. Knowing that all that howling would simply ensure that Nik didn’t offer to help a second time, she moved as quickly as she could. As she left the kitchen, the cries ceased and she paused in the doorway of the bedroom, transfixed by the sight of Nik holding his little sister against his shoulder, one strong, bronzed hand against her back as he supported her on his arm. As she watched, she saw the little girl lift her hand and rub the roughness of his jaw.
He caught that hand in his fingers, speaking to her in Greek, his voice deep and soothing.
Lily had no idea what he was saying, but whatever it was seemed to be working because Chloe’s eyes drifted shut and her head thudded onto his broad shoulder as she fell asleep, her blonde curls a livid contrast to the dark shadow of his strong jaw.
Nik stood still, as if he wasn’t sure what to do now, and then caught sight of Lily in the doorway. He gave her a rueful smile at his own expense and she smiled.
‘Try putting her back down on the bed.’
As careful as if he’d been handling delicate Venetian glass, Nik lowered the child to the bed but instantly she whimpered and tightened her grip around his neck like a barnacle refusing to be chipped away from a rock.
He kept his hand securely on her back and cast Lily a questioning look. ‘Now what?’
‘Er—sit down in the chair with her in your lap and give her some milk,’ Lily suggested, and he strolled onto the terrace, sat on one of the comfortable sunloungers and let the toddler snuggle against him.
‘When I said I wanted to spend the evening on the terrace with a woman this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.’
‘Two women.’ Laughing, she sat down next to him and offered Chloe the milk. ‘Here you go, sweetheart. Cow juice.’
Nik raised his eyebrows. ‘Cow juice?’
‘One of my friends used to call it that because whenever she said “milk” her child used to go demented.’ Seeing that the child was sleepy, Lily tried to keep her hold on the cup but small fingers grabbed it, sloshing a fair proportion of the contents over Nik’s trousers.
To give him his due, he didn’t shift. Simply looked at her with an expression that told her she was going to pay later.
‘Thanks to you I now have “cow juice” on my suit.’
‘Sorry.’ She was trying not to laugh because she didn’t want to rouse the sleepy, milk-guzzling toddler. ‘I’ll have it cleaned.’
‘Let me.’ He covered Chloe’s small fingers with his large hand, holding the cup while she drank.
Lily swallowed. ‘You see? You have a natural talent.’
His gaze flickered to hers. ‘Take that look off your face. This is a one-time crisis-management situation, never to be repeated.’
‘Right. Because she isn’t the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen.’
Nik glanced down at the blonde curls rioting against the crisp white of his shirt. ‘I have a fair amount of experience with women and I can tell you that this one is going to be high maintenance.’
‘What gave you that idea? The fact that she wouldn’t stay in her bed or the fact that she spilled her drink over you?’
‘For my father’s sake I hope that isn’t a foreshadowing of her teenage years.’ Gently, he removed the empty cup from Chloe’s limp fingers and handed it back to Lily. ‘She’s fast asleep. Now it’s my turn. Champagne. Ice. You.’ His gaze met hers and she saw humour and promise under layers of potent sex appeal.
Her stomach dropped and she reached and took Chloe from him. ‘I’ll tuck her in.’
He rose to his feet, dwarfing her. ‘I’ll get the champagne.’
Wondering if the intense sexual charge ever diminished when you were with a man like him, Lily tiptoed through to the bedroom and tucked Chloe carefully into the middle of the enormous bed.
This time the child didn’t stir.
Lily brushed her hand lightly over those blonde curls and stared down at her for a long moment, a lump in her throat. When she grew up was she going to wonder about her mother? Did Callie intend to be in her life or had she moved on to the next thing?
Closing the doors of the bedroom, Lily took the cup back to the kitchen. By the time she returned Nik was standing on the terrace wearing casual trousers and a shirt.
‘You changed.’