A Baby on the Greek's Doorstep

Now, for the first time, a horrible idea occurred to her. Could there be some other, more sinister reason why he hadn’t told her where he worked, or invited her to his apartment? What if—could he possibly be—

“Are you married?” she blurted out, her heart in her throat.

Leo blinked, then gave a low laugh. “Married? If I were married, could I be here in bed with you?”

“Well, are you?” she said stubbornly.

He snorted, his black eyes glinting. “No. I am not married. And for the record, I don’t ever intend to be. Ever.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “That’s not the problem.”

Daisy stared at him. She was relieved he wasn’t married, but...

Leo didn’t want to get married? Ever?

She took a deep breath. “I just know so little about you,” she said in a small voice. “I don’t know where you work, or where you live. I’ve never met your family or friends.”

Pulling away from her, Leo pushed off the sheets and abruptly stood up from the bed. She enjoyed the vision of his powerful naked body in the rosy morning light. She drank in the image of his muscular backside, the strong muscles of his back.

Without looking at her, he reached down to the floor, and started putting on his clothes. Finally, as he pulled on his shirt, he turned back to face her. She was distracted by the brief vision of his muscular chest, laced with dark hair, before he buttoned up the shirt. He looked down at her. “Do you really want to see where I live? Does it matter so much?”

/>   “Of course it matters!” Sitting up in bed, holding the sheet over her breasts with one hand, she motioned around the spacious bedroom with its view of the Manhattan skyline. “Do you think I’d be living in a place like this if my dad’s oldest friend hadn’t taken pity on me? So please don’t feel self-conscious, whatever your apartment is like. Or your job. Whatever it is, I will always think you’re perfect!”

Leo stopped buttoning up his shirt. Dropping his hands to his sides, he stared at her across the bedroom, silhouetted by the view of the East River and Manhattan beyond.

She realized he was going to break up with her. She could see it in his grim expression, in the tightness of his sensual lips.

She’d always known this day would come. Leo was ten years older, sexy, tall, broad shouldered and darkly handsome. Daisy had never quite understood what he’d seen in her in the first place. She was so...ordinary. How could a badly dressed, not very interesting waitress from Brooklyn possibly keep the attention of a man like Leo Gianakos?

And if she was pregnant...

No. She couldn’t be. Couldn’t.

Leo took a deep breath. “Would you like to come to my house? Right now? And then...we can talk.”

His voice was so strained, it took several seconds for Daisy to realize he was inviting her to his apartment, not breaking up with her.

“Sure.” She realized she was smiling.

No, quick, don’t let him see; he can’t know I’m falling in love with him.

It had been only a month. Even Daisy, with her total lack of romantic experience, knew it was too soon to confess her feelings. Turning her face away, she rose from the bed. “I’ll go take a shower...”

She felt Leo’s gaze follow her as she walked naked across the luxurious bedroom. Entering the lavish en suite bathroom, she tossed him back a single glance.

Before she’d even had time to turn on the water in the enormous walk-in shower, Leo had caught up with her, already rapidly pulling off his clothes. He kissed her passionately as she pulled away from him with a light laugh, drawing him into the hot, steamy water. They washed each other, and he stroked every inch of her. She leaned back her head as he washed her long brown hair. After she’d rinsed, she straightened, and saw the dark heat of his gaze.

Pushing her against the hot, wet tiled wall, he kissed her, and she nearly gasped as her sensitive, swollen nipples brushed against his muscular chest, laced with rough dark hair. She felt the hardness of him pushing against her soft belly, and yearned. Finally, he wrenched away from her with a rueful growl. “No condom,” he sighed.

As he turned off the water, and gently toweled her off with the thick cotton towels, in the back of her mind Daisy wondered nervously if it was already too late for that, if she could be pregnant in spite of their precautions.

Taking her hand in his own, he pulled her back to the bed and made love to her, gently, tenderly, after a night during which they’d already made love twice. She told herself it was their lovemaking which caused her breasts to feel so heavy, her nipples so sensitive that she gasped as he suckled her. That had to be the reason. There could be lots of reasons why her cycle, normally so predictable, was two weeks late... She couldn’t be pregnant. Couldn’t.

She pushed the thought away as Leo lightly kissed her cheeks, her forehead. Smoothing back her unruly brown hair, he cupped her jawline with his powerful hands, and lowered his lips to hers. His kiss was hot and sweet against her lips, so, so sweet, and she was lost in the breathless grip of desire. As he pushed inside her, she cried out with pleasure, soaring to new heights before he, too, exploded.

Afterward, Leo held her tight against his powerful body, the white cotton sheets twisted at their feet. Blinking fast, Daisy stared out the window toward the unforgiving Manhattan skyline, and heard the grim echo of his words.

I am not married. And for the record, I don’t ever intend to be. Ever.

His hands tightened around her. “I don’t want to lose you,” he said in a low voice.

“Lose me?” She peeked at him in bed. “Why would you?”

He gave a low laugh. It had no humor in it. “Let’s go to my house. And talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“About...me.” His serious expression as he got dressed sent panic through her. Nervously, she pulled on clothes in turn, a clean T-shirt and jeans.

“I’m not scheduled to work today. Are you?”

“I can be late,” he said flatly.

“Don’t clerks need to be at the store when it opens at ten?” When he didn’t respond, she tried again. “You won’t be fired if you’re late?”

“Fired?” Leo sounded grimly amused. “No.” He gave her a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “Shall we go?”

As they left the apartment, he held the door open for her, as usual. He was always gallant that way, making her feel cherished and cared for.

When she was younger, and even now that she was twenty-four, boys her age always seemed to want quick, meaningless hookups, without bothering with old-fashioned niceties like opening doors, bringing flowers, giving compliments or even showing up on time. No wonder Daisy had been a virgin when she met Leo. Ten years older, powerful, and handsome like a Greek god, no wonder she’d fallen into bed with him the first night!

Now, as they left the co-op building, going out into the fresh October morning, Daisy glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She should have been thrilled he was taking her to his apartment. Instead, she had a weird sense of foreboding. What did Leo want to talk about? And which of her own secrets might tumble from her mouth—her love for him, her possible pregnancy or even the fact that she was the daughter of a convicted felon?

As they walked, sunshine sparkled across the East River with the enormous bridge and Manhattan skyline beyond. She started to head for the nearest subway entrance, two blocks away, when he stopped her.

“Let’s take a car.”

He seemed strangely tense. Smiling, she shook her head. “You can’t seriously want to get a rideshare, after all the expense of that fancy dinner last night. The subway is fine. You don’t need to bankrupt yourself trying to impress me.” She couldn’t help thinking how much she loved him for trying. “You’re already perfect.”

“I didn’t mean a rideshare.”

She heard a noise behind him. Frowning, she tilted her head. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

She looked around. “Sounds like a baby crying.”

“I’m sure there are children everywhere here. Its mother will take care of it.”

A baby was an it? Daisy’s forehead furrowed. Then she heard the soft cry again. Weak. More like a whine, or a snuffle. She turned toward the alley behind the gleaming waterfront co-op.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I just need to make sure...”

“Daisy, it’s not your problem—”

But she was already hurrying toward the alley, following the sound. There had been a newspaper story just the month before about a baby abandoned in an alley in New Jersey. Thankfully that child had been found safely, but Daisy couldn’t get the story out of her mind. If she didn’t investigate this, and something bad happened...

She followed the sound down the alley and was only vaguely aware of Leo behind her. She saw a burlap bag resting on the top of a dumpster. The sound seemed to come from that. It was wiggling. She heard a weak whine. Then a whimper.

“Daisy, don’t,” Leo said sharply behind her. “You don’t know what it is.”

But she was already reaching for the bag. It weighed almost nothing. Setting the burlap bag gently on the asphalt, she undid the tie and opened it.

It was a tiny puppy, a fuzzy golden-colored mutt, maybe two months old, wiggling and crying. She stroked it tenderly. “It’s a dog!” Sudden rage filled Daisy. “Who would leave a p

uppy in a dumpster?”

“People can be monsters,” Leo said flatly. She looked back at him, bemused. Then the puppy whined, weakly licking her hand, taking all her attention.

“She seems all right,” Daisy said anxiously, petting the animal. “But I’d better take her to the vet to make sure.” She looked up at Leo. “Do you want to come?”

He looked grim. “To the vet? No.”

“I’m so sorry. Could we maybe get together later? You could show me your apartment tonight?”

“Tonight?” His jaw set. “I’m having a party.”

She brightened. “How fun! I’d love to meet your friends.”

“Fine,” he said shortly. “I’ll send a car to pick you up at seven.”

“I told you, a car’s not necessary—”

“Wear a cocktail dress,” he cut her off.

“All right.” Daisy tried to remember if she even owned a cocktail dress. Carrying the puppy carefully in her arms, she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed Leo’s scratchy cheek. “Thanks for understanding. I’ll see you at your party.”

“Daisy—”

“What?”

She waited, but he didn’t continue. He finally said in a strangled voice, “See you tonight.”

And he turned away. She watched him stride down the street, his hands pushed in his pockets. Why was he acting so weird? Was he really so embarrassed of where he lived? Embarrassed of his friends?

She looked down at the puppy in her arms, who whined weakly. Turning on her heel, she hurried down the street, going to the veterinary office owned by one of her father’s old friends.

“Dr. Lopez, please,” she panted, “it’s an emergency...”

The kindly veterinarian took one look at the tiny animal in Daisy’s arms and waved her inside his office. After an exam, she was relieved to hear the mixed breed puppy was slightly dehydrated, but otherwise fine.

“Someone must have just wanted to get rid of her. She must have been dumped sometime during the night,” Dr. Lopez said. “It’s lucky the weather isn’t colder, or else...”