Daddy 101 (American Romance) (13 page)

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Authors: Jo Leigh

BOOK: Daddy 101 (American Romance)
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“Cool!” Chloe turned to her, her eyes already pleading, and her feet doing her little begging jig. “Please, Mom. Can we? Alex said he wants to. I want to. It’ll be fun. I want to do the chocolate. With lots of icing. And three layers, okay?”
“Hold on. First, I don’t have the ingredients for three cakes just lying around. I don’t even have cake pans.”
“We can get them. Okay?”
She looked from Alex to Chloe and back again. How was she supposed to say anything but yes to those two faces? It would be like kicking a couple of puppies. “All right.”
Chloe jumped up, straight in the air. Alex looked as if he wanted to join her. All Dani could do was shake her head. Which reminded her... “Where’s Mimi?”
“I gave her the day off,” Alex said. “I was here. So she didn’t have to be.”
“I see.” She looked at Chloe suspiciously. “And what did we have for our afternoon snack?”
Chloe wasn’t jumping anymore. She turned her guilty gaze away. “Just some cookies.”
“Cookies? No wonder you’re hopping all over the place. And you want cake, too? Honey, you’ll never sleep a wink tonight.”
“I will, too. I swear.” She crossed her heart with her finger. “Honest.”
Alex was looking a little guilty, too. “What was she supposed to have?”
“Fruit. Or half a sandwich. Or some cereal.”
“Ah-hah,” he said. “Got it.” He scowled at Chloe. “As for you, little sneak.” He crouched down and headed for her, mischief in his eyes and his hands poised for tickling. Chloe backed up, her giggles filling the kitchen. Pete got into the act with two spirited barks.
All in all, Dani couldn’t remember a happier time. Just hearing Chloe sound like a little girl was enough to send her spinning, but watching Alex capture her in his arms, swing her into the air, laugh with her, tickle her and finally hold Chloe close, like a father would hold a daughter, was nearly too much to bear.
She turned to the stove, not anxious for either one of them to see her sudden tears. Why she felt so choked up was easy to explain. It was Chloe. She hardly ever laughed that way anymore. It wasn’t necessarily because Alex was the one that incited that laughter, or that they looked so happy together. A stranger might think they were father and daughter. Damn.
With the back of her hand, she wiped the two tears that escaped, then lifted the pot cover. It took her a moment to focus, though, and she stirred the soup until she felt in control.
“Tell you what,” Alex said. “Why don’t we make those cakes, but we’ll save them for tomorrow, huh?”
“Ahhhhh,”
Chloe whined. “That’s no fun.”
“Guaranteed dessert for several days to come is no fun?” Then Dani heard him whisper, “Someone’s going to have to lick the spoons, remember. I think that’s mandatory. I think I read about that in Betty Crockett.”
Chloe giggled again. “Betty
Crocker.”
“Ah. I wondered why there were no bear recipes in that book.”
Dani laughed. Chloe said, “Huh?” Alex sighed and said, “Never mind.”
Composed once more, Dani faced the two of them. To her surprise, Alex hadn’t let Chloe go, and her daughter showed no signs of wanting to leave. He was leaning against the fridge. His arms were crisscrossed over Chloe’s chest. Chloe was holding on to him, just above his elbows. Dani had never wanted to kiss Alex so badly. Or hug her baby so much.
She caught Alex looking at her, though. He crooked his head a bit, asking her what was wrong in that silent way that he had. She just smiled. She wasn’t going to tell him what she was feeling, though. It would be too hard to extricate herself. The ammunition would be too great.
“So what time is this feast supposed to be ready?”
“Any minute,” Alex said. “Just enough time for me to give Pete some food and water.” He bent over Chloe’s head to look at her upside-down. “You gonna help?”
“Yes!” she said. With that, she was off like a rocket. And he wanted her to lick the spoons.
“Come on, Pete. We’ve got dog food in the garage .”
Pete looked at Alex, and only when his master nodded did the dog take off after Chloe. My God, it was like something out of Lassie. Next thing you know, Pete would be telling them that Timmy had fallen in the well.
“You want some wine?” Alex asked.
She shook her head. “Not if there’s going to be baking later.”
He moved toward her slowly. His demeanor had changed, and she was pretty clear about what he intended to do. If she had a brain in her head, she’d clear out. Go take a quick shower. At least wash her face. Instead she just stood there, waiting. No. Anticipating. She wanted his kiss. Oh, God, did she ever.
Unfortunately, Chloe and Pete made a reappearance that threw that idea out the window. Grabbing a rare flash of sanity, she fled, knowing she was just putting off the inevitable. But she had to regroup if she wanted to get out of this one. The question was, did she want to?
 
ALEX SET THE TABLE by himself. He poured the water all around, milk for Chloe and sparkling water for grown-ups. He set out salad plates, and a separate cruet of homemade dressing. He brought the bird to the two lovely ladies, and placed it on the hot pad with all the flair he could muster. He tried to imagine what would have happened if Ted had decided to show up tonight instead of last night. The poor guy probably would have had a coronary. He’d never have believed that Alex had fixed this perfect meal all by himself.
“It looks wonderful,” Dani said.
Music to his ears.
“Smells good, too,” Chloe added.
He just smiled. “Wait till you taste it.” He ladled some soup into Chloe’s bowl, then Dani’s and finally his own. Then it was his turn to sit. He did, and then something strange hit him. A thought. No, more like déjà vu, only he’d never experienced this before. Well, not for real. This was a remembrance of a dream. Of a picture-perfect family he’d only imagined. A sense of belonging so strong it made his chest hurt. This family.
His
family.
Only it wasn’t. At least, not yet.
Chapter Thirteen
D
ani couldn’t get over the beautifully set table. It really looked great, and the fact that Alex had gone to so much trouble wasn’t lost on her at all. He was trying so hard to impress her. To show her that he was thinking of her. The problem was, it was working.
No man in her life had ever put so much effort, so much thought into pleasing her. She didn’t like to admit it, but it had occurred to her more than once that if he was this attentive outside of the bedroom, she couldn’t even imagine what he would be like between the sheets. If he continued to charm her this way, she had a sneaking suspicion she might find out.
She lifted her soupspoon, curious to test his culinary skills. It smelled good, although a little garlicky. Well, a little garlic never hurt anyone. He was watching her, so she figured whatever it tasted like, she was going to say something complimentary. Hopefully Chloe would remember some of their past etiquette talks, and do the same.
She brought the soup to her lips, and swallowed. At first, she just noticed hot. Then she was on fire! Struggling not to cough or choke, her mouth blazing, she grabbed her water but then she saw Chloe bringing her own spoon to her lips, and she put down her glass, stood up in her chair, lunged for the spoon and yelled, “Stop!”
Chloe did. She froze, looking at Dani as if she’d lost her mind. Dani couldn’t explain. She couldn’t talk yet. She just got her glass once more and this time, she chugged the cold water. Her eyes were tearing and her cheeks were warm and all she wanted was for the fire in her mouth to stop. My God, what had he put in the soup?
She turned to look at him. Alex had the same stunned expression on his face as Chloe. He hadn’t tasted the soup yet, either, thank goodness.
She finished the water, then took Chloe’s glass of milk and drank that. Finally she could speak again. Calmly she sat back in her chair, and tried to smile at Alex.
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “That good, eh?”
She felt her cheeks get warmer still. “Um, it’s a little...spicy.”
“Yeah?” He brought the spoon up and tasted the soup, but just a tiny bit with the tip of his tongue. Dani waited. Two seconds later, she saw him swallow, hard. He sort of gasped, then got his water and downed the drink. When he finished, he put the glass down slowly, then turned back to face her. “Oops.”
“What did you put in there?”
He shrugged. “Just what the recipe called for. Except for the pepper.”
“The pepper?”
“You were out of black pepper, so I used red.”
“Did the bottle say Cayenne?”
He nodded.
“How much?”
“A couple of tablespoons, I think.”
She nodded. That would explain it. “Ah. Tablespoons. I think that’s the problem. Cayenne pepper can go a long way.”
“So I see.”
She felt just terrible for him. If there’d been any way to eat the soup, she would have done it in a heartbeat. But as it was, they would have had to call the fire department to revive her if she tried. “Let’s start on the chicken. That smells wonderful .”
Alex’s happy confidence was clearly shaken. He frowned as he went to the bird and started carving. After a couple of slices, he paused. “Maybe I should try this one, first, huh?”
Dani held out her plate. “Don’t be silly. It looks perfect.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded. He gave her the chicken, then scooped up some stuffing and doled out some green beans. Dani took her full plate and smiled. “Fit for a queen,” she said.
“Uh-huh,” Alex said as he fixed a meal for Chloe.
“Did you use cayenne on the chicken?” Dani asked.
“Nope.”
He handed Chloe her plate, then fixed his own. He sat, watching Dani as she prepared to taste the food. Actually both of them watched her. She cut a small piece, brought it to her mouth and ate it.
He’d been right. No fires started. She could taste the chicken, but only slightly. What she really tasted was garlic. Lots and lots and lots of garlic. She smiled as she chewed, and then swallowed. “Mmm,” she said, trying really hard to sound sincere. “This is great, Alex.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“No, really. I like garlic.”
He stared down at his own plate, then took a bite. He chewed slowly, the doubt on his face turning to a grimace. “You like this?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said. “It’s...different.”
“It’s awful.”
“The stuffing is good,” Chloe said.
Just then, the doorbell rang. As Dani got up, Alex turned to Chloe. “It’s okay, kiddo. You don’t have to lie. We’ll go out and get something else for dinner.”
Chloe put her fork down a little too quickly. Dani’s heart sank. She’d wanted this meal to be perfect. The doorbell rang again, and she went to answer it. Two of the women from the weekend steering committee stood before her. Their cheerful smiles faded when they saw her instead of Alex.
“Hi, hon,” Brenda Holt said. The woman was a casual acquaintance, someone she knew from Chloe’s school. Although Dani had never seen her dressed quite like this before. The black dress she wore had clearly been painted on. Not to mention her makeup.
“Is he here?” Katie Elders whispered, leaning in conspiratorially. She was another woman from the school, but Dani knew her better than Brenda. Katie was normally a very sensible woman. They’d often met for lunch, or at the park. Only the great Alex disease had stricken her, too, it seemed, as she was wearing a pair of skintight jeans and a very snug sweater. Not her usual attire at all.
“We’re having dinner,” Dani said, wanting them both to leave now. Her ire surprised her. It was stronger than ever, too strong for the situation, really. The thought that it might actually be jealousy came and fled quickly. She couldn’t be jealous. She wasn’t the type.
“We just need him for a few minutes,” Brenda said. “Honest. We just need to go over some of the details about tomorrow.”
“But...”
“Don’t mind about dinner,” Katie interrupted. “It won’t bother us.”
With that, the women entered. They didn’t exactly bowl her over, or push her aside, but it was damn close. She doubted they heard her close the door as they walked quickly toward the dining room. Dani hurried after them, determined to get them out ASAP.
Alex was just standing as she rounded the corner. His smile was gracious, but cool. That made her feel a bit better.
“Mr. Bradley?” Brenda said breathlessly. “I’m the head of the steering committee for tomorrow’s festivities. Brenda Holt.”
“I’m Katie. I’m on the committee, too.”
“We won’t take but a minute of your time,” Brenda said, moving a little bit in front of Katie. “So please, go on with your dinner. We just wanted to give you the details about your appearance.”
Katie wasn’t happy with her position, and stepped a little closer to the man of the hour, half blocking Brenda. Brenda didn’t seem to like that, and she stepped in front of Katie. Dani figured at this rate, there would be bloodshed in a few minutes. Time for an intervention. She wanted these two out of here, but that didn’t seem likely without a court order. Then she got an idea. A doozy.
“Well, we were just sitting down,” she said. “You know, Alex fixed this meal himself.”
“Oh!” Katie said.
“Really!” Brenda echoed.
“Yes. Maybe you’d like to join us? I can start you out with a little soup.”
“But, Mom,” Chloe said. Dani quickly put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder and squeezed.
“I know you’re not hungry, honey,” she said, as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. “So you can be excused.”
“But...”
“Go on, now.”
Chloe got up slowly, looked at her with a very grown-up frown and left. Dani didn’t dare look at Alex.
In the meantime, Katie and Brenda had found seats. Near Alex, of course. They both sat so straight in their chairs, were so atwitter at dining on Alex’s meal, that she could barely contain her laughter. “I’ll be right back with the first course.”
She hurried into the kitchen. Brenda started telling Alex what time and where they had to be in the afternoon. Katie tried to get a word in edgewise, but that wasn’t very successful. Dani got down two bowls, knowing she was going to hell for this little dirty deed, but not caring a whole heck of a lot. Then she heard Alex excuse himself.
He came up behind her just as she was ladling the first bowl. His hand touched her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
She realized then that she couldn’t go through with it, and put the bowl and spoon down. “Okay. I won’t. But you’d think they’d have enough sense not to barge in on someone’s dinner.”
“I don’t think they meant any harm.”
“No? Then why are they dressed like the harlot sisters?”
Alex studied her for a moment. His eyes widened and his mouth quirked up. “Could it be? Are you...”
“No,” she said. She darted past him, and hurried back to the dining room. “I’m sorry. The soup is gone already. We do have some salad, though, if you’d like.”
Brenda looked to Katie, then back to Dani. “Did he make this chicken?” she asked.
“Yes,” Dani said, “but...”
“I’d love to try some. If you don’t mind.”
Dani felt Alex come up behind her. Not just behind her but touching. The spark hit her, as always, the minute he made contact. It was just his shoulder against her back, but it was enough.
“It’s not very good,” Alex said. “I don’t think you’d care for it.”
“No, no,” Brenda said. “It smells heavenly.” She reached for a slice that was still on the carving platter, taking the small piece delicately between two fingers. Smiling broadly, she popped it into her mouth. Dani was quite impressed with her acting ability. She actually looked as if she was enjoying the taste.
Not to be outdone, Katie also helped herself. She managed to say, “Mmm.”
The sight of the two of them, chewing, smiling, trying so hard, was something to see. Although she shouldn’t, it was wrong, terribly wrong, Dani grinned. And grinned harder when she felt Alex’s gentle pinch on her behind.
“You ladies don’t have to be polite on my account,” Alex said, walking around Dani back to his seat. “It seems I messed up on the garlic.”
“No, not at all,” Katie said. “It’s delicious.”
“Would you like some more?” Dani asked.
“No, no. Thanks,” Katie said, her cheeks infusing with pink. “I’ve had dinner already.”
“Me, too,” Brenda said.
“What else can we do for you, then?” Dani asked, moving toward the hallway, trying to give them a hint.
The women looked at each other, then looked at Alex. Katie’s shoulders sagged a bit. That did it. Now Dani really did feel guilty. These were nice women. They hadn’t come here trying to steal Alex away. Well, maybe they had, but it was only natural. He was the Sexiest Man in the World, after all.
She looked at him, sitting so casually at her table, with his horrible meal spread out before him. It hit her that the sobriquet wasn’t just a piece of marketing copy to her anymore. He was the sexiest man in the world. In her world, at least.
And she wanted him.
His gaze met hers just then. Just at that second when her head, her heart and her libido all came together with an almost audible clunk. The seconds stretched out as he stared at her. Somehow, he’d read her thoughts. She could see it plainly. He knew what she was thinking and his own gaze picked up her hunger. The same want was reflected in his eyes. It was telepathy. Magic.
“We’ll see you two tomorrow then.”
Dani was jerked back to reality. She had forgotten the women, forgotten the rest of the world for a moment there. It was hard to get her bearings, but she did. Then Alex got up and joined her, and together they walked Brenda and Katie to the door.
She wanted to reach out and take his hand. The urge to touch him was a physical thing.
Alex thanked the two women, and tried to be patient as he promised to be at the mall at exactly one o’clock tomorrow. He was even able to smile, to be polite. Dani said goodbye to them, too, but she sounded as distracted as he felt.
The second the door was closed, he took her in his arms and crushed her lips with the kiss that had begun in the dining room. The kiss she’d promised with her eyes.
Her arms went around his neck and she pulled him tighter, the desperation in her gesture as acute as his own. Something had happened to her back there, some switch had gone from Off to On, and he’d seen it immediately. He had no idea what it was. Didn’t care, really. Just so long as she was in his arms.
“Mom?”
He groaned, and felt her moan with his lips. Neither pulled away, though. He just couldn’t let go of her. Not yet.

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