High-Society Secret Baby - Maxine Sullivan Page 0,9
since a man had been concerned for her welfare.
He opened the front door, putting the suitcases down inside before keying in some numbers on a high-tech security pad. The place was evidently alarmed to the hilt, and Cassandra supposed that made sense, seeing there were no other houses close by.
It was a delightful “cottage” and bigger than it looked, with a welcome sense of space. The rustic living room had cathedral ceilings, and the country kitchen was outfitted with the latest appliances. There was even a fully equipped study-cum-office. A deck at the back led down to a swimming pool with a forest backdrop.
A set of stairs at either end of the house led up to the bedrooms, and as they climbed one set, she tried not to think too hard about the coming night. The first couple of rooms were sizable and charming. The third one held a double bed and shared a bathroom with the next room, as well as even having a small refrigerator with tea and coffee facilities in one corner. A child’s crib had been placed on one side of the room.
Dominic put the suitcases down beside the bed. “I thought you might like to share this room with Nicole,” he said, gob-smacking her. He paused. “It makes sense for you to sleep with her.”
Cassandra couldn’t help it. She stared at him. She’d never expected this. All at once she wondered if he didn’t want to make love to her, then rejected the idea. She could feel his desire every time he looked her way.
“I’ll leave you to change into something more comfortable. Nesta packed what she thought would be necessary.” His eyes rested on her, sliding down over her black dress, the top of which was covered by the black cashmere cardigan. “No more black, okay?”
She cleared her throat and tried to switch gears in her mind. “Er…I like black.”
“You weren’t wearing black the other day.”
She realized he was talking about when he’d dropped by the other day with the letter from Liam. “I was at home then, that’s why.”
“No more, Cassandra. Nicole should have her mother dressed in bright clothes, not dark.”
He had her there.
She nodded. “You’re right.”
He left with a satisfied look in his eyes, but she didn’t mind. He was, after all, thinking of Nicole.
He shut the door behind him, and she let out a sigh of relief. She had no idea why he was allowing her time to get used to him, but she was very grateful for it. Who’d have thought he’d be so caring?
There wasn’t time for further introspection. She changed out of her wedding dress and cardigan and into slacks and a knit top, then took Nicole down to the kitchen for dinner. She could hear Dominic talking on the telephone in the bedroom across the hallway. No doubt it was about business.
Her daughter was usually a good eater, but after only a few mouthfuls Nicole decided she didn’t want to eat tonight. She clamped her bow-shaped mouth shut, the look in her dark eyes reminding Cassandra of Liam, as if she were trying to gauge how far to push. Of course, that was more a Roth trait than not, Cassandra admitted, thinking of Dominic, as well.
“Come on, sweetie,” she coaxed. “You need to eat.”
Nicole didn’t budge. She started to get whiny, becoming really out of sorts now.
“Need a hand with anything?”
Cassandra looked up to see Dominic stepping into the kitchen. She groaned inwardly. An upset demeanor wouldn’t exactly endear Nicole to her new stepfather. Then she winced at her thoughts. A child wasn’t for show only. Dominic would need to learn to accept these moments.
“Thanks, anyway,” she said, wiping Nicole’s hands with some paper towel. “But it’s past her bedtime, so I might just put her straight to bed with a bottle. She’ll feel better once she’s had a good night’s sleep.” She was starting to feel the effort of the day herself now.
He leaned up against the counter and watched her. “Don’t put her to bed on my account.”
“I won’t.” She appreciated the comment as she lifted Nicole out of the high chair. “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay with her until she settles.”
He stared at her a heartbeat longer than necessary, and she didn’t understand why. Then she realized he was looking at both her and Nicole, as if coming to terms with having a family now. She felt sorry for him right then. It was a big adjustment to make.
“I don’t mind,” he