Penniless And Secretly Pregnant - Jennie Lucas Page 0,28
She snorted. “You should walk my dog sometime, then. She’d probably love running with you. She has more energy than I do these days, always tugging at the leash!”
He furrowed his brow. “Is walking her a problem? I could get one of my staff to handle the chore...”
“Chore?” She looked at him incredulously. “It’s not a chore. She’s my dog. I like walking her. I just thought she might like running with you.”
“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Sure. I could take her running with me.” He pictured Daisy walking around the streets of New York in the darkness of early morning, and suddenly didn’t like it. “Or I could come walking with you, if you want. Either way.”
She blinked. “Really? That wouldn’t be too much of a...a chore for you?”
“Not at all. I like her.” Leonidas looked up from the table. “And I like you.”
She bit her lip. He saw dark circles under her eyes. Apparently she hadn’t slept very well either.
“Sit down.” Rising to his feet, he pulled out a chair at the table. “Can I get you some breakfast? Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. A smile played about her full pink lips. “Mrs. Berry already made me eat some toast and fruit before she’d let me take the dog out.”
Score one for Mrs. Berry. “Good.” He paused awkwardly, still standing across from her. “How are you feeling?”
Her lovely face looked unhappy. Her hands clasped together as she blurted out, “I think we’ve made a big mistake.”
Danger clanged through him. “A mistake?”
She tucked a loose tendril of brown hair behind her ear. She said softly, “I don’t think I can stay here.”
Leonidas stared at her in consternation. Then he understood.
“Because I almost kissed you last night,” he guessed grimly. She nodded, not meeting his eyes.
He had to soothe her—make her feel safe. He took a deep breath. Going against all his instincts, he didn’t move. Instead, he said gently, “You have no reason to be afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid of—”
She cut off her words.
“Afraid of what?”
Her pale green eyes lifted to his, and he knew, no matter how Daisy tried to pretend otherwise, that she felt the same electricity. Every time her gaze fell to his lips. Every time their eyes met, and she nervously looked away. Every time he touched her and felt her tremble.
She was afraid of herself. Of her own desire. Afraid, if she gave in, that she would be lost forever.
And she was poised to flee. If he didn’t reassure her, he’d scare her straight back into Franck Bain’s apartment—if not his arms.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “What if I promise I won’t try to kiss you?”
Silence crackled as they faced each other in the breakfast nook. Outside in the courtyard, there was a soft thump as snow fell from the branches onto the white-covered earth.
“Would you really make that promise?” she said finally.
“Yes. I’ll never try to kiss you, Daisy. Not unless you want me to.”
“On your honor?”
He tried to comfort himself with the fact that at least she now believed he had honor. “Yes.”
Daisy bit her lip, then said slowly, “All right. If I have your word, then...then I’ll stay.”
He exhaled. “Good.” He tried not to think about how hard it would be not to kiss her. How hard it was not to kiss her even now.
He took a deep breath. “I need to go to work today.”
“Work?”
“I’m CEO and principal shareholder of Liontari.”
“That’s a store?”
“An international consortium of brands. You’ve probably heard of them. Vertigris, for instance.”
“What’s that?”
“Champagne.”
“No. But I don’t really drink...”
He was surprised. Vertigris was as globally famous as Cristal or Dom Perignon. “Ridenbaugh Watches? Helios Diamonds? Cialov Handbags?”
Looking bemused, Daisy shook her head.
And all of Leonidas’s plans to go into the office flew out the window. He set his jaw. “Okay. I’m taking you out.”
“Out?”
“We’ll collect your clothes from Bain’s apartment, as I promised. Then I’m taking you to a few shops.” When she frowned, still looking bewildered, he added, “We can buy a few things.”
“What kind of things?”
“For your pregnancy. For the baby.”
“You don’t need to buy me stuff.”
“Think of it as you helping me,” he said lightly. “Market research. You’re a totally virgin consumer. I’d like your take on my brands.”
Her cheeks colored at the word virgin. “I don’t see how my opinion would be useful to you.”
“It would be. But more than that, I’d really like you to understand what I do.” He gave her a brief smile. “Isn’t