He’d used protection. No way in hell was this baby his, despite what Ophelia’s rambling emails had insinuated. If she had ever come right out and accused him of fathering her child, Nathaniel would have secured a lawyer and taken the necessary steps to pinpoint the baby’s paternity.
He stood in the shadow of his own building, covered his eyes to keep the snow out of them and scanned windows near and far. Damn it. Ophelia could be anywhere. What was she trying to pull?
At last, he gave up his futile search. Dani stood where he had left her, one hand resting protectively on the edge of the car seat. “I found a note,” she said, holding it out to him. “I read it. I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have.”
Nathaniel unfolded the elegant card with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The contents were much as he had expected:
Dear Nathaniel:
I cannot care for our baby right now. You’re my only hope. When I get my life back together, we’ll talk.
Yours always,
Ophelia
He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying not to overreact. Women had tried to trap men with this ruse since the beginning of time. He’d done nothing wrong. He had nothing to fear.
Crushing the note in his fist, he shoved it in his pocket and opened his eyes to find Dani staring at him with a stricken expression.
“It’s not mine,” he insisted. “I went out with a crazy woman a time or two. She’s trying to blackmail me or something. I don’t know. What did the police say? How soon can they get here?”
Dani hunched her shoulders against the wind. “They weren’t very encouraging. The snow is causing pileups all over the city.”
His heart pounded in his chest. “What about the foster care system? Surely they can send someone.”
“Do you really want to entrust a baby to a stranger on the Friday afternoon of a long holiday weekend? Most foster families are wonderful, but you hear horror stories...” Dani trailed off, her expression indicating that she was upset. Maybe with the situation. Maybe with him.
“Fine.” He sighed. “What exactly do you think we should do?”
“We?” She stared at him as if he had grown two heads. “I’m walking to the MARTA station. If I’m lucky, my route will still be open.”
Atlanta’s transit system was only partially underground. Unlike other major cities, Atlanta did not have enough snow-removal equipment to deal with a weather event of this size. Blizzards were so rare the expenditure would be wildly extravagant.
Nathaniel’s palms started to sweat inside his gloves. “You can’t go yet,” he said. “I need help.” The words threatened to stick in his throat. He wasn’t a man accustomed to needing anyone. Dani wasn’t just anyone, though. He was counting on her soft heart and her overdeveloped sense of responsibility to sway her.
“What exactly do you think I can do?” she asked. Her eyes held a mix of dubious suspicion and the urge to run.
Nathaniel recognized the urge. He felt it in spades. “You’re a woman. Help me get the kid to my condo. Let’s get her settled. After that, I’ll call a car service to take you home.” Without waiting for an answer, he unlocked the car and leaned in to toss his briefcase on the back seat.
Dani thumped him on the shoulder, hard enough that he jerked and hit his head on the door frame. “Ouch, damn it. What was that for?” he asked, whirling around.
“Are you crazy?” Dani asked. “You can’t drive around with an unsecured infant carrier, especially with snow on the ground.”
In all his emotional turmoil over realizing Ophelia had dumped a baby in his lap, Nathaniel had lost track of the weather. Now he blinked and focused on the world surrounding them. The snow was at least two inches deep already and showed no signs at all of letting up. “Good God,” he said weakly. “This is a nightmare.”
Had he said that last bit aloud? Maybe not. Dani wasn’t giving him any more of those disapproving looks. Instead, she huddled miserably against the side of his car, using her body to keep the falling snow from reaching the baby.
“We’re out of options,” he said, his brain whirling like a hamster on a wheel. “I’ll put the seat belt around the carrier. My condo isn’t all that far. Three miles. Come on. The longer we stand here, the colder we’ll be.” Without waiting for his unflappable executive assistant to protest, he retrieved the infant carrier, covered it with the blanket and scooped it up.
Holy hell. How did new mothers do this? The thing felt like it weighed fifty pounds.
Strapping it into the back seat was an exercise in frustration and guilt. To be honest, he half expected Dani to turn around and trudge away in the opposite direction, heading for the train station and home. But she joined him in the car.
The wave of relief he experienced was alarming. Was he honestly that afraid to be stranded alone with a baby, or did the idea of spending time with Dani outside the office hold a certain appeal?
She was a very attractive woman always, but today—dressed up for the office party—she exuded a warm, sexy charm that made him want to forget every one of his self-imposed rules.
Though it probably wasn’t wise, he took one hand off the wheel and loosened his tie. Having Dani sit so close to him tested his patience and his self-control.
New Century Tech was located in a trendy section of Atlanta known as Buckhead. Elegant glass office buildings stood amongst quirky restaurants and specialty shops selling everything from expensive watches to high-priced real estate. Nathaniel’s penthouse condo offered him the privacy he demanded along with an unparalleled view of the city.
Unfortunately, today’s drive was not going to be easy. Though he managed to back out of the parking space and exit onto the street, he felt the tires slip and slide beneath him. He barely managed to avoid sideswiping a fire hydrant.
With his eyes on the road and a firm grip on the steering wheel, he focused on the objective at hand. Reach his condo. Rest and regroup. What he hadn’t expected was to have Dani tug at his arm several blocks before their destination. “Stop,” she cried. “That one’s open.”
That what?
At her insistence, he eased the car off the road and parked beside a chain drugstore. She didn’t pause to explain. Before he could protest, she was out of the car and headed inside. With a shrug, Nathaniel retrieved the baby and followed Dani into the store.
The kid still slept. Had it been too long? Was she unconscious? His stomach knotted. What the hell did he know about babies? Even a bad foster family might be better than what Nathaniel had to offer.
Every inch of the infant’s body was covered except for her rosy cheeks. Still, she wasn’t wearing high-tech fabric rated for low temperatures. The little girl might be cold. How would he know?
Just about the time he had worked himself into a frenzy of doubt and frustration, Dani reappeared, her triumphant smile a blow to his stomach that took his breath and squeezed his heart.
Was he simply damned glad to have her help, or was the prospect of spending time with Dani enticing him to do something stupid? Every logical cell in his brain shouted at him to send her away. He was fine. He could cope.
Besides, though it was true he wanted Dani, he didn’t “want” to want her. As long as he kept that in mind, he’d be okay. Despite his confusion and the alarm in his gut, he didn’t tell her to go. That was undoubtedly his first mistake.
Somewhere, she had found a shopping cart. It was loaded with diapers, wipes, formula and bottles. He stared at the bounty of baby supplies, incredulous. He’d been so focused on getting the kid to his condo, he’d never even