one of the romantic comedies that most women liked, so it was a good thing his guest seemed to share his taste in classic sci-fi/fantasy.
The opening credits had barely finished rolling before the second female in the room fell asleep. Nathaniel grinned wryly. So much for being a stimulating companion. He rubbed the baby’s head. “Were you awake a lot during the night, little scamp? Or is Dani tired for another reason?”
His body tightened and his breath caught as lust roared in uninvited. His den was a far different place in the middle of the day than in the dark of night, but it was difficult not to remember holding a naked Dani in his arms and making love to her like a madman.
Hell. Why hadn’t he stayed in the kitchen where the atmosphere was far less charged?
He watched the movie, but he’d seen it half a dozen times. It was far more satisfying to study the woman sleeping a few feet away. To a stranger, this scene would have seemed perfectly normal. Only Nathaniel and Dani knew how very abnormal it was.
She had made no bones about her plans to leave him. If memory served, Dani was using vacation days this week to spend time with her family. They certainly wouldn’t understand if, at the last minute, New Century Tech demanded her attention.
No, work wasn’t the answer. If he were going to keep Dani here, he’d have to try something risky. Maybe tell the truth. He didn’t want to be alone this week. Not after he’d had a taste of what the holidays could be like.
In the meantime, he’d be content with the status quo.
Dani slept for half an hour and woke with a start. Her cheek was creased from the trim on the sofa arm, and her hair was mussed. “Sorry,” she said, adorably flustered. “What did I miss?”
He laughed softly, careful not to wake Peaches. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.” He picked up the remote and hit Pause. He and Dani had known each other forever. They didn’t need a movie for distraction, did they?
“Do you want me to take her?” Dani asked. “I’ve had a nap. It’s your turn.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“If you say so.”
An awkward silence fell. Maybe he was wrong about the movie.
He debated his options. The next move could make things better or worse. It surprised him that he couldn’t predict the outcome. In a business negotiation, he would have known. But not now.
“Dani?”
“Hmm?” She stared at the fireplace, her expression pensive.
“Do you mind grabbing something from my office? I don’t want to move and wake her.”
“Of course.” She hopped to her feet. “What am I looking for?”
“A large box on the far side of the wooden file cabinet.”
“Got it. Back in a flash.”
When she returned, she was carrying the package he had tried so hard to wrap artistically. The result looked even more amateurish now. “Thanks,” he said.
“What did you do, Nathaniel? Buy her a four-foot teddy bear? This is heavy.”
He shrugged. “It’s for you. Merry Christmas, Dani.”
She froze, her gaze panicked. “Oh, no. I have nothing for you. This is entirely inappropriate. I appreciate the gesture, but I can’t accept.”
“You don’t even know what it is,” he said, his tone mild. He knew if he pushed too hard, she might grow even more stubborn in her refusal.
Her hand smoothed the bright red paper, almost a caress. “It doesn’t matter what it is,” she said. “You gave me a Christmas bonus at the party Friday.”
“It’s not a present from your boss,” he said, losing patience. “Open the box.”
“So it’s not from you?”
Was she deliberately misunderstanding him, or were they fighting some war he wasn’t prepared to engage in? “Yes,” he said, jaw clenched. “It is from me. To you. Man to woman. Not boss to assistant.”
Dani set the box on the floor and curled her legs beneath her. “Did you get whatever this is before we had sex last night?”
“Well, of course, I did,” he said unable to hide his irritation. “We’ve both been a little busy since then.”
She studied his face, her expression earnest. What did she want from him?
“I don’t think I can accept a present from you, Nathaniel.” Her tone was apologetic. “It’s a lovely thought, but under these circumstances, I think it would muddy the waters.”
He counted to ten and then to fifteen. “Dani...”
“Yes?”
Why did she have to look at him like he was an ogre? What did she think he was going to do to her? Lock her up in a harem?
“Open the damned box. Or you’re fired.”
“Fat chance,” she muttered. “No one else would put up with you.”
Apparently losing his temper had convinced her. Strange woman.
She picked at the paper like a Depression-era housewife planning to reuse every scrap of paper and tape and ribbon. The whole process was so slow, he wanted to bellow at her to hurry. It took a great deal of self-control to keep his mouth shut and let her finish.
When she finally removed the box lid and lifted the tissue, her mouth opened in a cute little O of surprise. “Nathaniel. What is all of this?”
* * *
Dani didn’t know what she had expected. Truthfully, she had handled the gift with all the finesse of a bomb squad technician defusing a dangerous device. She didn’t want gifts from Nathaniel. Not when their current situation was so remarkably out of control.
Once she had folded back the tissue, she simply stared at the contents, lifting one thing and the next in amazement. Nothing in the box raised any red flags. If anything, the individual items were extremely practical and thoughtful.
Nathaniel watched her, eagle-eyed, making her uneasy. “Well,” he said gruffly. “What do you think? It’s not the most exciting present in the world, but you strike me as a very practical woman. Who knows if you’ll be able to get back to your apartment before you go to see your family. I tried to think of everything.”
Everything was not an exaggeration. Inside the large, deep gift box was a collection of the most elegant clothing and toiletries Dani had ever owned. Dressy black pants in warm wool crepe. A red cashmere V-necked sweater. Two bras and several matching panties, more on the practical than sexy side, but very expensive.
Beneath that were designer jeans, casual tops, elegant sets of flats in black and taupe. Tennis shoes. Socks. A whisper-soft nightgown and matching robe in the palest ivory.
And
