Page 51 of Boss's Baby Surprise

She seemed skittish, and I didn't blame her. After all, we had been arguing mere days earlier.

“I’ve been to your place,” she started. “It’s not particularly child friendly. I don't know if Leo would be able to contain himself the way you might expect him to.”

I let out a long breath. She had a very good point.

“I could follow you home, and we could have dinner somewhere in your neighborhood,” I suggested.

“Are you trying to find out where I live?” she teased. Her eyes lit up as a smile danced across her expression.

“I’m saying I’ve had a very good day, and I don’t think I'm ready for it to be over,” I admitted. “I’d like to spend more time with you and with Leo.”

“Really?” she asked. “Even without having completed the paternity test?”

I shrugged. She was right. It seemed like an out of character request, especially after I demanded proof that this was my son.

We stared at each other for a long moment.

She rested her hand on my arm. “I’ll tell you what,” she started. “I have no idea how sleepy or cranky he's going to be when he wakes up. Why don't I take him home and give him a chance to finish resting, and then we can meet somewhere for dinner?”

“You really don’t want me to know where you live, do you?” I asked.

She shrugged me off. “There are some things I need to keep private,” she admitted. “You never were interested in where I lived before.”

“That’s because you had a roommate,” I said.

She shook her head. “I still have a roommate”—she ran her hand down the sleeping boy’s back— “and he’s five. We would love to have dinner with you, Kyle, but we'll meet you somewhere. Okay?” After a long moment, I realized this was probably for the best.

“How are you planning on getting home?”

“Same way we got here. We'll take the train.”

“No, he’s asleep. Let me call you a car, and promise you’ll meet me for dinner.”

“There's a great little Greek place that Leo really likes. How about we meet there?” She told me where it was, and I agreed.

I carried Leo as we walked outside and waited for her ride to show up.

She reached out and took Leo from me. She seemed to buckle under his weight. While he felt so small in my arms, he looked like a huge kid when she carried him.

“Let me know that you’ve gotten home safe,” I said before I closed the car door and they drove off.

I watched the car drive off with Clarissa and my son. If there was ever going to be a future for us, I was going to have to put in a bigger effort. I shoved my hand in my pocket before I headed off to the train and found the paternity test.

I played with the box as I waited for the train in the station. I tossed it around and read the instructions. Everything was fairly clear, and I could have swabbed my cheek while sitting on the train. No one around me would have even noticed.

However, I did wait to complete it until I was in the privacy of my own home. I swabbed my cheek and stuck the extra-long Q-tip into a little vial and shoved it back into my pocket. I kept it on me so that I would remember to give it to Clarissa at dinner.

My phone pinged with a text message. It was Clarissa.

Made it back. Leo woke up on the way home. Told him about dinner, and he already plans on bringing his favorite dinosaur model to show you. Be prepared.

The kid is going to grow up and be a paleontologist, I texted back.

It didn't take her long to respond.That wouldn't be so bad. But I think he really wants to design enclosures for dinosaursat theme parks. He still thinks that the dinosaur zoo from the movie is real and I'm just being mean by not taking him.

I will be thoroughly impressed when he shows me his toys. Promise, I responded.

See you at seven for dinner. I felt ridiculously happy to read her last message.

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