Page 31 of A Baby Surprise For My Billionaire Boss

Eli pulled the door to Charlie’s room shut. “That was fun,” he told Maddie. “That whole bedtime routine. Is that what he does every night?”

“Yeah. We get ready for bed, he washes his face and brushes his teeth, and then we each pick out a book for the other one to read aloud.” Maddie smiled. “It’s what my parents used to do with me when I was a kid. It’s nice to get the chance to continue the tradition.”

“I like it,” Eli said.

“Did you mean what you said about coming home earlier this week?”

Eli nodded. “I meant it when I said I was going to try,” he said. “Do you think I made a mistake, saying it in front of Charlie?”

“Well…”

“You do.”

“I don’t think it’s a mistake if you’re going to do it,” Maddie said. “He’s really looking forward to it. You saw the way he lit up.” Elihad made the promise after finishing the book he had read to Charlie, and Charlie had become so excited that for a moment Eli had worried the boy wouldn’t be able to get to sleep. “If you really are planning on coming home for dinner tomorrow, like you said, then it’s nice that he has that to think about. But if there’s even a chance that it won’t work out, I don’t want to see him disappointed.”

“I’m going to do it,” Eli said. “Tomorrow, at least, I’m going to make it happen. We’ll have to see from there, but I can do one day.”

“I suppose you managed today,” Maddie said. “I couldn’t quite believe it when you stayed with us all day long. I kept thinking that at some point something was sure to pull you back to work. You surprised me.”

“I just hope it made a difference to Charlie.”

“Oh, it did,” Maddie assured him. “Take it from the person who’s with him every day. He’s not an unhappy kid or anything, but today was the happiest I’ve ever seen him. He loved having the chance to spend time with you. I hope it happens more often. This coming home on time for dinner thing, if it works out — that’s a big step in the right direction.”

“Well, I have you to thank,” Eli said.

The two of them had reached the kitchen, and Eli moved automatically to take out the bottle of wine they hadn’t finished a few nights ago. They had re-stoppered it after a glass each, but now Eli removed the stopper and poured some out for each of them. Maddie had taken her usual place at the kitchen island, and as Eli handed her a glass, it occurred to him that this had become a routine. He never would have believed the two of themwould develop a routine together, but obviously they had, and that routine had nothing at all to do with Charlie or his care.

That was a thought best left unexplored. If he pulled too hard at that thread, he would be forced to conclude that he shouldn’t be here with Maddie in the first place — that they were dancing ever closer to that invisible line he had been trying not to cross since the day he had met her.

Oh, but she didn’t make it easy on him! Every little thing she did felt like torture, and he was half convinced she was doing it on purpose. The way she twirled a strand of hair absently around her finger — surely that couldn’t be innocent. She must know that every move she made was captivating.

The air conditioner kicked on, and instantly Eli was aware of her scent on the air, wafting toward him. And though he knew there was no way she was doing that on purpose, he couldn’t help the way it made him feel. He wanted to lunge for her.

How long had it been since he had felt this way about a woman?

It wasn’t as if there had been no women. He’d had his flings. But between the responsibilities of parenthood and the job, there hadn’t been time for anything serious. And now here was a beautiful woman, living in his home, sitting at his kitchen island and drinking his wine in jean shorts and bare feet, as if she belonged here. She did belong here.

And she was smart, and she was funny, and she adored Charlie.

On paper, this was a dream come true.

Eli threw back his glass of wine in a single gulp.

Maddie stared at him. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “I think I’m going to get up to bed myself, though.”

“It’s early for you.” Was it just his imagination, or did she look disappointed? “I thought you’d be up a little while longer.”

“I need to get some sleep,” he said. “I’ve got an early start tomorrow so that I can get home for dinner.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He hesitated a moment. “I’ll see you then.”

“See you then,” Maddie agreed

“Dad, we made a pot roast!”

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