The Taming of Xander Sterne(24)

                Xander’s first reaction was to panic. To wonder if he was up to dealing with her, or if he should just go and get Samantha.

                What if Daisy spilt some juice and he lost it? What if she dropped cereal or jam on the breakfast bar, and his violent temper made another unwanted appearance?

                The rage he had felt that night in the Midas nightclub had been frightening enough, but Xander knew he would never forgive himself if he verbally or physically hurt a child. As he had been hurt by his father.

                After staring blankly at Daisy for several minutes Xander had forced down the panic, decided not to go and wake Samantha, but to instead test himself and offer Daisy the same breakfast he was having.

                So far it was going reasonably well. He had tried to smile as he poured Daisy some juice, and his voice had remained reasonably calm when he offered to make her some toast along with his own.

                He usually didn’t eat breakfast at all, preferring to grab a quick cup of coffee, but he was making an exception by eating a slice of toast this morning, unsure of when he would be able to eat again.

                Darius and Miranda’s wedding was at one o’clock today, but the meal wasn’t being served until four o’clock, to allow time for the taking of photographs after the service, and the greeting of guests at the Midas Hotel later.

                As Darius’s best man, Xander had his own wedding duties to take care of.

                ‘Oh, no!’ A breathless Samantha suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking almost as dishevelled as her young daughter, in a robe belted tightly about her slender waist, her red hair a wild tangle about her shoulders, her legs bare. ‘I am so sorry!’ She rushed into the room. ‘I should have been up and getting your breakfast long before this. I must have overslept.’

                ‘Calm down, Samantha,’ Xander advised abruptly. ‘Daisy and I have been managing just fine on our own, haven’t we?’ He placed Daisy’s plate of buttered—and burnt—toast in front of her on the breakfast bar, once again congratulating himself on having got through the past ten minutes without having a single urge to lose the temper he now feared.

                Although he couldn’t say he was sorry that Samantha had put in an appearance.

                Sam had never felt so disorientated in her life as when she woke up in a strange bed a few minutes ago, before the reality that she was currently staying in Xander Sterne’s apartment came crashing down on her. A glance at the bedside clock had shown her it was already eight o’clock, way past the time Daisy usually woke her in the morning.

                She had leapt out of bed, quickly pulling on and tying her robe over the vest and shorts she wore to sleep in as she hurried next door to Daisy’s bedroom, only to find her daughter’s bed had obviously been slept in but was now empty.

                The last thing Sam had expected, after hurrying down the hallway to the kitchen, was to find her daughter sitting at the breakfast bar while Xander made and served her breakfast.

                Especially when Sam was being paid—very generously—to make and serve his breakfast!

                It didn’t help that his face looked a little pale this morning, and his limp was much more pronounced too as he hobbled about the kitchen.

                Because he shouldn’t be standing on his leg for any length of time yet. Because she was being paid to ensure that he didn’t.

                She had also promised him that he wouldn’t even know Daisy was in his apartment, and yet here he was, the morning after their arrival, preparing her breakfast!