“Before our baby needs a plate?” Tilting his head, he looked down at her. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said softly. “All of it. I’d like this house to be your home, Daisy. Yours and the baby’s. Make it your own. Whatever you want, your slightest desire, it will be yours.”
She looked at him with wide stricken eyes, then changed the subject, turning away to stare at a painting on the opposite wall. “You like modern art.”
“Yes,” he said cautiously.
“Do you own any of Franck’s?”
Leonidas snorted. “He’s overrated. I don’t know anyone who owns his paintings.”
“Well, lots of people must buy them, because he’s very successful. He travels first class around the world.” She tilted her head. “Everyone loves him.”
“Everyone including you?” he said unwillingly.
Daisy looked at him in surprise. “Are you jealous?”
“Maybe.”
“You were never jealous before.”
He shrugged. “That was before.”
“Before?”
“Before you stopped looking at me like you used to.” He did miss it, the way Daisy used to look at him. As if he were the whole world to her, Christmas and her birthday all at once. It was a shock to realize that. He’d thought he didn’t care if Daisy loved him. In fact, after what he’d seen his parents go through, he’d convinced himself that romantic love was a liability.
But he missed having her love him.
“That was a long time ago,” Daisy mumbled, her cheeks red. She reached over to scratch Sunny’s ears. “Before I found out the man I loved was just a dream.”
Leonidas looked down, realizing that his hands were trembling. “We can find a new dream together.”
“A new dream?”
“A partnership. Family. Respect.”
“Maybe.” Daisy tried to smile. “I don’t know. But I’ve lost dreams before. Did I ever tell you how thoroughly I failed when I tried to become an artist?”
“No.”
“I didn’t sell a single painting. Not even a pity sale.” Her cheeks colored. “I don’t expect you to understand what it feels like. I’m sure you’ve never failed at anything.”
“You feel empty. Helpless. Like there’s nothing you can do, and nothing will ever change for you.”
She looked at him in surprise. He gave her a small, tight smile, then started unpacking the takeout cartons from the bags. “I asked my housekeeper to get organic dog food. It’s in the kitchen.” He quirked a dark eyebrow. “Unless Sunny would prefer kung pao chicken, too?”
“You’re hilarious.” But Daisy’s expression softened as she looked at him. “Sunny already ate. She’s fine for now.”
“As you wish.” As he pulled out carton after carton from the bags, she looked incredulous.
“Will there be a crowd joining us?”
“I wasn’t sure if you might be having pregnancy cravings, so I got a little of everything. As well as double of the kung pao.” Leonidas handed her a
plate, which she swiftly filled with food. He gave her a napkin and chopsticks from the bag, and a bottle of water. He made himself a plate, then sat beside her at the table.
But the truth was, he didn’t care about food. He was more interested in watching her.
As they ate, they spoke of inconsequential things, about anything and everything but the obvious. He was mesmerized, watching her eat everything on her plate, then go back for more.