Daddy’s Orders (Silver Fox Daddies)

Logan’s Midtown penthouse apartment was something else.

The place was huge—three stories situated on the top of a prewar tower bordering Central Park, the views from every side of the place sweeping and endless. A huge spiral staircase traveled up through the middle of the apartment, the space sleek and modern.

“I always forget how cool this place is!” Marianne rushed into the enormous main living space of the first floor and fell back onto the long, white couch, her purse sliding off her arm. “I mean, I love the island. But this is New York!”

Marianne grinned, her eyes closed as if she had nothing but her future success in the art world on her mind. I, on the other hand, didn’t feel as comfortable giving myself over to the fun and excitement of the big city. The view from where I stood looked out east over Queens and Long Island, and I couldn’t shake the reality that my father was somewhere in the distance.

“Mary-Moo, why don’t you get your stuff put away before you start relaxing?” Pearl asked. “And don’t you dare tell me you’re thinking of taking a nap after all that snoozing you did on the plane. You’ve got a show tomorrow, and being an artist isn’t just about wearing a pretty dress and showing off your art.”

Marianne sat up and smiled. “But most of it is.”

Pearl chuckled as she made her way over to the coffee station at the living room bar. “Well, sure. But you’re going to need to supervise your paintings while the crew packs them up and ships them over. Lots of logistical work.”

Marianne cocked her head to the side. “What’s logistical work?”

Logan entered, slipping off his suit jacket and nodding to Pearl to make him one of the espressos she was preparing.

“Logistics is the name for how things get done. For example, if you want to show off your art at a fancy Chelsea gallery, then the logistical aspect is what Pearl mentioned—everything that you need to do to actually get the art over there.”

Marianne’s face fell a bit before brightening. “Well, that might be fun!”

“I like that attitude,” Logan said with a small smile. “I’ve already done the legwork of getting the art movers organized, they’ll be here bright and early tomorrow. You going to be ready for that?”

Marianne nodded eagerly. “I will!”

“Good. In the meantime, you three have an assignment.”

“Is that right?” asked Pearl.

Logan checked his watch. “It’s a little after one right now. I’ve made dinner reservations for eight. Until then, the three of you need to take the afternoon and find something to wear for the opening tomorrow. I’ve been in contact with a few boutiques in town, all with prêt-à-porter clothes, so you should all be able to find something.”

“We get to try on dresses!” Marianne said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “This is going to be so fun!”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, anxiety taking hold.

“What about… you know.” I didn’t want to come out with the exact words, not wanting to scare Marianne.

Logan stepped over to me. “Here in the penthouse, you’re as safe as it gets. This building is as secure as a bank vault, with on-staff security and no way to get in or out without explicit permission. As far as when you’re out in the city…”

As if they’d been awaiting those very words, Roberto and two other men entered the apartment. Both men were huge and hulking, just like Roberto. One had a shaved head, the other with long, dark hair pulled into a neat ponytail. Both wore serious expressions of all business, their eyes hidden behind sunglasses and their mouths in hard, flat lines.

“Roberto?” Logan asked. “You want to introduce our new friends?”

“Gladly. Ladies, this is Edgar,” the man with the shaved head nodded, “…and Renaldo.” The man with the ponytail nodded. “Now, as much as we’d love to give you three the run of the city, we’re going to err on the side of caution. To that end, each of you will have one of us assigned to you for the next few days while we’re here.”

Marianne appeared worried. “Is this because of what happened at the beach?” she asked. “With Marta?”

“That’s right,” Logan said. “But I’m almost positive that there’s nothing to worry about, sis. These guys are just here to make sure this weekend is fun and safe, OK?”

Marianne nodded, but I could see the tinge of fear in her expression.

“We’re going to be shadowing you three,” Roberto went on. “So, just try to pretend we’re not there.”

Pearl smiled, her eyes lingering on the two new men in a way that made it clear she was happy with the displays of macho manhood on display. “What if we don’t want to pretend that you’re not there?”

Roberto chuckled. “Easy, Pearl. Try not to chew these poor boys up and spit them out.”

Pearl laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

“Anyway,” Roberto said. “There’s a pair of cars outside. We’ll take one, you three will take the other. I’ll be the driver of your car, ladies. Take a few minutes to get settled in, then we’ll be on our way.”

“Come on,” Logan said, an espresso in his hands. “I’ll show you to your room.”

He nodded toward the spiral staircase and together, we went up. The height of the stairs afforded an incredible, sweeping view of not just the apartment, but the city outside the tall windows. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before.

“This is a big place.” Not knowing what else to say, the words came out of my mouth sounding silly.

“A little too big, if you ask me,” Logan replied. “I’m here most of the time by myself, and sometimes it can feel a little empty.” He chuckled. “I bought this as something of a celebration for myself when I turned thirty, to celebrate my first billion.”

I blinked hard at that revelation.

“Marta made me Crème Brulé for my last birthday.”

He chuckled at my words, the two of us reaching the third floor and heading down the hall. Logan opened the door to a large bedroom, the window-walls looking out over the south half of Manhattan.

“Hope this works for you,” he said, shutting the door as he spoke.

“Should be just fine. And—”

I didn’t get a chance to finish. Logan wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss, the suddenness of it shocking and wonderful all at once. Our tongues met, the taste of espresso on his lips. I fell into the kiss right away, eager for him to take me right then and there.

Instead, he pulled away. The cocky smile that remained on his face suggested that he knew just what he was doing by denying me what I wanted.

“You’re such a tease,” I said.

“This is your bedroom. But if you’re in the mood for a little company tonight, I’m right at the end of the hall. Take your time to get settled, and let Roberto know when you’re ready to go.”

With that, he opened the door and stepped out, leaving me alone and hornier than I’d been in as long as I could remember. It was almost scary how well Logan knew how to tease me, how to push my buttons. The worst part? I actually kind of liked it.

I laid down on the bed to try and get a few minutes of rest in before our big afternoon out. It wasn’t long before a tinge of nausea ripped through me, the sensation intense enough to make me sit up and prepare to run to the bathroom.

It passed. I sighed with worry, thinking about all the times I’d been sick on the plane, how there’d been simply no way that Logan hadn’t noticed. I’d tried not to make eye contact with him on the way to the bathroom, but that last time I’d been sure he’d been watching me, wondering what was going on.

What did he know? Logan was many things, but dumb wasn’t one of them. Then again, I’d told him that I was on the pill.

I sighed, getting up and washing my face. One of the employees arrived with my bags, and I did a quick change before heading out. Marianne and Pearl were ready to go, and it wasn’t long before we were seated in the back of a sleek, black SUV taking us through the city. Marianne had her face pressed to the window the entire time, gasping at the towering buildings all around us.

“I don’t care how many times I’ve been here,” she said, turning to me and Pearl. “It’s always amazing!”

“Just think,” Pearl added. “If you become a big shot New York artist, you could get your own place and do showings all the time.”

Marianne’s eyes became somehow wider than they already were.

“Really?”

“I bet you could,” I said. “You’ve got talent, and so much of it. I still get misty-eyed when I think about the portrait you did for Marta.”

Without another word, Marianne leaned over and threw her arms around me.

We parked somewhere in NoLita, getting out and taking in the sight of the city all around us. It was a beautiful day, the sky blue and the air nice and warm. Together, we headed into one of the boutiques on the list, a place called “The Show” that appeared to be closed down for a private fitting session just for us.

A smiling clerk greeted us as we stepped into the store, Roberto hurrying in beforehand and taking a quick look inside as Renaldo and Edgar posted out front. Once Roberto gave us the OK, we entered the shop.

“Welcome,” the clerk said, the woman tall and slender and leggy.

As I walked further into the place, my eyes went wide at the display of gorgeous dresses. I stepped over to the nearest one—a long, dark red strappy gown made from fabric so delicate that I worried it might shatter at my touch.

“These are so pretty!” Marianne said. “Which ones do we get to try on?”

“All of them!” the clerk said. “And that’s what we’re here for.” She swept her hand toward two equally beautiful young women behind the counter. “Choose whatever you like. We have your sizes, so everything should work.”

Marianne smiled. “My name is Marianne Stone. This is Emily Marone, and she’s Pearl Shepard.”

Pearl hurried over to Marianne’s side, whispering sharply into her ear.

“Don’t need to tell everyone our life stories.”

The clerks didn’t seem to notice or care about the interjection.

“Well, I hope you three are in the mood for something good to drink. Want a little bubbly while you try things on?”

“Oh, that sounds amazing!” Marianne said. “Don’t worry, Logan says I can have a little every now and then. I am a grown-up after all.”

Pearl gave me a look that seemed to say, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her.”

I went right for the red dress, the clerk taking it off the rack and leading me over to one of the dressing rooms. She helped me into it and my jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw myself in the mirror.

“Pretty glamorous,” the clerk said. “But that’s just my opinion.”

I did a turn, the red fabric twirling around me. I couldn’t help but let out a laugh of joy as I watched the fabric spin.

“I love it. But do you have anything a little, um, sexier?”

The clerk grinned, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Let me see what I can find.”

She left and returned a few moments later with something black over her arm.

“No wardrobe is complete without a little black dress. Try this.”

I slipped out of the red number and held up the black in front of me. Right away I noticed that there was far less fabric than with the first one. That only made me more eager to wear it. The clerk helped me with the dress, pulling the nearly skintight article over my head and zipping it up. Once it was on, I looked into the mirror.

“Wow.” The word fell out of my mouth.

The dress was most definitely sexier than the last. It was tight and short, the hem hitting me in the middle of my thigh, the top lowcut enough to show off far more of my cleavage than anything else I’d ever worn—other than a swimsuit, of course.

“Now, this is something that you can make a statement with,” she said.

I turned, getting a look at my profile. “It sure is. Not sure what that statement might be, though. Hm. How about something a little between the two? As fun as it is to wear something like this, I don’t know if I want people looking at my butt instead of the art.”

She chuckled. “I’ve got a few more in mind.”

Just then, another tinge of nausea hit me. I placed my hand against the wall and closed my eyes, letting the sensation move through me.

“You alright?”

“Fine. Just… I think I need to run to the CVS.”

“Sure. I’ll get a few more pieces for you to try on while you’re there.”

I quickly changed back into my street clothes and left the changing area. In the other spaces I could hear Marianne giggling with excitement as she tried something on, along with Pearl calling out “there’s no way I’m wearing this in public!”

I chuckled, making my way onto the main shop floor. Roberto was there, seated in the waiting area and reading the New York Times. I nodded to him as I hurried to the entrance. When he realized what I was doing, he quickly folded the paper and hurried to my side.

“Something I can help you with, Emily?”

Shit. I needed to get to the drug store and take a test. But there was no way I’d be able to do that without having Roberto on my ass.

“CVS,” I said. “Need some, um, Tums.”

The skeptical expression on his face made it clear he didn’t believe me for a second.

“Sure. I’ll escort you.”

“That’s OK,” I said with a nervous smile. “I’m fine on my own. But, um, thanks.”

His skepticism only increased. “Emily, as much as I want to respect your independence…”

He didn’t need to finish the sentence. I knew there was no way I’d be able to buy and take the test without him knowing.

“Can we walk and talk?”

His expression softened. “Of course. Come on.”

Together we stepped out onto the city streets, people all around us, the road to our left packed with cars.

“What’s wrong, Emily?” he asked.

There was no getting around it, no lying my way out of this one. I needed a pregnancy test; Roberto was going to find out one way or another.

I paused in the middle of the sidewalk, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the enormity of what was happening.

Roberto placed his big hand on my arm, taking me out of the path of oncoming pedestrians.

“Come with me, Emily. It looks like you need someone to talk to.”

He gestured toward a nearby café, keeping his hand on my arm as we made our way over and entered. I was still in something of a daze, and Roberto did all the work of finding someplace quiet to sit and ordering us something to drink. When the barista came over, she placed a latte in front of Roberto, some tea in front of me.

“That’s green tea,” he said. “Good for the nerves. Take a sip, take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.”

I couldn’t get over how kind and accommodating Roberto was being. Like Logan, he was a big, tough-looking man who concealed a heart capable of great empathy. I did as he asked, sipping my hot tea, taking a slow breath, and speaking.

I told Roberto everything, told him about how I’d been sleeping with Logan—this wasn’t a surprise to him—and that I was nearly certain that I was pregnant, that was a surprise. When I was done, I felt drained, like I needed rest.

Roberto smiled warmly. “A child is a wonderful thing. And if you ask me, jefe is due for something like this to get his priorities straight. The love of a good woman and a baby can do just that.”

“Do you have a family?”

He nodded. “I do. He took out his phone and scrolled a bit, showing me pictures of a stunning woman with fair skin and red hair, a pair of twin toddlers on her lap.

“That’s my wife Marie, my twin boys Jacob and Noah.”

“They’re beautiful, all of them.”

“Gracias. My line of work doesn’t lend itself to a normal family life, but Logan takes good care of me, which means I can take good care of them, visit for a month or so at a time when I can. It works.” He tucked his phone back into his pocket. “I like to throw wisecracks at Logan about his bachelor life, but deep down I think he knows that it’s time for something real, something that’s not seventy-hour weeks at work. And I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that Marianne would love a little niece or nephew to spoil.”

The idea of Marianne spoiling my child was enough to warm my heart, to push aside the anxiety running through me, if only for a moment.

“But what will Logan say?” I asked. “How do I know he won’t kick me out?”

Roberto laughed. “Well, if he ever tried anything like that, I’d have him laid out on his culo before he even finished the sentence. Logan can handle himself in a fight, but I’ve got a few moves he doesn’t know about.”

He leaned forward, his smile turning into a more serious expression.

“Logan isn’t like that. He’s a hard man, but he’s that way because he needs to be. He’s been looking out for his sister for years, knowing that he’d always be responsible for her. Nothing comes between him and those he cares about. He might be surprised, he might be unsure of how to react. I have no doubt, however, that he’ll do right by you, Emily.”

He placed his hands on the table. “Let’s go take this test, si? You find out the truth, then we go back to the boutique. If it’s positive, we can talk about what to do from there. Ok?”

There was something about the easy way he spoke, his calm tone, his reassuring words that made me quickly feel better.

“Yeah. Let’s do it.”

We took our drinks to go and left the café. Together, we walked to the CVS on the corner and I purchased a few pregnancy tests.

“We can always wait until we’re back at the penthouse, Emily,” he said as I made my way to the bathroom.

“No. I want to know now.”

He nodded, standing guard outside of the bathroom as I went inside. The test didn’t take long at all, and within five minutes I knew my fate.

I was pregnant.