Page 50 of Off Limits Silver Fox

“She’s in her office.”

I grit my teeth. “Which office, Susan?”

“In the Cyber Security department. Do you need her for anything?”

Swiftly, I think of a reason for asking about her. “Has she submitted all the election project files?”

“Um… I don’t know. Let me put a call through to her right now.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll go down there. I need to find out some details from her, anyway.”

“But you’re scheduled to be in the robotics department in a few minutes to access the materials for the next project.”

Great.

“Alright.”

“Miss Lawson and her team are already here.”

I sigh inwardly. So much for seeing Hailey anytime soon. I don’t plan on blurting out my feelings for her in the office. I just need to see her and calm my frayed nerves.

“Send them in.”

My new robotics engineer comes in with her team. She’s a stunning woman, but she does nothing for me. I’m solidly into one woman, and that’s Hailey Graham.

It’s late in the day before I finally make my way to the Cyber Security department. The floor is devoid of people since it's past closing time. I can only hope Hailey is still in the office. She still isn’t picking up my calls, and she replied to my message with a default ‘I’m busy’ message, which pissed me off.

I haven’t been here in a while, so I meander my way around the place until I find her office. I thrust open the door just as Hailey is about to zip up her purse mere inches away. Not looking at the door but at the purse, she bumps into me before I can warn her of my presence.

“Oh!”

The purse falls from her hands, and its contents spill on the ground. My typical clumsy Hailey. Intense love for her consumes me for a second. Smiling at her, I lower myself to help her with the spilled contents.

“Leave it!” she screams and drops to her haunches.

I can’t figure out why she lets out those words in such a frightened tone until my eyes narrow to a white and blue box. My eyes expand like saucers when I read the inscription on it. My breath ceases in my chest.

A pregnancy test?

I pick it up just before she snatches it from my hand and pushes it into her purse, along with the other things that fell out. Slowly, I get to my feet and observe her with shocked eyes. A rosy blush covers her face, and she evades my gaze, staring at the floor.

A tense silence ensues between us for minutes on end. This feels like déjà vu, and my heart beats rapidly against my chest. What are the chances of this happening to me twice in my life?

As if in a trance, I slowly shut the door, grateful that I had waited until now before seeking her out. There’s no doubt that the whole floor would have stayed by the door to eavesdrop upon seeing me heading to her office.

I clear my throat, and it pierces the thick silence. “Are you pregnant?”

Still avoiding my gaze, she shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’m a few days late.”

“How late?”

“Five days today.”

“Has your period ever been late before?”

“Yes. It was erratic before, hence the need for contraceptives. But it stabilized a long time ago.”

I take in a deep breath and release it slowly. I can’t help the feeling of déjà vu as it strikes me again. No, Hailey isn’t Linda. She isn’t trying to use this pregnancy to trap me in marriage.

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