I stood and walked with him to the front door. "I appreciate your generosity, Henry. I will think about it."
He smiled. "Good. It was good to see you again."
I nodded but didn't say anything because I didn't quite feel the same. I didn't like the conflicting emotions warring within me at seeing him.
When he left, I shut the door, locking it behind him, leaning against it, and blowing out a breath. Then I made my way upstairs and checked on Pax.
Because of him, I really needed to say no to Henry's offer, and yet at the same time, he was the reason I should say yes.
Pax was my priority in terms of keeping him safe and secure and taken care of. Henry was offering me exactly what I needed so I could be a good mom and take on my father. But at what cost? The risks were nearly too much to fathom, the largest of which was that Henry would learn the truth about Pax.
What would he do? Would he care? Would he be angry, or would he understand why I made the decisions I had? Would he take Pax from me?
I squeezed my eyes shut at the pain that came from the idea of losing my son. Of knowing that I’d need to risk it and take Henry up on his offer in order to provide for Pax as I got our lives in order.
4
Henry
Iwasn't a daring man. I wasn't one to tempt fate or take risks, at least not since I'd become my father. But as I left Samantha's home, I realized I was being reckless.
I hadn't spent much time talking to Samantha at Victoria's wedding. My memories of that day were strongly mixed with my memories of her five years ago. But tonight, sitting with her and able to focus solely on her, I realized that she wasn't the same woman I'd known five years ago.
At the same time, her pull on me was still magnetic. The need to get to know her as this new woman was maddening. I’d been driven by guilt to help her, but there was also a fierce protectiveness. It was clear she didn't need my protection, and that pleased me. The idea that she had grown into a strong, independent woman made me proud of her, even though I had no right to feel like that.
And holy hell, she was even more beautiful than I remembered. She still appeared to be soft and round in all the right places. But she exuded a maturity and strength she hadn't had before, and that made her sexier.
Yes, I was in trouble, but I would deal with it. I owed her for the way I treated her five years ago. So, I would take her into my home and find her a job at my company, and then I'd do my damnedest to stay away. She needed my roof and my employment, but she didn't need me.
The best thing that could happen was if she declined my offer, and at the same time, I hoped she didn't. I was seriously going around the bend.
When I arrived home, I went straight to my office, working to figure out where I could place Samantha in my business. I should've figured that out first, but clearly, when it came to Samantha, I did things without thinking them through, or if I did, I didn’t seem to care about the ramifications.
That was how it had been five years ago when she was my intern. I remembered the first time I’d had a dirty thought about her, and it shocked me. It made me realize that I had been attracted t’ her for some time. I'd always treated her with professionalism, but after that moment, I wasn't able to look at her as my intern or my daughter's friend. I saw the woman who made me want her.
I did my damnedest to hide it, but the more we worked together, the more the need for her gnawed deep in my gut. It was so strong that it slowly eroded away the reasons touching her would be wrong until one day, I was no longer her supervisor or her friend's father. I was a man who desperately wanted a woman.
We were in my office. She’d just presented me with her ideas, which to this day I didn’t know what they were. She was so lovely with her hair tied back, biting her lower lip in moments of uncertainty, and then smiling when I praised her despite not knowing what the hell she was saying. I knew then that I was in danger, and yet, I didn’t heed all the warning bells. I’d stood and walked around my desk, which was normal. But once there, my eyes locked with hers. My hand pushed back a stray strand of thick blonde hair, and in doing so, my fingers touched her soft cheek. Her breath hitched, and that was when I saw the same desire in her eyes that was about to consume me. I did the unthinkable. I kissed her. And then I fucked her.
It was strange how simply thinking about Samantha could make me harder than I'd ever been with any other woman. Here I was, sitting at my desk, supposedly working while my dick was trying to escape my pants. I tried to ignore it until I couldn't anymore. The truth was, I didn't want to.
I left my office and hurried upstairs to my room on the second floor. I dug into the secret drawer at the back of my dresser, pulling out the sex toy. I had discovered years ago that basic jacking off wasn't always very satisfying, but neither were one-night stands. This toy was my compromise. The silicon sleeve covered my dick and could feel like a woman’s mouth or a pussy. Of course, most of the time, I was imagining Samantha's pussy or lips. Tonight was no different as I replayed the first time I sank into her body and how electrifying and exhilarating it felt.
I conjured up the memory of her sublime tits and hard nipples. I could have feasted on them forever, but then I found her pussy. She’d been so wet, and if there was any concern in my mind about what I was doing, it vanished as the need to taste her became the only thing I could think about.
It didn’t take long to make her come. But I was nearing the edge myself.
I rose, my hands shaking with need as I undid my pants. “I need to be in there, Samantha. Tell me I can fuck you.”
“Yes.”
I was ready to pound away this crazy need when I realized I didn’t have a condom. “Shit, I don’t have a condom.” I laughed sheepishly at my predicament. “It’s been awhile.”
“I’m on the pill.”
God, I wanted to get inside her, but was she really sure? Was she overcome with lust like I was? “Are you sure you’re okay without a condom?”
Her gaze drifted to my dick. “Yes. Yes, I want this. I want you.”