Page 30 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

I closed my eyes, gathering strength to face Henry. The whole point of the wine was to relax, but with Henry here, I was a bundle of nerves.

I got another wine glass and poured two glasses. I picked them both up, and turning, I set one on the island. "I'm heading up to my room to read." I started toward the door, but Henry stepped into my path.

"I hope Pax didn't get into too much trouble. Honestly, Samantha, I enjoyed spending time with him. He's a sweet boy."

I was both warmed by his words and at the same time, they gave me an ulcer.

"He did get reprimanded because he had run off and we didn't know where he was. I appreciate your spending time with him, but I really don't want us to be in your way. You've done so much for us already, and I don't—"

Henry's index finger reached out, pressing over my lips. A zap of awareness shot through me, nearly making me groan.

"I don't know how many times I need to tell you that you have full run of the house."

I stepped back, needing to stop the urge to lean closer to him. "I don't think you're being completely honest. I think you're just saying that to be nice. I know you avoid us, having dinner in your office—”

"It's not at all unusual for me to eat in my office. What can I do to make you more comfortable in my home?"

All the hopes and wishes I'd had five years ago bubbled up. The dream of living in this home with Henry as his wife, the mother of his children... wishes from a silly young woman. I knew better now. And I knew that wasn’t what he meant.

He took my hand, pulling it up over his chest. "Truly, Samantha. You’re not in my way."

His heart beat under my hand, and it was all I could do to stop myself from pressing my palm against it or worse, leaning my head against it as I had done five years ago. I felt like I had dragged socked-feet over shaggy carpet as little sparks of static electricity snapped and crackled all around me. I looked up into Henry's eyes, wondering what he was thinking. Did he mean to do this to me? Or was he just being nice?

Our gazes held, and it reminded me of the moment in the car earlier tonight when the same energy wrapped around me. For a moment, I thought he might kiss me. For a moment, I hoped he would. How many times had I imagined what it would feel like to have his firm lips on mine again?

But no. I stepped back, extricating my hand from his. I couldn't let him lead me down this rabbit hole to heartbreak again.

I managed to smile. "Thank you for all your generosity." Then I hurried around him and up to my room. I sank down on the edge of the bed, the urgency of making enough money to get Pax and me a separate place, and to deal with my mother's estate so that we could leave New York, bearing down on me.

The next morning,as I fed Pax breakfast, I checked my email, noting one from Henry indicating that I had an appointment this morning at the news network. This was good news. I would be out of the office, which meant I would be away from Henry and from Alan Sprout.

Once breakfast was finished, I handed Pax off to Marie, who took him to preschool, while I headed toward the network offices. The team in charge of online and social activities were competent and creative. I explained my ideas, and they appeared open to them, even excited about them.

"To be honest, we thought about some of the things that you're saying here but worried that Mr. Banion would be concerned about the brand."

I nodded. "I understand what you're saying, but these platforms have been around long enough that they've proven that they have staying power and are popular in a demographic that we need to capture."

The meeting emboldened me, making me feel confident that I knew what I was doing. And I enjoyed it. It was exciting to work with a team who understood my recommendations and had a collaborative spirit as we brainstormed various ideas.

I returned to work just before noon and had just reached my desk when Alan Sprout came bursting into my office.

"What do you think you're doing, meeting with people at the network? Do you think usurping my authority is going to have Henry giving you my job?"

I pulled in a breath to steady my nerves. While I had learned to be more outspoken in life, I still didn't like confrontation. "Mr. Banion set up the meeting. He emailed me with the appointment, telling me that's where I needed to be this morning. If you have a problem with that, you should take it up with him."

Alan's eyes narrowed, and his jaw went so tight it was a surprise it didn't crack and fall off. "You think you're his next shiny object, don't you?"

I had no idea what that meant. Did Henry often bring in people on a whim?

"Mr. Banion hired me to do a job, and I am going to do it." Part of me wondered if I should let him know that I saw this as a short-term gig. Even Henry knew that at some point, I would be starting my own business. But Alan seemed like the type of person who would use that information against me, so I didn't say anything.

"I won't have you undermining me."

I shrugged and sat down. "Again, I would direct you to talk to Mr. Banion. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to write up my notes and send them to him. Should I mention your concerns to him?"

Alan seethed as he shook his head at me. He stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind him. It was yet another reminder that I needed to get my life sorted. I made a mental note to begin the process of looking at how to start my own business when I got home this evening.

At four thirty,I shut down my laptop and sat back in my chair, stretching my arms over my head. Technically, the day wasn't done until five, but I figured I would use the last half-hour on my phone, going through the various online posts of the Banion media platforms.

---