Page 32 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

I nodded, even though I didn't feel reassured.

As we left the restaurant, Lucas took my hand in his. "I'm going to keep working on this. You believe me, don't you?"

"Sure."

He gave me an affable smile. "I’ll tell you what. Why don't you come over to my office tomorrow, and we’ll have lunch and go through everything again? Sometimes, going back to the beginning or reviewing everything can reveal something that was missed."

I don't know why I needed to be there to go over documents, except it appeared that maybe Lucas was trying to forge a relationship. While I wasn't interested in that, I also had to consider that perhaps if I met with him more often, he would put more time and attention toward my case. "I'd be happy to meet with you for lunch, but could we do it closer to my office?"

"Absolutely." He brought my hand to his lips, giving it a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow."

As I made my way back to Henry's in the rideshare I'd ordered, I wondered how my life had gotten so complicated. I was living with my son's father who had no idea that he had a son. Worse, despite all my efforts to remember how Henry had callously tossed me aside, every time I was around him, I could feel the energy of attraction down to every cell in my body.

And then there was Lucas, who would be a much better suitor, but for whom there was no spark at all. Not even a little bit.

I briefly considered giving up on my mother's estate and taking Pax and going anywhere away from New York to start over. But it was because of Pax that I couldn't do that. It would be reckless to run away without having a job or a place to live. So, for now, I was going to have to walk this tightrope with Henry and hope that Lucas could find something that would prove my father had stolen my mother's inheritance. I prayed for a miracle.

12

Henry

Iwas proud of myself for not going out to see Samantha when she returned from her date with Lucas. I reminded myself that my restraint was a good thing. This ridiculous desire for Samantha had to stop.

But like the fool I was, the next day, I headed down to her office around lunchtime only to learn that she wasn't in. Like some crazed stalker, I hovered around the marketing department until she returned. And who was she with? Lucas. His hand rested on her lower back as he escorted her toward her office.

My chest tightened with jealousy. I was such a fucking fool. I returned to my office, pouring myself a drink. I had to get it together. I had known being around Samantha would be difficult, but I didn't realize just how challenging it would actually be. She was still the smart, sweet woman I had met five years ago, but now to see her as a mother, to see her confidence in her work, something about her pulled at me even more than it had before. I admired how tenacious she was in trying to take on her father even though I hated that the route she was using to do so was through Lucas. There was no doubt he had set his sights on her as well.

Over the next week, I did my damnedest to keep my distance from Samantha. It was for my own sanity. I tried to ignore hearing that Samantha had once again gone to dinner with Lucas or he had come to her office. But the final straw was when he showed up at my house, and the two of them met in my living room. Like a jealous ninny, I lingered outside in the shadows, eavesdropping on their conversation. Samantha continued to ask him questions about her case and what she could do to learn more about her father's activities. Lucas seemed to want to talk about anything except the case. There was something odd about that. Was there no case and he was just leading her on because he was interested in her?

I knew Samantha's father and figured she was right that he had done something unscrupulous in order to get her mother's inheritance. Her father could be conniving and manipulative, but he didn't strike me as being very smart. There had to be evidence somewhere of what he had done. As far as I could tell, Lucas hadn't found out much of anything except there had been a paralegal who had met with Samantha's mother and was now somewhere off the grid.

When it was clear that Samantha was making comments that she was ready to end their meeting, I retreated across the foyer and up the hall to my office.

I waited until I heard the door close and then I stepped into the doorway to see her in the foyer. "Samantha."

She looked up. "Henry. I hope we weren't disturbing you."

I shook my head. "How well do you trust this guy?"

Her brow furrowed and her head tilted to the side. "Why?"

I shrugged as I leaned against the door jamb to my office. "I just wonder how it is that he's not done anything to contest this will.” I realized too late that I was revealing to her that I was at the very least keeping tabs on her business and at the worst, eavesdropping.

"The paperwork is apparently flawless, and so far, we haven't been able to find any proof of my father's fraud."

I was relieved that she didn't call me out on how I knew so much about her case. “What sort of investigation has he done?"

"I don't know all the details, but he has made attempts to find the paralegal who had the papers my mother signed."

"Would you like a drink?" The question came out from left field, except that I had the urge to draw her into my office so I could sit and talk with her.

Her expression was wary, and yet she let out a sigh. "I think I could use a drink."

I smiled and motioned for her to come into my office. I went over to my bar. “Is scotch okay?”

“Yes.” She sank down onto the couch as if the air had gone out of her.

“Would you like anything in it? Water or—"

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