Page 49 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

"Samantha?" Alex prompted.

"Actually, I... I don't know," I admitted, my voice quavering. "I saw her once, going through some papers in my mom's office. But I never thought anything of it at the time."

“You said she was your mom’s assistant.”

“Right. That’s why I didn’t think anything of it, except she seemed nervous that I found her there. I don’t know.” I began to second-guess myself. Marie was a godsend for my mother and now me.

"I'll keep that in mind as I continue my investigation."

"Where are you headed next?"

"I plan to visit your mother's house. Maybe there's something there we've missed."

I rolled my eyes. "Good luck with my father. He's not going to be forthcoming with information."

"Leave that to me," Alex said, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I can be quite persuasive when I need to be."

"Thank you, Alex. I really appreciate this, especially with Victoria ready to pop.”

His smile was radiant. It made me happy for him and Victoria that they’d found each other, even as it was strange that he’d been Henry’s friend first. “It goes without saying that if she goes into labor—”

“That takes precedence. Of course it does.”

“But I do have another working with me on this, so he can take over if needed.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” He rose from his chair. “I’ll be in touch.”

I returned to work, focusing on my duties and preparing for my trip. Henry still hadn’t responded to my request, but I was determined to go, so I acted as if he would approve the travel.

At the end of the day, a knock sounded on my door.

"Come in," I called, expecting Alan to question my plans for L.A.

To my surprise, Henry appeared. My heart hitched in my chest as I regarded him, an uneasy mix of desire and apprehension swirling within me. He’d been so distant and cool the other night, and I hadn’t seen him since then.

"Good news." He leaned against the doorframe with a casualness that belied the intensity of his gaze. "I've approved your trip to Los Angeles."

"Thank you.” Relief filled me. A week, maybe two, of respite away from Henry and all the guilt and stress being around him brought.

"I’ll be joining you.” He pushed away from the doorframe, entering my office. "The L.A. office could use my attention as well. We can travel together."

His words struck me like a bolt of lightning, sending shockwaves through my already frayed nerves. The idea of traveling with him, sharing close quarters, and navigating the minefield of our attraction filled me with dread.

No. I couldn’t do this. "Maybe I should postpone the trip. If the LA office needs you now, I can go later. It's no trouble, really."

“There’s no reason for that. We can both deal with what needs to be dealt with."

My stomach churned as I searched for any way to escape this impending disaster. “I was planning on bringing Pax and Marie with me. I thought it would be fun for them and we could enjoy the area in my downtime.”

A genuine smile spread across his face. "That's a great idea. It will be fun."

My heart pounded in my chest, the anxiety churning inside me. Surely, I was growing an ulcer. This wasn't how I'd envisioned things going.

But it was clear that Henry had already decided.

"Okay."

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