His hand ran up and down her back, his caress soothing her. “I can’t help it, Heather. When I’m with you I forget about the outside world. I love you so much that nothing else matters.”
How could she put up a fight when he said things like that?
“Okay, ten thousand it is,” she said, still amazed at how casually they were discussing such large amounts of money.
She felt him plant a kiss on the top of her head and she melted against him.
“Now,” he started, “where do you want to go for our trip?”
HE HAD NO IDEA IF BRINGING gifts to his first invited visit to Heather’s place was the right idea, but he wanted to spoil her and make a good first impression with her son, Finn.
Heather answered the door and smiled when she spotted the gifts in his hand—a stuffed dinosaur for Finn and roses for her. Her eyes lit up when she saw the roses. “Oh, those are so beautiful.” She leaned in to smell the white roses and took them from him. The purity of the white petals had reminded him of her, which compelled him to get the roses for her. He had contemplated getting her a thousand roses, but a grand gesture like that was liable to take the focus off Finn.
She ushered him inside and led him to the living room.
Finn was sitting on one of the sofas, his attention focused on the tablet he was gripping, lost in a computer game. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, his chubby fingers swiping away at the screen.
A few days had gone by since Simon had last seen her at Dover headquarters, and in the meantime he had signed the paperwork for his leave of absence. It had been announced in the press and, while investors hadn’t exactly liked the news that he was stepping away for a while, stocks had held steady, which the board had welcomed in light of Everett’s arrest.
Heather had also signed a brand-new contract which guaranteed her a raise and a promotion in the media relations department. He knew that, while she might not have the exact education qualifications to be a junior manager in the department, she was actually over-qualified when it came to experience.
As much as he wished they could still work together, he understood that it was much more ethical for her to carve out her own space at the company. Simon had missed working with her after she had begged to move to a different department. But, even though it had stung, he knew that the board agreeing to promote her to a new position was the right thing to do.
None of that was making this moment any easier. He might have figured out how to do right by Heather, but the truth was, he didn’t know the first thing about kids. Simon had never had what he would describe as a fatherly instinct, especially after how indifferent his own father had been to him throughout his childhood.
Heather busied herself putting the roses in a vase on the coffee table, and then she turned around to face her son. “Finn, sweetie. Would you like to put your game down for a little while? Simon is here.”
Finn set his tablet aside and looked up at Simon.
Simon had never felt so anxious in his entire life. Nothing was as terrifying as this. Not the speech he had given at his college graduation. Not his first day as Dover’s CEO. Not even declaring his love to Heather was as nerve-wracking as this.
Here he was, at the mercy of a child’s whim.
If Finn didn’t like him, Simon knew that his chances at a lasting relationship with Heather were slim to none. She would never let anyone come between her and her son. It was one of the things he most admired about her. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for Finn, and she protected her son more fiercely than any mother Simon had ever known.
Finn flashed him a toothless grin. “Hiiiiii, I know you.”
“We met briefly before.” Simon grimaced, hating how stilted he must sound. Maybe he should have researched how to talk to kids, but that was probably ridiculous.
“Is that for me?” Finn pointed at the stuffed dinosaur Simon was holding.
Simon nodded. “Yes, it is.” He had talked to Heather over the phone about Finn’s likes and dislikes. Finn, he had discovered, was obsessed with animals, dinosaurs included.
He handed the dinosaur over to Finn, who took it eagerly and hugged it tight.
“Thank you.” Finn started bouncing up and down on the sofa excitedly. “What should I name him?”