Finn was sitting on the sofa beside Simon, the two of them watching a nature show on TV.
“Well, what do you think?” she asked.
Simon tore his eyes away from the television, fire burning in their depths when he spotted her. “You look stunning.” He stood up and walked over to her to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
Her stomach fluttered as his lips brushed across her skin. It was hard to keep her body from heating at the sight of his dark hair slicked back, and the tailored tux that fit him so perfectly.
“You look pretty, Mom!” Finn exclaimed from the sofa.
She walked over to him and ruffled his hair affectionately. “Thank you, sweetie.”
A knock on the door grabbed her attention and she headed over to open it. Her parents rushed inside, both of them excitedly complimenting her dress.
“Gorgeous. Just gorgeous,” her mother proclaimed.
“Are you sure you guys don’t mind babysitting?” Heather asked, lowering her voice. Since Simon’s father was attending, she had felt guilty over the fact that her parents were going to be staying behind to babysit. She had assured them that she could make sure there was space for them at the dinner, but so far they had stuck to their guns.
“Of course we don’t mind spending time with our grandson.” Her mother walked into the living room to give Finn a big hug.
“Besides, this is a nice apartment,” her father said as he glanced around.
“It is a nice apartment,” she agreed with a smile.
She and Finn had been staying in Simon’s building for almost a week, and so far she had to admit it had been great. She didn’t have to see Simon’s father all that much, and she had gotten the chance to spend some quality time with Simon.
It was work that had been the real challenge over the past few days. Dover’s security had been working overtime keeping their offices secure and working to track down the people responsible for the threats. So far they had only been able to trace the threatening phone call to a disposable cell phone, making it basically impossible to trace the call.
With the security problems still looming, tonight’s dinner was going to have extra security just in case.
Simon greeted her parents, and they said goodbye before heading out. They stopped at Simon’s apartment to meet with his father, who was dressed in the expensive tux Simon had bought for him. Heather had to admit that Onslow cleaned up pretty nicely with the stylist that Simon had also paid for. She was still uneasy about how easily Onslow managed to wrangle money out of his son, but the truth was there was only so much she could do in her effort to look out for Simon. How he spent his wealth was his decision to make. Besides, Simon had happily bought her a new dress and designer shoes. It would be hypocritical for her to begrudge Onslow for getting a new outfit.
Not to mention, with the security issues Onslow had to deal with a nice night out might do him some good. Dover security was trustworthy, and even if she was anxious about more threats she knew they could count on the security team.
“You look lovely, Heather,” Onslow said with a smile.
She returned his smile. “Thanks. You look great as well.”
Together, they made their way downstairs and got into Simon’s car.
Twenty minutes later, Simon parked his car in the parking lot of the Windemere Hotel. He opened the back door for his father and then opened Heather’s passenger door. Gently, he reached his hand down to her and she took it, letting him help her out of the car.
“You look so beautiful,” he told her. “I can’t take my eyes off you.”
Warmth laced around her heart. “And you look very handsome yourself.”
Simon offered her his arm in a gentlemanly fashion.
With an apologetic smile she shook her head. The board pretty much knew that she and Simon were dating, but with the documentary crew coming to this dinner they didn’t want to risk even a hint of impropriety. “The cameras will be rolling tonight, remember? We all have to look professional.”
Simon sighed. “I can’t wait for the day when we can just say screw it, and do what we want.”
“That’s what we’re working towards,” she reminded him. “Once the board trusts us I’m sure we can be as public as we like, with their approval.”
“Fine,” he muttered. “As long as you do me one courtesy.”
“What’s that?” she asked, curious.
“Walk by my side as we go in.” He turned to his father. “Dad, can you walk on my other side?”