by Lexy Timms
Simon nearly choked at the frank question, but he recovered quickly enough to nod. He wasn’t going to bother trying to finesse by using euphemisms. Maybe he didn’t understand kids, but he had been a kid after all, and honesty was probably the best policy with a child. “Yes.”
Heather smiled. “That’s right. Simon and I are... together.”
Finn frowned as he mulled that over. “Do you guys kiss?”
“Uh...” Simon shot Heather a helpless glance.
Her cheeks were turning bright pink and she started fidgeting in her seat. “Well... we... uh.”
Simon cleared his throat, desperate to steer the discussion elsewhere. Honesty was starting to look overrated. “Hey, so, I heard you like animals.”
“Kissing is gross,” Finn said.
“Well, you’re entitled to your opinion,” Heather said.
“Lisa Bernard kissed me at school once and it was gross,” Finn said. “She just grabbed my cheeks and smushed her mouth on mine. And then she threw sand at me.”
“Oh.” Simon shot Heather another helpless glance. The conversation was running away from them. “I... well... I think Lisa Bernard should have asked you before she did that. And it was rude to throw sand at you.”
“She did ask,” Finn grumbled. “I said okay, but she smushed me. I’m never kissing ever again!”
Simon wasn’t about to tell Finn that he could very well change his mind in the future. “So, how about those animals?”
Heather’s hysterical giggle filled the room. The high-pitched sound was soon replaced by a soft snort, and Simon forced back a laugh. He definitely didn’t want Finn to think they were laughing at him.
“We have guinea pigs in my class.” Finn squeezed his dinosaur tightly.
“Cool. So, does that mean you want to be a vet when you grow up?” Simon asked.
Finn nodded his head vigorously. “Yeah. Or a zoo...zoo—” He inhaled loudly as he struggled for the word.
“Zoologist?” Simon finished for him.
“Yes! That’s it.” Finn grinned. “I want to study about all the animals.”
“What’s your favorite animal?” Simon asked, genuinely curious.
“Shark!” Finn started squirming in his seat as excitement took over. “Sharks! I love sharks!”
“Well, you know, I own a company down in California that uses technology to help scientists study sharks,” Simon said.
Finn’s already giant eyes went even wider. “What? Whoa! Can we go to Cali-Cali—”
“California? Maybe one day, but your mom has told you about the trip we’re going on, right?
“Yeah. She said we’re taking a vacation. The three of us,” Finn replied.
“And how do you feel about that?” Simon asked.
Finn shrugged. “She says my dad isn’t coming.”
“You wish your dad was coming, huh?”
“Yeah. But he never wants to go anywhere with me,” Finn said in a small voice.
Simon despised Gary, but it was obvious that the little boy missed his father desperately. If Simon could shake some sense into Finn’s father, he would, but there didn’t seem to be any way to get sense into the man. In the few minutes he had spent with Finn, Simon was already starting to like the kid. How could Gary continue to disappoint his own son over and over again? It was bad enough he was trying to get full custody of the kid, but he didn’t even have the decency to spend time with his son.
“You know, buddy, sometimes adults get scared,” Simon said gently. “They avoid things because they’re scared they’ll make a mistake.”
“A mistake? Like what?” Finn asked.
“Your dad might be scared that he wouldn’t be doing a good job, so sometimes he misses things with you.”
“Because he doesn’t want to make a mistake,” Finn said.
“Right.”
He didn’t exactly smile, but some of the life came back into Finn’s eyes. “So, where are we going for vacation?”
“Sunny Florida,” Simon answered. “Your mom and I thought it would be fun to go to some amusement parks, hang out by the beach, maybe see some wildlife—”
“Will there be sharks?” Finn cut him off, so excited he could hardly contain himself.
Simon nodded and then smiled. He didn’t know how he was going to get them to see sharks, but he was now determined to fulfill Finn’s wish. “Yes, there will be sharks.”
“What? You promise?” Finn squealed, tossed his dinosaur aside, and threw his pudgy arms around Simon. “Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!”
A strange warmth filled Simon’s heart. “You’re welcome.”
Finn pulled away, grabbed his dinosaur, and raced out of the living room. “Let’s go play outside!”
It was then that Simon understood some of Finn’s enthusiasm. The kid was an only child, with an absent father. He probably needed a little friendship.
Heather got to her feet. “Okay, slow down sweetie. We’re coming.”
“I think that went pretty well,” Simon said, standing up.
“That was the easy part,” Heather warned. “Have you ever spent the day at the beach with a child?”
“Uh, no.”
She chuckled to herself and headed out of the living room. “Oh Simon. You poor thing.”
That was when Finn let out a shout so loud it seemed to shake the house off its foundations. “This is going to be the best vacation ever!”
Chapter 4
She couldn’t believe they were taking his private jet.
“How am I ever going to get used to this?” she asked from her seat across from him.
Simon smiled, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. “You and Finn deserve to fly in style.”
Heather shook her head and then glanced out the airplane window. They were flying at thirty-five- thousand-feet, cruising over a carpet of white clouds. Just looking out at the clouds made her feel all tingly inside.
“It does beat flying in coach,” she said dreamily.
Right after his first visit with Finn, Simon had convinced her to fly to Florida in his private jet instead of flying commercial. He had managed to set up everything for their trip to Florida within a matter of days. Well, not him personally. Simon never handled such mundane things on his own. One of the executive assistants at Dover had organized their vacation and Simon had made it clear that money wasn’t going to be an issue.
Finn was now fast asleep in one of the jet’s tiny private bedrooms. The excitement of his first plane trip had totally knocked him out.
“I rarely use this thing, so I figured it would be a good idea to use it now,” he said.
“But I don’t want Finn to get used to something like this,” she said. “He’s just a kid. He needs to learn that most people aren’t wealthy like you are.”
“Heather, he’s a good kid,” he said. “I can’t imagine him getting spoiled by one plane trip.”
“Yes, but this whole trip is going to be different for him,” she said. “For him, a family vacation is us piling into the car and taking a camping trip. Not flying in a jet to a luxury resort.”
He reached for the cup of espresso on his table and took a sip. “If it bothers you that much, maybe I can have a talk with him.”
She gave him an incredulous look. “What are you going to tell him? That you don’t want him to turn into a spoiled brat?”
Simon set the cup back down and focused his attention on her, his piercing eyes almost making her lose her train of thought. “Okay, why don’t you tell me what this is really about? Let me guess—you don’t want to look like the bad guy while I get to be the good guy because I spend money on Finn.”
Surprise made her mouth fall open. “That’s remarkably observant.” She leaned back in the comfortable chair, stretching her legs out in front of her. The jet’s leg room alone was going to spoil her. “Honestly, that hadn’t been my thought, but maybe deep down that’s what has been troubling me. I’m so used to Gary disappointin
g Finn that I’ve always just ended up being the good guy. The good parent by default.”
“You are the good parent, and not by default,” Simon insisted. “I swear I’m not trying to replace you or Gary. I’ll back off if that’s what you think Finn needs.”
She shook her head. “I’m probably just freaking out a little because Gary is the only man I’ve been with for most of Finn’s life. Bringing a boyfriend home is so new. I don’t want to screw this up.”
“There’s no way you could do that,” he said. “Every parent makes mistakes—but take it from me, Heather, your son is lucky to have you. I know what bad parents look like and you’re the farthest thing from that.”
“This process has probably been difficult for you, too,” she said.
Confusion flashed in his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’ve had a difficult relationship with your parents since you were a kid, and now you’ve been pushed into this entirely new relationship with a child. That probably brings back a lot of difficult childhood memories for you.”
“It probably has brought things back subconsciously,” he admitted. “I guess I want to avoid doing whatever my parents did. I’d really like to be a good role model for Finn, but at the same time I don’t want to overstep. I don’t want to tell him what to do or try to be his dad or anything like that.”
“Sounds like a tricky balance,” she said. “On the one hand you want to be a good presence for him, but you also don’t want to overshadow his dad.”
“That’s right. Finn obviously misses his father, and I never want him to feel like I’m replacing him,” Simon said.
She let out a deep sigh. “It’s hard to replace a man who’s rarely present. Gary has hurt Finn so much, and it breaks my heart. Sometimes I think it would be better if Gary just stayed out of Finn’s life for good. He’s fighting to get full custody without even trying to spend time with his son.”
“That’s got to be confusing for Finn,” Simon murmured.
“Not only confusing,” she said. “Gary’s behavior hurts Finn. Gives him false hope. I mean,
Finn is heartbroken that his father doesn’t spend time with him, but he gets so hopeful because once in a while his father will call or send a card. That just raises his hopes again and I know they’ll just be crushed later down the line.”
“Does Finn know his father wants full custody?” Simon asked.
Her eyes snapped shut as the pain flooded her. Finn was just six years old. Explaining the details of a legal battle was almost impossible. She had tried to explain that his father might want to spend more time with him, but how could she tell her son that this legal battle could mean that they got ripped apart?
No. She wasn’t going to let that happen. Wasn’t going to let Gary take her son away from her. That’s what this vacation was about. Spending time with her son. Making memories with him that would strengthen her for the legal battle ahead. Because she did not plan on giving Finn up. Not ever.
“No, he doesn’t know.” She opened her eyes slowly. “I still don’t know how to explain it to him. The divorce was so painful for him. Finn cried himself to sleep for weeks.” Tears filled her eyes and she bit back a sob.
In an instant Simon was at her side, sinking down into the chair beside her. Taking her hand in his, he placed her palm over his heart. His heartbeat was so strong underneath her fingertips. So strong that it comforted her to know that he was there with her.
“You don’t have to explain it to him until you have to,” he said. “But no matter what happens, Heather, I’m here. I’ll support you no matter what. If you need me to pay for childcare or a lawyer, or anything else, I’m here.”
Even through her blurry vision she could see the concern and love in his blue eyes. “I couldn’t ask you to pay for a lawyer—”
“Yes, you could,” he said, cutting her off. “I’ve got the best lawyers in Washington State on speed dial. Say the word and I’ll get them on the phone.”
“Okay.” She gave him the tiniest smile. “This isn’t me agreeing to take on an expensive lawyer. This is just me agreeing to talk to one. I guess a consultation wouldn’t hurt.”
“Keep an open mind,” he said. “That’s all I ask.”
This was why she had finally agreed to come on this trip. Without Gary to look up to, Finn needed a father figure in his life. He already had his grandfather, but she knew her son was going to need all the fatherly support he could get. She was still nervous about Simon realizing he had made a huge mistake in dating a single mother, but there was still a chance that he might bond with Finn. Still a chance that Finn wouldn’t internalize his father abandoning him if he had someone like Simon to look up to.
“I will,” she promised.
When he brought her hand to his lips to kiss it tenderly the rest of her sadness melted away. But not even Simon’s kiss could banish her apprehension.
Hours later they made it to the out-of-the-way Grande Luxe Resort and Spa.
Heather had gotten a secluded bungalow of her own that she could share with Finn, while Simon had gotten a bungalow of his own beside them. Her bungalow was decorated in a chic tropical design. All the chairs were made of wicker and the vaulted ceiling was finished with bamboo. It was like a tropical forest had been brought indoors.
Finn was still tired from the flight so she tucked him into bed, closed his bedroom door as she slipped out, and went to meet Simon out on the expansive, private verandah.
From here she got a breathtaking view of the private beach. The pure white sand was so inviting that she slipped off her shoes and sat down in the loveseat across from Simon.
He looked unbelievably gorgeous with his dark hair tousled and the buttons of his shirt undone to reveal his bare torso. The sight of his hard, rippling muscles made her mouth water. She wondered if he knew the affect he had on her, but he had never been a superficial man.
“They’ve set out some Champagne for you.” He reached into the ice bucket that was on the table between them and retrieved the bottle. With one quick motion he popped open the bottle and filled two flutes.
She reached for a glass and took a sip of the cold, bubbly Champagne. A soft satisfied sigh escaped her throat. “Heavenly.”
“Glad you like it.” Simon smiled. “How’s Finn?”
“Fast asleep. The excitement and the cross-country flight knocked him out.” She gazed at him, memories of all the times they had spent at hotels drifting back. Every business trip they had been on together had ended up with them in bed. “It’s probably a good thing that you got us separate accommodations.”
“Well, I don’t want to move too fast and have us in one house. That would just confuse Finn, and I don’t want to do that. Which means we’re going to have to keep our hands to ourselves for the duration of the trip.” His voice was serious but there was a glint in his eye. “This is a family-friendly trip after all, so let’s keep it that way.”
She set her glass down and crossed her arms. “What are you implying?”
“I’m implying that you really shouldn’t look at me like that,” he replied with a laugh.
“I’ll behave if you will,” she said.
His eyes met hers and the heat blazing in their depths was so intense she felt like she was on fire. Resisting a man had never taken this much effort. Never felt like some monumental task that she was in danger of failing.
Falling in love with him all over again had ignited a desire she hadn’t thought possible. For years Gary had dismissed her as boring. Dull and repressed. And for years she had believed him. But the truth was, Simon brought out a side of her that Gary would never see. Mostly because it had been impossible to open up to a man who constantly belittled her the way Gary had. She might have been staid and uptight, but Simon never made her feel like it was wrong to be herself. Simon allowed her to open up and reveal herself completely. With him, she wanted to hold nothing back. Not when he looked at her like that with such stark, possessive need.
He didn’t say anything, just got to his feet, walked over to her and leaned down to press his mouth to hers. Sparks of heat shot through her body and she moaned softly when he ran a hand through her loose locks of hair.
Eager for more, she pulled him down onto the loveseat. As he slipped his arms around her waist in response, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
His tongue pried her mouth open, sending more sparks of heat through her body. As their tongues danced, her hands slid down until she felt his hard chest underneath her fingertips. Another moan escaped her throat, and she knew that if she didn’t stop now she was in danger of tearing his shirt off and having her way with him right here on the verandah. Reluctantly, she tore her lips from his.
“I think you might be breaking the rules already.” Her exhale came out on a trembling breath.
He held up his hands as his chest rose and fell with each heaving breath. “Okay. So I’m not good at following my own rules.” A smile played on his lips. “How about we focus on my plans for tomorrow night?”
“Plans?” she asked, suddenly intrigued. Her lips were still tingling from his kiss, so she welcomed any distraction that might force her to keep her hands to herself.
Simon nodded. “I want Finn to have fun, but we still have to keep a low profile. The board isn’t going to like it if we’re recognized or seen by the local press. So, I figured out a way to get away from the privacy of the resort without being spotted.”
She bit her lip. “I had wondered how we were going to pull off a vacation and lay low at the same time.”
“Well, the beach is private and we have the swimming pool all to ourselves, but I promised Finn he was going to see sharks on this trip,” he said.
“He’s been talking about the sharks ever since you told him about them.” She laughed. “I don’t think we’ll be able to leave Florida until we can see them.”
“Well, that’s the plan for tomorrow evening,” Simon said. “When Finn wakes up, we’re going shark sighting.”
She grinned wickedly. “You know that rule we just agreed to? Can we start it, say, in about ten minutes? Maybe twenty?”
