Chapter 33

SAM

WHEN DAYLIGHT slanted through the curtains, I slid a hand over the velvety skin of Dakota’s belly. She blinked up at me, her large eyes made bluer by the glimmer of tears. I traced a finger along the curve of her temple, over her cheek, and down to her lips. My chest ached until I struggled to draw breath.

“What if I get pregnant again?” she whispered. “I can’t lose another baby. It’ll wreck me. I can’t bear to disappoint you again.”

“Never.” I tilted her face up so she could see my sincerity. “This isn’t the end of our story. You and I, we’re just getting started.” Another tear escaped and rolled to the point of her chin. “We’ll try again when you’re ready—if you want. There are doctors who specialize in these things. We’ll see every one of them, if that’s what it takes. Or we could adopt.”

“Really?” Hope lit her eyes. It was the best reward I’d ever received. “You’d do that?”

“Baby, I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work.” I shifted her weight on my lap. “Or we can be one of those childless couples who travels the world and enjoys each other’s company.”

“I wanted this baby,” she whispered. “Not at first, but after I got used to the idea, I realized how important it was to me. I feel like this is my fault. I shouldn’t have worked so hard. I should have—”

I put a finger to her lips. “Stop. You can’t second guess yourself. We both made mistakes, but we’ve got to move on. We have to keep going forward, or we’ll never get through this.” She took my hand in both of hers and rubbed her cheek against my knuckles. The tenderness in her touch wrecked my self-control. I pulled her to me, drinking in the clean scent of her shampoo, savoring the warmth and vitality of her body against mine. “Say you love me, Dakota. Tell me.”

“You know I love you, Sam.” She bit her lower lip. “But you’re not an easy guy to live with sometimes.” Her hand smoothed down the length of my tie. I placed my hand over hers and pressed it to my heart. “I know it’s because you’re driven and focused. You can’t help it. You’re wired that way. I’m always worried that you’re going to be disappointed with me.”

“Never.” I squeezed her hand. She threaded her fingers through mine. The bones of her hand felt small and fragile. 

From the nightstand, my phone began to vibrate. Her hand stayed in mine. I tightened my grip and didn’t let go while I answered the call.

“Xavier, hold all my calls. I’m unavailable until further notice. Understand? And tell Mrs. Caldwell.” I turned to face Dakota and smiled down at her. “I need to be with my wife. If anyone calls for me, tell them I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

Mrs. Pittman and Chandler took the day off so Dakota and I could be alone. We spent the rest of the day together, watching television, holding hands and snuggling on the sofa. I’d forgotten how nice it was to be a normal guy without the pressures of work looming overhead. Outside our condo, the gray sky had darkened to slate. Drizzle slapped against the windows, blurring the cityscape beyond the glass.

Dakota settled into the nook between my neck and shoulder. The solid weight of her head against my chest felt right. I tightened my arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She sighed. In that moment of solitude, the purpose of my life became clear.

“Did you talk to Vanessa?” Dakota asked, as if reading my thoughts. “What did you decide to do?”

“Yes.” In all the hubbub, I’d failed to fill her in on my decision. “I’m taking over Seaforth Industries, and I plan to appoint Vanessa as head of the company.”

Dakota pulled back far enough to meet my gaze. Her eyes widened. “Seriously? Vanessa?”

“Vanessa will be the new CEO of Seaforth Industries.” I twirled a finger in a lock of her brown hair, enjoying the silky glide of the hair over my skin. “She graduated with honors from Stanford. She’s got an MBA and the brains to handle it. I’m just not sure of her intentions.”

“Are you disappointed?” Her breasts lifted and fell beneath her T-shirt as she exhaled.

“I never wanted to run the family business. You know that. I just didn’t want to see it crash and burn.” Unable to resist the perfection of those twin swells, I cupped her left breast in my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her lips brushed my earlobe with her next words.

“I suppose Maxwell is ecstatic?”

I stiffened. The mere thought of occupying the same air space as Maxwell dampened the pleasantness of my afternoon with Dakota. “Not for long.”

“And what about Blackwood?” She cupped my face between her palms. “He’s going to be really disappointed.”

“Blackwood can suck my—’

“Sam!” She placed two fingers over my lips to silence me. 

I bit the tips of her fingers. “No more talk about work,” I said, and scooped her into my arms. I didn’t want to think about Maxwell. The damage to my relationship with him had proceeded beyond repair. As soon as Vanessa took the reins to Seaforth Industries, I’d never have to talk to him again.