They were called back into the conference room at around lunch time.

“We’ve agreed to your terms,” Agnes said stiffly as Heather took her seat.

“Excellent,” Simon said. “We’ll have to get it all in writing.”

“Yes, we’ll get the legal department on that right away. You can expect the paperwork within a few days,” Agnes said. “But there’s something else the board wants to suggest. You don’t have to agree, but we thought it might help to show your good faith.”

“Go on.”

“We would like you to consider being slightly more, uh, friendly to the press going forward,” Agnes said. “Maybe consider more interviews and so on.”

Heather had always thought being more welcoming to the media would help Simon and Dover, but she decided it was best not to say anything. It wouldn’t be right to appear to undermine him in front of the board.

Simon stood up. “I’ll give it careful consideration. That’s all I can promise.”

“Very well,” Agnes said. “Ms. Hall will be granted a promotion and a raise. Simon, you can have your leave of absence while Linda takes a position on the board. We’ll announce your leave to the press. Make it look like Dover is re-evaluating the role of its leadership in light of Everett’s unfortunate arrest. Show the public that we’re willing to take a good hard look at ourselves.”

“That sounds like a good angle to take with the press.” He glanced at Heather and smiled.

His smile seemed like her cue, so Heather got to her feet.

“You’ll be getting your time off, Ms. Hall,” Agnes said. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Heather nodded and headed for the door.

“By the way,” Agnes continued. “As friendly as I want you to be with the press, Simon, I’d like to state for the record that the board will be recommending that you and Ms. Hall keep your romantic relationship as discreet as possible for now. Keep your relationship under wraps and the board won’t have to revisit its agreement to your terms.”

“Of course.” Simon gave a curt nod and they walked out of the conference room together.

Heather followed him back to his office.

Simon grimaced as he opened one of his desk drawers. “Are you angry?”

“What would I be angry about?” she asked.

“About having to keep our relationship discreet for now,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel like we have to hide forever.”

“I think keeping things under wraps for now is a good thing. Remember the last time the press got to us?”

He nodded. “I do remember. Things got really out of hand.”

Memories of the press hounding them were still fresh for her. The minute the local media had gotten wind that one of the most sought-after CEOs in the country had been having an affair with his assistant, they had pounced. Eager photographers had chased them through Seattle’s streets and even rifled through Simon’s trash.

Dating one of the wealthiest CEOs behind a tech boom was probably going to send the press into another frenzy, so she had no problem with keeping things quiet. Better for them to start their new relationship with as much privacy as possible.

“Yeah, it was crazy for a while,” she said. “I’d rather not repeat that if we can avoid it. I’m just surprised you agreed to the board making a demand like that after they gave you everything you asked for.”

He pulled a bottle of liquor from the drawer and set it down on his desk. “They were already going to give me everything I wanted. Which means that getting concessions like that must have been humiliating for the members. I chose to agree to keep our relationship discreet, so that the board would see that I was willing to give a little. Show that I take their terms seriously as well.”

“Office politics are such a delicate thing to negotiate.” She had been around CEOs for years, but the intricacies of corporate politics was something that still eluded her. Still, it made sense for Simon to agree to one of Agnes’ demands, so that the board might feel like they were relevant and powerful.

“It is, but I thought it best to keep the board’s resentment to a minimum,” he said. “I’m sorry if it looks like things are happening quickly, but I want to protect you, Heather. I quit so we could be together. Now that I’ve been asked to come back to work, I have to do everything in my power to make sure you’re safe.”

“I am safe,” she said. “As long as we’re together, we can get through anything.”

“I agree.” He opened the bottle and held it up. “I don’t have any glasses at the moment, so we’re going to have to drink straight from the bottle.”

“You don’t drink,” she said.

“I don’t usually, but I do drink on extremely significant occasions,” he said. “And I think this occasion calls for a drink. A toast.”

He took a swig from the bottle and grimaced. “This brandy isn’t Champagne, but I think it will have to do.”

She walked over to him. “What should we toast to?”

Simon handed her the bottle. “To us, of course.”

“To us,” she said. “And to no more pesky photographers.” She took a sip of the warm liquid, wincing as the strong liquor went down.

“So, have you decided where we should go for our vacation?” he asked.

Heather placed the brandy bottle back on the table. “I know I agreed to this trip, but I have rules of my own.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“You said that your rule is to spend money on me.” She paused, still not quite able to believe that she was literally negotiating with a man who was worth billions of dollars. “Well, I don’t think you should spend anything on me unless we’ve discussed it and I’ve agreed to it. So, no splurges or over-the-top gifts.”

“I can’t buy you a French chateau without your say-so,” he said, his lips twitching. “Got it.”

“I’m serious, Simon,” she said sternly. “No spending without my permission.”

“So, if I want to buy you a coffee, I have to ask first?” His smile disappeared. “Heather, I can’t agree to that.”

“Okay, maybe you don’t have to ask to pay for affordable things,” she responded. “But you can’t buy something expensive without talking to me first.”

He furrowed his brow, lost in thought. Finally, after a few moments, he nodded. “Deal. If it costs more than ten thousand dollars, I have to ask first.”

“What?” Her eyes went wide. “No. Ten thousand dollars is definitely not the cut-off. I was thinking something like fifty dollars.”

“Ten thousand. Take it or leave it.” Simon pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, her cheek pressed up against his hard, muscular chest.

“We’re supposed to be discreet, remember?” she reminded him as his arms slid around her.

“When I’m with you, I forget about the rules.” His deep baritone rumbled in his chest, the sound making her shiver.

When she was in his arms like this, she felt so safe. So protected and cherished. As if all her doubts and fears no longer mattered. With Simon to protect her, she allowed herself to hope. Hope that she could hold on to her son and keep custody of him. Hope that Simon wouldn’t regret being with her when they went away on this vacation with her son.

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?”

Simon exchanged a glance with Heather. She gave him an encouraging smile.

“I’m not sure,” he said finally. “I’m terrible with names.”

Finn started to turn his toy this way and that, seeming to think it over. His chubby face scrunched up while he thought. “How about... Archie?”

Heather’s eyebrow went up as she sat down on the sofa across from her son. “Archie? Why Archie?”

Her son shrugged. “I just like it.” He turned his attention to Simon and looked at him expectantly. “What do you think?”

“I think it sounds good.”

Taking her cue, Simon took a seat on the sofa beside Finn. Trying to shake off his anxiety, he said, “We haven’t been formally introduced yet. I’m Simon.” The minute he held his hand out for a handshake he knew how ridiculous he must have looked to the kid.

Heather laughed as Finn took his hand to shake it briefly.

“Nice to meet you.” Finn’s voice was more of a squeak than anything else. “I’m Finnley, but you can call me Finn.”

“Hey, Finn.”

“Are you my mom’s boyfriend?” Finn tilted his head, his mop of brown hair falling over his huge eyes.

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!”