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He raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”
“You’ll think it’s silly,” she said, shaking her head.
“Not a chance. Tell me.”
“I can see you living here,” she murmured. “Throwing a football in the yard, swimming in the pool, having barbeques out back.”
“Sounds wonderful. It’s a great place. Maybe for another person or family.”
She tipped her head to the side and sighed. He had a point. “Yeah. You’re right. Timing is everything. I hope whoever buys it is happy here.” She paused, then asked, “Were you?”
He hesitated, clearly giving the question thought. “I was lonely. My family was in New York. I’d passed the point of wanting the guys over all the time, so it was a big, empty house. A status symbol.”
“And you never saw it as a place to raise a family?” she finally asked.
His eyes opened wide. He obviously hadn’t realized how deeply she’d been thinking. “When I lived here, I wasn’t at that point in my life. And now, everything I need or want is in New York.” His gaze held hers as he spoke.
Warmth settled inside her because she heard the words he wasn’t saying. She was one of those things he both wanted and needed. And for now, that was enough.
His cell rang, breaking the intimate moment.
Dex let out a curse and stepped back, pulling his phone from his pocket and tapping the screen hard. “This had better be important,” he said, walking away as he spoke.
He headed to the other side of the big space that he’d told her had once been a game room. Watching, she gnawed on the inside of her cheek, wondering why she wasn’t privy to his side of the phone call. It wasn’t the first time since they’d arrived in Florida. Friends called him and he spoke to them in front of her, laughing and joking. Family calls, the same.
She didn’t need to be privy to all his business but this was unusual and after Jeremy’s secrets, it made her uneasy.
“Everything okay?” she asked, when he strode back to her, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“Fine. Austin just wanted to relay a message from the network. Ready to go?”
Since any warm mood had been broken, she nodded, and they headed back to her mother’s house where Emma had invited both her children and Samantha’s half-siblings for dinner.
Dex had gotten along well with her brothers and sisters, having come from a big family himself, and seemed totally comfortable with the large group. The girls accepted him easily and the guys gave him the third degree but once they started talking football, all possible differences disappeared.
The only thing that bothered her was the calls Dex took with Austin. He never spoke in front of her and despite wanting to ask what was wrong, she didn’t want to pry.
If something was going on with his upcoming job or anything else and Dex wanted to talk about it, he would. Until then, she’d mind her own business.
Chapter Twenty
A few days after returning from Florida, Samantha stepped off the elevator to her office, her mind on Dex and their relationship. He’d been staying overnight but still holing up in her apartment and not going out for dinner so they wouldn’t be seen together in public. Same as it had been in Florida, and she was getting antsy. The talk about them had died down, replaced by a pregnant, popular celebrity, but Dex had again suggested they not give Jeremy fodder for his bullshit claims that could anger him and cause him to be more difficult in the negotiations.
She’d agreed, but a big part of her hated having to hide who she was seeing when she’d done nothing wrong. But even Ian had agreed with Dex. He hadn’t wanted to give Jeremy any more things to twist in his mind and lie about to the press, so he’d invited them to his home for dinner. Until she settled her business dealings with Jeremy, keeping the man level-headed was the goal. The good news was, she hadn’t seen him since her return.
She headed to her office, saying hello to people as she made her way there. Her assistant sat at her usual place.
As soon as Samantha returned from Florida, Brandy had taken a few days off and this was their first time seeing each other in person.
“Hi, Brandy,” Samantha said, excited to see her friend.
“Hello, and welcome home to both of us!”
She grinned. “Thanks. And thank you for holding down the fort. Again. Great job.” She was aware Brandy had done double duty often since the wedding disaster.
Brandy waved off the compliment. “As long as you remember come bonus time,” she said with a wink. “So… you look tan and relaxed.”
“Seeing family was good for me,” she admitted.
