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too much, having Samantha relax in his company, having her trust him, to want to ruin that peace and harmony. He had even taken to having cold showers every morning, in an effort not to ruin that trust by attempting to kiss her again!

      That Samantha should now more or less accuse him of using Daisy as a diversion for his boredom, and that he would forget about her, and Samantha, once he was fit enough to resume his own life, just added salt to the wound.

      Did those confidences he had shared with her about his father mean nothing to her? And what of the trust she had placed in him by agreeing to let him help her?

      ‘Well, thanks for that, Samantha,’ he grated. ‘Nice to know you think me insensitive as well as shallow!’ He turned abruptly, leaving the kitchen to walk down the hallway, and shut himself in his study before sitting down heavily behind his desk.

      Before he said anything he might regret.

      Such as, that he hadn’t been bored for a single moment these last few days.

      That, despite the initial doubts he had voiced to Darius on the subject he liked having Samantha and Daisy living with him, and genuinely enjoyed their company.

      That he woke up every morning with a smile on his face, in anticipation of spending the day with them.

      That he had the feeling his apartment was going to have all the warmth of a morgue after they left next weekend.

      That it was testament to how much he liked Samantha that he had shared those confidences of his childhood, a subject he had never discussed with anyone outside his immediate family.

      Damn it, Xander valued all of those things so highly that he had deliberately chosen to keep his desire for Samantha to himself, for fear that it might damage the peaceful existence they now had.

      Maybe he did need to get out of his apartment for a while, away from both Samantha and Daisy, and try to get some perspective back into his life?

      His assistant had been arriving promptly at the apartment at nine-thirty every morning this week so that the two of them could spend an hour or so going through what needed to be dealt with urgently, and what could wait until Darius either came back from his honeymoon or Xander was fit enough to spend the day in his office.

      But he hadn’t been out of his apartment for weeks on a social basis, apart from to attend the wedding last weekend.

      Security was downstairs, so Samantha would be safe enough from her ex-husband in his apartment, and a couple of hours checking out the Midas nightclub might be just what Xander needed to put himself, and this situation, back into perspective.

      ‘Xander?’

      He had been so lost in deep and brooding thought that he hadn’t even heard Samantha open the study door. She hovered in the doorway looking across at him uncertainly.

      She looked so very beautiful, with her flame-coloured hair loose and curling about her shoulders and down her back, her face slightly flushed from cooking and clearing away after dinner. Her small and perfectly rounded breasts were pert against the white fitted shirt she wore, her tailored black trousers clinging lovingly to the sweet curve of her hips and bottom.

      Xander’s body reacted sharply to the sight of her.

      So much so that the need he now felt, to stand up and move restlessly about his study, became an impossibility. ‘What is it, Samantha?’ he enquired softly.

      ‘I wanted to apologise. I didn’t mean to imply—I know that you genuinely care for Daisy—I just don’t want—I would never deliberately insult you,’ she finished lamely.

      ‘Just indirectly,’ Xander drawled. ‘Let’s just forget it,’ he dismissed. ‘You were probably right to be concerned.’ He shrugged. ‘I am basically shallow and insensitive.’

      ‘I didn’t say that.’

      ‘No, I did.’ He sighed. ‘What do I know about five-year-olds anyway?’

      ‘Well, you were once one yourself.’

      Yes, he had been, and he knew exactly how it had felt to be so young and so totally bewildered by his own father’s dislike of him. As Malcolm Howard’s years of lack of interest in his own daughter seemed to imply the other man also disliked Daisy.

      So yes, on that level Xander could relate totally to Daisy.

      It was the increasing desire he felt to make love to her mother that had become the biggest danger.

      ‘Let’s not argue, Xander.’ Tears glistened in her eyes as Samantha looked across at him imploringly. ‘This business with Malcolm has unsettled me. I certainly didn’t mean to insult you by anything I said earlier.’

      Xander knew that. Knew that Samantha wasn’t the type of woman to ever deliberately insult or hurt anyone. She was sweet and kind, and had been infinitely patient and understanding from the onset, despite his bad-temperedness. She was also a wonderful mother to Daisy.

      Nor did he have a single regret about telling her about his own childhood; he knew that it had been necessary at the time. It had also, in some strange inexplicable way, continued to act as a balm to his own feelings about the past.

      He drew in a deep and ragged breath. ‘You’re obviously tense and worried about your ex, and I should probably have talked to you about this sooner.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I didn’t because...’ He paused, knowing it had been selfish of him to want to keep the status quo for as long as possible. ‘After making extensive enquiries about Malcolm Howard, I’ve decided to make my strike against him through his business,’ he revealed grimly. ‘In fact, I’ve already set those plans in motion. Don’t look so worried.’ He gave Samantha a reassuring smile. ‘By the time I’ve finished with him Howard will wish he had never so much as spoken to you again, let alone threatened you by using Daisy.’

      She gave a worried frown. ‘What are you going to do?’

      ‘What am I doing?’ Xander corrected grimly as he stood up, his erection having finally subsided. ‘Howard Electronics is shortly going to experience a severe problem with the loan they’re currently requesting from their bank, putting in jeopardy the plans Howard currently has for expansion into the Japanese market,’ he added with satisfaction.

      Xander had also cancelled Howard’s membership to the Midas nightclub the day after he and Samantha had spoken, a move guaranteed to ensure the other man knew exactly where his troubles were coming from. It shouldn’t take too long, once Howard discovered his membership to Midas had been discontinued, for the other man to make enquiries and realise Xander was also behind the difficulty with his bank loan. A deliberate move on Xander’s part, to ensure that he became Howard’s target, rather than Samantha or Daisy.

      ‘You can do that?’ Samantha eyed him doubtfully.

      Xander gave a grim smile of satisfaction. ‘I can when it turns out I have a financial interest in the bank Howard uses. At the moment he is running around like a headless chicken trying to secure a loan from another bank.’

      ‘And what happens when he stops running around in circles?’ She frowned.

      Xander grimaced. ‘My lawyer will have contacted him before then, strongly suggesting Howard comes to his office for a meeting. A meeting at which, in exchange for a guaranteed loan from me, with a low interest rate, he will sign a contract agreeing never to come near you or Daisy ever again. This needs to be settled once and for all, Samantha,’ he insisted huskily as he saw she still looked worried.

      ‘What if he still doesn’t agree?’

      ‘He will.’ Because if he didn’t Xander would feel no compunction whatsoever in breaking the other man completely.

      She gave a shake of her head. ‘I can’t let you do that.’

      ‘It’s already done, Samantha.’

      Sam could only stare at him. This was insane. Unbelievable. She had known Xander was

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