At the same time as Xander knew they couldn’t continue to live together for the next week without one or both of them saying at least something about last night. Acknowledging that it had happened, at least. Not to do so would be juvenile. And their actions last night had been anything but that.
‘I’m just going back to the kitchen to have a chat with Mummy, okay, Daisy?’ he told the little girl lightly as he raised the volume on the television.
‘Okay.’ Daisy nodded distractedly, her attention already focused on the animated film on the screen.
Xander closed the door softly behind him as he stepped out into the hallway, drawing in a deep breath once he was outside; he wasn’t in the least looking forward to the next few minutes’ conversation with Samantha. Or what the outcome of that conversation would mean for the two of them.
Any thoughts of that conversation fled his head the moment he walked back into the kitchen and saw how deathly pale Samantha’s face was as she stood as still as a statue, the telephone receiver about to fall from her limp fingers.
‘Samantha?’ Xander quickly crossed to where she stood to look down searchingly into that pale face as he took that receiver from her and placed it back on the wall, frowning darkly as he saw the pain in those dark amethyst eyes as Samantha stared off into the distance. ‘Samantha?’
The way she now looked up at him so blankly, as if she not only didn’t see him, but was having trouble even remembering who he was, wasn’t in the least reassuring.
Xander lightly clasped the tops of her arms as a way of gaining her attention. ‘Samantha!’
‘Security just called from Reception downstairs.’ She spoke flatly, not an ounce of emotion in her voice as she continued to look up at him blankly.
‘And?’ he prompted tensely as Samantha didn’t add anything to that statement.
She blinked, seeming to come out of her stupor slightly as she finally focused on him. ‘Malcolm is downstairs.’
‘He is?’
She nodded. ‘And apparently he told Security that he has no intention of leaving until he’s spoken to one or both of us.’
Xander had known this confrontation was inevitable, had deliberately designed this situation so that Howard would make him the target rather than Samantha and Daisy.
He just hadn’t expected it to be this morning, and before he’d even had a chance to talk to Samantha about last night.
MAYBE IF HE hadn’t been so caught up, so blinded by his desire for Samantha and the need he felt to protect her, he would have realised that the bombastic Malcolm Howard was arrogant enough to come to his apartment. Everything Xander had learnt about the other man this past week had indicated he was someone who didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings, least of all Samantha’s.
‘I thought you said that your lawyer would contact Malcolm and arrange for him to visit his offices?’
Xander winced at the complete lack of accusation in Samantha’s tone. At the lack of any emotion in her voice at all. ‘He was going to do that on Monday morning.’ He grimaced. ‘Obviously I underestimated the speed of Howard’s powers of deduction.’
She smiled without humour. ‘Don’t feel bad about that; a lot of people have underestimated Malcolm’s intelligence,’ she said flatly.
‘I’m so sorry, Samantha.’ Xander looked down at her, frowning as he saw her expression was just as unreadable. As if the shock, the possibility of seeing Howard again, had robbed her of all feeling. ‘You don’t have to do this, Samantha,’ he reassured her gently. ‘I can go downstairs and tell Howard that my lawyer will contact him on Monday morning as planned.’
Sam knew that would be the safest thing to do. But it was also the coward’s thing to do. And she no longer wanted to be that person. ‘No,’ she said firmly, determinedly rousing herself from the stupor of the shock of knowing that Malcolm was actually downstairs refusing to leave until he had spoken to her. And Xander...
It was her worst nightmare realised.
Well, no, that wasn’t strictly true any more; her worst nightmare was knowing she had fallen in love with Xander, while understanding that that love wasn’t, and never could be, returned.
So, did she want to talk to Malcolm?
Absolutely not.
Did she want this situation between the two of them settled once and for all?
Absolutely yes.
‘Is Daisy fully occupied with the TV, do you think?’ She chewed worriedly on her bottom lip at thoughts of her young daughter so much as realising that the man who was her father was actually here, in Xander’s apartment.
Xander’s mouth twisted. ‘She’s watching one of her favourite animated movies. Very loudly,’ he added dryly, as the volume was audible all the way down the hallway.
Sam nodded. ‘Then I would rather the two of us talked to Malcolm now, if that’s okay with you?’ She looked up at Xander expectantly.
‘Are you sure?’ He frowned darkly, obviously not happy with her decision.
‘Just say if you aren’t comfortable with this.’ Sam frowned, noting Xander’s pallor, the tightness of his jaw, the nerve pulsing at the base of his throat, and the grimness of his expression. ‘You’ve done so much for us already.’
‘The fact that Howard is here at all would seem to imply I didn’t do it quickly enough!’ He scowled darkly.
‘I’m really grateful for all the help you’ve given me.’ Sam frowned as he gave a pained wince. ‘I am grateful, Xander, but I can deal with the rest of this on my own if you would rather not be involved any further.’
‘That’s the last thing I want! Sorry,’ he muttered as Samantha flinched at the fierceness of his tone. ‘I apologise for raising my voice.’
She grimaced as she placed her hand lightly on Xander’s arm. ‘Your reaction is perfectly normal, Xander,’ she reassured him. ‘Believe me, Malcolm has this effect on most people.’ She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before stepping away from him. ‘Let’s just get this over with, shall we—before I lose my nerve?’ she added shakily.
Once this conversation with Malcolm was over, and the matter was hopefully settled, Sam knew then would be the time for her and Xander to talk. If last night had made it awkward for them to continue living together for the next week, this added fiasco with Malcolm could make it impossible!
‘I should have been able to protect you from this confrontation,’ Xander said.
‘Because your instinct is naturally to protect rather than to destroy.’
Xander drew in a sharp breath at the total trust in Samantha’s voice. ‘We’ll talk to Howard in my study,’ he stated decisively before picking up the receiver and calling down to Reception, instructing
