****

Instead of announcing the coming heir to his father’s lawyers with written correspondence, Blake opted for a much grander delivery. As soon as Samantha felt well enough to travel, they planned their trip to his ancestral home to tell the rest of the family.

The small dinner party rumbled with excitement until Blake finally hushed the family and took Samantha by the hand. “I think by now most of you have guessed why we asked you here tonight,” he began.

“You know how much I adore assumptions,” his mother called from the far end of the table.

Those around laughed and waited for his next words.

“Samantha and I are expecting a child in late January.”

“I knew it.” Gwen hopped to her feet and circled the table to hug Samantha and then him.

Congratulations and a chorus of well wishes rose. If anyone in the room questioned when Samantha had become pregnant, none said a word.

Howard caught his eyes from the far end of the table, his lips fell into a straight line. Blake blamed his father for the strain on his relationship with his cousin. If the man hadn’t named him as the second in the will, perhaps Blake and Howard could have been closer. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Paul leaned forward and whispered something to his son and Blake turned his attention back to his wife.

Samantha radiated pride and a special glow that many people spoke of when they talked of pregnant women.

She wore a summer dress with short sleeves and belt around her still small waist. He noticed a swell in her br**sts, which responded with more sensitivity when they made love. Each day he woke to a new wonder. Prior to their trip over the pond, at the last doctor’s appointment, they heard the tiny fluttering beat of their child’s heart. Tears had welled in Samantha’s eyes and his throat clenched in a painful grip. An instant attachment to the child not yet born felt more solid than anything had in his life. Well, nearly anything, he mused.

His gaze fell to his wife in the sea of people pulling her in for a hug. Identifying his love for their child collided with another reality.

The love for Samantha.

Instead of scrambling away from potentially devastating emotions, Blake held them close to his chest like a good hand in a game of poker. He had plenty of time to decipher Samantha’s feelings before he opened himself wide. It wasn’t routine for Blake to play any cards until he knew he’d win the game.

Parker sequestered himself with Blake for a few moments before leaving the party at the end of the night. “I see you’ve secured all your father’s requests.”

Put like that, Blake felt a slimy film of dirt slide over his consciousness. Although he hadn’t done anything deviant in obtaining his ultimate goal, the fact that he’d never told Samantha about the need for an heir weighed on him.

“So it seems,” Blake said.

Parker held out his hand for Blake. “We’ll meet again after the birth and sign papers. Congratulations again.”

“Thank you.”

As Blake watched Parker leave his home, he felt eyes of someone on him. When he turned, he found Samantha standing in the hall. “Your father’s lawyer… right?”

Blake gave a curt nod. “They were close friends.”

Samantha moved to his side and placed a hand around his waist before leaning into him. “I guess he has no need to doubt your intentions now.”

Her gaze drifted toward the door.

“He will doubt until our baby’s born, I’m afraid.”

Samantha leaned her head on his shoulder and stifled a yawn behind her hand.

“You’re tired,” Blake announced. “We should get you to bed.”

“But there’s still a lot of people here on our behalf.”

“People who will just have to do without us.”

When Samantha didn’t offer any more resistance, he knew the extent of her exhaustion and ushered her to bed.

****

Blake and Samantha stopped over in New York for a couple of days on their way back to California. While Blake met with his lawyer, Sam braved the sweltering heat of Manhattan and did a round of completely unnecessary shopping.

As much as she tried to focus on the need for maternity clothes, the baby section of the department stores sang to her in a way she hadn’t expected. Maybe it was the fact that everyone who needed to know she was pregnant now did, but Sam had the strange urge to buy one of everything.

Not knowing the sex of the baby made some things more difficult, but a green baby outfit here, a yellow one there worked. She found a hand-knitted, white blanket in which they could bring the baby home from the hospital. With several bags in hand, Samantha was shuffling through tiny socks and plush toys when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Cooing over a musical rattle, she twisted to whoever was searching for her attention.

The Viper stood before her, all blonde and bombshell. “Why am I not surprised to find you here?” Vanessa all but hissed between her pink lips.

Samantha really didn’t care what the other woman thought, and certainly didn’t want to engage in a conversation with her. What were the chances of seeing the woman in a city the size of New York anyway? Sam knew she lived there, but what were the odds?

“Vanessa.”

Vanessa tipped a finger at the elephant rattle Samantha held. “Isn’t this cute. So when are you expecting your bundle of joy?”

“It’s really none of your business.” Samantha put the toy down and turned to walk away.

“Let me guess.” Vanessa blocked her exit, leaving Samantha between a bookcase full of baby paraphernalia and a venomous snake. “Before Blake’s birthday?”