A Secretive Deal with My Billionaire Boss (by Gregory Ellington) novel Chapter 442

Alexander

Her lips curved slightly, just the barest hint of a smile back. The gesture hit harder than it should have.

Ethan shoved the last three fries into his mouth simultaneously, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk.

"Don't choke," Madison said automatically, her hand reaching across to wipe ketchup from his chin with a napkin.

"I won't!" The words came out garbled around potato. He swallowed dramatically. "See? I'm a professional."

"Very professional," I agreed. "Olympic-level fry consumption."

"What's Olympic?"

"A competition where the best people in the world compete."

His eyes went enormous. "I could win the Olympics for eating?"

"Probably." I finished my burger, watching Madison pick at her salad with the enthusiasm of someone fulfilling an obligation. "You done?"

She glanced at her half-eaten plate. "Yeah. I'm not that hungry."

"You should eat more," Ethan announced, suddenly concerned. "You always tell me to finish my vegetables."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because I'm the mom and I make the rules."

Ethan considered this logic, then shrugged. "Okay. Can we go to the park now?"

Madison glanced at me. "What do you think?"

"Central Park's close," I said. "Could walk it in ten minutes."

"CENTRAL PARK!" Ethan bounced in his seat. "With the playground and the trees and everything?"

"Everything," Madison confirmed.

We stepped out into the afternoon sunshine, the temperature perfect for walking. Ethan immediately grabbed both our hands, swinging between us like a pendulum.

"This is so fun!" He kicked at a pebble. "I'm in the middle!"

Madison caught my eye over his head, her expression unreadable.

Central Park's entrance loomed ahead, all green trees and winding paths. Ethan pulled us forward with surprising strength for someone so small.

"Can I run?" he asked.

"Stay where we can see you," Madison warned.

He took off before she finished speaking, racing down the path toward a cluster of pigeons pecking at bread crumbs.

"He's got energy," I observed.

"Sugar and excitement." Madison shoved her hands in her pockets, watching Ethan scatter the pigeons with a delighted shriek. "He'll crash later."

"That's why you're letting him burn it off?"

"Exactly. Better he exhausts himself here than destroy Hazel's apartment."

We followed at a more reasonable pace. Ethan darted ahead, stopping every few feet to examine something. A discarded bottle cap. An interesting stick. Some kind of bug that made him crouch down with intense concentration.

"Bug!" he yelled back at us. "Come see!"

Madison moved forward, crouching beside him. "That's an ant."

"A really big ant!"

"It's actually pretty average sized."

"But look at it carrying that crumb! It's huge compared to him!"

I joined them, studying the ant hauling what looked like a piece of pretzel. The thing was working hard, its tiny legs moving methodically.

"These are special magic sharks. They're invisible."

The logic was flawless. I glanced at Madison, catching her trying not to smile.

We reached a large open lawn where families sprawled on blankets and kids ran in circles, burning off energy. Ethan's eyes went wide.

"Can I run?"

"Stay where we can see you," Madison warned.

He dropped his stick and took off before she finished speaking, racing across the grass like someone had lit him on fire.

Madison moved to a nearby bench, settling onto it with a soft sigh. I sat beside her, leaving an appropriate distance between us.

We sat in comfortable silence, watching Ethan race around with a group of kids he'd somehow befriended in the span of thirty seconds.

Madison's shoulder brushed mine as she shifted. Neither of us moved away.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "He's having the time of his life."

"So am I."

She glanced at me sideways. "Are you? This can't be your usual activity."

"No. Usually I'm reviewing contracts or attending some charity gala I don't care about." I paused. "This is better."

"Better than schmoozing with Manhattan's elite?"

"Significantly better."

She smiled. "I never thought I'd see Alexander Knight sitting on a park bench watching kids play tag."

"Neither did I."

"It suits you."

The words landed softer than expected. I turned to look at her properly, catching the way the afternoon light highlighted her features. She'd pulled her hair back at some point, exposing the line of her neck.