Page 43 of Silver Fox Grump
“You’re sure you’re not a wolf?” Ginevra says kindly.
“’Ippo,” Tommaso insists. “Big.”
I don’t know what it is that sends a tingle down my spine, but my eyes go to the nanny cam I know he has hidden in most of the rooms in the house—the photo frame with the discreet black dot—and wink.
“Big like his father,” I say, and I swear I hear Sev’s laugh.
“What animal is Daddy?” Ginevra asks.
“He’s a silver fox,” I reply before I put on my internal filter. I’m by the sofa, so I give up on being on all-fours, and sit back against the cushions.
Jackie scowls. “That’s not a real animal.”
“Yes, it is,” Josie says loyally. The twins both have Sev’s blue eyes, and Jackie is just as serious as her father. It’s very sweet.
“It’s like an arctic fox?” I suggest. “They’re white.”
The twins consider this carefully, looking at each other with that twin understanding.
“I don’t think so,” Ginevra declares. “He hasn’t only got white hair. He has dark brown and grey hair.”
“A fox is too small,” Jackie agrees. “Daddy isn’t a silver fox.”
My lips twitch. “No. Silly of me. What animal do you think he is?”
“What about a silverback gorilla?” rumbles a voice from the doorway, and we all look up.
“Daddy!” All the kids fly to hug Sev, who scoops them up, laughing. I joked once that he could have as many kids as he could carry, and with Ginevra on his back Josie and Jackie hanging off one arm, Tommaso on the other, and Aldo in his hands, he says he could still manage two more.
They all tell him, in a jumbled way, about the zoo animals they’re being and who is best at it.
“There’s nothing for it, we need a competition.” Sev points at the rug in the middle of the room, then sinks to his knees so he’s at the kids’ level. More or less. “Everyone on, and doing your best impression of your animal. Mum will judge.”
“What do we win?” asks Ginevra, scampering to obey.
“The greatest prize of all, of course,” Sev replies.
“Chocolate?” Ginevra chirps hopefully.
“A raspberry cupcake?” I suggest.
“Pfft.” Sev shakes his head. “You two. No. Though I do love raspberries and cream. A kiss.”
All the kids groan.
It turns out, there’s still sneaking around so no one catches us having naughty sexy times together. Just now it’s our kids who might see us, not my dad. Both are equally horrified, but children are less murderous.
“A kiss if I win, a cupcake if it’s one of you,” he concedes. “Alright. Animals in three, two, one, go!”
I burst out laughing at the chaos that ensues. Sev beats his chest in a very passable impression of a gorilla. Tommaso continues with the roar of some description that is supposed to be a hippo. Josie jumps, the perfect little bunny.
But they all bump into each other and it ends up in a big pile of the kids on top of Sev, and him play-fighting and tickling them.
“Alright, I have my winner!” I call when Sev winces as Tommaso’s elbow pokes his balls. I’m fond of that part of my husband, and would rather it remained intact.
“Who, who?!” Ginevra clamours.
“The winner is…” I pause. “Everyone! I made enough cupcakes for everyone this morning.”
This is met with groans and cheers and a general feeling that this isn’t how competitions work, so they’ll have to have their own, this time a race down the corridor.
Sev sits down beside me with a grin, sliding his arm over my shoulders as they all rush off.
I rest my head on Sev’s shoulder contentedly and he plays with a wisp of my hair.
“The kids will all be out tomorrow,” he muses. He isn’t telling me anything I don’t already know. We both adore our children, but the days when they’re with the nanny are good for everyone. “Would you like a day to yourself, or to come into the office with me? Or shall we both have a lazy day?”
“Office. I think we should discuss the Parkside development,” I say innocently. Our code, still, after all these years.
Sev reaches across and tips my chin with his forefinger, a smirk making his blue eyes twinkle. “Print out some information. I’ll take a look.”