Page 22 of Marcel

“You have apersonal shopper?” Her brows arched as she stared at him.

“Romano offersthis service, and we take advantage of it. It saves time and theannoyance of having to do the work. And it’s worth the extracash.”

“I am sure itdoes.” They had finished the meal and the wine, which meantthat he would suggest they head upstairs, where she would sleep onone side and he on the other. She was not looking forward to it.

“The dishes-”

“Leavethem.” He stood up. “The housekeeper will take care of itwhen she gets here.”

“I feel badleaving a dirty kitchen.”

“She will notmind in the least. Just leave them.”

“I will justput them in the sink.”

With a nod, he walkedout of the room. Reaching for the bottle, Nikki poured a full glass,determined not to give into despair. She had been second-guessingherself since she made the deal with James. The recollection of theconversation between them filtered into her mind.

“You need themoney to do what’s best for your mother. And I need my son toget married.”

“Why me?”She had asked.

His smile had beenknowing, and she realized what they would be even before he said thewords.

“You are inlove with my son.”

“He is a veryhandsome man, and I am certain that most, if not all, the females inthis building fancy themselves in love with Marcel.”

“My dear, youare not like them.”

“What makes yousay that?”

“For one, youare not intimidated by the fact that I am your boss. You speak yourmind, and you say what you mean. Those are the kinds of qualities Iwould love for my son.” His smile had faded. “I assumeyou have heard the rumors?”

“Yes.”She had admitted bluntly.

“They have tobe squashed.”

“There areother less complicated ways to do that.”

“I want Marcelto get married and settle down. And you need a stellar nursing homefor your mother. It’s a good deal.”

“Except thatMarcel cannot stand me.” She had pointed out.

He had chuckled.“That’s because you are the only woman who stands up tohim. You are the only one who does not care what his name is.”

“True.”

“He is notgoing to like it, and I am the one who will feel the brunt of hisire.”

“I have afeeling that you can get past that. You are strong, Nikki, and thatis the kind of strength I need in the woman who will marry my son. Heis spoiled and headstrong, and I want to say it is entirely my wife’sfault, but I also have a hand in it.

He is so handsome andbrilliant that we allowed him to get away with a lot. Matthew is myfirstborn, but Marcel has the strength and character to run the firmwhen I am gone. I would like you to be by his side when thathappens.”

She had asked forsome time to think about it but had known from the start that shewould say yes.

She had joined theprestigious law firm after working at a lesser firm and feelingunderappreciated. The opportunity presented itself for her to applyto Hadley’s, and she jumped at it. She had worked her ass offto be noticed, and that had happened even sooner than she expected.

She had broughtin a well-known basketball player primarily because of her connectionwith his mother. He had been previously represented by his cousin,who had been stealing from him, and he had wanted someone he couldtrust, someone who would have his best interest at heart.

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