Page 143 of Taming the CEO

"I love you, woman. I'm so proud of what we have."

"So am I," I said. Some days I almost couldn't believe how happy we were, supporting each other in our endeavors, just living each day with love and respect.

He held me flat against his chest, moving his fingers from my jaw down to my neck. Then he grinned.

"What?"

"I want to take this dress off you. Or just pin you against this door," he almost growled.

I shimmied my hips. "Why don't you do it?"

"No, a few Whitleys are already at the hotel. Gabe texted me."

"What time is it? I swear I hurried.”

He laughed. "Relax. Everyone is just early. But we should still go."

"You’re right. I’m excited."

“So am I.”

***

The Essex Hotel was a thing of beauty. It was a completely modern structure with a huge lobby, and it was made almost entirely out of marble, wood, and limestone. The use of natural materials gave the space the feeling of being outdoors.

"Goodness, we're really late," I murmured.

Gabe and Diane were chatting with Abe and Jeannie, who were sitting on the brown leather couches by the window. I only realized that Spencer and Penny were already here when I saw Ben break into a run across the lobby.

"The little guy is fast," I said.

"He's getting faster by the day," Maddox replied. Spencer was already chasing him, though, so I wasn't too worried.

"Hey, everyone. Sorry we weren't here to welcome you," Maddox said.

Gabe laughed. "Don't worry, brother. That's why I came a bit early. I knew at least part of the gang would be too excited to wait for eleven o'clock." He turned to face the group. "We can go into the brunch room now. The team has yet to set up some things, but they've got a few snacks ready."

"All right," I said just as Jeannie and Abe got up from the couch.

A few more voices came from the entrance area. Jake and Colton and Cade arrived with their respective better halves, and Nick too. Only Leo was missing.

After greeting the newcomers, Gabe ushered us all into the restaurant. It wasn’t very big, but even so, it allowed plenty of space for hotel guests and other customers. I'd only been here once, when it was still under construction. Today was the first time I'd seen the end result, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Unlike the lobby, it had more limestone than marble and far more wood. The staff had already set up chafing dishes, although I could tell that many were still missing.

"Boys, the hotel is absolutely beautiful," Jeannie exclaimed.

Both Gabe and Maddox looked very proud of themselves, as they should. It was an ambitious project, and they'd worked hard.

“Thank you, Gran,” Maddox said.

"Does anyone know when Leo is arriving?" I asked.

Nick cleared his throat. “He's on his way, and I need to warn you all about something."

Maddox cocked a brow. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But he's coming with Tory."

"What?" the whole group exclaimed at once.

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