Page 50 of Mine to Worship

I love when she laughs, her full lips arching up, her entire body rocking with it. Another message enters the group text and I hope she never sees this chat.

Jason: Rest in peace, king of the night. Long live the diaper dad.

Brandon: A dad, never would have imagined that. He’s getting soft.

Jason: Imagine if he has a girl, that poor girl.

Brandon: Amen.

Jason: Where is the cross emoji?

Brandon: There is none! But you can use the shit one, it fits.

Kendrick: Very mature.

I missed them for one second and then I’m reminded why I am happy not to have them around twenty-four seven. I’ll show those two I haven’t gotten soft.

“Are you mumbling to yourself?” Ellia asks, sounding amused.

“No, just deep in thought.”

“If you say so.”

Or maybe I did go soft. Fuck it, if she’s happy I am, too. Not soft, my ass.

After I make a reservation at a restaurant in the town below, I return to my laptop, reading the email Mikaela sent with the progress on the new hotel. Ellia’s arms lock around my neck, and if this is pretending, she can keep doing it until I am old and gray.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“Going through some emails and reports, and checking the development of the new hotel.”

She slides next to me, interest showing on her face. “There was a delay in the construction phase.”

“Is it back on track?”

“Yes, Brandon is working on it.”

“How did he do it?” she asks, crossing her legs under her.

“He said he has no loyalty to the construction company, and if they don’t come up with a solution, he has another company at the tip of his fingers that is one phone call away. His cockiness scared the shit out of them.”

She tilts her head in curiosity. “How would you have dealt with that?”

I lean back on the couch, taking her with me. It’s hard concentrating on the conversation and not on her being on my lap. I push the need for her to the side. If she wants to know more about my way of doing business, I will tell her everything.

“I’ve worked with this construction company for years, but the crew got sloppy. People usually do that when it’s going well. The second time, I would have fired them.”

“Kian.” Her eyes widen with shock. My angel is too good for this rotten world.

“You asked.”

“But what about the people that work there, their families?”

I kiss her forehead. “I expect quality because I pay for it. I am not the type who looks for every penny and bargains low contracts. I want everyone who works for me to earn decent wages. I know how it is to struggle. I am not a block of ice, but I don’t compromise when I am fair.”

“Good for them, Brandon’s approach worked.”

“I am only interested in the result, and it helps that I can rely on him. I want to spend more time with you and the baby.”

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