Page 47 of Close Quarters

“I’ll see you later.” He waved and left.

Alex slumped in his seat, exhausted. Even the coffee wasn’t enough to keep him alert. He glanced at Katie, who looked like he felt. But there was also relief on her face. They might still have to talk to some people, but it was over. All those children could finally rest in peace.

Chapter 9

Three weeks later…

“Is it straight?” Alex looked over his shoulder at Katie, who sat on the edge of his desk.

She tilted her head, eyeing the grouping of drawings he was attempting to hang. It wasn’t quite straight. “A little more that way.” She pointed to her left.

He adjusted the frame, and she nodded. Letting go, he stepped back to stand next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I like the frames you picked.” They were thin black metal, which set the drawings off from the wall just enough.

“Good. I was afraid you’d think they were too plain, but I didn’t want to overshadow your artwork.”

She smiled up at him, still unable to believe the turn her relationship with this man had taken. A few weeks ago, she wouldn’t have cared if he had any interest in her opinion. Now his opinion mattered more than any other’s. And she loved it. She loved him. It was still difficult to wrap her head around that. And that he loved her back.

“They look great. Now, if we could just work on the rest of your office.” She looked around at the boringness that was Alex’s office. Beige met her eyes everywhere she looked.

He frowned. “What’s wrong with my office?”

“It looks like someone took an eraser to it and removed all the color.”

He laughed. “I guess it does, but I’ve never really cared too much about what my office looks like. It’s just a workspace.”

“Yeah, but it should be someplace you like spending time in, since you’re here so much.”

Alex shrugged. “Maybe you should just spend more time in here. You brighten the space up considerably.” His eyes turned a midnight blue as he stared down at her.

Katie blushed and cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I don’t think the staff would like that very much. Maybe we should just stick to adding some throw pillows or some plants.”

Another laugh broke free of his chest. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll work on that. But how about we get out of here for now?”

With a grin, she hopped off the desk. “Yes. We should get going, or we’re going to be late.” Tomorrow was Jace and Tara’s wedding, and they were both in it. Tonight was the rehearsal dinner.

Alex picked up his coat and shrugged into it. “Did you remember to grab the wine?”

Katie nodded, leading the way out of his office. He closed and locked the door behind them before they made their way to her desk, where she donned her coat and retrieved her purse from the desk drawer.

“I ran out at lunch to get it. I can’t believe the wine they ordered for the dinner was stolen. Why would someone do that?”

“Probably someone looking to make a quick buck. But I don’t mind it being a bring your own wine party. Makes for an interesting evening.” He grinned down at her, his hand going to the small of her back as they walked out of the lab and onto the elevator.

The doors closed, and Katie swayed into him. “You know what makes for an even more interesting evening?”

His pupils dilated as he stared down at her. “What?”

“The lingerie I bought to wear with my bridesmaid’s dress. You’re going to love it.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Dammit, woman. And you’re going to make me wait until tomorrow night to see it, aren’t you?”

She cackled. “Yep.”

He growled, then raised an eyebrow. “Well, maybe I’ll make you wait to see the surprise I have for you in the car.”

Katie straightened. Surprise? She hadn’t noticed anything when they came to work this morning or when she went to the store at lunch to get the wine for tonight. “What are you talking about?”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He waggled his brows, then let her go and stepped off.

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