Page 162 of A Temporary Forever

He nods.

“You’re kind of shit at delivering gifts,” I deadpan.

“Come on, it’s not often I can make you speechless. Or frazzled. I had to milk the fuck out of the occasion.”

He stands there, leaning casually against the mirror, handsome as sin. Entitled, perhaps, but kind as well.

This man keeps showing up for me in the most unexpected ways. “I love you.”

“You can thank me on your knees.”

I scoff. “I don’t know if I want you to be my boss and my landlord, in addition to being my annoying husband.”

“Oh, black swan, I’ll be your annoying everything for the rest of our lives.” He comes to me and takes myhand, placing the other one on my hip. “But I’m not your landlord. This building is yours.”

He pulls me closer and starts swaying to nonexistent music. It’s unreal how we find a rhythm without the beat, our moves synced.

I dance with him in the silence, soaking in the place and thinking about his generosity.This is too much, is my first thought, but I learned already that he lives by a different scale.

“Does this mean you won’t buy me an airplane?”

He throws his head back and laughs, without breaking the dance. “I’m getting you an airplane, because I’m still traumatized from searching for you at a public airport the other day.”

Now I laugh. “Such hardship, pretty boy.” Our gazes collide, and the previous lightness gets heavy with desire. “I’m not going to run away.”

“That’s good, black swan, that’s very good.”

“Send him up.” Caleb hangs up and turns to me, puzzled. “Cormac Quinn is here.”

He gets out of bed and pulls on his sweatpants and a white tee. Completely disregarding my ovaries.

He kisses my forehead. “Get dressed.”

“He’s surely not coming to see me.”

“Most likely not, but the idea of you being naked in the same space as him makes me want to kill him.”

I laugh. “Possessive much?”

His expression darkens. “Celeste,” he warns.

I roll my eyes and get my robe. It’s concerning how his growling spreads butterflies in my belly. “Okay, okay, I’m getting dressed.”

“Good girl.” He winks and leaves.

I take my time getting dressed, knowing full well that those two need time to talk.

When I called Cormac Quinn two days ago, my attempt to talk to him proved two things. He’s an asshole. No surprise there. And he’s a smart businessman. Unfortunately.

I put on a white button-down blouse and a brown skirt and pull my hair into a bun. Stepping out of the bedroom, I catch Caleb’s timbre.

They’re still in the living room? I thought Caleb would take him to his office.

“I find it strange you’d come here out of the kindness of your heart,” Caleb snorts.

“What can I say, we miss you.”

“Bullshit. Why would I return to a sinking ship?”

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