Page 65 of Last Minute Fiancé

They were dark blue, not the sexy gray kind, but they made me feel better. I had rolled up the bottoms because the man was a giant, but I felt gross and disgusting.

“We’ll get you your water, go sit down.”

“Just let me walk.”

“Okay. I’ve got you.”

We fell into our routine of him getting me water and a snack, because I was always hungry, and me getting things that I was allowed to reach.

We didn’t even talk about what we needed from each other; it was just routine now. Like he had always been here.

And I liked it.

Maybe a little too much.

“So, how did that presentation with Paisley go?” he asked as he forced me to sit down again. I knew I needed to, but I didn’t like being forced to do it. I was petty.

“Really good. She is such a godsend. I mean, I knew Paisley was brilliant because she’s my friend and I only like brilliant people.”

“You really are the mastermind behind all of this. And thank you for calling me brilliant.”

“Okay gifted child who skipped grades and started college early. We already know you’re brilliant. And I’m really excited to have those genes in this baby. But we’re not going to force our child to start high school when he or she’s a preteen, okay?”

“No problem. There’s no way I’m going to force our child down the path my parents forced me. You know they only did that because they wanted me out of their way. They were busy with Heath being sick and then August always had sports and other things, they didn’t know what to do with me. So they just pushed me into random classes.”

“They pushed you yes, but you were also brilliant.”

“Were?”

“I have baby brain. Leave me alone.”

He leaned forward and kissed me on the lips, a casual kiss that could mean nothing or everything. I didn’t shy away. We didn’t freeze in the action as if it was too much, because it was just something we did now.

We had fallen into this relationship, and I liked it.

I felt like this was family.

And I loved him.

“Okay, Paisley?” he asked, pulling me out of my thoughts and revelations. Which was probably a good thing. Maybe.

“Well, I kicked ass, and the client is happy. And that also means Nathan can come and take over some of my work, as well as two other staff members, so that way they’re not overwhelmed while I’m on maternity leave.”

Luca shook his head. “I cannot believe that you and Nathan both left that company.”

“It’s a good thing we did since the company’s being restructured.”

The company I had worked so hard to strive for, and to become the best at, was no longer the best.

Apparently the way that Travis had become the “master of his craft” was through insider trading. He was gone, Harrington-Wells III was gone, having been fired by the board since Travis wasn’t the only one who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The head of HR who never listened to us was also fired. As was the person he had been sleeping with.

All in all, the company was floundering and the board had asked me to come back, as they did Nathan. They even called with a very nice package with a brilliant retirement plan, stock options, and so much more.

Saying no to them had been one of the greatest thrills of my life, something I hadn’t even realized that I had craved.

And Nathan said no as well, and he and Kelly were expecting their first child later this year.

Somehow I had made a work family that actually wanted each other to succeed. And we were succeeding.

---