Page 13 of My Bossy Valentine

She shrugs. “It didn't matter. I got the degree and the right job to go with it. I had an apartment with a roommate and my own car. It was everything I was supposed to have, and I hated it all.”

My hand clenches on my thigh. I can see my sweet girl trapped in a life she didn't want. I have to quell the urge to hunt down the people who made her unhappy and make them as miserable as they made her.

“When the company decided on cutbacks, I was laid off. My roommate had been lifting money from my purse. When she couldn’t do that anymore, she decided she'd move in with her boyfriend. I had to either find a new job and roommate in a place I hated or go somewhere else. That's when Grandma Dottie called and asked me to come to Hope Peak. She offered me a place to live, a temporary job, and a furry friend. I agreed, but not for any of those reasons. I finally had a chance to explore my dream without anyone frowning over my shoulder.”

“You dreamed of working for a grumpy asshole and reorganizing his office?”

She giggles. “Yes. Ever since I was a little girl, that's all I've wanted. Not Cinderella being rescued by the prince. Give me the Beast and six years of paperwork.”

I spank her ass. Seeing her smile is worth the teasing. “You're a romantic.”

“Yes. Worse than that. Don't laugh though.”

Why would I laugh at her dream?

“I'm a romance writer. Or at least I want to be. I know there's a ton of stigma, but romance readers and writers are smart. They're hardworking and they want a better life for people.” She falls silent, holding her breath.

Waiting for my approval? She doesn't need it. Not really. She has it anyway. I'd give this woman the world. “I can't wait to read your first book.”

She swallows hard. “You mean that?”

“Of course.”

Avery buries her head under my chin and holds me tight. “I think I might love you, Spencer Sullivan.”

The pressure in my chest is almost overwhelming. It's not pain this time. It's gratefulness, tenderness, and a deeper love than I've ever known. “I love you too.”

She sniffs and wipes her eyes.

“None of that.” I capture her wrist and bring her fingertips to my lips, sucking the salt from them. “There's something else I need to know.”

“What's that?”

“Will you be my Valentine?”

Avery laughs and kisses me. “You already claimed me for a date, remember?”

So I did.

The next evening, I arrive at Dottie's house. The stars are bright across the inky sky, with the moon just beginning to rise. My breath puffs white as I climb the porch steps and knock on the faded green door. I never realized it, but the door matches Dottie's old Cadillac. The Blackwood women are serious about their color coordination, it seems.

The door swings open, revealing a beautiful siren in a red velvet dress that hugs every curve. She looks like a forties pin-up girl. I can't wait to peel it off her and see what lies beneath. She's worn her hair down for the first time since I met her, the blacklocks curling slightly. She beams at me, then grabs her coat. When she turns, I spot a striped cat stretched across the floor.

“You be good, Oscar. I'll be back later,” she says.

“Much later.”

Avery grins and grabs my hand. “Where are we going tonight?”

“Somewhere special.” I'm nervous. I could have taken her to the finest restaurant in town, but then I'd have been sharing her with Hope Peak. I'm greedy for our time together. Plus, I'm betting on the future.

I help her into my truck, then drive back into the mountains.

“If you're taking me back to the office, I may protest.”

I smile a little. “You don't want a repeat of yesterday?”

She squirms in her seat. “I mean, Ido...”

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