Page 47 of In Her Shadow

“That’s my girl, now what can we get you and my baby for breakfast?” he asks.

“I shouldn’t have eaten those pancakes.” I hold my hand over my mouth as Ren brakes at the traffic lights.

“You look really pale.” He strokes his hand over my back, looking concerned. While I focus on not ruining the interior of his car.

“It’ll pass, it’s been like this for a few days now,” I assure him.

“You know, morning sickness is a good thing; it means your hormone levels are high and the baby’s healthy.”

“You seem to be an expert.” I manage a smile.

“I’ve been planning this for a while.” He smiles back at me, moving us forward and surprising me when he turns into the underground parking lot beneath my office building.

“Ren, you can’t park in here, you need a permit,” I explain as he finds a space. “You could have just dropped me off outside.” I start wondering what he’s doing when he gets out of his seat, moves around the car, and opens my door for me.

“I’m taking you all the way up today.” He takes my hand and leads me toward the elevator before I can put up any kind of argument.

“This isn’t necessary.” I try to make him see how overbearing this is before we reach the floor my office is on. “I’m perfectly capable of getting myself to my desk.” Ren ignores me, waiting patiently for the doors to open. I’m already half an hour late, and I’m starting to worry that everyone else will think they missed the bring-your-boyfriend-to-work-day memo.

“I’m here,” I tell him cheerily when the door finally opens. “Thanks for seeing me up. Maybe we could meet for lunch?”

Ren ignores me again, stepping out onto my office floor and slowly taking it all in.

“Ahh, Eloise, you're late. I was hoping to have the Gret…Mr. Ashcroft.” Helena, our acting chief editor, looks up at Ren in shock, and I glance between them both, wondering what I missed.

“I had no idea you were visiting today. If I had, I’d have prepared something. Yvonne, get Mr. Ashcroft a coffee,” she calls over to our receptionist, while I wait for someone to explain what's going on here.

“No need to prepare anything, I’m sure I’ll be getting a good enough insight into what goes on around here. I’m gonna need an office.” Ren rubs his hands together, looking around as if he’s deciding which one will be suitable. “Where's your desk, Kitten?” he asks, making me blush when he calls me that in front of my boss.

“Ren, what’s happening here?” I whisper.

“Miss Meadows is located in bay three,” Yvonne tells him dutifully as she hands him his coffee and looks up at him all dreamy-eyed.

“Okay, I’ll take that one.” He points to the one directly opposite.

“Sir, that's Mark Freeman’s office. He’s one of our best journalists,” Helena tells him.

“Then he can share an office with you,” Ren tells her, moving on past and heading toward Mark’s office.

“Ren, what the fuck?” I slam the door once we’re inside alone.

“Baby, you know how turned on, you getting mad, makes me. Pregnant mad looks even hotter on you.”

“This isn’t pregnant mad, this is just…” I haven’t got a word for it… “Grrr…What's going on? Why are you here? Why does my boss know your second name and I don’t?”

“Because I’mherboss.” He rests back in the chair behind the desk and tests out its bounce.

“What do you mean, you’re her boss?”

“I own the magazine.” He shrugs, swivelling the chair and adjusting the height.

“You don’t own th—You own the magazine?” I grip my hair in frustration.

“C’mon, Kitten, don’t do that, you made your hair look so pretty today.” He frowns at me.

“How long have you–”

“Take a guess.” He stands up and comes toward me, shutting out everyone who’s staring in at us when he reaches behind me and pulls down the blind.

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