Page 58 of Falling For Her Boss

“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Joshua says through a yawn. “Has Santa come down the chimney yet?”

“He sure has,” I say, holding back a yawn of my own. I’m going to be tired all day, but it’s so worth it when I see Iris and Ivy’s faces light up. Joshua puts them down and they run to hug me. It never fails to surprise me how much love I have for the two of them, and right now is no exception. I hold them tight for a moment, just savoring the moment. I wish Isabella was here to share in it too, but I’ll let her rest a little while longer.

“Why don’t you girls head downstairs and see what Santa has brought for you?” I say. They clap their hands with glee and hurry down the stairs hand in hand. I keep an eye on them until I can hear them in the living room, and then I turn to Joshua.

“You can go back to bed, if you want.”

“Nah. I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he says, running a hand through his bed head. “I can’t wait until I have kids of my own.”

I feel a pang of sadness for him. He’s always been a lone wolf in some senses, but it would be so good to see him settle down and find a family of his own. There’s only so much he can get out of being an uncle, after all. I put a hand on his arm.

“You know, you should take some time off from the company. You work far too much,” I tell him. He practically has no time for dating because of his long hours at the office. I can remember a time where I was exactly the same, and it held me back from dating entirely. I know what I’m talking about, and I think he would be wise to follow my advice, but I already know that he won’t. Joshua straightens up, clearing his throat.

“Not now. Not when the company is thriving.”

“The world keeps turning, Joshua. You don’t need to give your entire life over to the company.”

Joshua chuckles, clapping a hand onto my shoulder. “Well, why not? I’ve got nothing better to do.”

Before I can respond, he walks toward the bathroom, effectively ending the conversation. I sigh. He’s such a closed book that he’s impossible to get through to him. I guess that’s where Isabella got it from when I first met her. She was so quiet and reserved, unwilling to give any part of herself up to me. I guess she’s still the same with people she doesn’t know, but since she’s been with me, she’s opened up like a flower in bloom. It has always made me feel good, knowing I have that effect on her. All Joshua needs now is someone that can do the same thing for him and I know he’ll find her, or she’ll find him. Underneath that gruff exterior of his is a lot of love to share, but only with one special woman in this world…just like me.

I head downstairs to sit with the girls. They’re overexcited, desperate to tear into their Christmas gifts, but they’re also patient, knowing they have to wait for their Mom. Isabella has always been so good at keeping them humble, and this year, we haven’t given them a lot of gifts. It would be easy with our kind of money to give them the world on a silver platter, but Isabella insisted she didn’t want them to be spoiled, and I agree. I had a lot handed to me by my parents and it isn’t necessarily a good thing. Our girls, and our unborn baby, will grow up just like normal kids, and that’s the way we like it.

Joshua joins us after a little while, offering me a cup of coffee and the girls some sugar cookies. Since it’s Christmas, I’m happy to let them go off on a sugar rush for once. Something has to keep them amused until Isabella arrives, after all.

Around eight o’clock, I hear her coming down the stairs and I head over to help her. Her slim body has always struggled during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, but she’s absolutely glowing. As she walks gracefully down the stairs, she cradles her swollen stomach with pride and smiles down at me. She’s in a nightgown and a silk dressing gown, her hair messy and untamed. I don’t think she has ever looked more beautiful.

As she reaches the bottom step I take her hand and help her down. She’s not much a fan of being coddled, but I love helping her out. It’s the least I can do when she’s carrying our child. She kisses my cheek a little sleepily, smiling warmly.

“Merry Christmas,” she says. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

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