Page 37 of Secret Baby for a Damaged Billionaire

Her eyes narrow, and she crosses her arms over her chest defensively. “No, I’ve thought about it. That’s what people do in business—they weigh their options. But I’ve always chosen you, Lucas. And I always will.”

“Prove it,” I say, my voice a low growl as I pin her against the wall, my face inches from hers, huffing into her face.

She turns away, refusing to meet my gaze. “Get off me,” she demands, her tone icy.

“Say it, Emily,” I insist, keeping her shoulders pinned to the wall. “Tell me you’re committed to this.”

In one swift motion, she pushes against my shoulder, and her leg sweeps behind my knee, causing me to lose my balance and stumble. The fighters around us erupt into cheers and applause, calling out her name, as she uses the most basic jujitsu move against me.

“Get back, Walker!” she blasts, panting. “Is that proof enough for you?” she asks, her eyes blazing with determination.

I stare at her, a mix of admiration and annoyance swirling within me. She’s stubborn and infuriating, but she’s also passionate and loyal. And in that moment, I realize just how much I need her in my life—not just as a business partner, but as my woman who makes me a better man.

“She’s got you beat, Coach,” one of the fighters calls out, followed by laughter.

I can’t help but grin like a fool, accepting defeat. She’s proven her point, and honestly, I’ve never been more attracted to her.

“Alright, you win,” I say, my voice light. Ignoring the mocking insults coming from my fighters, I stride over to her and scoop her up off her feet, tossing her onto my shoulder.

“Put me down!” she squeals, half-annoyed, half-amused as I carry her back to my office, our audience still hooting and clapping behind us.

Once inside, I set her down gently on the couch and lean against my desk, catching my breath. She crosses her arms, feigning annoyance, but I can see the corners of her mouth twitching.

“Emily, you’re a difficult woman and a pain in my ass,” I admit, running a hand over my hair. “But I think I finally figured out what the hell is wrong with me.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Oh? And what’s that?”

Allowing the honesty of my words to release all of my pent-up tension and fear, I blurt out, “I’m in love with you.”

Chapter Seventeen (Emily)

Sitting on the couch in Lucas’s office, my jaw hits the floor from his unexpected words. It’s like I’m frozen for a moment, shocked by his honesty and raw admission.

Taking a deep breath, I look into his eyes and say, “I love you too, Lucas.” The words feel good coming out of my mouth. They’d been held in for so long. “I’ve been waiting for you to figure it out. I didn’t want to pressure you with my own feelings.”

Relief washes over his face, and a lopsided grin spreads across his lips. “Damn, I wish you had,” he chuckles. “I would’ve figured things out a lot faster.” We both laugh, and the tension between us evaporates. In that moment, everything feels right.

Lucas steps closer and reaches for my hands, lifting me to my feet. His strong grip holds me by my waist as he leans in for a tender kiss. Our lips meet, and it feels like coming home. The taste of him is familiar and comforting, yet still sends shivers down my spine. We pull apart slowly, our eyes locking on to each other’s.

“Emily,” he murmurs against my lips. My heart swells at the sound of my name, and I know that this is where I belong—with Lucas, finally admitting our feelings to one another.

As we stand there, wrapped up in each other’s arms, it feels like everything has finally fallen into place.

The echo of whistles and thuds from the gym infiltrates our peaceful bubble, forcing us to face reality once again. Reluctantly, we pull away from each other, a small sigh escaping my lips.

“Guess duty calls,” Lucas says, quickly refocusing on the work being done in the gym.

“Go, fearless leader,” I say with a teasing grin. “I’ll just grab my stuff out of the locker room. I have some errands to run.”

“Deal,” he replies, planting one last quick kiss on my forehead before striding off toward the mats.

#

I make my way to the women’s locker room, trying to shake off the swirling mixture of emotions coursing through me. As I enter the quiet space, I’m hit with the familiar scent of lavender air freshener and the sight of gray metal lockers. I head to my usual spot, the one right by the sinks, and open the squeaky door to retrieve my bag.

As I rummage through the contents of my locker, I replay the conversation with Lucas in my head. It feels surreal—like a dream I never knew I had. My heart swells, and I find myself wanting to laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all. After months of tiptoeing around each other, we finally had the courage to admit our feelings and it feels amazing.

My fingers wrap around the strap of my bag as I close the locker door, excitement in my veins.

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