Page 75 of His Own Heaven

At the sound of Ashley’s voice, Lucy straightened and looked over the top of the privacy barrier that hedged the front of her desk. Her wet, unprofessional panties had her so distracted she hadn’t even heard the girl come in. Throwing on a hurried yet hopefully pleasant smile, she said, “Knowing my luck? No one and for nothing. What can I do for you Ashley?”

Lucy had learned a long time ago to keep staff on topic. When she’d first started working as an office manager, she’d made the mistake of trying to be everyone’s friend. She’d lost countless hours of productivity to gossip and idle chit-chat, and she’d already discovered Ashley’s propensity for both.

“I have the post for you. The postie left it with me when he came in for a coffee.”

Reaching out for the proffered stack of what was most likely bills, Lucy frowned. “That’s weird. He had to walk past the office on the way to and from the café. It would have taken literally thirty seconds or less to pop in here and hand me the post.”

Ashley shrugged then shoved the door open again to leave. “Hey, don’t ask me. I just work here. See ya’.”

Lucy put the post in her in-tray, then scribbled a note to speak with the postman on a Post-It and stuck it on the inside of the privacy barrier, lining it up perfectly with the other notes she’d written. She sighed softly as she scanned her ever increasing to-do list. Had she really thought it would only take a month to get on top of this mess? There was so much to do. And she still had to talk to Toby about her plans.

As if on cue, her phone dinged with an incoming message.On my way back to the office. See you soon, baby.

She bit her lip to rein in her silly, schoolgirl grin, but could do nothing about the jump in her heartrate. Lucy was absolutely crazy about the man.

Head over heels…in love?

She’d felt something like it that morning, thought maybe, possibly shecouldlove Toby. But no, it was too soon to be sure. Too early. Too… immense. And suddenly her heart was thumping against her ribs for a very different reason.

Panic.

But when her phone dinged again, she realised her panic was the excited kind and her smile broadened.I know it’s against the rules between 9 and 5 but I really need a hug. Meet me in my office at 12:30 sharp.

Another ding. Bring snacks.

Checking the time, Lucy saw it was already 12:17, and remembering Toby’s weekend confession to being a chocoholic, she popped over to the café, grabbed two fresh coffees and the last two chocolate muffins. She was just placing the treats on a plate on Toby’s desk when he strode through the door, then closed and locked it behind him.

A quick glance at the clock on the wall and she saw he was right on time, then without a word her lover pulled her into his arms and sealed his mouth to hers in a deep and passionate kiss.

When Toby pulled back, Lucy noticed he looked tired and worn, but underlying that was something else. Something she couldn’t define. It wasn’t hope, nor was it hopelessness. It wasn’t frustration or anger or determination. He was just… off.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

Tilting her head to one side, Lucy frowned at him. “Are you all right?”

Toby lifted his head and raised one brow. “I tell you you’re beautiful and you wonder if there’s something wrong with me?”

She sent him a withering glare and poked a finger into his belly. “Not because of that. You look… I’m not sure how you look. Agitated, maybe?” She shook her head. “You’re not yourself.”

Toby kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her. “No, I’m not. And I love that you know that.” Then he leaned back and stared down at her, his face as serious as she’d ever seen it, and she’d seen his I’m-going-to-whip-you-until-you-come face. “I need to talk to you about something. It’s not work related but, fuck it. I don’t really care about the rules today.”

Lucy’s frown turned curious and her lips quirked up on one side. “Okay,” she said, drawing out the word. “What do you want to talk about?”

Planting his arse in his chair, Toby pulled Lucy into his lap. He was quiet for so long Lucy wasn’t sure he would ever speak again. Then he sighed and scrubbed his hand across his jaw and said, “I want you to move in with me.”

I’m sorry…“What?”

Chuckling suddenly, the seriousness ebbed out of his expression and Toby tucked Lucy against his chest. He stroked his hand up and down her arm. “You heard me, baby.”

She had heard him. She just wasn’t sure she understood him. They’d been dating for less than one week and he wanted her to move in with him? Not that the offer wasn’t tempting, but did she really want to throw away every last scrap of her freedom just because she’d found a man who was sweet and kind and clever and sexy and oh, yeah, a certifiable legend in the sack?

Still, it was an odd request and she had to question his timing.

“Where is this coming from? Why do you suddenly want to live together?”

He was quiet again for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his words sounded careful, as though he was thinking them through as he was saying them.

“Seeing Rafe with Jane today, seeing the love, the devotion and the soul-shattering anguish on my brother’s face as he sat beside the love of his life, really put things in perspective for me.”

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