“I need you to look for a new place for me.” I’d given it a lot of thought, and I was convinced that this was the right thing to do. “Preferably a house. I’ll need it to have at least four bedrooms and a big yard. A home gym and office would be a huge tick in the pro column.”
Surprise flickered across his features, but Ollie knew better than to question me. “Any preferred neighborhood?”
I gave my list of possible areas. “Start at the first one and work your way down.”
Having been thinking about this for days and mulling it over at night, I’d even gone so far as to research the school districts. The areas I’d asked Ollie to look in also all happened to have great schools in them. I was hoping that would earn me points with Lilac and besides, I wanted the kid to have the best education he could get.
“These are all suburbs,” Ollie commented. “But sure, okay. I’ll get right on it.”
“Thank you.” I lifted a hand to stop him when he started getting to his feet. “One last thing, don’t mention this to anyone. Okay?”
A tiny smirk ghosted across his lips. “I won’t say a word.”
“Excellent.” Sitting back, I felt the first slivers of excitement skate down my spine. I was really doing this. I was going to buy a family home despite not knowing if the family I wanted in it wanted to be there.
However, I was thinking of it as a gesture. Even if Lilac wasn’t ready to move in with me yet, I wanted her to know how serious I was about them. I couldn’t think of a better way to show her than to make space for them both in my life—literally.
A bachelor living in a condo might not appear to be the safest bet for a single mother to date and move in with. But if that bachelor gave up his condo to ensure that his girl and her son had all the space they could ever want or need, if I childproofed my life whether or not the child was in it, it had to be proof that I wanted this.
And I did want it. Fucking badly.
When Lilac had asked me if it was too fast, I’d understood where she was coming from. Her concern stemmed from a very realistic, very responsible place. She’d been hurt before and she wanted to protect Lincoln. I got it, really.
But I wanted to show her that I was in this for the long haul. I wasn’t going to run out on her like that coward did. Lincoln would grow up with me in his life, if that was what Lilac wanted. While I couldn’t change his DNA to make him biologically mine, I wanted him to be in every other way.
Finding a house that reflected those things was important to me. If she and Lincoln wanted to live in it, or in the condo, without me at first, that was fine. I wouldn’t push her, but I also wanted to show her that I was ready to take this leap.
Hell, I’d take it fucking running if I could. Maybe that was exactly what I was doing, considering how fast everything was moving. But fuck.
I’d always believed that when you knew, you knew. And I knew. Lilac was it for me. I’d never felt this way about any other woman, so why wait?
That approach had worked out fucking brilliantly for me professionally so far. All I had to do now was hope it worked out in my personal life, too.
Lilac got back from lunch just after the designer showed up to make the two offices into one big one. She popped her head in after I waved to her. “Lilac, meet Anthony. He’s the guy who’s going to remove one of the last remaining barriers from our lives.”
The faintest frown flickered across her face before she put it together with a snap of her fingers. “Ha ha. Aren’t you hilarious?”
She walked in, offering her hand to him. “Lilac Hawkings. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” The designer stood up, shook her hand and motioned to the glass wall between the offices. “I believe this was your idea. Would you like to tell me what you’re envisioning here?”
Lilac’s gaze slid to mine, but I shook my head. “It was your idea. You and Anthony can hammer out the details. I’ll just be here… working.”
She looked like she was tempted to flip me off, but just stuck out her tongue at me quickly before turning back to the designer. “Come on, let’s see if we can spend all the money he’s about to make while he’s working.”
Drawing out the last word to place emphasis on it, she smiled at Anthony. “Have you got any really extravagant ideas that we can discuss in my office?”
The man’s eyes darted between us, but I didn’t miss the amused shine in them. “Extravagant is my middle name.”
“Your middle name is Chris,” I said, ignoring the looks I got from both Lilac and Anthony. “But okay. You two go for it.”
“Oh, we will.” Lilac flicked her wrist in the direction of her office and Anthony followed her out.
I caught words that made me shudder like glitter paint and taffeta before they were out of earshot. I would have been worried, but I trusted Lilac. She wouldn’t make our office look like a stripper’s dressing room. Fingers crossed, anyway.
Sighing as I turned back to my laptop, I pulled up the contract I was busy working on. We were really close to being ready with all the Sacred Heart contracts and I was hoping we’d be done by Friday. That way, we could celebrate this weekend. Yes please.
Chapter 36
Lilac
“There you go. Signed, sealed and delivered.” I dropped the stack of papers in my hand on Joseph’s desk. “All we need is your last signature and Sacred Heart will be all buttoned up.”
Hazel eyes filled with pride and satisfaction, Joseph reached for the contracts and pulled them closer. Opening to the pages that still required his signature, he picked up a pen and signed each one. “Now all that’s left for us to do is to call Ollie to have him send them off and get the copies filed.”
An excited squealy sound I wasn’t particularly proud of came out of me before I could stop it. “We did it. We actually fucking did it. I can’t believe it’s done.”
His answering grin was more radiant than I’d ever seen before. “Me either. It was a tough week, but now it’s done.”
“Hopefully that means we can go back to regular hours.” Walking around his desk, I lifted my hand for a high five. “Go team us.”
Joseph’s huge hand enveloped mine after he’d tapped my palm, his long fingers wrapping around my wrist before he tugged me to him. “I think team us can do better than a high five.”
As soon as I was within reach, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down onto his lap. I didn’t fight it, letting myself relax against him as I pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. Joseph didn’t let it stop there, though.
He took control of the kiss with one hand at the nape of my neck and the other still on my hip. Parting my lips with a sweep of his tongue, he kissed me like I’d hung the moon or picked him a star.
Despite the knowledge that anyone could be watching us, I felt myself responding to his kiss. There was no way not to, not when he was kissing me like that.
Besides, I had it on good authority that word was spreading around the office that we were in a relationship. It seemed pointless to try and hide it, especially since Joseph didn’t seem like he had any fucks to give about who knew or what they thought. And since he’s the boss…
I went with it, allowing myself to be swept away by the moment until the moment got way too hot for public consumption. Joseph realized it at the same time I did, slowing the kiss until it came to a natural end.
He kept me on his lap, though. Probably as a shield to hide the very prominent bulge I felt underneath me. Eyes filled with lust and burning need, he sighed and shook his head. “Fuck. If I didn’t need to get to that meeting to update the rest of the team on keeping the account clear and up to date, I’d have—”
I slapped my palm over his mouth. “I don’t want to hear it. I have to go back to work, and I’m not going to be able to concentrate if I’m too busy fantasizing about whatever was just about to come out of your mouth.”
A groan vibrated against my hand. I let go of him when he lifted his hands to scrub over his f
ace. “Jesus. Now I’m thinking about you fantasizing. Thanks a lot.”
I winked, scooting back and climbing off his lap before either of us did something stupid. “Japanese steakhouse tonight to celebrate?”
Joseph was still breathing a little more heavily than normal, but he smiled and nodded. “Just you, me, Lincoln and Ollie, though.”
“Agreed.” After the week we’d had, I really just didn’t have the energy for another massive office blowout that only ended at midnight. Urg. When did midnight even become late?
Rolling back my shoulders, I decided that now wasn’t the time to lament the fact that I’d apparently gotten old. There were more important things to think, and to talk to Joseph, about.
Now that my libido was simmering down and the heat in his eyes was slowly dissipating, I felt like I could focus again. “So, there was actually something else I wanted to talk to about when I came in here.”
He looked up at me, his head cocked and the expression in his eyes serious. “What’s up?”
Walking backward around the desk before lowering myself into my chair, I sighed. “I know this isn’t really any of my business, but I wanted to talk to you about giving Ollie a bonus. He’s been incredible and he’s going to be here on Saturday to oversee the designer merging the two offices. I just feel like he really deserves it.”
“I hear you.” He nodded. “Leave it to me, I’ll take care of it.”
“Great. Thank you.” Smiling as I stood up again, I blew him a kiss. “I’ll take care of booking the table at the steakhouse. It’s only the one, so you don’t need to ask Ollie to do it. Work hard. Don’t miss me too much.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “I try to keep myself from crying about it.”
I winked and walked to the door, pausing just outside it to turn back and look at him. “If you do cry about how much you miss me, just remember to hit the button for the walls. I think your employees have seen enough emotion from you today.”
“I think they’d probably rather have seen my tears than how fucking horny my girlfriend makes me,” he retorted, a small smirk playing on his lips. “That being said, I’ll keep your advice in mind. Maybe we should consider replacing the glass with drywall when the designer comes tomorrow. That way we wouldn’t have to worry about the button or anything else if we get carried away again.”
I shook my head firmly, barely holding back a laugh. “If we do that, we’re never going to get any work done ever again. I don’t think the boss is going to like that.”
“Bastard.” He grinned, waving a hand in the direction of my office. “Go get some work done then, before he sees you just standing there looking all tempting like.”
“How am I looking—” I cut myself off. “Never mind. You know what, I’m just going to go book that steakhouse now. If one of us doesn’t leave, we’re going to end up bantering all day.”
He shrugged. “Works for me, but you’re probably right. Although you’re welcome to stay. I need to leave for that meeting soon anyway.”
“Thanks, but I better go back to my own office while I still have one.” I lowered my voice conspiratorially. “The boss is making me move into his so he can keep a closer eye on me.”
Joseph’s eyes rolled, but a low chuckle broke free. “Like I said, the guy’s clearly a bastard. Go then. I’ll see you later.”
With a wave of my fingers, I went back to my desk. After booking our table for dinner, I jumped into the work I had to catch up on now that I could focus on something other than the Sacred Heart account.
At lunchtime, I went to grab Lincoln to get something to eat in the cafeteria. “What do you want to eat?”
“No grilled cheese?” he asked, peering up at me after surveying the staff buffet in front of us.
“No,” I said, guiding him forward with my hand on his shoulder. “But they do have mac and cheese, or how about a chicken pot pie?”
Huffing out a breath, he pointed at the steaming tray of pasta. “Mac and cheese.”
I grinned. “Of course. Don’t know what I was thinking even asking.”
When we got to the front of the line, I ordered our meals and watched them being dished up. Balancing a tray on each hand, I led Lincoln to a table next to the bank of windows and sat down for our meal.
The cafeteria at Matthews Financial was just as big and opulent as everything else in this building. It resembled a high-end restaurant more than the average mess hall-style cafeteria.
While we ate, I put in a call to Alisha. I hadn’t really been able to talk to her all week, and I missed my friend. Lincoln was chatting to one of the children in his class who was seated at the next table with his dad, but I wanted to check in with Alisha more than I wanted to make awkward small talk with someone I didn’t know just because our kids knew each other.
“Hello?” she answered on the second ring. “Lilac? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, I just miss you,” I said, taking a small bite of my roast chicken salad.
Alisha laughed into a sigh. “I miss you too. It’s so weird not having you guys right next door. How’s my little man doing?”
“He’s good.” I cast a look at the little man in question, catching a snippet of his conversation as he explained something to his friend. “Too busy at the moment to worry much about me.”
“Well, that happened faster than we’d been expecting it to.” She chuckled. “I thought they only got that way when they hit the pre-teen years.”
“That’s what I thought too,” I grumbled, but there was a smile forming on my lips anyway. “It’s actually kind of cool that he’s made so many friends, though. He’s really thriving here.”
“I guess that’s all that’s really important.” She paused for a beat. “How are things with you and Joseph?”
I tipped my head, rolling my lips into my mouth. “They’re good. Moving fast, but he claims not to be worried about it.”
“He’s still on you about moving in?” she asked.
I inhaled deeply, shaking my head even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “He hasn’t brought it up again yet, but I do still owe him an answer.”
“Take your time,” she advised sagely. “For the record, though, I’d totally have moved in with him. Have you seen him lately? That man is hotter than hot.”
“I just saw him a couple of hours ago, so I’m well aware.” A way too girly giggle escaped me. “It’s true, but I don’t know if that’s necessarily the right reason to say yes. Anyway, I wanted to know if you wanted to meet us at the park on Sunday. We can grab lunch afterward.”
I hadn’t run the idea past Joseph yet, but I knew he wouldn’t mind. “I’d love to.”
“Great,” I said, watching as Lincoln finished his food. I’d only had a few bites of mine, but a quick glance down at my watch told me it was time to get a move on. “Listen, I’d better go if I want to get in a walk with Lincoln before I have to go back to my office. We’ll see you on Sunday?”
“See you on Sunday,” she said, hanging up after telling me to text her when we were on our way to the park.
The rest of the day passed as quickly as the morning had, and before I knew it, we were at the restaurant. The table they had reserved for us was a round one near the center of the room.
Joseph ordered our appetizers after we got settled, then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. Shifting in his seat to face Ollie, he held it up.
“This is for you,” he said. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for us recently, and we want you to know that we see how you go above and beyond for us.”
A deep frown formed between Ollie’s eyebrows, his dark eyes flicking between Joseph’s and the envelope. “What is this?”
“A nice, fat bonus for being so amazing these last few weeks.” Joseph’s grin was nearly blinding as he placed the envelope on the table in front of a stunned Ollie.
I reached over and squeezed Ollie’s forearm. “Seriously, you’ve been a lifesaver. Than
k you.”
Ollie teared up when he pulled the check out, gaping at Joseph as his Adam’s apple bopped. “This is way too much.”
Joseph shook his head at Ollie, then turned his head to roll his eyes at me. “No, it’s not. What is it with you two? I always know how much a check is for. I sign them, for God’s sake. It’s not too much, so will you both please stop questioning me?”
He tried for an exasperated tone, but the happiness shining in his eyes betrayed him. I kicked his foot under the table while Ollie burst out laughing. Joseph, however, wasn’t quite done yet. He cleared his throat, waiting for Ollie’s laughter to die down before continuing.
“I’ve also realized that it’s been too long since you took any vacation time. How about a week off soon?”
Ollie choked on the sip of sake he’d just taken, eyes wide on Joseph’s. “That’s really not necessary.”
“It’s not,” I agreed. “But it’s a really nice idea. I think you should take him up on it.”
Joseph smirked. “For once, she agrees with me. That’s how you’ve got to know that you really should do it.”
Ollie narrowed his eyes as though he was thinking about something, then started firing off our schedules for the next few weeks without having to look at his trusty calendar. While he talked to Joseph about there not being time soon for him to take a whole week off, I started thinking about vacations.
It had been years since I’d last taken one. In fact, I hadn’t been on a vacation since before I’d had Lincoln. Huh? Maybe it’s time to fix that.
Chapter 37
Joseph
After stopping in to see Ollie at the office and check in on the designer, I headed to the gym. All the way there, I thought about how much my life had changed in a matter of a few months.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I was ever going to be knocking out a wall to make my office bigger in order to accommodate my girl and our—her child. Now that it was happening, though, I was really excited about it.
Come Work For Me Page 22