I couldn’t wait for forever.
“An hour ago I would’ve said no more business trips because I miss you when you’re not around,” Camden said, still breathing a little heavy.
I turned to look up at him, wondering what his next words would be.
“But if the welcome home sex is always that good, I might reconsider my stance.”
“Hmm,” I said, half in agreement and half in jest. “Is the counselor willing to enter into negotiations?” I teased.
“Welcome home sex and hot lawyer talk? You’re too good to me, babe.” His arms wrapped tighter around me, pulling me closer, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
We fell quiet again and I began to drift off, completely sated and ready for a nap, when Camden suddenly jerked, his arm tightening around me.
“I totally forgot about your surprise.”
“My surprise?” My voice was groggy but I leaned up on one elbow as he jumped out of bed and pulled on his boxer briefs.
“Yeah, here,” he said, tossing me his T-shirt. “Put that on and come with me.”
I groaned and rolled out of bed, pulling the shirt over my head.
“Babe, I’m tired,” I complained as I pulled my panties back on.
“You’ll love it, I promise,” he said, taking me by the hand and pulling me out of the room.
“Will I love it more than welcome home sex?”
He stopped walking at my words and turned back toward me, his hand coming up to frame my cheek, a sexy smirk on his face.
“Nothing is better than welcome home sex.”
I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“Okay, close your eyes.”
“Really?” I asked, cocking a hip and resting my hand on it.
“Requirement of receiving the surprise.”
I let out a dramatic sigh and rolled my eyes, but then I closed them. He took me by the hand and led me down the hallway, then turned, and I knew we were in the spare bedroom. I heard him position himself behind me and he placed his hands on my shoulders, aiming me in the direction he wanted.
“Okay, open up.”
When I opened my eyes, they darted all around at first, trying to land on whatever it was I was looking for, so it took a few moments for my brain to figure out what was going on. The first thing I latched onto was the new chair in the corner. It was oddly shaped, like a circle with a back. It was flat and pretty big. It could easily fit both of us. Then I caught a glimpse of the bookshelves. The next thing I noticed was the books on the shelves. My books. All of them.
“Did you make me a reading nook?” I turned to gasp at him, but then I swept my gaze back to the chair. I walked toward it and then noticed the table next to it with a new lamp that gave off a soft golden light.
“Do you like it?” He sounded shy, as if he was afraid I’d hate what he’d done for me.
“What? Are you kidding? When did you do this?”
He shrugged, and I swear if he’d been wearing pants he would have stuck his hands in the pockets. “While you were gone.”
“Babe,” I cried, drawing the name out. “Of course I like it. I love it. This is amazing.”
“You always used to cram yourself in that tiny chair in your apartment and read by the window. I thought it would be nice if you had a big comfy chair somewhere quiet.”
“You’re the absolute best,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist and stared up at him, more than likely with stars dancing in my eyes. I was stupidly in love with the man. He clasped his hands behind my back and rested them right above my ass.
Besides the things he’d put in the room for me, it was bare. “Will you put your desk in here?” I asked, snuggling in closer. “I’m imagining spending nights in here reading while you’re working at your desk.”
“That can be arranged.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead, then pulled back. I noticed the space between his eyebrows crinkled. “You’re not upset it won’t be a nursery?”
I couldn’t help the laugh that erupted from me. “No, I am definitely not upset you didn’t surprise me with a nursery.” I laughed some more and rested my face against his chest. “Why in the world would you even ask that?”
He shrugged again. “I’m just checking.”
“No babies,” I said, giving his ass a squeeze with both hands, trying to lighten the mood a little. “Not for a couple years, okay? Let’s get the house under our belt, get married, have a fantastic honeymoon where we can drink all we want and not have to worry about who will watch our child, and then we can start talking about kids.”
“Counselor is agreeing to revisit the procreation contract at a later date?” he asked and then winked.
“Sure,” I replied, feigning exasperation.
“But does the counselor agree to frequent and tedious rehearsal procreation activities?”
“Sure.” That time I was giggling as I said the word.
Chapter Seventeen
Riley
The next morning, I hadn’t even made it to my desk before the phone was ringing.
“Riley Smith’s desk,” I answered, a little out of breath.
“Good morning, Riley. Can you meet me in my office when you get a moment?”
I hadn’t heard from Rose since we’d left the caterer with Lily and her mother. I’d given her a status update, but that was before all the proverbial shit hit the Penelope fan.
“Absolutely, I’ll be right there.”
“Great.” The line went dead and I let out sigh.
I put my things away, grabbed my tablet for notes on the very slim chance I wasn’t getting canned, and then headed toward her office.
I caught Rachel’s gaze as I walked past the row of desks in the open workspace portion of the office, and she gave me a hesitant smile. Something was up, and if I wasn’t unemployed later, I would definitely need to figure out what had her forcing a smile at me. Jasper wasn’t at his desk yet, but I was sure if anyone knew what was going on, it would be him. Naturally.
Rose was behind her desk looking just as perfect as she always did. Not one hair out of place, makeup perfectly applied in a way that looked both natural and phenomenal at the same time. She gave me a professional smile as I pulled open the door, and I tried to return it, though I probably looked more like I was going to vomit because that was how I felt.
“Good morning, Riley.”
“Morning. Are you feeling better?” I asked as I took the seat across from her like I always did. For some strange reason, I always took the seat on my right, leaving the chair on the left open.
“I am, thank you for asking. I was gone both the days you were, recuperating, but I’m feeling much better now.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Let’s talk about how the trip went.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to know. Rose had always been a straight shooter, very no-nonsense, so it was a little alarming that she would ask such a broad question. I needed her to be the old Rose in that moment. I just wanted her to rip the bad-news Band-Aid right off. “Well, Lily found a dress and it’s perfect for her theme and colors, and she looked stunning in it. Did she send you a photo? I have one on my phone if you want to see.”
“She did send me a photo, and I agree—it’s perfect.”
“Right.” I nodded, feeling like I was completely floundering. “Well, after the dress appointment, we moved on to catering, which was also a success. The chef had everything prepared and it was all incredible. Lily made some great choices and, again, stayed true to her vision for the reception. I’m confident we’re in line for a successful event.”
Rose didn’t respond for a moment, then said, “That’s great. Thank you again for covering for me. I wish I’d been well enough to go.”
“I totally understand. I thought it was a productive trip.”
“And I hear you found yourself a dress even?” she asked, her tone unreadable. She didn’t sound angry, but she
didn’t sound like a girlfriend asking for details either.
My heart rate spiked and I immediately went into panic mode thinking about how difficult it would be to make a mortgage payment without an income. I had images flashing through my mind of myself with a headset on taking orders at a drive-thru, covered in grease every day and coming home smelling like fried food.
“Oh, um, well….” I couldn’t find any words. I was torn between apologizing and acting as though everything was fine. I truly didn’t feel as though I’d done anything wrong, but damn, I wanted to keep my job.
“Listen,” Rose started as she stood from her desk.
This is it. This is the moment I lose my job.
I’d never been fired before in my life. I didn’t want to do the walk of shame through the building with a box full of my personal belongings, escorted out by security. We didn’t actually have security, but that wasn’t the point.
“Penelope and I have been friends a long time,” Rose said as she walked around her desk and took the chair I’d left vacant, sitting right next to me. “No one understands better than I that she can be a little dramatic at times.”
Say nothing. It’s a trap!
“I also understand that you and Penelope have your own past, which complicates the situation further.”
I still remained silent.
“I think it’s best we just lay everything out in the open and get this over with.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Between you and me, Penelope is still trying to find herself. I love her and she’s so brave and smart, but she hasn’t found her niche yet. When Lily asked me to help her plan her wedding instead of leaning fully on Penny, well, I think that hurt her feelings. She was feeling a little useless and a lot sorry for herself, so she fabricated some drama. I’m sorry you found yourself in the middle of it.”
My moral fiber wouldn’t let me stay quiet any longer.
“She didn’t fabricate it though, Rose. I did find a wedding dress. But I want you to know that I was not using company time for personal business. I happened to see a dress, Lily noticed that I liked it, and the consultant put it on hold for me. I didn’t even try it on until after all my business with Lily was complete. I would never do something as unprofessional as try on a dress while assisting a client. Never.”
Rose smiled, and that time, it looked genuine and inviting.
“Riley,” she said with a laugh. “Of course you wouldn’t, and you have to know I already knew that about you.” She reached out and rested her hand on my forearm for a short moment, but I couldn’t deny that it helped ease the tension that had been building. “I knew without a doubt that Penny was having a moment and she needed somewhere to place her frustration. She’s my best friend, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see her faults. I knew you weren’t doing anything inappropriate.”
“Oh my gosh.” My breath rushed out of me, my hand coming to my chest. “I’m so glad to hear you say that. I thought for sure you had called me in here to fire me.”
“Fire you? What? No, you’re my best coordinator.”
Her praise was so welcome in that moment; it almost shocked me how badly I needed to hear her say those words.
“I just heard what she was telling you and it sounded terrible.”
“Yes, but it also sounded like someone who needed an ear. I wasn’t your boss when she called me, I was her best friend. And you should know that Penny called me back an hour later and apologized and told me the truth about everything that had happened.”
“I’m sorry. I should have been the one to tell you.”
“Don’t apologize, Riley. That’s my job today. You found yourself in a difficult situation and I think you handled it wonderfully. You were alone, on a job location, and dealing with personal issues that weren’t your own. I put you in that position by asking you to step in for me with my friends. This is one of the issues that arises when you mix friends and business. So if anyone’s at fault, it’s me. I hope you won’t hold it against me going forward.”
I had to keep my mouth from dropping open in shock at her words. “I have to admit, this is not the way I pictured this conversation going.”
“I’m sorry you were worried.”
“Okay, now you don’t have to apologize. I didn’t think I’d done anything wrong, aside from maybe having words with Penelope, but I definitely didn’t think you had any blame. So let’s just agree it was a tricky situation and move past it.”
Rose sagged with what looked like relief and then smiled again. “I’m happy you feel that way. Now,” she said as she reached for my forearm again, “can I see your dress? Lily said it was beautiful.”
Rose and I both knew from extensive personal experience that no bride who’d chosen a wedding dress walked around without a photo ready.
“Yes,” I said with excitement. I’d show that picture to a stranger on the street if I thought they might want to see it. I pulled up the photo gallery on my phone, found the one of the dress on the hanger, and turned the screen toward her.
“Oh, Riley,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.”
“I know, right? I saw it and couldn’t look away.”
“I totally understand. And with your legs, it probably looks fantastic on.”
I swiped the screen to the left and a photo of me in the dress appeared.
“Yep, legs look great,” she said with a laugh. “Looks like you’ll be planning a summer wedding with that length.”
I shrugged. “Or we’ll get married somewhere warm.”
“Are you thinking of a destination wedding?” she asked excitedly.
It occurred to me that Rose and I had never just had a regular conversation like the one we were having then. Rose’s guard had dropped around me in the past couple of weeks, and I couldn’t help but notice that I liked Rose. A lot. She was a considerate and warm person when she dropped the icy glass walls she usually had around herself at all times.
Perhaps it was because I’d traveled with her and spent time with her and her friends, but she didn’t feel just like my boss anymore. She also felt like a friend.
“I was having a hard time planning the wedding, or even choosing a date, but once I put the dress on, all of a sudden the wedding can’t happen fast enough. So if we can’t make it happen this summer, we might just have to go somewhere warm.”
“Well, I hope it goes without saying, but if you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask or use Rachel or Jasper.” She reached out and that time her hand rested on my arm and she gave me her warmest smile yet. “You deserve the best wedding, Riley. I mean that. Anything I can do to help, it would be an honor.”
“Thank you,” I managed to squeak out, overwhelmed by her sudden, yet genuine, offer and support.
“Any time.” She took a breath and then stood, walking back to her desk. “I took a look at your schedule this week and you’re packed. Let me know if you need anything in terms of support or backup.” And just like that, Rose fell back into her boss role beautifully. Honestly, I was almost more comfortable with Boss Rose—she was more familiar to me.
“Ah, yes, busy days. Rachel is working with me on most of it though, so I should be okay.”
Rose nodded and then sat in her high-back chair. “She does great work.”
“Indeed. Thank you for everything, Rose.”
“Like I said, any time.”
I nodded and then made my way out the door, taking the hint that I was indeed being dismissed. I’d spent a good amount of time between Arizona and that morning worrying about what Rose would have to say regarding Penelope, and even in my most rational and reasonable imaginings, none of them ended with me walking out with praise from Rose, let alone an apology.
I headed to my office, sat down, and let out a high sigh, dropping my head into my hands. I spent a few moments just breathing, thanking my lucky stars that I still had the job I loved.
I was pulled from my breathing exercises when I heard a light knock on the door. I s
napped my head up and saw Rachel in the doorway, hand paused from rapping on the doorjamb.
“Hey, welcome back,” she said hesitantly.
“Hi, come in,” I said, waving her in the room. “Do you have time to status right now?”
“I’m all yours.”
“Promises, promises,” I teased. “Hey,” I said a little louder than I meant, caught off guard by the thought that popped into my mind. “What happened between you and my brother over the weekend?”
I watched with interest as a blush crept over her cheeks.
“Not much at all,” she answered.
“That is clearly not enough information.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. “Spill, woman.”
“We talked a little at your party, had a drink, and then he drove me home.”
“Did you exchange phone numbers?”
Her blush deepened to a dark red and her eyes widened, obviously not expecting me to ask her such specific and prying questions. I didn’t feel bad about it though; he was my baby brother, and I held rights to ask anything I wanted. And even though it took her a few moments to spit the words out, I knew the answer before she gave it to me.
“Yes.” She drew the word out, sounding like she was worried about what I was going to ask next.
“I love you, Rachel. And I love my brother. Just make sure he doesn’t jerk you around.”
“We just exchanged phone numbers, Riley. I haven’t even heard from him. It’s nothing.”
“Oh, it’s something. I saw the way he looked at you.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter how he looked at me if he never contacts me.”
The burn in her voice made me think she really wanted to hear from him and might have been a little hurt that she hadn’t. It almost made me think there was more to the story than just a ride home.
“He will,” I promised. I sort of also hoped he would. Even though I was protective of both my brother and Rachel, there was a big part of me that thought they’d make a great couple. “Okay, let’s talk about work. We’ve got the Gellerman event next weekend, so we’re focusing on tying up the loose ends and nailing down the final details. What’s on your schedule?”
Riled Up (With A Kiss #2) Page 16