My invincible, artificial superpowers seemed to have a loophole. Mateo had me ready to leave my parents, Texas, and my life behind until my grandfather and my mother forbade any involvement with him.
A sudden tremble spreads through my entire body. I wonder what they'd say about him now. The kid they ran off that is a billionaire on the cover of a national magazine. My heart twists, and I stare at Mateo. I've begged for him to give my heart back after fifteen years, but my stubborn soul still wants him. The man that embodies everything I shouldn't desire. But I do.
I have to get this longing in check before I call him.
"What's that?" Charlee slips Mateo from my line of sight. "Aye, Papi."
"Give it back." I swipe at the air with the desk between us. "You're supposed to be on maternity leave. Why are you not at home?"
"Because somebody asked to see Raine." She rolls her eyes in my direction. "Why does he look familiar?"
"Uh...it's a new issue. I want to see the baby." I reach for the magazine, and she dips out of my grasp again. This is what happens when you work with your best friends. We're prone to reverting back to our non-professional behavior. I should have closed my door.
"I may forget names, but I know faces. Damn baby brain." Her head wags, and I chuckle. "I forgot the pin to our security system the other day. The operator called, and I'm so glad Darius was right behind me. Did you know they give a $250 ticket if a cop responds to a false alarm? Ask me how I know." She's thumbing through the pages talking to herself. "Mateo…Mateo…."
"He's just a guy on the cover of the magazine," I say, and the butterflies in my stomach call my bluff because Mateo was never just a guy.
"Charlee Raine…" Darius calls from down the hall. But her husband's call doesn't disrupt Charlee's struggle to summon the distant memories from college.
"You're going to make me miss the baby." I walk to the doorway and peak out around the corner.
When Ben had the floor remodeled, he made the focal point the sitting area. It's where we gather. Right now, they're crowded around Peyton, holding a bundle of pink minky.
"I want to hold her."
"I got it." Charlee shakes the magazine in my direction. "You used to tutor him. When was that?"
Oh hell. Why does her baby brain have to turn off now? I chew on the inside of my lip, praying Charlee changes the subject.
"How are the boys enjoying their little sister?"
"Ethan loves it. Little D isn't impressed." She answers without looking in my direction. "Harper…" Charlee passes the magazine, and I want to disappear.
"Charlee, stop teasing Alex. Look at her face." Harper pulls me close, rubbing my back, then she looks down. "Oh, I saw him last week."
"You did?" I face Harper.
"Yeah, he remembered me from school and asked about you. He's trying to get his family here for the holidays or something like that. I didn't catch all of the details."
"So, you gave him our number?" I ask. This is all starting to make sense. Harper and her husband Liam own Walsh Executive Jets.
"Yes, was I not supposed to?" She lifts an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Of course, we're expanding our business, and he may need our services," I mutter, relieved when she places the magazine in my hand until Charlee retakes it.
"That was last week. Refresh my memory. We knew him in undergrad?"
"Let me see." Hunter walks over.
"I was his English tutor. Damn." I snatch the magazine back.
"Touchy…touchy." Charlee folds her arms with a tilt to her head.
"I'm not touchy. It's nothing. Now, let me hold the baby." I face Harper, who's now cradling Raine in her arms.
"Not until you wash your hands," Charlee says.
"Leave it alone, Charlee Raine." Darius places a hand on her shoulder. "Wash your hands. You're next."
I take his out.
I walk past the offices toward the break room. This is the executive floor of Platinum Prestige, an elite concierge service. We—Hunter, Harper, Charlee, Parker, Chase, Taylor, Payton, Ryann, Jordan, and I—started almost nine years ago. Ten women with guy names who have built and maintain a solid sisterhood and a lucrative business. We've dubbed ourselves the GIB—guys in black—because when you have ten bad-ass women strolling into a meeting dressed in all black, we're a sight to behold.
I stop at the sink, turning on the hot water. It trickles over my fingertips, as I rerun the conversation in my head. I didn't mean to snap at Charlee. I owe her an apology.
I return to the sitting area, and Raine is still the center of their attention. I loop my arm through Charlee's and rest my head on her shoulder.
"Sorry," we whisper in unison, laughing it off.
"You know I don't mean any harm, Alex."
"I overreacted." I glance up into Charlee's eyes.
"Why?" Harper asks.
"I don't know. We have unfinished business, I guess." He's the one I let get away because I didn't have the courage to stand up to my family. It's an old regret that cuts deep.
My guys, graciously, let my little attitude go. I cradle Raine in my arms. She has a button nose, rosy cheeks, and jet-black curls like her mother, but her wise eyes resemble her father's. I inhale her fresh baby scent.
"Darius, are you planning for one more?" I tease.
"No, I want my body back. But I agreed to table the talk until Raine is two," Charlee answers, glancing up into his eyes as he wraps an arm around her waist. The way she leans into his body holds a sense of security and peace. She's a riot, and most men tried to tame her. But not Darius—he laughs at her quick wit, bad singing, and protects her fragile heart.
Darius loves Charlee.
How does it feel to be wholly accepted and loved?
Charlee and her family leave a while later. We stand around counting all the babies born into our family with Raine, Hunter's baby girl, Drew, and Ryann's baby boy Xavier. After a half-hour of chatting, the guys head back to their offices.
"Alex, can you stop by my office?" Hunter asks.
"Sure." I follow her down the hall with the magazine gathered to my chest. We sit at the same time as she extends her hand. I glance at Mateo and reluctantly let him go.
"I can't believe the name didn't ring a bell." She flips the pages, and mid-turn, her eyes meet mine.
She returns the seven dollar instigator. I should have waited until I got home to read it, but his eyes…they kept calling me. It's one thing to hear about his success, seeing him again awakens old feelings and old mistakes.
Hunter reclines in her chair. I've known her since elementary school, but the woman in front of me has transformed before our eyes.
"Is this cool with you? Reaching out to him and the possibility of working with him?"
I shrug. Not my most eloquent response, but it's all I got.
"I'm in an unusual predicament. I want to consider our options as a brand and leverage our growing popularity. However, we are nine guys down between pregnancies, newborns, or new marriages. I need to lean on you at least until I deliver this baby. And with Zoe turning thirteen, I can't oversee this." She rubs her belly in slow circular motions. "You're the most efficient, dependable, and organized of our bunch, which is saying a lot. You'll have our full support, but you have to be our anchor. Can I count on you?"