“I just want to disappear for a few weeks. Just you and me on an island somewhere.”
His smile was slow and sensual. “I can arrange that. We can fly out from the Christmas party in Colorado and not come back until after the new year.”
She knew he was serious, but there was no way she could abandon a fledgling software company so soon after its launch.
“I’m a fan of going somewhere, just the two of us for Christmas.”
He kissed her cheek. “I’ve already got plans.”
“I had a feeling,” she said with a laugh.
“Speaking of the wedding. Would you be open to something small with just your family and then a bigger deal in the new year? We can keep the legal ceremony quiet and do a big society wedding in February or March like you suggested.”
She perched on the corner of his desk when he dropped into a chair in front of it.
“I could get behind something like that. What did you have in mind?”
“Don’t get mad, but I called your mom to find out the details of their road trip. They’ll be in Phoenix on Christmas day. I thought we could fly to Phoenix on the twenty-third, get married the next day and then disappear for a Christmas honeymoon and not come back until January first.”
“Well, if you already talked to mom we kind of have to do it, don’t we?”
Lance chuckled. “I didn’t tell her why I wanted to know. It would be a surprise for them too. I told her we were still trying to make our Christmas plans.”
Marissa looked down at her engagement ring. “It sounds like a lot of work.”
He reached up and took her hand. “Riss, not to sound like a douche, but I’m a billionaire. We can pull it off with very little work on our parts. That’s what we have staff for.”
Marissa grinned and hopped off the desk. “OK. Let’s do it.”
“Yeah?” Lance questioned with one eyebrow quirked upward.
“Yeah,” Marissa said, nodding her head.
He stood and pulled her into a hug. “Thank fucking God you said yes because I’ve already put a bunch of things into motion.”
She smacked him on the shoulder.
He caught her wrist as she brought it back down to her side and yanked her into him. His other hand fisted into her hair.
“Just because we’re about to get married doesn’t mean I don’t own you, little girl.”
Marissa swallowed and nodded her head. “Yes, Sir. I know.”
He grinned and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Good. Just making sure we understand each other.”
“I should get back to my office.”
He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I love you, Riss. Thank you for being mine.”
She stepped into the outer office and waved at Jill and Kimberly who were huddled at Kimberly’s desk.
Kimberly gave her a grin. Jill’s expression wasn’t so friendly, and Marissa resisted the urge to scowl back. She was finally getting to marry Lance. There was very little that could ruin her good mood today.
Marissa grabbed a candy cane on her way into her office where she sat and returned the calls Cameron put on her desk.
The last call was from Austin Yates, a friend she’d made at Club Solitaire in Colorado.
“Girl, I feel like I’m in college again trying to plan games for this damn Christmas party. You got any dirty ideas?”
Marissa unwrapped the candy cane and popped it into her mouth.
“I could probably think of something,” she said.
“Well, think fast. I’m supposed to have everything ready by the board meeting on Thursday.”
“Why isn’t Lance coming to the board meeting?”
“Said y’all couldn’t get away until Friday and he would patch in virtually.”
Marissa thought about their schedule. It was pretty packed the rest of the week.
“OK. Well, how about a candy cane sucking contest?”
Austin snorted. “Perfect. I’ll add it to the list.”
Someone spoke to Austin in the background.
“Hey, I gotta go do lawyer shit. I’ll see you Friday night.”
Marissa laughed and hung up the phone.
As Marissa turned to her computer to dive into a project, Kimberly appeared in her door looking distraught.
Marissa waved her in. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m so sorry about the tabloids. I tried to tell Lance he didn’t have to take me home, but he insisted.”
Marissa waved a hand at Kimberly. “Please. You have nothing to be sorry for. Please don’t stress over it.”
“Are you sure?”
Marissa nodded. “Of course I’m sure. The only thing I’m disappointed about is that you’re leaving us with Jill.”
Kimberly wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. I’m really sorry abut that. I offered to find someone else.”
Marissa shrugged. “I hope you don’t find it rude, but I’m looking forward to firing her.”
Kimberly clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I shouldn’t find that funny. She’s my friend, but I should have known she was not cut out for this job. That girl needs to marry rich and be a trophy wife.”
Marissa cocked her head to the side and picked up her desk phone.
“Yes, Miss Sullivan?” her assistant said.
“When did you first find the stories about Lance and I potentially breaking up in the tabloids?”
She waited while he looked up the date. “Looks like December eleventh is the first time I saw it. I can run some searches and see if there’s anything earlier than that.”
“Would you?”
“You got it, boss. I’ll call you back when I’m done.”
Marissa hung up the phone and smiled at Kimberly. “Sorry about that. I had an idea. Seriously. Don’t worry about the articles. They’ll go away soon. Just let us know if media is following you or anything. We can help with that.”
Kimberly took a deep shuddering breath. “Thanks. I just didn’t want you to think anything was going on.”
Marissa laughed. “No offense but if Lance wanted to sleep with you, he would have tried in the five years we were apart. I have nothing to worry about and neither do you. You have a husband who loves you and you’re good to Lance and you keep his head from exploding with too much information. You’re part of our team and we look after each other.”
“Thanks, Marissa. And Lance tells me you might be married by the time I get back, so congratulations.”
Marissa smirked. He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.
“Thank you, Kimberly. I hope everything works out for your family.”
The woman left and Marissa picked up her phone to call Lance.
“Can you think of anything you said or did that would make someone think we were going to break up on or around the ninth or tenth of December?”
He was quiet as he thought about her question.
“I can’t think of anything, but that doesn’t mean someone didn’t take something out of context. Why?”
“I’ve been trying to figure Jill out. I think she might have it in her head that we’re going to break up so she’ll have a shot at you. Something Kimberly said about her needing to be a trophy wife made me think of it.”