“So that’s a yes? You’ll take the job?” Chad prompts, extending his hand to me.
“Of course it’s a yes, Mr. Force. I’m honored.”
After we shake, the cluster of cheering Force Financial employees finish their cake and begin to file out of the conference room. Several stop to smile my way and offer their congratulations. A few other department heads tell me quietly they lobbied Chad to have me moved to their departments before being turned away.
Once the room empties, Chad gestures me out the door with a gentlemanly sweep of his hand. “If you’ll come back to my office, we’ll negotiate salary and terms.”
He means we’ll volley back and forth while he tries to talk me out of my skirt. “Of course.”
Once inside his office, he shuts the door—and drops the purely professional pretense by taking me in his arms and kissing me. “Happy, sweetheart?”
“Thrilled. And shocked. It’s a big responsibility. Thank you for trusting me with such an important role.”
“You can handle it. And you’re ready. I wouldn’t have promoted you if I wasn’t one-hundred-percent convinced of that.”
“Coming from you, that means a lot.”
He smiles. “So…let’s talk terms.”
I cross my arms over my chest and prepare for this argument. In truth, I’ve come to love our verbal foreplay. And I know that grin of his. He wants to play hardball, and it already has me squirming hot. “All right. Make me an offer.”
“Eighty-five thousand, three weeks’ vacation, and an eight percent annual bonus for all metrics met.”
I raise a brow at him. “I hope that’s a joke.”
His face doesn’t change, but I know him. I see the smile lurking in his eyes. “Why would you think so? I just offered you a thirty-five percent raise, not including your executive bonus.”
“You did. But two of Hennessey’s directors make over a hundred grand.”
“They’ve been here longer.”
“So? You hired Hunt’s last director, Alejandra Samos, fresh off the street three months ago, and she makes ninety-five. She also gets four weeks’ vacation and a ten percent bonus.”
“But Shawn Amos has been here just over a year, and he makes seventy-eight, along with the rest of the benefits I’m offering you.”
“Please. He’s acting in that position, like I have been. If you make him permanent, you’ll bump his salary and benefits.”
“I’ve never promoted anyone up four levels as quickly as I have you. Your salary will take a bit more time to come up.”
“You either believe I can do the job and are willing to pay me accordingly or not. If you’re not, I’ll go out to my desk and simply continue being your assistant. And good luck finding someone qualified to take over Townsend’s chair in less than a week. But if you truly believe in me, I’m expecting a hundred grand, four weeks’ vacation, and ten percent. Take it or leave it.”
A smile breaks out across his face. “Done. By the way, I had a guess what we’d be settling on. Want to see?”
This ought to be amusing. “Sure.”
He reaches into his desk and retrieves an envelope, then hands it to me. I open it to find a piece of paper with his distinctive scrawl. “You thought I’d settle for ninety-five, three weeks, and ten percent? You silly, misguided man…”
He shrugs as he reaches into his desk again. “I hoped, but you drive a hard bargain. Time for me to drive one.”
“For what?”
“I have another open position I’d like you to fill.”
Is he crazy? “Chad, I’ve already been acting as your assistant and working Townsend’s old job, plus training Dan and—”
“I know it’s a lot, and you’ve done amazingly well. But I’m not looking for you to fill another position at Force Financial. This time, I want you to fill the role of wife…with an upgrade to mother of my children hopefully soon.” He kneels at my feet and opens a blue ring box to reveal a stunning flash of brilliance I’m sure is huge and beautiful—but all I care about is him and the love in his eyes. “What do you say, sweetheart? Marry me?”
Oh. My. God. I’m shaking. Literally trembling all over with shock and happiness. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. The day I interviewed was essentially the day we moved in together. Since then, we’ve been almost inseparable.
“Yes.” I nod, feeling tears prick my eyes as I fling myself against him. “Yes!”
“I can’t wait to call you Mrs. Force.” He pulls from the embrace just enough to slide the ring on my finger.
The halo-ringed oval diamond on the glitz-crusted white-gold band is huge and dazzling. And I couldn’t be more thrilled. He lays a kiss on my lips that’s somehow the perfect mixture of passion and hope. We melt together for long, blissful moments.
As usual, I feel slightly dizzy when I ease back. “There’s just one problem, Chad. You can’t upgrade me in the future to mother of your children.”
“Why not? I know we’ll have to plan because your new job will be a lot of responsibility, but I’m almost forty and—”
“I’m already mothering Hades.”
“That beast doesn’t count.”
“He does.”
Chad scoffs. “He’s a feline puffball.”
“He’s a fur baby with feelings.”
“Given those kneading his claws into my skin? He doesn’t feel anything but bloodlust.”
“He does. You’re just mad because he seems to like me more than you.”
“No, that’s expected. You bribe him with treats.”
“But I also give him the heartworm medicine he doesn’t like.”
Chad shrugs. “You pet him.”
“You do, too, when you think I’m not looking.”
“Facts not in evidence.”
I raise a brow at my fiancé. “I took video last night of you two reading annual reports on the sun deck. He was on your lap, and you were indisputably petting him.”
His lips wobble into a smile. “The little bastard wouldn’t leave me alone.”
“And you loved every minute of it. Just like I think you’ll love every minute of being a daddy to this one.” I take his hand in mine and put it over my still-flat belly.
His smile turns into an open-mouthed gape. “You’re…”
“Pregnant. So even if you don’t count Hades, you’ll have that daddy upgrade come March.”
Chad pulls me into his embrace and plasters my body to his. “Oh, my… I couldn’t be more thrilled. I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you, too. Now we just have to figure out when to get married and when to tell everyone we’re a couple.”
“The sooner the better, but let’s worry about that later.” With a heavy-lidded gaze that says he wants me naked and under him, he lowers his head for a kiss.
I meet him halfway, our lips colliding, knowing this man will make me so blissfully happy—and keep me on my toes—for the rest of my life.
Get ready for the next Forbidden Confessions: Filthy Rich Bosses coming January 24, 2023!