“This coming from you? I guess you really do have a soft spot for me.”
She sits on the edge of my desk, and I slide out my chair, placing my hand on her hip to bring her between my legs. I wrap my arms around her middle and she holds me. She does make a loss a lot easier to take.
“We have to do the press conference.” My voice is muffled against her abdomen.
“I know. But I’ll be right next to you.”
I tighten my arms and rest my chin on her stomach. My heart pinches when I see the concern in her eyes for me. It’s been a long fucking time since anyone worried about me.
She runs her fingernails through my hair and kisses my forehead. “It’s just one game, baby.”
“Baby?”
She hasn’t used any pet names for me before, and I can’t deny it sounds nice coming from her.
“I meant—”
“I like it,” I say, and she exhales.
Oh, my little vault. So scared of opening up.
She places a leg on either side of me and lets her weight settle on me, straddling me in the chair. “How much time do we have?”
My hands mold to her ass. “At least enough for a make-out session.”
“Perfect.”
Our lips meet, and the loss is the last thing on my mind. Now all I can think about is getting Jana back to my house and fucking her until dawn. She grinds on my cock that’s turning fully hard. I’m so lost in her, the commotion outside doesn’t register until my office door opens.
“Oh, he’s busy, Mr. Gerhardt.”
Jana strips her lips off mine, looking over her shoulder. I quickly remove my hands from her ass when I see Mr. Gerhardt in the office doorway. Aiden’s behind him, cringing and mouthing sorry.
“Dad!” Jana screeches, trying to get free from me, but her heel gets caught on the arm of my chair. As I try to catch her, she falls to the floor.
“Are you okay?” I whisper.
She’s quick to her feet like a cat with nine lives.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Mr. Gerhardt steps in and slams my door. A few trophies on my bookshelf rattle.
“Um…” Jana stammers and glances at me.
I stand, and Mr. Gerhardt’s gaze darts to where my slacks are currently tented. I turn to adjust myself for a moment, then circle back to him. “I really like your daughter, sir.”
“Jana?” He looks at her.
She turns her attention to me and slowly smiles. She takes my hand. “I really like Kane.”
My chest feels as though it’s swelling from the declaration to her dad. It’s the first time I’ve heard her tell anyone besides me how she feels, and suddenly like seems like a ridiculous word. Like we’re seventh graders.
It’s a split-second decision, but I decide to just lay it all out there. I’m tired of keeping my feelings inside and worrying that if I confess to Jana how I really feel, she’ll bolt. So I look back at her father and say, “Actually, sir, I love her.”
“What?” Jana whispers, her eyes filling with tears. She shakes her head. “No, you don’t.”
I huff and stare into her eyes. “Yes, I do. I love you, Jana Gerhardt. So much that even one night away from you makes my heart ache. I love everything about you. Even your stubborn side.”
“She gets that from me,” Mr. Gerhardt says with amusement.
“And you don’t have to tell me you feel the same. It’s okay,” I assure her, but she glances at her dad and back at me.
“I love you too. As much as it scares the crap out of me, I do. I love you.” She places her hand on my cheek.
I lean in for a chaste kiss, wishing her dad wasn’t here so I could really show her how I feel.
“Well.” Mr. Gerhardt throws his hands in the air. “What am I supposed to say now?”
Jana tears her gaze from mine. “I’m sorry, Dad, I should’ve told you sooner. It’s just we didn’t know where this was going and—”
“It’s okay, Jana. Your life is your life. But do you two really think you can work together?”
“Of course,” Jana says. “We’re both professionals.”
“That’s all that matters to me. If you guys are good, then I am too.”
Jana rounds the desk and gives her dad a big hug. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Jana, you could have told me. I’m not completely blind. Two people only bicker like you two when there are strong feelings underneath. I suspected this might happen.”
“Really?” Jana glances back at me with surprise.
“Really. Now you two need to get to the press conference. And you don’t owe them any explanation about the two of you if and when it comes up. Go about your lives. If they report on it, so what? But you don’t have to answer to them.”
Jana kisses her dad’s cheek. “Thank you.”
He nods, and on my way to the door, I put my hand out for Mr. Gerhardt to shake. He slides his hand in mine and eyes me the way only a father can. His look says that if I don’t take good care of his daughter, I have him to answer to. I nod, and it’s a promise that he can trust me with her heart.
Jana and I walk out of my office and down the hall to the pressroom, hand in hand.
“Relieved?” I ask before we go in.
“Yeah, but did you mean it?”
I chuckle and press her back to the wall, my hand on her cheek. “I love you, Jana, and I’ll keep saying it until you believe it.”
She melts into me, which is always so much sweeter when you’re dealing with someone who prides herself on being stoic.
Our first public outing is a charity event that Mr. Gerhardt is sponsoring at his house. We’ve gone out for coffee and breakfast, but honestly, we just enjoy being at my house, so there’s been no reason for us to try to out ourselves. We’re going to make a splash when we reveal our relationship today, and I’m sure it will make its way to the press.
I wasn’t nervous about telling the world we’re together until I looked at the mansion in front of us. It’s a stark reminder of how different we grew up. It’s easy to just see Jana as Jana when we’re hanging out at my place, but this is something else.
“This is where you grew up, right?” I stare at the monstrosity in front of me.
“I’m going to take you to the orange orchard,” she whispers as her arm slides through mine, and I get the sense she might be a little nervous too.
“I’ve heard rumors.”
I can’t help but allow a little bit of doubt to creep inside me. Am I enough for Jana Gerhardt, heir to everything Gerhardt owns? The man has his own plane, his own helicopter, and a damn orange orchard on his property. I come from absolutely nothing.
We walk in the front doors and her parents are the first to greet us.
“Kane,” her mom coos, hugging me. “I heard the wonderful news. I wish Jana would’ve let me have you two over for dinner. She says you’re always so busy.”
Jana sighs next to me. “Well, I am the owner and he’s the coach of a hockey team that’s currently a contender for the Cup.”
“A few hours for a dinner isn’t the end of the world, Jana.” Her mom kisses her cheek. “You look stunning.”