She looks to the side and plays with a button on my suit jacket. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure how you were feeling after everything. I didn’t want you to let me down over the phone or through text, so I didn’t indulge. I wanted to see how you were this morning.” She smiles up at me. “Apparently on the same page as me.”
“Yeah?” I smile, pulling her in by the small of her back. “You were as desperate to see me as I was to see you this morning?”
“Maybe a little.” She lifts up and presses another kiss to my lips. “I’m glad you welcomed me like that, even though it was in front of your friend and sister. It gives me reassurance that I didn’t scare you away with my forwardness.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Trust me, I wished you woke me up with your forwardness yesterday and this morning.” I tip her chin up and whisper, “That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced, you, riding my morning wood, your body a piece of artwork in front of me.”
In a move I wasn’t expecting, she leans her head against my chest and wraps her arms tightly around me, giving me a hug. I set my bag down on the ground and return the embrace.
“I’m sorry if I made you worry. I was worried myself, not knowing if you were going to give me the turndown, you know? I’ve gotten it a few times in my dating life and I just don’t think I could have taken it from you.”
I kiss the top of her head. Clearly, the guys who’ve dated Charlee were utterly insane. Blind. “Charlee, you fucking flipped my world upside down this past weekend. Trust me, you were not going to get the turndown, you were going to get the why aren’t you at my damn place right now demand.”
She holds me tighter and sighs right before pulling away. She steps out of my embrace, smooths her dress down and says, “Okay.” She straightens her shoulders. “It’s professionalism from here on out; we have work to do.”
I raise a brow in question. “You don’t have to be professional all the time you know. If you want to hike your skirt up and sit on my lap at any point of time during the day, please feel free.”
She rolls her eyes and starts walking toward her desk. I grab my bag and catch up to her. “Where are you sleeping tonight?”
She points to her suitcase next to her desk and says, “Can you take a wild guess? Grandma wasn’t happy that I was with her this weekend. She’s adamant about me spending more time with you, as if I don’t spend the whole day looking at your handsome face.” She smirks. I grin. “Anyway, she does want us to come over for dinner this week to put us through what she calls Grandma’s marriage counseling.”
“What the hell is that?”
She shrugs. “No idea, but I can’t imagine it being good. If you’re a good boy and go along with it, then I might blow you after.”
Jesus. Christ.
She leans in and plays with my exposed chest. “And I’m going to tell you right now, I know how to give good head.” She kisses my jaw and my pants automatically grow tight.
“You’re fucking evil, you know that?” I ask, adjusting myself. “I have to go talk to my best friend and sister now with a hard-on.”
“Hide it with your bag.” She winks and gets behind her desk where she starts typing away as if nothing happened.
Not very helpful, but I also don’t have any other options, so reluctantly, I tuck my bag in front of me and walk into my office where Julia and Bram watch me make my way across the large space and sit at my desk. I set the bag on the floor, fold my hands in front of me and say, “What do you two want?”
Bram thumbs toward the closed door. “What the hell was that?”
Whispering, Julia adds, “She has a ring on her finger, Rath, a huge one. She’s engaged.”
“Yes.” I nod. “To me.”
Both of them lean back in shock at the same time. It’s almost comical how identical their expressions are.
“What are you talking about?” Julia asks. “She’s your assistant.”
“I’m well aware who she is. She’s also my fiancée.”
“But”—Bram looks like he’s trying to solve the Pythagorean theorem—“when did you start dating her?”
Huh, good question. I guess we’re sort of dating right now.
“Recently.”
“Only recently?” Julia’s eyes pop out of their sockets. “And you’re engaged?” She looks behind her just to make sure the door is closed. “Is this about Vanessa?”
“What? No.” I shake my head and decide to tell them the truth. “This does not leave this room, do you hear me?” I look straight at Bram who has the biggest mouth I know.
Insulted he says, “I can keep a secret.”
Julia just pats his hand to humor him because we both know he’s terrible at it.
“Long story short. Charlee’s grandma is sick, and Charlee is worried that she’ll die before she gets to see Charlee walk down the aisle. In her grandma’s wedding dress. So, we decided we’d get married.”
Julia clasps her hand to her heart . . . so does Bram.
“Rath,” Julia still whispers. “You offered to marry her for her grandma?” I nod. “That’s so sweet, but also, very complicated.”
“I agree.” Bram grows serious. “Back there it looked like this is more than just a favor. Your face lit up when you saw Charlee.”
Julia nods. “You like her . . . you really like her.”
I scratch my chin and look out the window. “Yeah, I do.”
Bram scoots in on his chair so he’s closer to me. “What happens when she doesn’t want to be married to you anymore and this all goes down the shitter?”
Determined, I say, “I’m not going to allow that to happen.” Done with the conversation, I ask, “Enough about me. Why are you two here, early in the morning, interrupting my day?”
They look at each other and I can see it in their eyes, the need to discuss my situation further, but thankfully they drop it and then clutch each other’s hands.
Smiling brightly, Bram says, “We’re pregnant.”
“What?” I leap out of my chair and round my desk, arms spread. I lift Bram out of the chair and pull him into a giant hug. “Holy shit, man, that’s amazing. Congrats.”
We embrace for longer than what I assume is deemed normal and the only reason we let each other go is because Julia clears her throat next to us.
When we turn to her she says, “Oh please, don’t let me distract you from your bromance. Proceed, I’m the one who’s carrying the baby, and I’m your sister, but that doesn’t matter.”
Whispering, Bram says, “She’s a little more sensitive these days.”
Stepping up, I take my sister into my arms and say, “Congratulations, Julia, this is amazing news.”
She wraps her arms around me and thanks me. When we pull away, I say, “How far along are you?”
“Nine weeks, which means”—she looks up at Bram and then stares down at me—“we’re moving up the wedding.”
“Oh, wow, to when?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I shout. “What do you mean tomorrow? That’s really quick.”