Page 44 of Always Been You

“Yes, and you’re Kate?” I ask cheerily.

“Yes. It’s lovely to meet you. He just finished his call so you can head in there.” She points to his door.

“Thank you, Kate.”

I make my way to his door and knock lightly before opening his office door. When I step inside, he shifts his head from what he was looking at on his computer. When he notices it’s me, he smiles.

“Hey, what a lovely surprise. What brings you here?” he asks as he gets up and rounds his desk, pulling me in for a kiss.

I hold up the cloth bag. “I thought since I didn’t make dinner last night and you don’t have any leftovers, I’d bring you lunch today.”

He leans down and kisses me again. “You didn’t have to do that, babe, but I am happy to see you.”

He pops his head out of his office door and speaks to Kate, “Kate, go ahead and take lunch.” He comes back in, closing the door, and we move to the couch that he has set up with a coffee table in front of it.

He’s in a large corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows that look over the city. A large wooden desk sits on one side with his computer and stacks of folders. His degrees are in frames on the bookshelves behind his desk, along with photos of him with friends and family, and tons of books. Across from his desk, he has two expensive-looking wingback chairs. A tall plant sits in the corner beside the couch and there is a door that leads to what looks like a private bathroom.

I set the bag on the table, pulling the food out, and place it on the table along with the drinks and realize that I forgot to bring cutlery with me.

“You don’t happen to have forks in the office, do you? I forgot them when I packed the food,” I say.

“Don’t worry, we have a full kitchen. I’ll go grab us some.”

He leaves his office and a minute later, he returns with two forks.

“So, I made a chicken Caesar salad dressing on the side and homemade chocolate chip cookies for after.”

“Sounds amazing.” We each grab a salad and add dressing to it before getting comfortable on the couch.

“How’d you sleep last night? You kind of woke up when I left this morning, but you seemed to pass right back out,” he chuckles.

“I slept great, you?”

“Best sleep I’ve had in a long time.” A huge grin lights his face, and my cheeks warm as a blush covers them. This isnice, having lunch with Josh in his office, and being able to show up unannounced to surprise him.

“What have you done this morning?” he asks as he continues to eat his salad.

“I showered, had breakfast, stripped your bed and put it in the washer, started a new book, made lunch, and researched some things I want to do in Whistler,” I say.

“You didn’t have to strip the bed, babe,” he says, holding his fork in his salad.

“It’s all good, I don’t mind.”

“Okay, but really, you don’t have to do that.” He studies me before continuing. “What did you find that you want to do in Whistler?”

I pull my phone out of my purse and hand it to him. He places his salad on the table and takes the phone from me with a smile. “You’re really into your lists,” he teases me.

I shove his shoulder lightly. “I believe seeing my last list is what contributed to me getting on my knees for you, so don’t tease.”

He holds his hands up in surrender. “You’re right, I do love your lists. Send both of them to me. I’m going to book our room for Whistler. Are you okay with one room?” he asks.

“Yes, should I not be?” I ask, unsure. Does he not want to share a room with me after last night? Did he not enjoy it the same way that I did? Questions swirl in my head and Josh can obviously see that my mind is taking me all over the place because he places a hand on my leg, bringing me out of my thoughts and back to the conversation.

“Babe, no. I just wanted to check with you. I don’t want to push you into anything,” he assures me. “I want to know that you’re comfortable with everything we do. Trust me, I want to share a room with you.”

I reach out and grab his hand. “Josh, you’re not pushing me into anything I don’t want. How about this? I promise you that I’ll tell you if I want to slow down or take a step back and you do the same. We promise to communicate with each other.”

He leans forward, grabbing my lunch and placing it on the table before placing his hands on either side of my face. “Promise,” he says before he kisses me.

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