Page 41 of Honey Bun
He hugged my waist. “You can schedule wedding stuff, and if I need your help, you’ll be at arm’s reach. Then when we’re done, we can do something fun together.”
He made work sound like a date. I turned and faced him. He had such faith in me that I wasn’t sure how to respond. “No one at work knows about us.”
He cupped my butt. “We won’t cause a scandal. And besides, no one’s there.”
I would do anything to feel as powerful as he thought I was. “Okay, I’ll come.”
He tightened his hold on me. “Let’s see that happen here first, before we go.”
Fair enough.My body was warm and ready for him. I would devote myself to him. And no one would know if we were a few minutes late. So I kissed him until he led me back to the bedroom.
Arman
The meeting with the inventors’ parents to discuss their concerns was good though repetitive and mostly involved hand-holding. I backed up everything Kendal had promised, as she was in charge of keeping our creators happy, and they understood she spoke for the company. I ended by answering simple questions and shaking hands.
The four families were nervous due to the amount of money we were discussing. My initial buyout was a million dollars, to be split four ways. That alone would change their lives. But if things went as I anticipated, the incoming royalties would set them up for life. Three of the mothers were in tears at the end of the meeting.
Once they left the conference room, I saw Maddie on the phone, discussing florals. She had her computer open and a huge smile on her face as she mentioned cymbidium orchids, yellow tulips, and cushion pompon. She made my life brighter, and I hoped with time, she would feel the same about me.
My phone rang, and I recognized my brother’s number. “Cyrus, how are you?”
In the background, a hospital speaker mentioned a patient’s name, and then my brother said, “Awful.”
Normally, Cyrus took weekends off unless he was on call, but my gut told me this wasn’t about work. I glanced at Maddie and then asked my brother, “Tell me what’s up?”
“For six weeks, I’ve called Leah every day to talk.” I heard a door close over the phone. “And she agreed to meet with me last night.”
Progress.Cyrus intended to be a good father, and Leah had shaken the unflappable, serious one in the family. He’d probably written the list of everything he’d need to discuss with her. “That’s great.”
“No. This morning, we met.” His voice was flat. “And then she left without a word.”
“She showed up but then stonewalled you?” The woman I’d met once had seemed nice enough. I asked, “Why?”
“Melissa showed up first and sat down to apologize about the dancing competition. Leah got the wrong idea and just backed out.”
His voice was grave, as if someone had died. I held the phone closer to my face. “I thought you weren’t dating her.”
He sighed like he was in pain. “I’m not. I ended our competition plans so I could focus on Leah and my son.”
My brother was always laser focused on what he wanted, and he hated surprises. As I talked to him, I saw Maddie switch the pictures on her screen to wedding arches, and for one second, I imagined her in a white dress, walking toward me on the beach. I blinked, and the image was gone.
I said, “You’re going to have to explain that one.”
“I ran into Joel. He told me Maddie is going to plan a wedding for them.”
“Yes. That’s true.”
“Did Mom put you up to this?”
I smiled at my pragmatic brother.Will he ever understand the needs of the heart?
“No, it was actually Joel and Kendal. She wanted her mother to be there on her big day, and Mom loves Maddie’s taste.”
“At least she has you to fuss over these days. So, are you two, like, official now?”
I froze. I hadn’t expected that one. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I should have touched her at all, but I wasn’t about to discuss sex. I kept my voice down. “I’m all in. I don’t know that she is yet.”
“Has she ever told you anything about her married life?”
