Page 79 of The Chef's Kiss
“You kissed your boss?” Her father turned to his son. “And Conner, you and Lena hired this man?”
“I’m saying this all wrong.” I scrubbed a hand over my face.
Jorgina shrugged off Conrad and pulled away from Cara to step forward. “No. You’re saying everything right. Keep going.”
“I have thought about that kiss every day since. I don’t care that someone else is the biological father of your baby, that there are so many hurdles in our way.” I dropped my voice. “Including your family.”
She laughed. “Most guys have only wanted me for my last name.”
I saw past her smile to the sadness behind the words and shook my head. “I don’t want youbecauseyou’re an Ashford. I want you inspiteof that.”
Her brothers and father all scowled, looking so much like each other it was almost comical.
“I can’t wait to see you as a mother, Jorgie. I want to watch you teach your child to stand up for themselves, to protect their golden hearts with sarcastic shells and giant eye-rolls. I want to be there for all of it. For you and your baby. If you let me, I will love you both. And whether you—”
“Stop.” She cut me off, her smile dropping. I waited for her next words, knowing they had the power to break me. “Dad, I need you to turn away now.”
“Why?” Suspicion coated his words.
“Because.” She walked forward until her chest was only inches from mine and tilted her head up. “I’m going to kiss my boss again.”
She didn’t give her family a chance to object before she lifted on her toes. Her breath brushed against my lips as she hesitated, waiting for me to close the gap this time.
There was no more confusion in my mind, no more doubt.
This was where I wanted to be. Anywhere Jorgina was.
I slid an arm around her back, my eyes never leaving hers, and pulled her against me.
“I think I’ve known,” she whispered, “since the moment I spilled coffee on the rude outsider. I knew what was possible.”
I wish I had. “I’m sorry for taking so long.” I pressed my lips to hers, grasping what I hadn’t known I needed. Her.
Her lips parted, letting me in. Into her life, into her future.
Someone coughed, but we didn’t, couldn’t stop. Not until we told each other everything we hadn’t said.
I love you.
I’ll stay for you.
Welcome home.
That last one was everything she meant to me. For the first time in my life, I was home. Not here, on the lawn in front of a theater at Harvard. No, my home was wherever she was.
She pulled back, a smile tugging at her lips. “Who knew the wayward Ashford Princess could have a happy ending?”
EPILOGUE
JORGINA
Four Months Later
“Whoever decided women had to go through nine months of pregnancy was pure evil.” I waddled to a chair at the bar. Yes, waddled because apparently pregnancy also turned us into penguins.
“I’ll be sure to let God know.” Cara sipped her mimosa and grinned at me over the top of her glass.
I narrowed my eyes. “Maybe this is proof God is a man. No woman would put us through this.”
