“Val, then? Did you fire him?”
She grinned. “No, I said he could take maternity leave.”
“Ruthless.” He smiled, too.
She turned so he could unclasp her necklace. “And I said we’d talk more tomorrow. It was Kiara’s night. I didn’t want to get into it at the gallery.”
“That was quite a crush, wasn’t it? I knew Kiara was talented, but when you see her body of work assembled like that, it’s astonishing. I’m really annoyed I didn’t win more bids. How is she managing with a new baby and all the work that went into preparing, though? Is that why Val wants time off?”
Scarlett turned to take the necklace and saw he was genuinely concerned. She nearly melted into a puddle of liquid sugar at his feet, he was so sweet. She set aside the necklace.
“She’s good. Really good. Val admitted he’s motivated by pure selfishness, wanting to spend more time with Rafael, which is understandable.” Val had missed his daughter’s first two years. “But I didn’t want to let him go permanently.”
“No? I told him I didn’t think you’d have a problem with firing both of us.” He snapped off his cuff links.
“He ran it by you first?”
“Of course. He didn’t want to leave you in the lurch if you weren’t ready.”
“Men,” she tsked, secretly thrilled at the working relationship they’d developed, one that had spilled into a social one. A familial one.
“We weren’t conspiring. He brought it up because you’re sticking your nose in more than usual, checking up on us.” He tilted his head in what would have been a stern look, but held a little too much indulgence to be taken seriously. “We would both rather pull back and let you take the wheel than be micromanaged.”
“But I like bossing you two around.” She tugged at his bow tie to unravel it. “It’s delicious payback after all those years when you obstructed me at every turn.”
“The heady drug of a power trip has hit her veins, ladies and gentlemen. We’re not above mutiny, you know.”
“You’re going to take Val’s side against me?” She splayed an appalled hand on her chest.
“You’ve got me there. I couldn’t do it.” He sighed in mock despair.
She grinned as she worked her way down his buttons, revealing a strip of tawny skin sprinkled lightly with hair.
“Really,” he said with hands coming to rest heavily on her hips. “Before we get distracted, are you sure you’re not ready to fire both of us? I thought you only wanted to wean off the pills and see if you still had symptoms.”
That had been three months ago and she had been feeling really good ever since.
“I thought I was ready, too.” She tugged his tuxedo shirt from his waistband and exposed more of his wide, powerful chest, then smoothed her hands over his sides, loving the warm silk of his skin against her palms. “The five-year plan we’ve made has me very excited for all the new challenges. I was ready to go full steam ahead at work, but earlier today...”
He tilted up her chin so he could see her expression.
“A setback?” His real eye was troubled, the matching false one pretty to look at, though not the place she sent her attention when they were having a serious discussion. “What happened?”
She clasped her hands around the open edges of his shirt and sheepishly admitted, “I held Rafael.”
His frown held for a second longer before comprehension dawned. He grew infinitely more tender. His heavy hands drew her closer.
“You were bitten by the baby bug.”
As her head came to rest on his chest, she heard the hard, uneven thump of his heart.
“It feels like I fell into a hill of them and I’m itching all over. And I know it took me a long time to find an even keel after Locke. And I know Val ought to have a lighter load while they have a new baby in the house so Kiara doesn’t risk becoming overwrought like I was. And I know my chances of suffering postpartum depression again are high if I have another baby, and still... I really want one,” she confessed in a whisper, afraid to look at him. “What do you think?”
“I think our son is the most amazing little person I could have imagined.” His arms cradled her as though she was precious. “I would make a dozen more children with you if you were up for it. But it has to be your decision, my love, given what you might go through again.”
“I was thinking just one more. For Locke. To keep him company.” She looked up at him, letting him see the yearning in her eyes.
“For Locke.” His mouth twitched.
“And me. And you,” she allowed, giving a little tug on his collar to entice him to come down for a kiss. “We know the signs to look for. You wouldn’t let me lose myself again.”
“I would not. I refuse to lose you to anyone or anything. I love you far too much.”
“So maybe that’s a yes?”
“That’s definitely a passionate yes.”
She smiled as they got started.
Swept away by Dani Collins’s Beauty and Her One-Night Baby?
Discover the first installment in her Feuding Billionaire Brothers duet A Hidden Heir to Redeem Him.
Available now!
And why not lose yourself in these other Dani Collins stories?
Untouched Until Her Ultra-Rich Husband
The Maid’s Spanish Secret
Bound by Their Nine-Month Scandal
Cinderella’s Royal Seduction
All available now.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Shy Queen in the Royal Spotlight by Natalie Anderson.
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