And if that went smoothly, I could cue the website development team to begin working on the discussion forum.
I caught Abby coming out of the bathroom and I slid my arms around her. She squealed as I turned her around, her smile radiant upon her cheeks. I enveloped her lips with mine, feeling her hands slide up my chest. The heat of her body was unmistakable, and I could feel her hips pressing wantonly into mine.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t break for lunch,” I said.
“Busy day, I get it,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m much better now. Do you have plans for tonight?”
“None that I can think of. What did you have in mind?”
“Dinner? At my place? Me cooking?” I asked.
“Mmmm—a home-cooked meal with the handsome boss. Will you be naked?” she asked.
“Depends. Will you get naked with me?”
She brought her lips up to mine and I could taste the coffee on her tongue. Her perfume permeated my nostrils and sent shivers down my spine. Everything about Abby was perfect. She fit into my life like a glove. Never could I have imagined someone fitting me as well as she did.
I didn’t care when the hell we got married, so long as I could call her mine.
“Why don’t I leave that as a surprise?” Abby asked.
“See you around seven?”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
As soon as the clock hit five, I dashed out of my office. I had two hours to clean up and piece together dinner before Abby showed up. I wanted things to be perfect. I raced home and started pulling everything out, then brought it all to room temperature so I could grab a shower.
Right on schedule, I heard the elevator door open into my apartment. Heels clicked across the floor as I pulled the chicken from the oven, and I looked up to see the most gorgeous woman my eyes had ever seen. Abby was standing there in a pair of pink peep-toe heels with a matching pink dress that accented the color of her eyes. Her tan skin shimmered in the lighting of my kitchen as my lips parted in shock, taking in every curve her body teasing me from underneath the fabric of that dress.
“Abby,” I said. “You look phenomenal.”
“Oh, this old thing? Thanks,” she said, winking.
“Come here.”
She draped herself over my body and pressed her lips to mine. They tasted like cherries and vanilla, a combination that drew a groan from my throat. My hands slowly met her ass, cupping her perfect cheeks as she giggled into me. I peppered kisses all the way down to her neck before I buried myself in it.
I couldn’t get enough of her, and I missed her more than I could stand when we were apart.
“Something smells delightful in here,” she said.
“Honey-basil chicken with garlic whipped potatoes and apple-cider roasted vegetables.”
“Wow,” she said breathlessly. “That’s a hell of a meal.”
“It’s for a hell of a woman,” I said. “Care for a glass of wine?”
“I’d love some.”
I went to grab a bottle from my collection as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I picked it up and saw it was an unknown number and a chill shivered down my spine. Plucking a vintage white wine from the wall, I peeked out into the kitchen before I took the call.
Abby wasn’t looking this way and she wasn’t lurking around the corner to hear, so I felt safe enough to take the call.
“Hello?”
“Colin.”
I recognized his slimy little voice instantly.
“Derek,” I said.
“I just wanted to thank you for the deal we cut. I wanted to let you know that you can call off your P.I. I’ll be leaving town in the morning.”
“Then he’ll be with you for another forty eight hours, just to make sure you’re solid on your word,” I said.
“You really love her, don’t you?” he asked.
“Not that I care to defend myself to you, but yes,” I said.
“Ah, well. I guess even someone like her could snag someone.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“See ya around, Colin.”
I clenched my fist as the call went dead. Immediately after the call, I got a text from Arthur. It confirmed what Derek had said about him leaving town, and I told Arthur to stay on him and make sure that actually took place. There was something I still didn’t trust about this guy. Even if he was just trying to get under my skin, I wasn’t cutting any corners just because he decided to pay me a friendly phone call.
“Colin?” Abby asked. “Everything okay?”
I took a deep breath and put on my best smile before I walked out.
“So sorry. Just a work call,” I said.
“Something wrong?” she asked. “You look a bit pale.”
“Actually, it was good news. I’m—cautiously optimistic.”
“Well, that’s good then. We can toast to it,” she said.
“Sounds like a plan. To futures unspoken and blossoming love.”
I poured us each a glass of wine before we clinked them together.
“Here-here,” she said.
The evening was relaxing and just what we needed. We ate dinner at the table and talked, laughing over work gossip and catching each other up on things around the city. I listened as she talked about her apartment, her eyes lighting up with each and every word. A part of me was still aching for her to move back in. Aching to hold her at night and wake up to her scent underneath my nose. But the way her eyes twinkled with her independence, and the way she was so excited about decorating—I didn’t have the heart to tell her how much I missed her.
How much I worried about her.
Our conversation moved from the kitchen to the couch as we polished off the bottle of wine. We sat there, her body
