Mark isn’t stupid enough to put something to a vote and lose. He’ll give in before that happens, and he’s almost out of time. I really am in the mood to celebrate.
We sit and order our drinks. I can’t help but stare at Kaylee as she wipes a stray band of thick black hair away from her face.
I’m a different man with her around. I know it, Liam knows it, hell even the board of directors can see it. Tonight is about impending victory, but somehow it leaves me feeling empty. I don’t want to think about tomorrow and getting back to my old life. My life without her.
“You okay?” she asks, her adorable eyebrows knitted in concern.
I almost forget to answer, I’m so mesmerized by her lips. “Yes. I’m okay.” You’re here with me, and now things are okay.
“I’ve decided,” she announces as she closes her menu.
“What’s the verdict?”
“Souffle. The one with the dark chocolate sauce and the vanilla crème.”
I rub my jaw with my hand, pretending to think, but I know I’m going to go along with whatever she chooses.
The waiter appears and she orders first, then the waiter looks at me. “I’ll have the same.” Then I reconsider. “Hold on,” I say to the waiter, “we’ll have two of everything on the menu that has chocolate on it or in it or drizzled on it.”
“Very good, sir,” the waiter says and then disappears.
I flash a smile at Kaylee and nearly get lost in those brown eyes. “Well, are we celebrating or what?”
“Well played, sir,” she says with a smile of her own. “Thank you, Chase.” She looks happy and relaxed. And now it’s just me, her, and the romantic candle in front of us. I look into her eyes and I know that I’d do anything for her.
“Tell me about your family.”
Anything except that. I clear my throat and look down.
“C’mon,” she prompts, “there must have been some good times in there somewhere.”
“Well, you’ve met my siblings,” I smirk. “You tell me.”
The waiter comes with our desserts and saves me. I drool over my luscious looking souffle before I dig in.
“Mmhhhhmmmmmmhhhhhhhmm.” Kaylee moans loudly when I take a bite, on purpose.
“You okay over there?” I ask.
“No,” she answers as she shovels in another bite, “this is amazing, Chase. It’s all so good I can barely breathe.”
I smile and take a bite. “Okay, you’re right. I’m not going to go full When Harry Met Sally fake orgasm like you did. But I have to hand it to you, it was a bold choice.”
“Thank you. And who said it was fake?”
Chapter Forty-Four
Kaylee
I savor every bite in relative silence for a few moments. I can’t concentrate again until my plate is empty.
I want to lick the plate, but I don’t want people to see me lick the plate. I wonder for a moment if I could get away with tipping the plate over my mouth to let the last of the souffle drippings fall onto my tongue, but then I sigh and think better of it. Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, Chase’s brother and sister.
“Well, I think your sister’s sweet,” I begin. “And your brother looked like he was making a real effort to sway the board of directors in your favor. He helped us that once on purpose and then again without knowing.”
“Fine, point taken,” he concedes. Then he takes a sip of his drink and smiles.
I smile back and take a deep breath. The next topic is harder. But there’s something I want to talk to him about. “Do you really even want the company?”
He spit a part of the sip he was taking back into the glass. Then he spent the next thirty seconds or so coughing and sputtering. “What?”
I shake my head. As much as I’m starting to have feelings for him, he’s leaving tomorrow whether I like it or not. And I have a truth bomb to drop on him. “It’s just that whenever you talk or think about work, you get those little frown lines above your forehead.” I point.
He wrinkles up his forehead not realizing he’s proving my point.
“See? You’re doing it right now and all I did was bring it up.”
“That company is my life. I’ve been working toward this for years, and I’m not going to give it up now. Look at everything I,” he catches himself, “I mean we just went through to make it happen.”
I hold my hand up in mock surrender. “I know, I know. I’m not saying I won’t continue to help you win, Chase. I just want you to think about what winning means. Is this company your passion? Is it really what you want to do with your life?”
“What are you saying?” he asks defensively.
I think about it. Then I make eye contact and smirk at him. “Soccer!” I spit out the word at him and then pause. “See? The minute I say the word, the frown lines disappear, and your face relaxes.”
“Technically, in most of the world, it’s called football,” he corrects.
“I don’t care,” I say sweetly. “Not the point. All I’m saying is that in one, two, five years from now where do you see yourself? I just want you to be happy. But hey, it’s really none of my business.” I smile and take a sip of my drink and do my best to let him know that I’m done with this particular conversation. He seems a little defensive.
“Are you happy?” he asks.
I don’t get angry when he turns the question back on me. I consider it. “I think I will be. According to a big shot Covington I know, my chocolate can go up against any other candy company in this town.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Kaylee
Tonight has been practically perfect. Everything is going great. Chase is on the verge of getting what he wants, and I got both champagne
