He snorted. “Look at those shoulder pads.”
“Sure, it’s a time capsule, but Angela was a fantastic role model. I’d never seen a woman boss before.”
“Never?”
Solemnly, I shook my head. “It was rare back in the ’80s. Like, even the title is a joke. A man and a woman are living together, and she’s the one with the big job, while he’s the caregiver. Ha ha.” I set down the remote. “My parents followed the traditional gender roles, and that worked for them, but watching Angela was eye-opening. She had a job and a house. She was a great mom, but she didn’t feel obligated to try to do it all. She hired Tony to help with her son and the house so she could kick ass at work.”
“Seems like a no-brainer to hire a housekeeper and a nanny.”
“To a guy, sure. But women, even today, feel so much guilt about the trade-offs of motherhood. Like my sisters. They want to advance at work, but they also want to be the ones to stay home and care for the kids when they’re sick. That’s why I…” I bit my lip and stared at Cole’s face, clocking his neutral expression.
“Why you didn’t have kids of your own?” he finished for me. Gently, he asked, “Did you want kids?”
My chest tightened. There was no right answer to that one. How many guys had argued with me about how I should prioritize having a family, especially as my fertility ticked down like the enormous digital clock in New York? “Yes. But not more than I wanted to succeed at my job.” I held my breath.
“Fair.” He nodded. “I might have made a similar decision if Zara hadn’t wanted a baby.”
“What about now? Do you want more kids?” I scanned his expression for any hint of how he felt about it.
“I love Caitlyn, and she’s plenty for me. She’s a big fan of yours.” He stroked my hair. “You could be the Angela to her Alyssa Milano, if you want the job.”
My insides went all gooey. “I’d love to be her role model.”
“Someday, when you’re ready, we can talk about you becoming her stepmom.”
My heart rate kicked up. “What?”
He squeezed my hand. “When you’re ready.”
“O-okay.” A few days ago, I’d hated Cole’s guts. Hell, for the better part of a year, I’d despised him. And now we were talking about marriage?
“I can see this is moving a little too fast for you.” He stroked my cheek. “We’ve got time. And if you want a baby…”
“No, I’m good.” Pretty soon, I was going to need to find a paper bag to breathe into.
“Okay.” Gently, he kissed me. “Whatever you want. All I want is for you to be happy. With me.”
Oxygen eased back into my lungs. It was like slipping into one of those ’80s-style oversized sweaters and tucking my fingers into the baggy sleeves. “I think I can manage that.” I tipped my face up and kissed him. My kiss was firm. A promise.
But Cole Campion always had to one-up me. He deepened the kiss, delving with his tongue, nipping with his teeth, and reminding me of the kisses he’d planted across my skin last night that left me gasping. When we were both breathless, I pulled back, panting. “What was that for?”
One corner of his mouth tilted up. “I don’t want there to be any question. I love you, and you’re the boss.”
Power flooded my body. I swung my leg across his lap and straddled him. “I love you too. And I’m willing to negotiate a power-sharing agreement.”
“God, I love a woman who knows what she wants.”
“And I love a man who can give it to me. All night.”
It was a few hours after midnight when I finally dropped, exhausted, onto Cole’s soft sheets. And as his arms tightened around me and I drifted off to sleep, I sent up a prayer of gratitude to be starting the new year with my new love, knowing it would be the first of many.
EPILOGUE 2
JUSTINE
Itried not to roll my eyes as I scanned the selection of quippy buttons on the ring-stained table. It was only the end of January, and this was my fourth divorce party of the year. I shifted asideI never liked himandI helped her move outand something about a teeny weenie to a100% That Bitchpin—after all, that’s what Savannah’s ex had called me. I pinned it to the lapel of the suit jacket I hadn’t had time to change out of after work.
“Hi, Justine.” Bridget’s voice was dreamy. She was wearing her usual four-inch platforms, but she moved like she was floating on a cloud. Funny how getting good dick on the regular did that to a woman. She picked up theShe deserves betterbutton and pinned it to her dress.
