“You said yes?” I search her deep brown eyes for any trace of humor or amusement. Instead, I realize gold flecks circle her irises, and it’s mesmerizing.
She nods her head once, and my heart takes off.
Not because I love her and it’s the happiest moment of my life, but because a weight that’s been sitting on my shoulders, compressing down continuously, has finally been lifted.
“Yes,” I repeat the word. For a moment, I squeeze my eyes shut and then open them. She’s still here, in my arms, and…
In my arms.
A throat clears, and I suddenly have the need to build a tiny house halfway underground and live my life as a very tall hobbit. My whole team is watching me embrace her.
I shove Hayden away from me, and she stumbles over her heels before catching herself against the table.
She smooths down the front of her tantalizing skirt.Maybe I should ban that instead of her heels.
“I’m sorry,” I hurriedly state. Those words are getting easier to say with practice, though I don’t know if that’s a good thing. That I have to say it so often.
“It’s fine,” she mumbles.
“Hayden, can I see you outside for a moment?” I don’t dare look around at my team, though the silence seems to broadcast their every thought.
The boss has a thing for Hayden?
Is this appropriate?
A secret political affair?
Should we say anything?
“Of course, Mr. Marshall.” Her smile is biting and tone sarcastic.
I turn on my heel and walk out of the conference room, already heading for my private nook. Her heels echo behind me.
We arrive at the door, and I hold it open for her to pass through.
“Don’t shove me to the floor from behind,” she says with squinted eyes, passing me by and entering the room.
Why did it have to be the most obnoxious, stubborn woman that I fell in trust with?
“This will be a long eight years if you keep up that attitude.” I close the door and turn around to Hayden seated in my chair like she owns it. She smirks, crossing one leg over the other and tapping her fingers in unison against the forearms ofmychair.
“Oh, Mr. Marshall. The fun is just beginning.”
I bend at the waist to look her dead in the face. The close contact and prolonged eye contact have me a bit squirmy, but I press on hoping she’s feeling the same uneasiness. “In that case, call me Darcy.”
She’s not getting out now.
Chapter Eleven
Hayden
Astack of papers hits my distressed white desk with a soft thud. Annoyed, I inhale through my nose and then cut my eyes upward, not bothering to tilt my head in the direction of the hovering man. I know who it is, and I know he knows throwing papers on my desk without explanation is a pet peeve of mine.
“What’s this?” I ask, biting my tongue to try and keep the snark under wraps.
“The marriage contract.”
Papers threaten to cut my fingers as I quickly flip through the pages, counting them.
