The bottom dropped out of my stomach, sinking all the way to my toes.Chicago. Gregory. My father. Reality.
Shit. I slid my fingers around his neck, pressing my palms to his skin and swallowing hard. “I don’t want to go back.”
I didn’t want to step into that world again. All I wanted was this house, this man, and this life we were building.
Trent leaned into my touch, his eyelids fluttering shut for a moment. “You don’t have to come, baby. I can handle it. My lawyer is going too, so we’ll be fine if they try to get nasty about it.”
“Sure, but I can’t hide forever,” I said quietly. “Can I come? I know I don’t have to, and thank you for trying to protect me, but I want to be there.”
He nodded immediately. “Yeah. Of course you can come. I want you there. But…”
“But?” I prompted when he trailed off and didn’t pick back up again. “But what?”
His hands settled on my hips in a firm grip, those eyes hot and serious on mine. “If you come with me, you stay with me. No sneaking off and no letting Stella set you up on any more blind dates.”
Heat flushed through me, embarrassment mixing with the tiniest spark of relief that he even cared. “That was one time.”
“Once was enough,” he countered, lifting an eyebrow with the tiniest hint of amusement flickering in his gaze, but then he sighed and blinked the light humor away. “I want you by my side, Charlotte. The whole time. No disappearing acts. No martyring yourself. No letting your father get you alone and twist this into something it’s not.”
“Okay,” I whispered. “I won’t.”
He cupped my jaw with one hand, his thumb brushing the corner of my mouth. “Good. It’s you and me, yeah?”
I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to his and smiling. “You’re so dramatic sometimes.”
“Not nearly as dramatic as you,” he fired back, grinning now.
I kissed him before he could say anything else, a slow, lingering press of mouths that curled the corner of his lips into a wider smile.
“Chicago doesn’t stand a chance against us,” I murmured between kisses.
“Honey,” he murmured, pulling me closer and letting out a quiet laugh. “I think that’s what I’m afraid of.”
CHAPTER 40
TRENT
Chicago was the same as always, loud, impatient, and convinced it was the center of the universe. Charlotte and I had landed late last night and we’d barely left my apartment building this morning when Alex texted, an ominous sign that this trip was going to be exactly as hectic as I’d expected.
AW: We’re waiting for you in the conference room. Bring caffeine and a miracle.
I didn’t have caffeine. Or a miracle. Just my usual optimism, which was running on fumes. Especially as I dropped Charlotte off to catch up with Stella while I went to meet with her brother.
She climbed out of the car but ducked back in where I was still sitting on the back seat and pressed a lingering kiss to my lips, her blue eyes bright, but worried. “Let me know how it goes?”
“Of course.”
“See you soon,” she whispered against my mouth. “Stay out of trouble, husband.”
“Stay away from blind dates, wife,” I replied, even managing a smile just for her, but as soon as she laughed and stepped away from the car, slamming the door behind her, that last burst of humor vanished.
Charlotte took off down the sidewalk to wherever she was meeting her friend and I turned my thoughts to what lay ahead. I really didn’t have much detail about what I was walking into, but Jameson had seemed grim—and he didn’t do grim.
When I finally pushed open the door to their executive conference room, Alex was standing with his hands braced on the table, looking like a man who’d spent the last two hours deep-throating legal jargon. He glanced up at me and exhaled in a way that did not bode well.
“What is it?” I asked, shutting the door behind me.
Alex raked a hand through his hair. “Gregory brought in a lawyer.”
