It was too late to pull those words back from being out in the world, but Kat didn’t think she would even if it was possible.
Leo shot up to a seated position. “You mean that?”
She sat upright as well and he pulled her into his lap. Kat laughed, her arms around the back of his neck. “I do.”
“You’d really open a second location? Move out here?”
“Well, it’s not a sure thing, Leo?—”
“I know. But it’s an amazing idea. You’ve said yourself it’s a pain to have to travel to the west coast when you have to deal with clients out that way. It would be easier if you had offices out this way, right?”
“Right…” she drawled. The smile on her face was beginning to make the muscles in her cheeks ache.
“Then you should do it. Fight for it. Your dad would need someone to run the location out this way. And Chaz could have the one in New York.”
She hadn’t thought about it that far, but Leo was right about that, too. There would be no need for an arranged marriage. She wouldn’t have to fight Chaz for the lead position. This was a brilliant solution to a lot of things she didn’t like about her job.
Leo gripped the back of her neck and pulled her closer. He pressed his forehead against hers. “I want you here, Kat. I want you to stay with me.”
Her breath caught in her throat. He’d never been so open about how he felt about her. Neither one of them had confessedtheir feelings beyond acknowledging that they were present. Was he suggesting that his feelings ran even deeper than she’d expected?
Heart flipping at the notion, she pulled back and framed his face with both of her hands. It would have been so easy to tell him that she felt the same way. But there was one niggling thing that held her back.
She could bring the job out here and she didn’t doubt she would love it. But would she be sacrificing the rest? Living in New York was more than just the job. It was the lifestyle. The hustle and bustle of being around so many people. Wouldn’t she miss it?
Shoving aside those pangs of doubt, she forced a smile. “I’ll see what I can do.” With that, she pressed her lips to his and allowed herself to get lost in his touch.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The endof the year was fast approaching, and Kat hadn’t discussed her plans for how she wanted to approach her father about a new corporate location. Leo scratched at the back of his neck as he hovered in the new therapy building while Kat continued to jot down notes regarding their progress. To the outside world, she was still the cutthroat businesswoman her father had raised her to be.
Their time together was swiftly coming to a close. The contractors had done a good job—better than good, they’d been exceptional at getting the project completed on time. Soon Kat would be returning to New York and Leo wasn’t entirely sure she was going to come back.
His palms were clammy as he continued to observe her. She was a vision even in her jeans and boots as she spoke to the foreman regarding the final touches they’d be working on in the next coming weeks.
And all Leo could do was fret about the possibility that Kat had changed her mind.
He needed to know where they stood.
Was she going to stay even if her father refused her suggestion to build a new location? Heck, while it was built, would she even be here to oversee it? His brain was working in overdrive as he considered every single thing that could go wrong.
Leo hadn’t wanted to push her too hard. Up until their little escapades in the snow, Kat had been determined to return home and never look back. But then she’d offered him a grain of hope.
Dang it all!
He was obsessing now. He couldn’t get her out of his head and it was starting to mess with his sleeping habits.
Dragging a hand down his face, he turned away from where Kat stood and came face to face with Tripp.
His cousin smirked. “How’s it going, cousin?”
Leo couldn’t even muster a smile. After that wedding date, he’d put Tripp in his place. Thankfully, his cousin had stopped pushing his buttons when it came to Kat and gave them the space Leo had needed to win Kat over.
But now there were bigger issues at play.
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Not great.”
That had Tripp’s smile fleeing his face and he glanced over Leo’s shoulder to where Kat stood in her meeting. “Trouble in paradise?”
