He hung his head. “We’ve been through this.”
“I know,” I smiled, “but you’re not listening to me.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“If you think I’m saying I love you, then yes.” It was the first timein thirteen years I had said those words to him, or any man for that matter, but his response was so much better this time. I had never seen him grin so wide. He even decided to cross the professional boundary line. He kissed me deeply and thoroughly. By the time he was done, I felt like I had just done a marathon session of belly dancing.
“Ian,” I whispered, “I want to be Kelli to you all the time.”
“Kel,” he pleaded, “just because I call you Ms. Bryant in the office doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”
“It says you don’t trust me.”
He was taken aback. “I trust you more than anyone.”
“You’re going to have to prove that,” I said in my come-hither voice.
His hands inched slowly down my back, drawing me closer to him. “How do you propose I do that?”
“Well . . . I suppose you could change my last name. You said you’d never call your wife Mrs. Greyson in the office.”
“Mmm. Mrs. Greyson, I do like the sound of that.” His lips skimmed mine.
Oh, so did I, especially when he said it. My lips played above his, teasing them. “So, do we have a deal?”
“A lifetime one.”
One Year Later
I SMILED WHEN I WALKED out of the master bath to find my husband propped up in bed typing away. I assumed he was working on a new proposal for a prospective client out of Rhode Island. We had done a demo for them last week and they were ready to sign on the dotted line. Our marketing software was making waves across the nation.
I tiptoed toward him, hands behind my back. “I thought we agreed not to bring our work home anymore.” We had both been guilty of it, though I had to say there was something sexy about him working with no shirt on.
He gave me a sheepish grin before closing his laptop and setting it on his nightstand. He pulled back the covers on my side of the bed, inviting me to join him. I casually sauntered toward him.
He tipped his head to the side. “What’s behind your back?”
“Oh, since our merger, I’ve acquired another acquisition.”
His brow crinkled. “Are you talking about the Salinger deal?”
We were working on acquiring a design firm, but that’s not what I was referring to.
I stood by the bed and slowly brought my hands around. “I was talking aboutourmerger.” I held up the pregnancy test I had just taken.
Ian blinked, and blinked some more before he came to and lunged for the test to make sure he was reading it right. “You’re pregnant?”
“Apparently, you do good work.” We had only been trying for a month.
He tossed the test to the side and reached for me, pulling me onto the bed with him. I curled up next to him and rested my head on his bare chest. “Are you happy?”
His hand glided down my bare arm. “I couldn’t be happier. How are you feeling?”
“Great so far. But . . .” I brushed my fingers across his chest. “I was kind of thinking that once the baby comes, I might want to be a fulltime domestic diva. What do you think?” It wasn’t that I didn’t love my work but being with Ian filled something in me I didn’t even know I was missing. I think there was more to that something else Boss talked about.
Ian thought for a moment. “I would miss you in the office, but I want you to do whatever makes you happy.”
I kissed his chest. “I love you.” And I did. I don’t think there was a more supportive husband around than mine. Even if we still butted heads from time to time.
