“It’s a date.”
He kisses me one more time, quick and sweet, then becomes Damon Blackwell again—shoulders back, expression neutral, ready to face his board meeting.
I watch him go, then head back to my office with a ridiculous smile on my face.
Chapter Thirty-Four
MARLEY
The rest of the day flies by. Conference calls, brainstorming sessions, approving mock-ups for the new campaign. By the time five o’clock rolls around, I’m exhausted but satisfied.
This is what fulfillment feels like.
Not just a job, but a career I’m building myself, something I can be proud of.
My phone rings as I’m packing up my laptop. Victoria’s name pops up on the screen.
“Hey, Vic. What’s up?”
“Hey, girl. Quick question. Are you free Saturday afternoon?”
“I think so. Why?”
“Baby shower planning. I need your creative eye, and honestly, I need someone to save me from the boys. Koa wants to hire sumo suits, and Deek thinks we should have a bouncy castle.”
I laugh, the image perfectly absurd and perfectly them. “A bouncy castle at a baby shower?”
“That’s what I said! Please come save me. Two o’clock at the clubhouse?”
“I’ll be there. Bring wine?”
“Please. Even though I can’t drink it, I’ll live vicariously through you.”
After we end the call, I shoot Nitro a text letting him know about Saturday. His response is immediate.
Nitro the Nice Uber Guy:Perfect. I’ll be in Chapel most of the day anyway. Club business.
Me:Everything okay?
Nitro the Nice Uber Guy:All good. Just need to finalize some things with the gold shipment. Nothing for you to worry about, Small Town.
The gold business. Right.The gray area that still makes me a tiny bit uncomfortable, but that I’ve learned to accept as part of loving a man in an MC. They’re not dealing drugs or hurting people.
By the time I get home, Queenie and Millie are laughing in the kitchen, surrounded by cooling racks of cookies that smell as if I have gone to heaven. Millie looks happier than I’ve seen her in months, her smile genuine and relaxed.
“Marley,” she calls when I walk in. “Try this one. New recipe. Salted caramel chocolate chip.”
I take the offered cookie and bite into it. Sweet, salty, rich, perfect. “Oh my God. Millie, this is incredible.”
She beams, and I notice the way her eyes dart toward the door because she’s hoping someone else might walk in. Someone tall, broad, and currently a prospect who’s too noble for his own good.
“Is Will coming by later?” I ask casually, watching her reaction.
Her cheeks flush pink. “I don’t know. Maybe. He texted earlier asking if I needed a ride home.”
Queenie and I exchange a look. We’ve both been watching Will and Millie dance around each other for months now, and it’s simultaneously sweet and frustrating.
“You should tell him how you feel,” I suggest gently.
