“Good. Because this…” he motions between us as he grips my hips to lift me a few inches tighter to his waist, “is where you belong.”
“Going to trap me in your castle?”
“Tempting, but we need you at the office for your work ethic,” he jokes.
I touch his forehead with my own, and my fingers play with the hairs on the back of his neck. “What am I going to do?” I purr.
He nuzzles his nose against mine then kisses the corner of my mouth. “You have me,” he murmurs.
As I’m lost in the trance that he always puts me in, somehow my thoughts and feelings connect as pieces fall into place. I'm not overthinking.
It’s the reason why I confess so easily in a whisper, “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
23
HAYES
Elodie and I sit down at a new little coffee spot a few blocks from the office. The place is bustling with people on a late weekday morning, but we managed to find a small Parisian-style table after ordering. Holiday lights and garland fill the place.
It’s been a week since she confessed that she’s falling for me. I can’t say much has changed, since we were already developing a rhythm as a family. The only thing I notice is that both our feelings have been laid on the table, which has made things easier. She seems more comfortable, too.Maybe she was walking on eggshells before because she was keeping it all in. That’s not the case anymore. Me? I feel rejuvenated. I have her where I wanted her to be. Running away wasn’t an option for her, whether she realized it or not.
“Finally got you to sneak off.” I grin.
She adjusts her coat on the back of the chair. “Yeah, figured I can grab an early lunch. Shake things up.”
Elodie has definitely become more relaxed, or rather, testing boundaries of what she is comfortable with. We arrive at work together sometimes, but I still won’t see her showingup to my office, though interrupting our workday for some alone time is good.
“I’m not complaining.” We both settle into our seats to wait for the barista to finish making our drinks.
She smiles brightly. “I’m sure you’re not.”
I pull out my phone to swipe the screen for a picture of Lola finger painting. “Did you see what daycare sent?”
“Most parents use this opportunity in a café to have normal, non-child-related moments.”
“I get the hint.” I stuff my phone back into my pocket.
“Subtle, wasn’t I?”
“A little.”
The barista arrives with our coffees and a muffin, and we thank her before she scurries back behind the counter.
“Santa has been busy,” I warn her.
“Yeah, well, please tell Santa that he needs to discuss his decisions with me.” She grins.
We’ve talked about it, and we will attempt to make this a low-key holiday season going forward. Sure, we’ll have a tree. She said we have to leave the city and go to a farm called Olive Owl. It’s run by the Blisswood family that has ties to Everhope, and it’s tradition to go. My mom will fly in, and we’ll do a repeat of Thanksgiving on the invite scale, except I’ve been scolded for the whole catering at Thanksgiving and am under strict orders that our moms will be cooking. Okay, I guess this isn’t going to be low-key after all.
“We also have the company holiday party,” she says, broaching the topic.
I struggle to fight a grin. “And? You have an issue with that?”
She rolls her eyes at me. “It just crossed my mind that people normally bring their significant others, and mine just happens to be you who already works there.”
“I’m being thrown into significant-other category. That’s promising.”
“It will stay that way if you ensure we keep it professional at the party. I’m sure you’ll be busy schmoozing with everyone.”
