“It truly is. With their donation, we’ve provided funding to over twenty families in the Vancouver Island area. That was the donor’s only request, that funding stay local to where he lives.”
As soon as she says that, I know exactly who the donor is.
I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. “I’m so happy for all of those families, and again, thank you for approving my son’s application.”
“It was truly our pleasure, Isla. Take care.”
The call ends, and I let my phone fall into my lap, only to have it drop to the floor when I abruptly stand. Leaving it where it is, I walk swiftly down the hall to Luca’s office.
“How much money did you donate?”
He looks up from his computer. I watch his face go from confusion, to understanding, to a cautious sort of hopefulness, all in the span of a few seconds.
“To what, exactly?” he asks, and I choke out a laugh.
“Don’t be obtuse. You know what I’m talking about.”
He pushes away from his desk, stands, and movesslowly around to the front of it. Not coming close or touching me, as if he knows I’m a bundle of emotions that could explode at any time but not having a clue as to whether or not those emotions are happy or upset.
“I made an anonymous donation to a charity that supports an initiative near and dear to my heart.”
“You donated enough money to pay for the funding requests of over twenty families, Luca,” I whisper, feeling tears build behind my eyes again. “That’s a lot.”
He takes a cautious step forward and lifts his thumb to brush away the first droplet to break free. “I have a lot of money and I wanted to do some good with it. And I hoped this would be a way to help you and Charlie that you could accept.”
There’s no stopping the tears now. Pride be damned, I can’t be mad at him for this. I lift up on my toes and press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper.
When I lower back down, I lean in and wrap my arms around his waist. I can feel the thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat beneath my cheek as I just breathe him in. This incredible, kind, generous, and thoughtful man, who has made my son’s dream come true and helped so many others at the same time.
And my heart fills with an emotion I’ve never felt before.
I’m in love with Luca Calloway.
The song playing from his speakers changes into something instrumental, slow and moody. Luca’s hand trails down my spine to rest at the small of my back as he takes my other hand in his and lifts it to his lips for a kiss.
“Dance with me?”
A small laugh escapes me as my gaze darts toward his still-open office door. Letting him hold me the way he has been was risky enough. But dancing? Then again, it’s late enough that the office is probably empty. It’s highly likely we’re the only two people in the building, aside from the nighttime cleaning staff.
“Don’t think about it, just dance.”
I blow out a shaky breath. “Okay.”
We slowly start moving. It’s nothing fancy, just a swaying motion, side to side. But gradually, I feel my body relax again, and when he rests his cheek on the top of my head, it’s natural for me to soften into his chest. Our hands are clutched close together, resting over his heart as he moves us around in a circle. The low music, dim lighting, and steady rhythm of his heartbeat makes the rest of the world disappear. It’s just us, suspended in this one perfect moment.
The song ends, moving into another, this time with a slow, seductive rhythm. Luca’s grip on my back tightens almost imperceptibly, his fingertips digging in just above the curve of my ass. I shift against the bulge in his pants, which has been growing thicker and harder as we dance.
There hasn’t been an opportunity for us to be intimate in a couple of weeks. Between my responsibilities with Charlie, and his with the team, finding time for just the two of us is a challenge, to say the least. I know how much I’m missing the feel of him holding me, being inside of me, and I know he misses it, too.
Which is why I dig deep to find the courage to seize this opportunity. Breaking free of his hold, I ignore his look of confusion and turn, walking to his door, which Iclose and turn the lock. When I spin around to face him, he’s leaning back against his desk, a knowing look heating his gaze.
“Why, Ms. Forrester. Are you wanting to engage in some scandalous workplace behaviour?”
I arch my brow and put an extra sway in my hips as I close the distance between us. “Is it still scandalous if there’s no one around to catch us?”
As soon as I’m within reach, he’s snagging me by the waist and pulling me flush with his body. “Does it matter?”
I’m already shaking my head when he dips down to kiss me, long and deep, erasing any lingering thoughts except one.
