Page 31 of Let Me Love You

Serenity doesn’t have to do it all alone. “I can carry the food.”

She gives me a wary look as if this is a trap but doesn’t argue as she hands over the bag.

A few minutes later, we step out of the elevator that leads directly into my office. My skin suddenly feels itchy. What if Serenity takes one look at my business and deems it unworthy? She worked as a nurse for ten years—I investigated her history—so she’s been helping people for years while my company makes technology. Her diligence as a nurse has probably helped hundreds of people. My tech is a want, not a need.

Martha sits at her desk like the sentry she is. Something has her attention on her computer, but she still says, “I’m so happy to see you again.”

Summer buries her face into Serenity’s shoulder. Sometimes I have to remember Summer is a shy girl. I’m not sure if it was the tree house or the bubbles, but she doesn’t hide behind her mother when it comes to me. No, sometimes, she searches me out if she knows I’m home.

“It’s a pleasure,” Serenity says in a demure tone, so unlike her.

Martha starts typing something before she finally looks up at us from behind her thick glasses. “Is there anything else you need me to do?”

“Can you cancel all of my appointments after my meeting with the marketing team?”

Martha nods, and I lead Serenity and Summer into my office. Shutting the door, I find the duo standing in the middle of the room, taking it all in. Summer’s wide green eyes roam over the swords I have mounted on the wall behind my desk that was handed down to my father by my grandfather and then to me when I took over as CEO a little over ten years ago.

“Mommy, are those big knives?” Summer asks, pointing at my swords.

“No, they’re swords.”

“Why does Bubba have them at work?”

When Serenity turns to me, Summer follows her lead.

I clear my throat. No one in the history of me owning these has ever inquired why I have them. “My grandfather claimed he used the swords to fight off home invaders.”

Summer’s eyes widen so big they look like saucers. “Really?”

I lean over as if I’m telling her a secret. “That’s what he says, but I think he’s lying in order to sound cool.”

Thinking of him makes me wonder why he put the marriage stipulation in order to remain CEO. I’m lucky I was able to convince him to push back the age to thirty-five. I didn’t want to rush into a union when I was young and regret it for the rest of my life like my parents.

My thoughts stray to my father who was all but abandoned by my mother during his heart attack and recovery. That was almost my fate.

I turn my attention back to Serenity. Her gaze is firmly on the pictures on my desk. I have one of Martha and me from nine years ago when I successfully launched my first product, the XT computer. And the only other picture is of my father, Isabella, and me from when we were teenagers. It was a rare time I was home from boarding school. My father took the day off, and we went to get ice cream.

Isabella and I were probably the only two teens who had a blast doing something so juvenile with our father. We ate mint chocolate chip until we had brain freezes.

Serenity comes forward and places the bag on my desk. “I brought some pasta. Do you like Italian? I can’t believe I didn’t even think to ask that.”

I nod. “There are a lot of good places in the city. My favorite place is Luigi’s on—”

“Fifth street?” she asks hopefully.

“Yes, it’s the best.”

She takes everything out, spaghetti, ravioli, garlic bread. By the time she grabs the plates and plastic forks from the bag, my mouth is watering.

“I knew you’d be hungry,” Serenity says on a laugh, and she helps Summer into one of the leather chairs. “You didn’t have breakfast before you left.”

“Oh, you noticed that, huh?”

She lifts a shoulder. “There’s not a lot to do when I don’t know anyone other than you.”

My stomach twists in a thousand little knots as if there’s a bunch of bees inside. A woman like Serenity isn’t meant to be a stay-at-home trophy wife, and she already told me she wants to work. Which is why I have devised a plan. All I need is more than two minutes to myself to get everything together.

“Mommy notices everything.” Summer leans forward and whispers, “She even knows if you don’t brush your teeth.”