Page 78 of Let Me Love You

Summer listens, and Serenity shuts the door behind her. She turns her heated gaze off me and to Rose. My super-hot wife prowls to my ex, and just when I think she’s about to grab her by the hair, she says, “You sent me that text from Victor, didn’t you?”

I furrow my eyebrows and pull out my phone. I don’t see any new messages other than the ones between us.

Rose straightens. “I thought you might want to see how your husband spends his lunch breaks.”

I jump to my feet to defend myself, but Serenity shoots me a glare, and I freeze.

“I know this is all a ploy to get me upset and divorce him, but it won’t work. Victor would never cheat on me.”

My heart swells as Serenity defends me. Me. The man she claims she could never date for real when any other woman would’ve taken one look inside my office and deemed me a cheating scumbag.

“Wow, you must really want his money to look past his—”

“Get out,” I say through gritted teeth. When Rose looks like she’s about to argue, I hold up my hand. “Bring this proposal to Mr. Choi. You have good ideas that they can use, but I cannot work with you if this is how you’ll act.”

Rose presses her thin lips into a flat line but packs up her laptop, leaving her empty food containers littered across my desk. She says nothing as she leaves, but I don’t miss the scathing look she gives Serenity.

Before Rose can exit my office, I’m in front of Serenity, pulling her into my arms. I kiss the top of her head, and she sinks into me. Every muscle in me relaxes. She’s really not mad at me.

The moment the door closes behind Rose, I say, “I’m sorry you have to deal with this kind of stuff. If I didn’t drag you into my mess—”

Serenity’s lips press against mine. Not urgently but in the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had. Her lips move over mine slowly as if she’s drinking me up, savoring how our lips feel pressed against each other’s.

She pulls back and looks up at me with fire in her eyes. “I have to admit, at first, I was shocked, but after what your mother put you through, you’d never cheat.”

My heart clenches. She’s everything I’ve always wanted in a woman. My throat clogs.

“Rose must’ve gotten my phone while I went to grab plates for her. And then she must’ve deleted the message after sending it. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Serenity touches my cheek for a few seconds before she backs toward the door. “I’ll head home now so you can finish work. We can’t be late to see your father.”

I want to tell her that isn’t necessary, but Serenity looks like a deer caught in headlights, and I don’t want to push her any farther. All of this is because of me, so instead I walk Serenity out.

Summer jumps to her feet. “Bubba, Martha was telling me about how hard you work.”

I force a chuckle. Summer doesn’t need our problems dampening her happiness. “Some days are harder than others, but I love it here.”

“Are you going to give me your new phone?” Her sweet, innocent voice pulls me in, and I’m about to say yes.

“No, you can’t have a two-thousand-dollar phone. You’re only four,” Serenity says, beating me to my answer.

Summer’s lips shape downward, and I can’t help but say, “So, maybe when you’re five.” And then I wink.

“Yay!” Summer drags the word out.

“Thanks a lot for that,” Serenity says, rolling her eyes. But I swear it was the most loving roll of eyes possible. “We’ll see you at home.”

The beautiful duo leaves, and I head back to my office without looking at Martha. After I close my door, I lean against it and whisper into the void, “My dad will love them as much as I do.”

Chapter 34

Serenity

Imeant what I said to Victor. I believe he wouldn’t ever cheat on a partner even if it wasn’t a love match but a business arrangement. After watching him break into a million pieces about his mother’s infidelity, he’d never inflict that on someone else. And the fact he trusted me with that kind of information—the kind that could destroy him—blows me away.

While he’s been offering up his heart to me on a silver platter, I’ve been keeping him at arm’s length. But how can I give him mine when it isn’t even whole?

Summer twirls around in her pink dress while we wait for Victor to arrive home. Right as that thought enters my brain, the front door opens, and Victor strides inside. Summer stops spinning and bolts over to him, tripping over her own feet.