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Her laughter fills the kitchen, soft and warm, and the sound settles somewhere deep inside me.
She shakes her head, clearly amused, but doesn’t offer a response.
Meanwhile, the coffee machine finishes, and I grab both mugs before walking back to her. I set them down on the counter and take the stool to her left, turning slightly so I can keep her in my line of sight.
“Any updates from your team?”
“Yeah.” She reaches for the coffee, wrapping both hands around the mug. “They called this morning because neither of us showed up, and they didn’t have the key. But your people contacted your assistant, and apparently she went there with Ethan and opened up for them.”
I stare at her for a second.
I’d forgotten we actually had work today.
This morning, the only thing on my mind had been pulling her back into bed and falling asleep again, perfectly content with her curled up beside me.
“I’m sorry you guys have to work nonstop, pixie,” I say quietly. “Maybe I pushed the deadlines too hard, but…”
“Zayn, I understand how important this project is to you.”
She cuts me off gently, reaching across the small space between us and resting her hand over mine.
“And the financial compensation is really good for my team. None of them mind the schedule, I promise. I wouldn’t have accepted the offer without talking to them first.”
Her thumb brushes lightly over my knuckles, an absentminded gesture that makes her words hit even harder.
Every single day at work, I’ve noticed how good she is as a boss.
She makes sure her people take breaks whenever they need them. She checks that they’re wearing the proper equipment. She pays attention when someone looks exhausted and never pushes anyone past their limit just because a deadline is approaching.
And now she’s confirming that she compensates them properly, too.
It shouldn’t surprise me.
But it does.
“You’re doing an incredible job as a designer, Selene.”
It’s not the first time I’ve told her that, but I feel the need to remind her.
I know nobody will ever come close to replicating what we’re building together, and the thought alone fills me with a kind of pride I can’t quite put into words.
“Thank you.”
Her smile softens as she leans down and presses a quick kiss to my lips.
“We eat, shower, and then leave?”
“Yes, babe.”
I lift a hand, brushing my thumb gently across her cheek.
“Let’s get back to work.”
✨
Thirty minutes later, we’re in the car, heading to the casino.
I decided to drive today, mostly because I wanted the privacy. No driver. No security hovering close enough to hear every conversation. Just the two of us, alone in the car.
