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“Babe,” Selene greets me as I walk into the casino, throwing herself straight into my arms.

And I mean all of her—her arms wrapped around my neck, her legs firmly locked around my waist.

By now, both the employees and I are already used to it. Actually, used to it isn’t the right word when it comes to me.

I love it.

I’m fucking addicted to it.

I’ve discovered that Selene is incredibly affectionate and attentive. She has absolutely no problem expressing her love in public and never hesitates when it comes to romantic gestures. Of course, she doesn’t cross any lines, but she’s never shy about touching me or making it obvious how happy she is to see me.

And after working side by side every single day for an entire month, all of us—me, her, and our teams—have formed such a close bond that everything feels natural now.

She acts around them the same way she acts around my brothers, Sierra, and Thalia.

In this past month, we didn’t just build a relationship. We built a life together.

Laughing, I grip her by the waist—because we are technically at work, and I can’t grab her ass the way I actually want to—and steal a long kiss from her lips.

Once I set her back down in front of me, I turn her around and pull her against my chest, resting my chin on top of her head. I take a moment just to breathe her in, savoring the dose of her I constantly crave, before lifting my gaze to the place around us.

We’re in the final stretch, finishing the project three days ahead of the contract deadline I gave them.

“I can’t believe we’re actually finishing today,” I admit, genuinely taken aback by how quickly the time has passed. “I’m going to miss this,” I add with a smile.

Turning in my embrace, she tilts her head back with a wide grin.

“You can always come to work with me, babe,” she says happily. “I definitely wouldn’t complain.”

We both laugh, and I lean down to kiss her one more time, quick and soft.

“Can you all come over here for a second, please?” I call out loudly enough for everyone in the different rooms to hear me.

One by one, both teams gather in front of me as I keep a hand resting on Selene’s shoulder.

“I know we’re not quite done yet,” I begin, “but in a few hours, we’ll officially finish this project. And I want to thank all of you for the effort you put into it, for the dedication and commitment you’ve shown every single day.”

I pause, lowering my gaze to Selene, who is already staring at me, her eyes wide and shining with unshed tears.

“And for the professionalism with which you handled every problem.”

Then I lift my eyes back to everyone standing in front of me.

“To thank you properly, I arranged a one-week vacation for each of you—and your families—in a destination that’s a little more…” I grin slightly. “Let’s call it exotic.”

“No way.”

“Seriously?”

“That’s incredible.”

“I can’t wait.”

Excited reactions erupt all around us, and hearing them only makes me feel better about the decision.

“Are you serious?” Selene asks softly, almost cautiously.