Chapter 4: Forever With The CEO: Chapter 4

I was singing at the top of my lungs while looking at the outfits I’d laid out on the bed. I was determined to have a good time tonight and wasn’t going to let anything put a damper on my mood even though the short call I’d had with Nick’s lawyer, Hugo, yesterday, hadn’t been the good news I was hoping for. Still, for now, things were great. The kids were downstairs with Doreen, whom they adored. She was in her midsixties and very good with them.

I focused on my clothing options. Summer was definitely my season. I loved Boston year-round, but there was something special about summer. I’d narrowed it down to a red dress, a yellow one, and a blue one. Even though they were all different styles, I chose based on color. Red was my favorite. The dress was simple: thin straps and a V neckline. It was pretty snug around my body, but so what?

I put it on just as I heard Nick’s voice drifting up from the backyard. How late is it?

I glanced at the clock and gasped. Shit, it was already five o’clock. How was I not ready?

I ran to the hallway window that overlooked the backyard. Opening it, I prepared to call down to Nick, but my voice got stuck in my throat. He was on all fours carrying the twins on his back. They were having the time of their lives. Doreen was standing to one side, looking at them with glee. It was definitely a sight to behold.

Finally, I found my voice. “I’ll be right down. I’m sorry.”

Nick looked up. “Take your time. We’re having fun.”

“Yes!” Annie clapped her hands.

It was so good to see those two smile. The first month had been crushing. They were crying themselves to sleep every night. I wasn’t much help because I was crying with them more often than not. I’d go in to comfort them, and then all three of us ended up having a sob session. They kept asking when Mommy and Daddy were coming back. It seemed like they were finally accepting that they weren’t.

My heart started to feel heavy at the thought, but I quickly nipped it in the bud.

Nope, Allison—tonight is for fun. Don’t think about any sad things. Nora would want you to have fun.

I headed back to my room, glancing at myself in the mirror before pairing the dress with black ballerina shoes. I wore heels at the office, but I simply refused to put my feet through that torture in my free time. Grabbing a very light jacket, I ran a hand through my hair. It was still damp, but I didn’t like using a hairdryer. I also had a very small backpack that matched my shoes.

After one last look at my reflection, I dashed down the stairs, feeling more excited than I had in months. I joined everyone outside and noticed a huge paper bag on the table.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Nick brought takeout,” Doreen said.

She smiled wholeheartedly. She’d heard of him from the kids but hadn’t met him until now. By the way she smiled, I could tell she liked him. That was good. I always trusted the judgment of the elderly. There was nothing quite like life experience.

God, the kids were so cute. I could just stay here for the rest of the evening to watch them. But then they both hopped off Nick’s back at the same time, and he rose to his feet.

Don’t ogle him, Allison. It was impossible not to, though, because Nick Whitley was absolutely breathtaking. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, the top button undone. No judgment there—it was hot outside. He’d also crumpled his sleeves up to his elbow. Not rolled, just carelessly pushed up. His jeans had a few light grass stains on his knees from crawling around, and I loved him for it.

“Ready to go whenever you are, Allison,” he said.

I turned to Doreen. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, dear. Go have fun. You need it. I’m glad you’re doing this.”

Her words took me by surprise. Doreen and I weren’t close. We mostly had a transactional relationship, although I did ask her for advice about this and that on occasion.

“Thanks.” Slowly, I looked at Nick. “I’m all yours, then. Let’s go.”

He flashed me an absolutely gorgeous smile. Were his smiles always this amazing, or was I noticing this one more for some reason?

“Come on, let’s go.”

We walked back through the house. A shiver went through me as we reached the front door. This was the first time I was spending time with Nick alone. Even when he stayed after the twins went to bed and it was just the two of us, it was different because there was someone else in the house. But now it was going to be just him and me, at least in the car.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked me as I closed the front door.

“Oh, this, that… By the way, I need to take a selfie of us.”

Nick’s eyes bulged. “Why?”

“For my mom. She didn’t quite believe that I was going out tonight, so she wants photos to make sure it happened.”

“Then by all means.” He cracked yet another devastating smile.

I took the phone out of my bag and held it toward me as Nick moved to stand behind me.

I smiled, too, and almost gasped as I felt his hand on my waist. He tilted his head closer to my shoulder to fit properly in the picture. I felt his hot breath on my cheek and his chest against my back. I swallowed hard and momentarily forgot what I was about to do.

Oh right, selfie.

I took a few pics. In the first one, Nick just smiled. In the second one, he was looking at me with a huge grin. I turned to face him.

“Why are you looking at me?” I asked as I kept clicking.

“Because I can. Isn’t that reason enough?”

Huh. What a strange thing to say.

I lowered the phone, and he let go of me, huffing out a breath. His eyes widened as if he couldn’t quite believe where his hand had been. He cleared his throat, looking at the ground for a beat.

“Let’s go to the car.”

“What are we doing tonight?” I asked.

“Everything in due course.”

It was so refreshing to be taken by surprise. I’d had to plan every minute of every day lately. It was good for someone else to take the lead so I didn’t have to think about logistics or anything else. The anticipation was amazing, and I was ready to have a fun evening.

Nick walked behind me, close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. I swear, I could still remember the way his muscles felt against my back. They’d been as hard and defined as I always imagined. Then again, he ran the most successful gym business in the country. Being fit came with the territory.

“You’re silent again,” he said.

I looked up, smiling sheepishly. What could I tell him? “I was just reaffirming to myself how hot you are”?

As I got in his Lexus, I thoroughly relaxed against the black leather seat. He joined me a few seconds later, and as soon as he closed the door, I felt something shift in the air. For the first time ever, we were truly alone.

Why was I so obsessed with this? Perhaps because my skin simmered in places it had no business simmering. My pulse was more rapid. I licked my lips, glancing out the window at the porch. Was this all because of that selfie we took? Because we’d been so close?

Jesus, I wasn’t a teenager who’d never been close to a boy. Why was I reacting like this? Maybe because I hadn’t touched a man in God knew how long. Obviously everything was going to fire up.

Yep, that was a plausible explanation.

“Allison, are you having second thoughts?” Nick asked, and I realized that perhaps he was interpreting my silence as not wanting to go.

“Not at all. This is a good thing.”

“Then why are you talking as if you’re trying to convince yourself?” He gunned the engine, and we started down the road.

“I wasn’t always like this. I was more social. I went out with friends, especially on the weekends. But ever since the twins came to live with me, I’ve had this urge to spend every free moment with them. I feel guilty if I don’t.”

“Tonight, you’re not allowed to feel guilty.” Stopping at the traffic light, he took my hand and looked me straight in the eyes.

That simmer intensified, and I had no idea how to stop it.

“You think I need your permission for that?”

“Hell yes. I’ll make you a deal.”

“Huh?”

“Every time I see you drift off, I’ll assume it’s because you’re feeling guilty. So then I’ll do something outrageous to take your mind off it.”

I cleared my throat. “You wouldn’t.”

He grinned. “I would. You don’t know me too well, Allison. Jim never told you some of our stories?”

My smile fell.

He shook his head. “Sorry. We won’t speak about Jim and Nora.”

“It feels wrong to say that,” I whispered. They’d passed away three months ago, and all I wanted was to talk about them—even though it saddened me.

Nick hesitated. “It’s not, though. We both cared about them a lot. Avoiding a topic that brings up difficult feelings isn’t wrong. Let’s just try, okay?”

I was wondering if he was doing this for his benefit as much as mine, but he did have a point. Besides, we were going out to have fun.

I nodded. “All right. Let’s jump back to what you said before. Can you define outrageous?”

“You’ll know it when you see it,” he assured me, and then he concentrated on the road again. “We’re having a barbecue along the waterfront.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea. The weather is so nice. I didn’t want to be cooped up inside.”

“I figured you wouldn’t.”

“How?” I asked.

“Because when I drop by on weekends, you’re always soaking up every bit of sun you can.”

“I’m an outdoorsy person. I like to bike. I used to do that as my workout every morning.”

“You go to the gym?”

“Why? Are you trying to sell me a membership at one of yours?”

He gave me a cheeky smile. “They are the best in the country.”

“So I’ve heard. Shame I’ve never been inside one of them.”

“It’s never too late. Let me know when you’d like to go.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, but I immediately realized it wouldn’t be doable. There was no way I could add a trip to the gym to my schedule, no matter how close to my office or house it was. I decided to share this with him so he didn’t think I was rude when I didn’t follow up. “I don’t think I’ll have time, though. Right now I’m doing a workout three times a week at home. It’s very efficient.”

“I get it,” Nick said. “No worries.”

“So, how did you even find this barbecue? What does it involve?”

“You’ll see. It’s very laid-back. I’ve been a few times with my brothers, and we enjoyed it.”

“Are any of them going to be there?”

“No, just us.”

I clapped my hands together. “I can’t wait!”

We spoke a bit about the location as we drove along, and a short while later, Nick announced, “We’re here.”

I spent a lot of time by the water, since I lived nearby, but I hadn’t been around this side of the harbor. It wasn’t exactly a harbor, though. The nearest marina was pretty far away.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place.” It looked like a beach. There was sand, lounge chairs, and umbrellas. “Nick, I think you’ve found my new favorite spot in the city.”

“Glad to be of service.”

The unmistakable scent of grilled meat was wafting through the air. I looked around, trying to trace its source. There was a bar on the left side, and right in front of it was a grill station.

“Yum,” I said, rubbing my belly. I wasn’t even hungry, but the smells were delicious.

Nick nodded in that direction. “Let’s take a look.”

There were several tables around the grill station, but most people were eating while standing at the huge counter. I could feel my limbs relax, as if they’d been holding tension for all these months and it was finally starting to melt away.

We glanced at the menu together. Nick put an arm around my shoulders, and I slowly warmed up. He was a touchy-feely person. How had I not realized it before? And why was I enjoying it so much? And his scent… wow. His aftershave was really something.

Goodness, Allison. You need to climb a man, stat, but that man will not be Nick Whitley. He’s basically the only other person in the twins’ life. No way in hell can you mess that up just because your hormones are working overtime.

“I want one of those mixed kebabs.”

As far as I could see, the cooks were the ones taking the orders as well. I wondered how they managed with so many people, but the system worked.

“Same for me,” Nick said.

“Coming right up,” the guy replied. “The drinks are on the other side.”

To my astonishment, we got our food only a few minutes later.

We each grabbed a skewer at the same time. I grinned, pressing mine to his. “Cheers!”

“Cheers, Allison. To a memorable evening.”

“Memorable? Why? Because of all these outrageous things you plan to do?” I waggled my eyebrows.

He chuckled. “I don’t plan to do them. I’ll just spontaneously come up with something if I have to.”

“So that’s the plan? You fly by the seat of your pants?”

“I’ve been doing that forever.”

I took a bite of the skewer. It was delicious.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you for that, being the CEO of such a huge company and all.”

He shook his head. “I plan things in business. There’s no way around that. But not as much as some of my brothers. And not at all in my private life.”

“What did you do today?” I asked him.

“Had brunch at my grandparents’ house.”

“Wow. Your grandparents are still alive? That’s amazing. How old are they?”

“Well into their nineties, but you wouldn’t know it.”

“And you’ve got a lot of brothers, right? I’m sorry, I’m not really up-to-date with your family. I know the Whitleys are prominent and known all over Boston, but I guess I’ve either not paid attention or have been living in my closet.” We both laughed at my joke.

When he set down his half-eaten skewer, I noticed the veins on his forearm move with the motion. I had no clue how I could find that sexy, but I did. Clearly I was losing my mind.

“There are eight of us. I have two brothers and five half brothers.”

“I think I read something about the Whitley family, but I really don’t remember the details.”

Nick frowned. “My father had a double life.”

I gasped. “Oh, I didn’t put two and two together. Wow. I assumed that maybe… You know what?” I cleared my throat. “Let’s not get into that. Sad topic and all that.”

Nick curved up a corner of his mouth. “That it is, but I don’t mind telling you.”

Now I was curious. “Okay. But only if you want to.”

“The story had an unfortunate beginning, but all of us brothers are on very good terms right now, and we’re especially close to our grandparents. We get together as often as we can. Most everyone’s married. The only ones who are still engaged are Maddox and Leo, so it’s always a full house.”

“That must be something.”

“Yes. By the way, my grandparents actually offered to look after the twins if you feel like you need help at any time.”

I jerked my head back. “But they don’t know me or the kids.”

“I know that. That’s just how they are. Obviously, you’d get to meet them and everything, but it’s just something to keep in mind.”

I was touched in ways I couldn’t even express. These perfect strangers just offered to spend time with the twins when not even Nora’s best friend ever had. I swallowed hard, thinking how kind Nick’s family was.

“Thanks. I like your grandparents already.”

He winked at me. “Something tells me they like you too.”

“How come?”

“That’s a story for another time.”

It didn’t seem like a sad story, just one he was keen to avoid for now.

We finished our skewers, then left the counter. It seemed to be an unspoken agreement between everyone that once you finished the meat, you moved away to make space for the next customers.

“Let’s get a drink,” Nick said.

“Yes, please. Something with alcohol. Not too much, though.”

He smiled. “Don’t worry, Allison. I’ll take great care of you tonight.”

“Just don’t get me drunk.”

“Would never dream of it.”

After checking what they had on offer, he said, “White wine?”

“You’ve read my mind. I’ve never really been a cocktail girl.”

Nick ordered my wine and a beer for himself.

“Let’s go a bit closer to the water,” he suggested after we received our drinks.

“Great idea.” I liked the vibe of the place, but it was a bit too crowded around the bar. They’d set up swings near the water, and I pointed at them. “That’s so cool. I want to sit on a swing.”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Just for tonight or always?” I teased. I was in a very teasing mood today, but why shouldn’t I be? The weather was amazing. I was here with the hottest man on the planet, which was absolutely irrelevant but still worth mentioning. I’d had an excellent barbecue, and now I was relaxing with a glass of wine.

“You can always count on me, Allison.” He leaned in closer. “And if you need some entertainment, you can call me,” he said as I sat on the swing.

Only after he sat did I realize that it was meant for couples. Our thighs were touching, and my stomach somersaulted. Being this close to him, it was impossible not to notice the effect he had on me. My pulse quickened. My mouth was dry, and my skin seemed on fire everywhere.

I tried to pretend this wasn’t affecting me at all because what else could I do? So I took a sip of my wine and then another one, closing my eyes.

“Relaxation looks good on you.”

My eyes flew open, and I felt my cheeks go completely hot. He was watching me.

“It’s nice. I forgot what it felt like.”

He turned slightly toward me, then resumed his position, probably realizing there was no way to turn without completely climbing over me.

Which you wouldn’t mind, would you? a naughty voice said at the back of my mind.

“I’m going to take time for myself more often,” I promised him. “Although it’ll be in another shape, such as me taking a hot bath with rose petals and rubbing all sorts of scrubs over my skin.”

He started to cough.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Sure, sure.” And then he immediately rose from the swing.

I moved to the center of it because it was weird to be on one side by myself, plus it tilted with the loss of his weight.

He cleared his throat, looking at his beer, then gave me a cheeky smile. “There’s not much I can do to help with that, but it sounds like you’ve got the hang of it.”

It took me a second to realize what he meant. Oh. Oh. I might have gone a bit overboard describing my bath to him.

“I promise I’ll call you for anything that I can’t do by myself.”

His eyes bulged.

Wait, that didn’t sound right. Ugh.

I looked at my glass. I definitely hadn’t drunk enough to warrant a loose tongue. Clearly the combined effect of Nick and the wine was going to my head. I decided to pretend I hadn’t said anything.

“So, what would you like to do in your free time?” he asked.

I tilted my head. “I’m not even sure.” Going with friends for drinks until late in the evening didn’t sound appealing at all. Neither was shopping with my best friends—especially since I hadn’t heard from any of them in months. “I’m not sure. I guess I’ll have to think about it.”

“Do that and let me know. I’d love to join you if you need company.”

“Nick, are you serious?”

He stepped closer but didn’t attempt to sit back down. Instead, he put his hand on the metal bar above me, his muscles flexing with the motion. Yum. This man was truly something else. “Yes.”

“But why? I’m sure you’ve got a million things to do.”

“I’m good at setting priorities, and I’m making you a priority. I should have done more from the very beginning.”

My heart warmed—along with other places on my body. “You’re doing more than everyone else, frankly.”

“Still not enough. I want to be more involved.”

“You know the kids’ godparents are pretending they’re not even the godparents?” I asked, apropos of nothing.

He scoffed. “I always wondered why they chose Phil and Lola as godparents.”

“Oh, I know why. Because they were the only friends who had experience with kids at that point. That’s what Nora said. They were hoping that maybe the kids could play together. But I know for a fact that she would have loved for you to be their godfather. I believe her explanation was ‘Pity he’s never been serious about a woman. I don’t want to make his current date the godmother, only for her to then be replaced by others.’”

Nick blinked repeatedly. “Jesus. I have no defense because I don’t even remember who I was dating when the kids were christened.”

I burst out laughing. “Oh, Nick.”

“Is that bad? Don’t answer! I can see it on your face,” he said with a laugh. “It is bad.”

“No, it’s not. Just the way you are,” I said. “Nothing wrong with that.” I took a few more sips of wine.

After a while, I started to shiver, so I put my jacket on. “Do you want to sit back down? I can move over. Sorry, I didn’t think of asking earlier.”

“Nah, these things are tiny.”

Did that mean that he’d felt just as on edge as I had when he’d been sitting next to me? Now that I’d drunk my entire glass of wine, I wasn’t able to keep my thoughts in check any longer. If he sat next to me, I could find an excuse to climb onto his lap. After all, we’d both be much more comfortable.

Oh, man, I truly was a danger to myself and also to Nick.

“I think I should head home.”

“It’s not that late,” Nick said.

“I know, but I’ve been gone a few hours already. I’d feel more comfortable if I went back.”

“Of course. The last thing I want is for you to stress out. That would ruin the point of this evening.”

“Which has been a success!” I attempted to get up from the swing… and failed. I fell right back onto my ass. “Whoops! I drank the wine a bit too fast. And I haven’t had a drink in months.”

“Why not?” he asked, setting his empty beer bottle on the small table next to my glass.

“It felt weird drinking, knowing I have kids under my care.”

“I’ll help you up.” He held out his hand.

I put mine in his, feeling how strong and calloused his palm and fingers were as they slid against mine. Was it from weights or other training equipment at the gym? Had to be. I couldn’t imagine him doing other manual labor.

“And up you go.” He pulled me up, and I managed to trip over my own feet, slamming headfirst into Nick’s hard chest.

I straightened up quickly as Nick grinned. Next thing I knew, both of his hands were on me: one on my upper back, one at my side. I felt his touch so intensely that you’d think I wasn’t wearing any clothes.

What’s happening to me? I was usually composed.

“Fuck,” he exclaimed.

I stepped back, looking up at him and smiling sheepishly. “Truly sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” His look was feral, but I didn’t think it was because I’d made him mad. He then said, “I’ll take you to the car.”

“I’m not inebriated, really. I’m not even sure what happened.”

“I think the sand moved away from under your feet.” His voice sounded odd.

I was feeling a bit embarrassed. He didn’t need to chaperone me. I was a damn grown-up.

Once we were in his car, though, I relaxed a bit.

“Last chance to change your mind. Want to head home or—”

“Do something outrageous?” I finished for him, feeling even sassier than before.

“I would have said ‘continue to have fun,’ but now that outrageous is on the table, fun sounds boring. So, what do you have in mind?”

I grinned, shrugging. “I don’t know. I haven’t done anything outrageous in a while. Tonight is not the night to start, though.”

He laughed as he pulled out of the parking space. “You still have time to decide before we arrive at your house.”

It was tempting, but I knew it was time to call it a night. Even though it seemed like we had only just arrived, we’d spent three hours here. By now, the twins were in bed.

God, it was as if I couldn’t shut off that part of my brain. I was constantly thinking about them. Were they safe? Were they happy? Could I do more?

When we finally arrived home, Nick said, “And? Change your mind?”

I bit the inside of my cheek.

“We can leave outrageous off the table for now and continue with the original plan—fun,” he added.

“It’s getting late, but thanks a lot. This evening was amazing.”

A strange expression crossed his face. “How about making this a standing thing?”

“What?”

“You and I going out on Saturday evenings.”

My eyes widened. “Nick, I’m sure you’ve got much better things to do on Saturdays.”

“As I said, I’m very good at setting priorities.”

God, this was so tempting for a million reasons. But I had to exercise at least some self-restraint.

“I’ll think about it.”

He nodded. “Good enough. Can I come in and say hi to the kids?”

“That’s very sweet of you, but they’re already in bed by now. It’s past their bedtime.”

He cocked a brow, looking at the car’s digital clock. “Really?”

“Nick, they’re young.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, not sure what I was doing when I was their age, but I’m pretty damn sure I wasn’t in bed. Mom always used to say that we drove her crazy every night.”

“Nora and Jim were very strict about their bedtime routine. Said it was the only way they would be rested enough and not ornery the next day. It was nice seeing you, Nick.”

“I’ll walk you to your front door.”

I shook my head. “Really, don’t.”

“Now, listen—”

“Nick, I’m not drunk, okay? Or tipsy. I just lost my balance somehow.” I was even more embarrassed than before.

“All right, if you insist.”

“I do. Thanks a lot for everything.” I got out quickly and then hurried up the front steps. As I reached the door, I turned and waved at him. He nodded before driving off.

I was smiling for no reason as I stepped inside the house. It was eerily quiet, but a light in the living room told me that Doreen was watching TV on mute. She immediately stepped into the foyer.

“Back already?”

“I’ve been gone a long time.”

“Hon, I thought you were going to come back at midnight at the earliest.”

“Oh, I couldn’t…”

She moved closer to me. “Look, I haven’t said anything because it’s not my place, but this is good for you. You look relaxed, and you’re smiling. Everyone needs time for themselves now and again.”

My shoulders slumped. “I know. But everything is so new.”

“I know. And I’m not saying this for self-interest, but I’m at your disposal no matter when, all right? I don’t have much going on with my kids and grandkids all grown up. All my book clubs and old-people activities happen during the day when you’re at work and the kids are at daycare. But I’m free on evenings and weekends.”

I gave her a soft smile. “Thanks, Doreen. That means a lot to me.”

“Just don’t go blabbing about what I told you to anyone else, okay? I don’t want to be at everyone’s beck and call.”

“So, you’re making an exception for me?”

“You need me the most, child.” Her words hit deep.

“Thanks, Doreen. Have a good night.”

“You, too!”

After she left, I locked the doors, turning off the outside lights as she got into her car and drove away. Doreen really was a sweet woman, and I was lucky to have found her.

I tiptoed up the stairs, peeking in the twins’ bedroom. God, these little angels. I wanted to wake them up just to kiss them and tell them how much I loved them. But I knew better than to do that or they’d keep me up for hours. So instead, I just closed the door, leaned against it, and smiled.

This evening had been amazing. And Nick had offered to do it every Saturday, huh? Well, now I was even more tempted to take him up on it. But I had a feeling that it was a dangerous idea.