Chapter 7: Forever With The CEO: Chapter 7

“Your projections are on point, as always,” Derek said.

Derek was the CEO of the M.K. Ledger. He and the chief of marketing had been sitting in my office for the past two hours, and we’d gone through all the numbers I’d worked on every night this past week. My hard work had paid off.

Focusing on the meeting had been difficult, though, because my mind was still on what Nick had suggested. I was half convinced that I’d dreamed the entire conversation.

The chief of marketing excused himself after we finished, saying he had another meeting, but Derek lingered.

“Now, to move on to other things,” Derek said. “I have a proposition for you.”

“I’m listening.”

Whenever he had a proposition, it was something new and exciting. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it.

“I’m in talks of acquiring a small company. Would you like to be in charge of the M&A process?”

That was quite a challenge. I’d be in charge of the merger and acquisition, which would be a feather in my cap and nice addition to my résumé.

“I love M&As,” I replied. They were fun and challenging… and ate up a lot of time, I realized, but didn’t say it out loud. Shit.

“Take your time and think about it. I can send you some paperwork we have. You’ll need to sign a nondisclosure agreement first.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“I know that in the past, you would have done it without hesitation, but your situation has changed a bit.”

Derek looked me straight in the eye when he said it. He’d been very understanding when I’d been a bit erratic and occasionally late the first month after the twins moved in with me. But once things settled down, we found our routine, and it ran a bit smoother. I didn’t want to give him a reason to think that I couldn’t do my job, though.

However, that gave me an idea.

“I will consider it, but an M&A would take a lot of my time.”

“I know that.”

I didn’t even hesitate. I rolled back my shoulders and said, “It would be fair if that were reflected with an extra bonus.”

He smiled. “Allison, one of the things I’ve always loved about you is that you’re not afraid to ask for what you deserve. You know how to drive a hard bargain.”

I smiled right back, though my heart was pounding in my chest. That would mean additional income. It wasn’t something that would be recurring, of course, just for the duration of the project. But M&As could last well up to two years. Hopefully, a judge would see that as a sign that I was truly willing to do anything to give the twins a fantastic life.

Except marry Nick, huh? a voice said at the back of my mind.

Oh, man. I truly hadn’t imagined that, had I?

“Send me the NDA and the paperwork, and I’ll get back to you.”

He nodded. “And I’ll think about your request as well.”

I knew I wasn’t going to get him to actually agree to a bonus right now. He and I worked exceptionally well together. However, asking for a raise always felt like pulling teeth. It frustrated me to no end when he said that a raise wasn’t in the budget when the company made record high profits.

After he left my office, I managed to relax, standing and stretching my legs a bit. They’d gotten stiff over the past two hours. I rotated my ankles a few times too. Even though most people took off their shoes while at their desks, I refused to do that. My feet swelled in the summer, so sometimes it was hard to get them back on.

Now that I was alone in my office and the adrenaline had worn off, I was starting to rewind this morning’s conversation with Nick. It had been in the back of my mind until now, but suddenly it was front and center again.

“We could get married.” His voice resounded clear in my mind.

Goodness. I needed to sit down for this.

I plopped back down into my chair, grabbed my glass of sparkling water with two slices of lemon, and took a hearty sip.

I couldn’t wrap my mind around what he was saying, and it was making me jittery.

“Allison, you’ve got a full day of work. Time to kick ass,” I told myself.

But how could I when I couldn’t think about anything else?

I took out my phone and messaged him even though my inbox was close to exploding. I needed to double-check. I felt silly typing it, but I sent it before I could change my mind.

Allison: Did we meet this morning, or did I dream about it?

I put my phone down, intending to check my first email until he replied, but he did so right away.

Nick: Yes, we did.

Then he sent another one.

Nick: I know it’s crazy.

Allison: Totally.

Nick: So, what do you say I grab a bottle of white wine for tonight? I feel like that conversation might need more than pizza.

That actually made me smile.

Allison: Sure.

Nick: I won’t make it until after the twins are asleep, though. I’ve got a late meeting.

Allison: No problem.

Nick: Anything that would make a shitty Monday be less shitty?

He certainly is husband material.

Where the hell did that thought come from? It was just because of this morning’s conversation, I was sure, but I’d never really had someone who cared what my favorite wine was—or anything else for that matter.

Allison: Chocolate.

Since he asked, why not give him an answer?

Nick: I’m on it.

I stared at my phone. Oh yeah, I was looking forward to tonight. Far more than I was willing to admit.

***

At eight o’clock on the dot that evening, the twins fell asleep. I stood in front of their door for a few minutes, watching them, until my stomach started to rumble.

They’d both had dinner, but I was holding out for pizza. I generally ate after they did anyway. It was easier logistically.

Nick was supposed to arrive in half an hour, so I had some time to refresh myself. I jumped into the shower, quickly rinsing my hair as well. After stepping out, I combed it, planning to let it air dry because it was a gorgeous evening.

Putting on a summery dress that felt much more comfortable than the suit I’d had on at the office, I sprayed on perfume for no reason at all, then decided I could do with some mascara as well. Why I needed it at eight thirty in the evening, I couldn’t say, but I didn’t want to analyze that too closely.

After I finished, I headed downstairs. I saw a shadow move through the window to the backyard and realized Nick was already out there. I immediately swung the door open.

“Hey,” I greeted him.

“Hey.” He smiled lazily. “Didn’t realize you…”

“Locked the door,” I finished for him. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“You want us to stay outside?” he asked.

I eyed the bottle of wine and the pizzas. “Sure. I’ll grab glasses and plates. Be right back.”

Nick had visited frequently since my sister died, so it wasn’t the first time I’d noticed how attractive he was. Hell, when Jim first introduced me to him, I’d been very taken with him. But I’d always focused on my career. Up to now, I thought of him only as a friend who was just trying to help me out because the twins were his best friend’s kids.

But now?

Goodness. I sucked in a breath.

Nick’s eyes were on me. My stomach somersaulted as I headed back inside the house. Grabbing two wineglasses and plates, I hurried outside. Nick was leaning against the table. He’d already opened the boxes and the bottle of wine. That’s when I noticed the smaller bag.

I licked my lips. “Yum. That’s my chocolate?”

“Yeah. Whatever the lady wants, the lady gets. And I’m not saying that just to beef up my case so you’ll take me on as your husband.” His words nearly knocked the wind out of my lungs. I let out a deep breath.

“Nick,” I murmured as I stepped closer.

I found a spot on his chest to fixate on because I couldn’t possibly look him in the eyes. I started to trace his arms. He was wearing a tight shirt, and if I looked very closely, I could see all those muscles.

Way to get sidetracked. Maybe looking him in the eyes was the safer option, so I snapped my gaze back up.

“Mm, too soon, I get it. Let’s work up to that,” he said with a smile.

How was he so unfazed about this?

I swallowed hard. “Sure.”

“And maybe a glass of wine will help.”

“I want some pizza first, though.”

I devoured a slice before Nick even reached for his. He was watching me with a smile.

“What?” I inquired.

“You didn’t even ask which one is yours,” he taunted.

“Oh, I just assumed that this one was.”

“I’m kidding, Allison. I don’t have a preference. We can share.”

I grinned but then quickly took another bite because I was truly hungry.

I didn’t stop at the first slice either; I immediately downed another one, but my nerves weren’t settling. I took a few sips of wine, too, hoping that would do the trick, but now that Nick had said the word husband, things felt even more real than before.

I put the glass down, unsure where to look. It was too weird not to look at him, but somehow I was even more susceptible to those gorgeous dark eyes than usual.

“Have you thought any more about what I said this morning?” Nick asked.

“Honestly, I had a full day. And every time I thought about it, it seemed even crazier than when you first suggested it.” I was speaking in a low voice, although no one could overhear us.

“I know. I actually thought a whole week about it before I even brought it up.” His eyes were trained on me—almost as if he was waiting for a reaction.

“Part of me can’t even seriously consider it,” I admitted. “It could go wrong in so many ways. But on the other hand, Bob and Sophie keep reminding me that they want custody. I don’t have time to hope some magic solution comes along. Hugo said he didn’t have another silver bullet solution. I mean, this wouldn’t be a silver bullet, either, to be fair, but it would increase my chances a lot.” My heart was thundering in my chest. “I can’t believe there’s an actual chance I could lose the twins, that they could be taken away from me.” My voice cracked. I hadn’t even brought myself to voice this fear until now.

“And they shouldn’t be, Allison. They love you. They always have, and you’re their cornerstone now. Any further disruption in their lives will only make things more difficult for them, and Jim’s parents should realize that. I’m actually kind of surprised that they’re taking this action if they’re really concerned for the twins.”

Nick stepped closer, cupping my face in one hand. His touch was soothing.

“I don’t want you to lose them. Hell, I’ve grown closer to them, too, and really don’t want to see them moved to God knows where. They have stability here, and together we could make it even more stable for them. But it has to be fair for you too.”

Everything he was saying was so selfless, so kind. I’d always been aware that Nick was drop-dead gorgeous.

“You want me to take out the chocolate now?” he asked in a lighthearted tone. Which of course immediately distracted me.

“No. First the pizza, then the chocolate at the end so I can properly savor it.”

“Duly noted.” He frowned as he added, “You won’t lose them, Allison. No matter what you decide, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen.” He didn’t seem lighthearted at all right now. In fact, he sounded very determined. I hadn’t heard this tone of voice from him before.

“Apparently you’re even willing to marry me,” I teased.

“I fucking am.” He dropped his hand, taking a step back.

“I’m sorry, I still… This doesn’t feel real.”

I took another sip of wine and then found my voice. “How would it even work? And for how long?”

“We’d have to ask Hugo that,” Nick replied in a measured tone. He took a sip from his glass as well without breaking eye contact. “As for the logistics, I think we’d have enough time to discuss those. I could move here, or we could all go to my place. It’s certainly big enough. The twins could each have their own room if they wanted to. If not, they could sleep together and have a separate playroom.”

Warmth traveled through me, and it wasn’t from the wine. He’d actually thought about making a playroom for the twins. How cute was that?

“Maybe it would be best if we stayed here,” I replied. “Less change for them. But I don’t have a spare bedroom for you.”

Was that a blush creeping up my cheeks? They were definitely hotter than a few seconds ago.

Nick curved his lips up into a smile. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He sounded a little bit smug, almost like he had insider information.

How would it feel to have him here in my house every evening?

“I could sleep in the twins’ room. But what would we tell everyone? Our friends and families? God, this is…” I set my glass down. “Yeah, it’s time for chocolate now.”

“But you didn’t finish your pizza yet.”

“I know. Still, I need sugary reinforcements.”

He laughed, taking out the chocolate. Dark cocoa and raisins—perfect combo. I immediately ate four pieces, carefully chewing. Delicious.

“Right. Now I’m better equipped to think.”

Nick laughed. “You’re a strange creature.”

I grinned at him. “I’m a very logical person. That’s why I’m a CFO. But there’s not a lot of logic to this. I mean, there is, but you know what I mean.” My heart was thundering in my chest. “I don’t think we could get around this without actually living in the same place.”

“We could ask Hugo. Don’t think about it too much, okay? Maybe he’ll say it’s okay for us to keep separate residences. Though I can’t imagine that.”

“I doubt that, too, but we’ll see.” I bit the inside of my cheek. “Let’s talk with Hugo first. I mean, this would be legal, right? What if they realize it’s just a marriage of convenience? Would that count against me?”

“Allison,” Nick whispered. “Relax. I didn’t want to cause you even more stress.”

“I don’t know why I’m suddenly so worked up,” I confided, then started to roll back my shoulders. It wasn’t helping.

I put a hand at the back of my neck, massaging it.

“It hurts there?” he asked.

“A bit. Whenever I get tense, that spot immediately becomes sore.”

He brought his right hand to the back of my neck too. His touch electrified me as he pressed his fingers along the nape. I immediately dropped my own hand, and then he pressed one finger on that same spot.

“Oh,” I murmured, closing my eyes. “You’re so good at this.”

“That’s a trigger point.”

I took in a deep breath. I couldn’t believe how good his touch felt. I wanted more of it. I wanted it everywhere, sore spot or no. This felt…

Oh my God. My eyes flew open. Did I moan, or do I just think I did?

Nick took in a sharp breath.

Holy shit. I did.

I started to cough, hoping it would somehow mask the whole thing. Nick moved his chair back, dropping his hand.

Come up with something smart, Allison. Take his mind off it. Distract, distract, distract!

“How did you learn to do trigger-point massage?” I asked, trying to keep my voice blasé, as if I was genuinely interested in this and not just trying to hide that he’d turned me on by massaging the back of my neck. “I thought you just managed the clubs.”

“Sometimes, when I bring in people to instruct courses for our trainers, I sit in on them too. I like to check the quality of the teachers and learn new techniques.”

“Smart. Well, that really helped. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Yet again, his voice sounded different—rougher. “I have an idea. I’ll call Hugo and tell him to see us first thing in the morning.”

“Think he’ll have time?”

“If we go really early, yes.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “That’s a great idea. Otherwise, I’ll drive myself crazy. Let me just check with Doreen to see if she can take the twins to daycare. She’s had to do it once or twice when I had a meeting out of the office first thing in the morning.”

“Perfect. Now, how about we enjoy the rest of the pizza and the chocolate—in whichever order you want,” he added with a cheeky smile, “and not talk about this any longer.”

“We could try, but I’m not sure.”

“Then let’s make a deal: whenever one of us brings up the topic—”

“Let me guess, the other one does something outrageous?” I asked.

He grinned. “You’ve read my mind. See? This will work out perfectly.”