CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

John

Standing in front of Abby’s door, I fidget with my tie. Not only do I want to look presentable—okay, attractive—but the velvet box in my pocket feels heavier than it should. She said would be happy with dessert—I love her sweet tooth—but I want to do more than that. She deserves more—everything.

Abby opens the door, and one look at her in a stylish black dress makes my breath catch.

“You look… Wow,” I stammer, eliciting a radiant smile from her.

“So do you, boss man. Since this is sort of a work dinner, I thought I should call you by your position,” she teases, reaching up to straighten my tie, which I thought was already straight. Oh, well…

As she lowers her arm, I grab her hand and bring it to my lips. I kiss each of her knuckles. “Ready for dinner?”

Her eyes sparkle. “Oh so ready.”

On the drive to the restaurant, I steal glances at Abby. “I never thought I’d be this excited about a work dinner.”

“You mentioned that, but I thought you were trying to woo me with your fancy connections.”

I grin, playing along. “Consider it a performance review with an amazing view, appetizers, and your choice of beverage.”

“In that case,” she says, her tone mock-serious, “I hope I get a raise by the time we finish.”

We arrive at the restaurant, and Abby’s eyes widen as we step out of the elevator onto the top floor. Walls of floor-to-ceiling windows give us a view of the east side lights.

“John.” She sounds breathless. “This is incredible.”

Pride surges at her reaction. I want tonight to be unforgettable. Who am I kidding? I want every day and night to be that way for her. She deserves it. “Only the best for you.”

The hostess leads us to our table. We sit, and she hands us thick, heavy menus. “Enjoy your dinner with us.”

She glances at the menu and then looks at me. “There aren’t any prices.”

“This is a celebration. No need to worry about prices.”

Abby’s mouth slants, and then she shrugs. “Whatever you say, boss man.”

At least she’s going along with it.

Our server brings each of us a glass of iced tea a few minutes later. Wine would have been an excellent addition, and I joked about it, but we both decided we were too tired after the long week. Plus, I have to work tomorrow. All our employee meetings put me behind, but they were worth it.

Abby stares out the window and sighs. “It’s strange. I keep thinking I’ll wake up and realize I’ve been dreaming this entire time.”

I reach across the table and hold her hand. “This is very real. Though, I’d never want to wake up if it were a dream.”

She rolls her eyes, and a blush creeps up to her cheeks. “Smooth talker.”

“At times, but that’s new,” I admit. “I usually tripped over my tongue whenever I was around you.”

Abby winks. “Carry on.”

I groan. “Please, don’t remind me.”

She laughs. “It was funny.”

“Humiliating, but I’m glad you found humor in my faux pas.” I love how we joke with each other.

“We’ll have many more of those in the future.”

Hearing her say “future” makes me want to whip out her surprise right now.

As we enjoy our delicious meal, we talk between bites. The conversation flows easily and is comfortable, as if we’ve been doing this for years instead of days. We share a chocolate soufflé because what’s a celebration without dessert? The meal was one of the best I’ve eaten, but that might be as much Abby as the food.

Now, it’s time for Abby’s surprise. I purchased this gift after Abby told me she wanted to stay and fight.

My heart rate picks up. “Remember how I said I had a little something to celebrate how far we’ve come?”

Abby nods, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I’ve been dying to know what the surprise is all night. I thought it would be dessert.”

Thought so . I’m glad I did something a tad extra for her. I pull the velvet box out of my pocket. “It’s not exactly little and not exactly big, but…”

I open the box. Inside sits a delicate silver bracelet with sapphires. Abby’s eyes widen, her hand flying to her mouth.

Her eyes gleam. “John, it’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you.” The sentiment might sound cheesy, but it’s true. “I would’ve gotten you a necklace—”

She touches Grandma’s necklace around her neck. I haven’t seen Abby without it since she received it. “I have this one.”

“I didn’t want to compete. But the sapphires remind me of your eyes.”

Abby laughs softly, wiping her eyes. “I thought you couldn’t get any cheesier.”

I grin, relieved she likes the bracelet. “What can I say? You bring it out in me.”

I fasten the bracelet around her wrist. As my fingers brush against her soft skin, it’s all I can do not to let my touch linger. “I want to talk to you about something else.”

Abby stares at the bracelet. “Another surprise?”

“Sort of. I, uh, I spoke to my grandfather and uncles yesterday.”

She leans forward. “What about?”

“Us.”

“Did they have more to say than me reporting to someone different?”

I nod. “They want us to transfer to the headquarters. Not immediately, but they want us to consider it and give them a time frame.”

“Why? We’ve started to get things under control at this office. Why would they want us to leave now?”

I run a hand through my hair. Abby amplifies the nervous habit, but in a good way, I remind myself. “Well, you see… I told them I plan on marrying you.”

The words hang between us, and I’m terrified I’ve overstepped, especially after giving her the bracelet.

Abby’s face breaks into a breathtaking smile. “You told your family you want to marry me?”

I nod, relief flooding through me that she’s not upset. “I did. And they are thrilled. They’ve also heard how brilliant you are, not only from me, and believe your skills are being wasted in our current office.”

Abby laughs. “You told your family—including the company’s founder—that you want to marry me, and their response was to transfer us to headquarters?”

I shrug. “What can I say? My family knows talent when they see it.”

She leans back, but I can’t read her face. “It’s a big step. Moving to headquarters, I mean.”

I don’t want her to overanalyze this or think we have to rush. “We don’t have to decide now. I want you to know the option is there. We can decide together, or if this is a no-go, that’ll be our answer.”

Abby’s eyes shine with emotion. “You really plan on marrying me?”

My face heats up, but I hold her gaze. “I do. I mean, not this second, obviously. But someday. If you’ll have me.”

She pretends to consider it, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I might need more of these performance reviews to be sure.”

I laugh, the tension dissipating. “Those can be arranged.”

We leave the restaurant holding hands. As we wait for the valet to bring my car, Abby leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Who could have imagined fake-dating would lead us here?”

I pull her closer. “You didn’t foresee dinner at exclusive restaurants and talks of marriage in your master plan?”

She playfully elbows me. “Please. My master plan involved not being embarrassed in front of my family. I never imagined the perfect Christmas with your family and not getting fired.”

“I’d say you’ve exceeded expectations.”

She laughs. “And you’re so much more than a grumpy, grouchy boss. Who knew you’d also be perfect boyfriend material?”

“Boyfriend material, huh?” I kiss the top of her head. “I can work with that.”

As I go to kiss her, the valet drives up with my car and honks the horn.

We both laugh. “I’ll take a raincheck on that kiss when we get to your place.”

Abby giggles. “I was about to say the same thing. The universe is clearly trying to tell us something.”

“What’s that?”

“That we’re clearly destined for a happily-ever-after.”

I laugh, pulling her in for a kiss, not caring that the valet is watching and waiting. “I can live with that.”

As we drive to Abby’s place, I feel like the luckiest man alive.

I walk her to her apartment. As she’s putting the key into the doorknob, I stop her hand. “I meant what I said about the transfer to headquarters. No pressure. We can stay here as long as you want.”

Abby reaches out to touch my cheek with her free hand. “I appreciate that. But transferring might be a good move for us. Both professionally and personally.”

“You think?”

She nods. “It’s scary to think about moving to a new office in a new town and what that entails. But a new challenge sounds exciting. I also like the idea of bossing you around without any conflict of interest.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “I should have known you’d find a way to turn this to your advantage.”

“Hey.” She holds her hands up. “I learned from the best. There must be some consequence for how you treated me at work for five months.”

I groan, covering my face. “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”

“Hmm… Nope. I’ll keep that one in my back pocket for the next fifty years or so.”

My heart swells at the implication. “Fifty years, huh? That’s quite a commitment.”

“What can I say? I’m in it for the long haul.”

She opens her door, and Powerfluff greets us with two meows.

“Does she need dinner?” I ask.

Abby scratches under the cat’s neck. “No, she ate before I left. She’s just making sure we remember she’s here.”

I wait for her to quit loving on the cat, but I don’t mind. The two are a package deal, and I’ve already checked out cat trees and other things a cat might need.

“You look so serious. What are you thinking about?” Abby asks.

“I was thinking about tonight.” I want to surprise her and Powerfluff when they come to my place. “I’d say this was a pretty successful date, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Abby removes her coat and tosses it onto a chair. She holds out her arm with the bracelet on it. “Nothing says romance more than sparkly jewelry.”

Smiling, I pull her close. “I didn’t realize that. Guess I should get to know the jeweler better.”

“Maybe,” she teases.

I laugh and kiss her forehead. “Even though I’ve discovered the way to your heart, you still love me whether or not I surprise you with bling.”

The words slip out, and I freeze. That keeps me from groaning.

Abby smiles at me. “I do.”

I must be wearing the goofiest grin ever. I don’t care. “Good, because I love you, too.”

“I never thanked you properly for the bling.” She kisses me. It’s soft, sweet, and perfect. When we finally part, Abby’s eyes are shining. “For a fake boyfriend, you turned into an awesome real one.”

“You, Abby Sinclair, are the best fake-turned-real girlfriend a guy could ask for.”

“You need another thank-you kiss,” she says with an impish grin.

“Is that so?”

She nods.

“I won’t say no to that.”

Abby kisses me again. This time, she wraps her arms around me and has her fingers in my hair. I pull her closer, and she deepens the kiss. My heart tells me Abby is the one. Our first kiss was under the mistletoe, but since we said, “I love you,” tonight’s kisses feel like my last first kiss. I only want hers from now on.

Powerfluff screeches.

And we jerk away from each other. Abby rolls her eyes, but I laugh.

The cat tries to nudge her way between us.

I bend and scratch behind her ears. “Powerfluff is jealous.”

“Your turn is coming,” Abby says to the cat, then looks at me. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. The queen doesn’t like to be ignored for that long. I’ll make a note of it.”

“Thank you.” Abby holds my hand. “Not only for tonight and the bracelet. But also for accepting Powerfluff for the diva that she is and just being an all-around great guy.”

“You’re welcome, but I’m the lucky one. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Abby studies me. “You mean that.”

“I do.”

She brushes her lips over mine. It’s quick and barely counts as a peck, but the kiss makes me happy.

I want to stay longer, but I need to go into the office for a few hours tomorrow morning. “I should go, but I’m already looking forward to seeing you when I finish working.”

She nods again. “Can’t wait.”

“I’ll be counting the hours.” Yes, it must sound cheesy, but I’ll be doing that once I’m away from her.

“Me too,” she admits.

I squeeze her hand. “Looks like my cheesiness is contagious.”

“Must be, but what’s love without a little cheese?”

I laugh. Man, I love her. “I’ll never let you forget you said that.”

It’s her turn to laugh. “I’m counting on it.”

Diva Cat might throw a hissy fit, but I’ll bring her a treat the next time I visit. “One for the road…”

And I kiss Abby.