Chapter 41

Despite the heating in Thomas's car blasting hot air at max speed, I'm trembling by the time we arrive at his building. The adrenaline has washed out of me, and my soaked hair and clothes have caught up with me.

Thomas notices right away. While K-2P whizzes off somewhere in the apartment, presumably his room, Thomas gently drags me toward the bathroom, where he gets a bath started, filling the giant tub with steaming water. He undresses me next, down to removing my socks, but he stays mostly clothed, pulling off only his suit jacket and button-down shirt.

A shiver runs through me and I don't know if it's from the cold or from the sight of him bare-chested. Next thing I know, he's picking me up and gently lowering me into the tub.

My skin burns in protest for a second but then it quickly adjusts to the bubbly warmth. Just when I think I've gone to heaven, Thomas begins bathing me. He grabs a sponge and massages the sensation back into my toes, to then move up to my legs, torso, and arms.

"Mmm," I moan contentedly. "I don't think I'm ever going to take a shower again."

"No?" My eyes are closed, but I can hear the amusement in Thomas's voice as he asks, "Is it the giant tub or the personal bathing service?"

I peek up at him from under one eyelid. "Aren't you joining me?"

He shakes his head. "Not tonight, baby. Tonight, I'm taking care of you."

I'm about to protest, but then his deft fingers sink into my hair, massaging my scalp, and I lose all cognitive function.

By the time he rinses me off and wraps me in a towel, I'm limp.

"Better?" Thomas asks, offering me support with his body—his front to my back—and staring at me with a smile through the mirror.

"Mmm, getting there," I tease. "If I remember correctly, I was lured here with the offer of a huge bed and party favors."

His laugh rumbles up his chest and vibrates against my shoulders just for a second before he scoops me up into his arms.

I curl into his chest as he carries me out of the bathroom and to his bed.

He tenderly drops me onto the mattress, then takes off his pants and socks before finally climbing in next to me. He pulls me in close, nuzzles my neck, and whispers, "I've dreamed of having you in my bed since the first time you flashed me your underwear."

I cup his beautiful face. "And you've no idea how many times I wished I was brave enough to kiss you."

His eyes darken as he moves on top of me. Thomas rests on his elbows and gazes down at me, his expression more tender than I've ever known him to be. "No more wishes and no more dreams; from now on, it's going to be just us together in the real world."

And then he kisses me.

When I wake up the next morning, my brain takes a minute to be completely still and content before it explodes with questions.

What is Thomas going to do now that he quit working for his father? Is he going to regret leaving Mercer Industries? Will he resent me for it? What am I going to wear to Sunday brunch? Am I officially invited? And then, what did he put in my desk drawer? Every time I remember to check and get to the office with that sole purpose, we end up having mind-blowing sex instead. Not that I'm complaining.

Thomas groans next to me. "Cool your circuits, Campbell, you're disturbing me with your overthinking."

"Tell me you have a plan, that you didn't just quit your job on a whim and are going to resent me for it."

Thomas lifts one lid. "I have a plan. I didn't just quit my job on a whim and I won't resent you for quitting. Happy?" He closes his eyes again and snuggles into me. "Now can we go back to cuddling?"

Cuddling soon turns into more, and he distracts me for the good part of an hour. But the moment he tries to drop asleep on my chest again, I ask him, "What plan?"

"Do I have to sex you into silence again?"

I chuckle. "You can. But I will ask again once it's over, so unless you plan on sexing me all day long…"

He rolls off of me and pulls up on an elbow. "Is that a challenge, Campbell?"

The way he stares at me now, it's a challenge I wouldn't mind losing, but I also want to know he'll be okay in the new situation. "I just want to make sure you'll be as happy as I am. Can you tell me what the plan is? Then I promise you can sex me up all day."

Thomas sighs and rolls onto his back. "Ah, you drive a hard bargain, Campbell. But since my plan requires your approval, we might as well discuss it. I just wanted to do a little more research before I presented it to you."

I've no idea what he might be talking about. "What plan?"

"And don't worry, if you hate it, there are a million other things I can do. A friend a while ago pitched me an idea for a start-up in smart urban agriculture, but I've passed because I still thought I'd spend the rest of my career at Mercer Industries, but now I'd be free to explore it…"

"Thomas, what's plan number one?"

He lets out a long-suffering sigh. Then, placing both his hands under his head, elbows wide, biceps bulging in a way that makes me regret not taking him up on his offer for all-day sex, he stares at the ceiling. "You know what the best part of being at Mercer Robotics was for me? Beside meeting you, I mean."

I shake my head because I have no clue.

"It was meeting K-2P." He tilts his head toward me. "He's brilliant, mostly I'm sure because he's an extension of your genius mind." Thomas taps my forehead with his fingertip. "And I've always considered it a pity he has to live hidden in your office like something you shouldn't be proud of."

He rolls fully onto his side now. "So that got me thinking, what would be the best application for him? And then I got an idea. As a kid, I would've given anything to have an intelligent droid like those you see in movies as a toy. And I did some research, and all the models on the market right now are crazy expensive, so what if we made an affordable one that every kid in America could have?"

"We?"

"I'd do all the work, build the company, the marketing, and so on… but the IP would be yours. We'd be partners. You'd still be working at Mercer Robotics but would have the final say in all technical developments for the AI. We could also leave the model open-ended so that older kids could code their own programs into it. It could be great for a lot of kids.

"And not just little hot nerds like you. I've read that interacting with a machine could be advantageous to kids on the spectrum to practice social skills in a safe environment. We could build specific modules catered to different learning disabilities…"

As he keeps talking, my heart swells in my chest. Just when I think I can't possibly love this man more, he goes and does something so incredibly sweet and smart and fantastic. My lips wobble.

Thomas takes in my distressed expression and frowns. "You're not talking."

I shake my head. I'm not talking because if I open my mouth, I'll start to cry.

"You hate the idea. If you hate it, don't worry, there are a million other things I can do."

I'm still shaking my head as I launch myself at him.

Wrapping my arms around him, I bury my face into his chest and sniffle. "It's perfect," I tell him, voice muffled by the bedsheets.

When I look up at him again, he's watching me quietly. Then he smiles. "Having a moment?"

I nod.

Thomas runs his fingers over my spine. "Why are you crying, babe?"

Wiping the tears from my face, I bury my head back into his chest. "You're too lovable."

Instead of mocking me, he cradles my face and pulls me up, gently brushing the hair away from my tear-stricken cheeks. "I take it you like the idea?"

"I love it, I love you." I stamp a kiss on his mouth.

"Good, now can we stop talking about work and get on with the all-day-sex plan?"

And so it goes that Saturday, we spend the entire day in bed, half the time making love, half the time planning functions and specifications for the toy version of K-2P.

On Sunday, Thomas brings me to one of those classy, old-fashioned buildings in the Upper East Side, where you need to be approved before you can buy. The elevator doors slide open, revealing the Mercer family penthouse. I step out hesitantly, gripping Thomas's hand as he guides me toward the living room. An onslaught of nerves surges through me, and I immediately feel underdressed in my simple jeans, sweater, and ankle boots.

"Everyone, this is Reese," Thomas announces, gesturing to me with a proud grin. "Reese, meet the family."

His mother, an elegant woman with kind eyes, immediately pulls me into an embrace. "So wonderful to meet you, dear."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mercer. It's an honor to be here."

"Please, call me Camila," she insists with a wink.

His father gives me a firm handshake, his gaze intense, assessing. "Reese. Nice to see you again."

"You too." I still have to keep myself in check not to add "sir" at the end of the sentence.

Thomas's brother, Gabriel—a darker, slightly more intimidating replica of Thomas, rises from his seat, giving me a nod. "Hey, Reese. I'm Gabriel." He gestures to the gorgeous brunette at his side. "This is my girlfriend, Blake." Then he pulls Thomas into a hug that more resembles a wrestling move than a welcoming embrace.

Blake grins, her nose scrunching up adorably. She's wearing black leggings and a fleece, even more underdressed than I am. I immediately like her.

"Hi, I'm Blake. It's great to finally meet you!"

"Finally?" I ask as we shake hands.

She smirks at me and leans in conspiratorially to whisper, "Yep, that one has been moping about you non-stop since the day you guys met."

Thomas, freed from the hello wrestling hold, bumps shoulders with me. "What are you ladies whispering about over here?"

I turn to him, slightly slack jawed that this gorgeous man has not only chosen me over a family empire, but was moping over me. Since. Day. One?

Blake saves me from having to answer. "I was just telling her not to worry if you and your brother fight. It's completely normal and a sign of your affection for each other."

"Enough with the formalities," Thomas's father calls, clapping his hands. "Now, let's eat!"

The aroma of maple syrup and sizzling bacon envelops me as I take my seat at the long dining table. Blake and Gabriel are seated across from me and Thomas, their fingers interlaced over the white linen, and his parents at the opposite ends of the table.

Despite my initial anxiety, the conversation flows effortlessly, and I feel oddly at ease among the Mercers. Especially with Blake in front of me, making all sorts of funny faces and covert comments.

"Everyone," Blake speaks up suddenly, "Gabriel and I have some news to share." She glances over at Gabriel, who nods with a grin.

"Go on," Camila urges, excitement in her eyes.

"We're expecting!" Blake exclaims, her face beaming. "The baby's due in mid-July!"

"Congratulations!" I say, genuinely thrilled for them.

"Congrats, you two!" Thomas chimes in, not looking overly surprised. He turns to me and winks.

"A grandchild?" Camila is half-shocked, half-tearful.

"The family's growing fast." Nolan's mustache bristles with approval. "Let's toast."

As the conversation moves toward babies and parenting advice, the spotlight shifts from me to the ecstatic parents-to-be. The pressure of being the newest member at the table dissolves, replaced by the joy of celebrating new life. Who would've thought that meeting my boyfriend's billionaire family could feel so… normal?

Then, over coffee, Thomas and Gabriel get into a brawl about who's more awesome at some space game on the Xbox and their father has to separate them by blowing an air horn while Thomas's mom tells me and Blake to cover our ears. Seeing a family worth billions of dollars act in such a cozy, laid-back way is a shock all on its own. Not to mention that when we leave after lunch, Nolan Mercer winks at me again.

And on Monday morning, I arrive at the office extra early, before anyone is there. I go alone as K-2P is now officially part of MC Toys—MC for Mercer Campbell, the new company Thomas is starting. In the lab, I calmly stride toward my office and once inside, I sit at my crooked desk. Then I open the first drawer on the right.

Inside, I find a little wrapped package with a blue note stuck on top.

I have more where this came from in case you want to keep on coming back, Campbell.

Thomas, x

I unwrap the package and find my favorite white chocolate candy bar from Italy, which they don't sell in the States. Giggling like an idiot, I hug the candy bar to my chest and make a silent promise to Thomas: Yes, I will be coming back for more. More chocolate. More Love. More you.