S is for Second Chance

by Annie J. Rose

  I headed downstairs, dropped a kiss on Lizzy’s head, and promised to see her soon before joining Devin in the waiting car out front. “You look amazing,” he said, leaning over to give me a kiss.

  “Thank you. I feel confident.”

  “You should be. This is a big day, and you are going to kick some serious stockbroker ass.”

  I laughed. “I’m not kicking any asses—unless nobody buys the stock. Then there will be some ass kicking.”

  I sat back and enjoyed the ride down to Wall Street. I wasn’t nervous. Not really. I had Devin by my side, and that gave me all the confidence I needed. We were ushered inside and talked with a few people before we were escorted to where I would be ringing the bell to start the trading day.

  “You ready for this?” Devin whispered next to my ear.

  “I’m so ready. This has been months in the making. Toby’s company is about to go public, and we did that. I can’t believe this day is finally here.”

  He was smiling at me, looking at me with a great deal of pride. I waited until I was given the signal before I rang the bell, kicking off the first day of trading on Toby’s stock. Toby, Devin, and I stood back and waited, intently watching the screens.

  “There!” Devin pointed.

  We all looked, watching Toby’s stock get bought up, trading higher than expected. Toby grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. “Thank you.” He shook Devin’s hand. “Thank you both so much. This is huge.”

  “You’re welcome,” I told him.

  “I can’t believe I’m standing here watching this happen,” he said with genuine surprise. “I’ve waited so long, and to watch a dream become reality, it’s just, I have no words.”

  I smiled at him. “I think I can understand a little. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you on this. It’s a big deal, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it.”

  “I should probably get to the office,” he said, his cheeks flush with his excitement. “I promised the team we would celebrate.”

  “Take care and we’ll be in touch,” Devin said.

  Devin reached for my hand, holding it in his as we watched the action on the floor. I had never been to the New York Stock Exchange. It was wild and chaotic and confirmed I never wanted to be a broker. We watched for a good thirty minutes, both of us enthralled with the way the business worked.

  “Why don’t we slip away for a minute,” he said next to my ear.

  I looked up at him and grinned. “Bathroom?”

  He laughed. “Come on now, I’ve got a little more class than that.”

  I gave him a dry look. “It was last week when we had sex in the bathroom of the airport.”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t want to wait until we got on my jet.”

  I laughed, letting him pull me away from the chaos. The man was insatiable. Then again, I was just as insatiable. We argued we had three years to make up for and had been going at each other for the last six months, unable to get enough of one another.

  He pulled me into a small office and closed the door behind us before practically jumping on me. His mouth was hot and demanding, his hands roaming over my body in a heated make-out session.

  “This outfit is really doing it for me,” he breathed before finally taking a step away from me.

  “You like the power suit thing?” I laughed. “Most men like skimpy maid outfits or sexy cheerleader and you like business suit?”

  He shrugged. “I like a confident woman that is smart and powerful. You really, really turn me on, and yes, I want you to wear that to bed tonight.”

  I laughed, shaking my head. “You’re crazy.”

  “Crazy in love with you.”

  He lunged for me again but not before I caught the hungry look in his eye. “Devin, we can’t,” I hissed, pushing away from him. “We’re going to get caught.”

  He groaned. “Let’s go home.”

  “Relax, big boy,” I told him, straightening the jacket and trying to fix my hair.

  “I’m so proud of you,” he said with a smile. “You are amazing. You worked your ass off, and it’s paying off tenfold.”

  “I could not have done any of this without you. You made this possible.”

  He slowly shook his head. “Nope, this is your firm. I only helped in the beginning, but this is all you.”

  I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face. “My firm. I still can’t believe it’s mine. Finally.”

  “Your dad can’t stand that you’re smarter and more successful. His retirement is the best thing for all of us. Honestly, I can almost stand the guy now that he’s officially retired.”

  I laughed. “Me too. I still have so much work to do to get that firm back up to where it was, but I’m confident it will happen. With Toby’s stock prices already shooting up, it’s looking very possible.”

  “I’m sure Ron will be calling you any minute,” Devin said. “He’s probably sitting on some Florida beach with his phone in hand watching the stock. He’s going to want his piece of the pie.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t mind giving him his share as long as he keeps his ass in Florida. I told him I would make sure he was taken care of as long as he left the business to me. I talked with him yesterday and let him know what was happening today. For the first time ever, he thanked me.”

  “Thanked you for saving him from a life of destitution?” he quipped.

  “No, thanked me for pushing him out. He said he hated the business. He hated the grind and the money managing and all of it. He only took over the business because his father essentially made him do it. He told me he was proud of me.”

  Devin’s jaw dropped. “He what?”

  I smiled and nodded. “Yep. He said he was happy I took over and he was proud of the talent I had, and he wished he would have walked away sooner. And he apologized for everything in the past.”

  “Wow. I don’t even know what to say to that.”

  “Me either. I’m still processing it all. I’m hoping it’s a step in the right direction for all of us. I’m hoping one day we can have one of those family gatherings you are so against.”

  He grimaced. “If he doesn’t mention money or politics, I would be willing to have him over.”

  She smiled. “Good, because I’ve invited him to Christmas this year.”

  He groaned. “It’s far enough away, I’ll have some time to get my head around that idea.”

  “Exactly.”

  He reached for me again, putting his hands on my waist. “So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do with all the millions you’re going to make today?”

  I gave him a coy smile. “The first thing I’m going to do is redecorate the guest room on the second floor.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Why? Don’t tell me for your father. We’re a long way from him moving in with us.”

  I slowly shook my head. “Not for my father. I need to transform it into a nursery.”

  Several lines appeared along his forehead. “A nursery?” he questioned with confusion. “What’s a—” he stopped talking. His eyes widened. “Are you saying we can think about having another baby?”

  I laughed. “I’m saying, there is no thinking about having another baby.”

  “What?”

  “I’m pregnant,” I told him.

  He pulled me in, hugging me tight and spinning me around before releasing me and letting out a loud hoot. “I knocked you up again!”

  I burst into laughter. “You sound pretty proud of yourself.”

  “Damn straight I am. A baby. Holy shit. I cannot wait to see you round with my baby growing inside you. I’m going to spoil you. I’m going to buy you everything you crave, no matter if it’s at three in the morning. I’m going to rub your feet and carry you everywhere. I’ll have the elevator fixed. You can’t be navigating those stairs.”

  “Slow down,” I told him, seeing the excitement taking over. “I’ll be fine taking the stairs.”

  “Lizzy’s going to be a
big sister,” he gasped. “Another baby. Two babies! I want to fill the house with our babies.”

  I put my hand on his chest. “We’ll talk about that later. Let’s get through this one first.”

  He bobbed his head up and down before putting his hand against my stomach. “When? When do I get to meet my next child?”

  “I’m thinking around Christmas.”

  “Oh. That’s not much time. I’ve got so much to do.”

  “Devin, you just said it was far away,” I reminded him.

  “That was before I knew we were having a baby. You’re right, we need to do the nursery. We need to babyproof the house. Maybe we should buy a new house in the country.”

  I grabbed his face with my hands and soundly kissed him, slowing him down. I felt him relax as he gave over to my kiss. “We’ll talk about all of that later. We do have time.”

  He slowly nodded. “Okay.”

  “You good?”

  “I’m so much better than good. I didn’t know I could ever be this good. I’m so happy. Is it even possibly to be this happy?”

  “You’re rambling again,” I told him.

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the office, heading straight for the doors. “Where are we going?” I asked him.

  “Hotel,” he answered.

  “Why are we going to a hotel?” I asked with confusion.

  “Because I want you, and you don’t want me to take you in the bathroom. We can’t go home with the nanny and Lizzy. I don’t want to go to my office or your office. We’re getting a room.”

  I giggled, shaking my head. The man was spontaneous. I loved that he didn’t let anything stop him from getting what he wanted. I loved that I was what he wanted. I had a feeling if our lust for one another didn’t slow down soon, I would find myself in a constant state of being pregnant.

  We walked into an upscale hotel where Devin quickly paid for a room. No one questioned why we didn’t have luggage. Once inside the room, he showed me just how happy he was to know he was going to be a father for a second time. As we lay together in the bed, holding each other close, I thought about my life. I was looking forward to spending the rest of my days with him, raising a family and surrounding them with love.

  “I love you,” I said, the words actually making me choke up a little.

  “I love you. I will always love you. But Elly, there’s something I need to say.”

  My head jerked around to meet his eyes. “What?” I snapped.

  “You have to marry me and fast. We’ve been waiting until after the deal closes. It’s closed. I don’t care if we go down to the courthouse or fly to Vegas, but I want to make this official. I want it all.”

  I grinned. “What’s your schedule like next week?”

  He chuckled. “I’m yours. Always and forever, I’m yours.”

  S is for Secret Baby (Preview)

  Chapter 1

  Wes

  I frowned at the number of emails in my inbox. Jesus. It was always the same, but it always seemed to catch me off guard: take just one afternoon off, and the next day you somehow had two thousand emails to weed through. This was at a relatively small business, too. I could only imagine what it was like if you worked for one of those crazy city-based companies.

  Granted, if I worked for one of those companies, I doubted I would even have the luxury of taking even half an hour off, let alone half a day.

  Before I could really get into answering my emails, there was a knock at the door. I looked up to see my assistant Beth standing there. She had a file in her hand and a disgruntled look on her face. “The new girl is in the lobby,” she informed me in a clipped tone. I raised an eyebrow at her as she tossed the folder on my desk and crossed her arms.

  I suppressed a sigh. It was clear that Beth already didn’t like the new hire. Not that it was really any of her business. I mean, okay, she was probably worried that as my assistant, she would need to pick up any slack that the new hire couldn’t keep up with. She should have known by now that wasn’t the way I ran the company, though. Besides, it was inappropriate for her to be so vocal about her dislike for the new woman, especially since she barely knew the girl.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to chastise Beth, but I knew that wouldn’t go over well. See, she used to be the owner’s assistant, but since George went into semi-retirement, I had inherited her. She wasn’t the person I would necessarily have chosen as an assistant, but that was purely from a personality standpoint. At the end of the day, she knew what she was doing, and she was loyal to the company. That meant a lot.

  That said, she took liberties I typically wouldn’t permit. There were certain behaviors I wanted to nip in the bud before too long. Still, now might not be the best time, with the new girl waiting down in the lobby.

  “What’s your impression of her?” I asked Beth mildly. Maybe if she talked about it and I was able to shut down any ridiculous preconceptions she had, she would take it easy on the new girl. That was probably the best I could do for now.

  Beth rolled her eyes, further cementing my impression that there was something about the new girl she didn’t approve of. “She’s some big-city businesswoman who clearly thinks she’s too good to be out here in the sticks,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain.

  I tried not to wince, knowing that would only give Beth more reason to side against the new girl. No, I didn’t want to validate her impressions if I could help it. Even if I honestly didn’t have the time to deal with someone who thought they were too good for this place.

  Besides, I wouldn’t have ended up as CEO of the biggest company in my hometown if I wasn’t damned proud of being from there. We might be a small town in Nebraska, overlooked by most of the rest of the world, but we had made a name in the business world. Not to mention that people here were friendly, and life moved at a pace I was comfortable with. I wouldn’t trade it for anywhere else.

  So no, I didn’t particularly like the idea of someone coming in here who thought they could do better than this. I didn’t mention that to Beth, though. Instead, in an equally mild tone, I just said, “I’m sure she’ll find a way to fit in eventually.”

  Beth’s face darkened, and I could tell that when she opened her mouth again, it would be to say something even more unkind about the new hire. Suddenly, I felt as though I’d heard enough. “You’re more than welcome to express your opinion, especially in a general form,” I said sternly, “but I won’t tolerate rudeness or unprofessionalism in this company.”

  Beth’s mouth tightened into a thin line, but she nodded. “All right,” she said coolly.

  “Please show her in,” I instructed, turning to the file she had carelessly tossed on my desk. I hadn’t had a chance yet to look up any information about the new innovations manager that George had hired just before he turned the reins of the company over to me. Things had been crazy during the transition period, and anyway, I trusted George had picked someone well-suited to the position.

  I had worked with this company ever since I graduated from business school, and that was quite long enough to know that George knew what he was doing. He and I didn’t always see eye to eye, and especially not where personnel was concerned, but he would have hired someone who was at least competent.

  I flipped open the file and stared down at the name that was in bold at the top of the résumé. My mouth dropped open.

  Rian James. No way.

  Surely it had to be another person. But then again, how many girls were there named “Rian”? To have the same last name as well… No way, though. She wouldn’t come back to Nebraska. Would she?

  I looked up as the door opened again. Beth walked in with a fake smile plastered on her face. My eyes slid past her to the woman following her, however. There was no doubt about it: she was absolutely the same Rian James I remembered.

  The same Rian James who was my nemesis in business school. The same Rian James that I fell half in love with until she snagged my dream internship out from under me.


  Our eyes locked, and I felt a surge of electricity go through me. She was even more beautiful than she was seven years ago. And it was clear that she recognized me, too. An unreadable emotion flitted across her face, but she quickly controlled her expression. It left me wondering what she was thinking. Not that I could ask.

  “Wes, this is Rian James. Rian, Wes—the CEO of GBC,” Beth said, and it was all I could do to keep from blurting out the fact that we already knew one another. Oh, we knew one another very well. My mind flashed back to that night, her silky skin spread out beneath me on the sheets, and I tried very hard to push those images away and focus on the present.

  Fortunately, Beth didn’t seem to want to stick around. She slipped out of the office, leaving me alone with Rian. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.

  “Rian,” I said, wondering if my voice sounded as choked to her as it did to myself. “Seeing you again is an… unexpected surprise.”

  Rian frowned. “I thought I’d be meeting with George Austin,” she said.

  “George recently handed over the reins of the company to me when he went into semi-retirement,” I informed her. “I will be your direct supervisor.”

  A look of panic appeared in Rian’s eyes, and she quickly looked away. I couldn’t help but feel unsettled. Was that a normal reaction? I didn’t know why she would look panicked, though. Unhappy, maybe. Concerned, perhaps. But panicked?

  Back in college, we were both at the top of our business school class. It seemed like we went head-to-head for everything in our projects, competing for the best internships and chances at graduate programs. It all came to a point at the very end of our time at school, with one final project. According to our advisor, my project was the more polished of the two of ours, but somehow, she had still managed to edge me out of the internship of my dreams.

  The real kicker of it all? I only found out that she had landed the internship after she left town for New York City. After she had broken my heart.