A smile tugged on his lips. Her scowl deepened. She probably wouldn’t appreciate it if he told her how cute she was right then. His gaze tracked to the width of bared stomach between her sweater and those tiny pink panties. Sexy, too. “I resigned from my position this afternoon,” he relented, shoving away from the wall.
“You didn’t think to do that before you laid off half the department?” Sarcasm dripped from her words.
He moved toward her, his prey so sweetly unsuspecting. Her eyes widened with each step he took, but she didn’t shift from her vulnerable position on his bed. “The board was set on that course,” he told her. “No matter how hard I tried to show them the error in their thinking, they wouldn’t listen to me. The layoff was happening whether I was there or not.” He braced his legs around hers. The simple brush of her skin against his sent a trail of longing up his inner thighs to his groin. “I thought it was kinder,” he paused, “smarter, maybe, to see that through.”
“Why?”
There was the big whammy. Why. He dropped every wall and let her see the truth in his next words. “For one, it was my responsibility, even if I didn’t agree with it. I wasn’t going to dump that on someone else. Second, I had the knowledge of the people, their skills, contributions, potential and exposures.” He shrugged. “I tried to be fair. I tried to think of what was best for the individual, not just the company. I tried . . .” He blew out a breath, releasing the weight that’d settled on his shoulders. “There are some who will find new jobs with little trouble, and others who wouldn’t fair as well. I took that into consideration as well.”
Her expression softened, the last traces of anger fading away. “Hence, why I was let go, and Gary with four kids wasn’t.”
He was grateful he hadn’t had to spell it out for her.
She studied him until he swore she’d dug through every thought and exposed every secret hidden inside him. He let her see it all. He had nothing to hide from her. Nothing he wanted to keep from her. Not anymore.
“And then you resigned, after seeing that everyone was taken care of,” she said, the tenderness in her voice an offer of understanding.
He gave another shrug. He didn’t believe in the direction or choices the company was making. Job satisfaction outweighed a paycheck for him, and he was fortunate enough to be in a position to make that choice. Not everyone was. Like Gary. Or Rupert, who was five years from retirement. Or Lucinda, who was raising two kids on her own.
“I did what I could, which wasn’t nearly enough.” Not for everyone, at least. He honestly didn’t know if the remaining people were better off or not. But they had a warning now and time to hunt for a new job if they wanted to.
A smile unfurled over her lips, her gentle amusement releasing the worry that’d held him tight. She beckoned him closer with a curl of a finger, her naughty tease drawing him in as much as the gesture.
Relief was becoming all too familiar to him when it came to her. He leaned down, bracing his hands on either side of her shoulders. She framed his face in her hands and urged him closer. Her eyes had darkened with the emotions swirling within them, things he wanted to believe, yet were still too soon to voice. Things within himself that were still too new to risk breaking with words.
“You are something else, Daniel Marks,” she whispered.
“I hope that something is good.”
“It’s very, very good,” she said, drawing him down. “At least so far.”
Her last dig tickled his lips before her kiss swept away his rebuttals. She was still there, teasing him, holding him close, claiming his mouth like she owned it. He gave it all right back, every swipe of tongue and caress of skin until he was lost in her.
Tara was finally his, and now that he was free to show her, she’d never doubt his intentions again.
EPILOGUE
Tara raced through the patio door, her laughter echoing through the kitchen. She dodged a dining room chair and ducked around the wall in her wild sprint for safety. Her heart raced, adrenaline spiking it higher. Joy bubbled over when she risked a glance behind her. Daniel was hot on her tail. His determined grin held a promise of retribution when he caught her.
His arm snagged her waist moments later. Her peals of laughter overrode the warning bells going off in her head. He dragged her to his chest. His soaking-wet shirt chilled her skin and bled through her thin tank almost instantly. “You thought you could run away?” he growled into her neck, spreading the wetness further.
Her protests were lost when he nipped the tender side of her throat. Her head tilted, a strangled moan falling out. Her struggles stopped, along with any pretense of getting away. She was powerless against him when he touched her, even when he was drenched in water from the hose she’d aimed his way.
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I beg for mercy.” A quick flutter of her eyes and an innocent smile was a weak ploy she still tried.
His fake frown failed to mask his humor. “Why should I give you any?”
“Because you love me,” she said. Her smile spread as his expression softened. Warmth spread outward from her heart as the knowledge settled firmly within her.
The past months had been a dream that consisted of a dizzying yet gentle tumble into a relationship with Daniel. They’d both secured new jobs, and she’d officially moved into his home a few weeks ago. It’d been almost natural, their lives blending with barely a hitch until she couldn’t imagine life without him.
“I do,” he confirmed before he closed his mouth over hers. His tongue played with hers, the gentle glides and tender swipes displaying what words lacked.
Her breaths were short when she eased her lips from his. “I love you, too,” she whispered. So very much. More than she’d dreamed possible.
“You still deserve to be punished,” he joked, slapping her bottom lightly.
Her brows hitched up. “Really?”
His serious nod was anchored by a stern expression.
“In that case . . .” She shifted, pausing when her lips were over his. “I guess you’d better take care of that.”
His tortured groan blew over her before he took command of her mouth. The urgency swept in, every pressing dip and swipe merging into a symphony of want.
She trusted him with everything. Her heart. Her happiness. Her dreams. She’d found love where she hadn’t been looking. Or maybe it’d found her. Either way, her being laid off had freed them both to find something far more precious than any job.
And she would treasure that forever.
♬
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THE BOARDROOM SERIES
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Mixtape: A Love Song Anthology Page 48
