The Spanish Love Deception

Epilogue

One Year Later

“Catalina.” The deep voice that had lured me to sleep and ignited every cell in my body countless times in the last twelve months reached my ears.

My pen dropped from my mouth, smacking the glossy surface of the oak conference table.

“Catalina, I’m going to need an answer.”

My back straightened in my chair, my gaze meeting a pair of blue eyes as I cleared my throat. Shit. I totally spaced out. “Yes, yes—ahem. An answer. Coming right up, Mr. Blackford,” I rushed out. “Just mentally recapping.”

I watched the corner of his lips tip up, his eyes simmering with an emotion I was more than familiar with. My heart skipped a beat. Because, apparently, I’d never not react to this man’s smile. No matter how small it was.

“Rosie, if you could maybe assist Catalina as she mentally recaps,” he said, cocking a brow. “We all have places to be, and I’d appreciate being through with this meeting in the next five minutes.”

“Of course,” my best friend and new team leader of our division agreed from my right. “I’m sure Lina was being very thorough with the notes she was taking.”

“Yep, I was doing exactly that,” I confirmed, looking over at her and finding her cheeks flushed.

We both still sucked at lying.

I sent her a wobbly smile and mouthed, Thanks.

I heard Aaron’s deep exhale.

Impatient and sexy blue-eyed grump. He was lucky I was head over heels in love with him.

“Aaron was suggesting that perhaps now that Linda and Patricia are back from their maternity leaves, someone from your team could transfer to Héctor’s,” Rosie explained, her fingers fumbling on top of her open planner. “Just to temporarily cover the vacancy I left now that I’m leading Gerald’s team after his … departure.”

After the tedious and lengthy HR investigation Sharon had pushed for unearthed more than a few sexual misconduct instances, Gerald had been finally laid off. Aaron, our division leader and owner of my heart, hadn’t hesitated, and the moment Gerald had walked out of InTech, Rosie’s name had already been on the table for that position. Before we knew it, we had been celebrating her promotion.

“Do you think we can make that work, Catalina?” my future husband asked. Not that he had proposed, not yet.

As much as I had the suspicion he would soon, perhaps I’d be the one putting a ring on him before he ever did. I was impatient like that.

“One hundred percent,” I answered, scribbling a note on my pad. This time for real. “I’ll make sure to move around a few people and see who can support Héctor’s team.”

The old man sighed. “Thanks, Lina. No one will be able to fill Rosie’s shoes, not really.” His shoulders bunched as he smiled sadly. “But I knew for a while that I’d lose her soon anyway.” He shrugged, his smile turning brighter as he looked at my friend and his former team integrant. “I’m so proud of you, Rosie.”

“Thank you,” Rosie said, emotion coating her words. She cleared her throat. “Now, stop it. Crying on my first division meeting would be highly unprofessional.”

A notepad was snapped closed briskly. “All right, I’ll consider that done,” Mr. Grumps concluded. I looked at him just in time to see him checking the clock behind me. “Meeting wrapped up. Have—”

“But, Aaron,” Kabir called, his voice dancing with trepidation, “what about—”

“Sorry, but I’m officially on vacation.” Aaron sliced his hand through the air.

Yep, we both were. Just half a day, but it had taken me some convincing, so I called that a success anyway.

“It will have to wait for Monday. Have a great weekend, everyone.” He pushed back the chair and stood up, gifting me with a view of his whole torso.

I internally sighed. Happily. All mine. All of that was just for me and for my taking, and what was even better, that strong and resilient heart beating inside his hard chest with loyalty, selflessness, and integrity was all mine too.

“Catalina?”

Snapping out of my temporary trance, I straightened, too, gathering all my things together. “Coming, coming.”

I walked to where Aaron was waiting for me, right by the door.