Make Me Yours

“I don’t know about this.” She exhales, looking down and crossing her arms. “I can’t date you, Remi. You’re my boss.”

“You can think of it as more of a work function.” Bullshit. It’s a total fucking date.

My girl is too smart for that.

My girl? What?

I kind of like the way it sounds, though.

Dark eyes slant up at me, and she’s so pretty. “How is it a work function?”

“I have to take a plus one.” I shrug, adopting a very professional tone. “I don’t have the time or the inclination to find some woman to go with me. Your salary is dependent on my business being successful, so you’ll go with me. And we’ll have a nice time.”

“Will we be staying in the same room?”

“No.” Technically. “I booked the penthouse suite at the Four Seasons We’ll each have our own rooms.”

“In the same, bigger room? I don’t think so.”

I like that she’s apparently considering it. “How is it different from our current arrangement?”

“A floor and a mother-in-law.” We take a few more steps. “And a little girl.”

I’m standing just behind her shoulder, and I trace a finger up the back of her arm, thinking how soft her skin is. “None of that made a difference last night.”

Goosebumps break out on her skin, but her gaze is focused straight ahead, on my daughter. “You’re not helping your case.”

My tone changes to coaxing. “Come on, Ruby. It’ll be fun, and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have with me.”

Turning, she looks up at me. “Why?”

For a beat, I’m taken aback. “Because I like talking to you… because you’re funny and smart.” Because you’ll look amazing on my arm as we meet potential clients and intimidate the competition.

Her lips press into a line. “How is it you don’t have a date? You’re easy to talk to, funny, and smart.”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ve been too focused on my work, on Lillie.”

What I don’t say is no one interested me before I met her. I don’t want to go back to that lonely existence. At the same time, I’m not interested in meeting someone new. I only want to be with her. She completes a part of me I didn’t know had been yearning for completion. She loves my daughter, she fills my house with light… She’s kind of perfect.

“Look, Daddy! Ruby, he made me a colorful unicorn!” Lillie comes running back to us waving a white, lavender, pink, and yellow balloon horse over her head.

Ruby squats down to greet her, admiring the latex creation. “That’s amazing! Did he make it just for you?”

Lillie nods dramatically, and Ruby tweaks her nose before standing and taking her hand. She catches my gaze and does a little chin lift. “I’ll think about it and let you know.”

“Let me know tonight.”

19

Ruby

Lillie’s in her bedroom playing with her dolls, and I scoop up my phone tapping out a quick text. Help. Need help. Emergency. 911!

The gray bubble floats a second before Drew’s reply appears. OMG! Are you okay? Did you crash the car?

I’m already tapping out my reply. Remi asked me to go to NYC with him. Overnight. Penthouse. 4 Seasons!!!

More gray dots. I’m chewing my lip like crazy. My heart is beating out of my chest, and all I can think about is me in a formal gown, Remi in a tux, dancing at a ball at the Four Seasons Hotel… It’s straight out of a Disney movie.