She bites her bottom lip, trembling.
“Bold words. I’m sure it took you a while to practice that...”
“Dakota—” I flare.
She puts her hands up defensively and steps back.
“No, Lincoln. How do I know you won’t just change your mind again? I can’t survive it a second time.” A single hot tear streams down her face.
My heart sinks. I’m the reason this beautiful woman is crying.
How the hell do I convince her? The right combination of words must exist.
“That’s why I’m here. I came to tell you I’m making my leave of absence permanent,” I grind out.
She blinks at me.
“What? Why?”
“I’ve spent too much of my life working, not living. I need to start existing again—ideally with you—and I can’t do that as your boss. I need to put you first, second, and third. I can’t do that as a workaholic. So, I’ll step down, because I need you infinitely more than I need Haughty But Nice. I need you more than anything, Dakota Poe.”
For a second, she stares, too stunned to move.
Then, I’m hit with a small cannonball.
She hurls herself at me so hard I’m winded, her arms thrown around my neck.
I close my arms around her with a slow smile.
“Sorry. Maybe I should have led with that,” I say.
She laughs erratically and then sniffles again.
I pull her tighter against me, pushing one hand against the small of her back, ready to keep her there forever.
“What’s wrong?”
“You can’t just up and leave for me—this is your family’s business. I can’t take it away from you. It’s not fair. And...and everyone is doing the best they can, but things are pretty rocky here without you. Morale sucks so bad, you don’t even know,” she whispers.
I frown. “Like I said, you’re my first and last priority. They’ll have to rough it.”
She throws me a desperate look, slowly shaking her head.
“No. You’ll resent me for it later, and so will they.”
I kiss her eyebrow, her forehead, her cheek.
“Never. It won’t happen. And if it does, we’ll figure it out.”
“But—”
I kiss her lips, silencing her worries.
“Sweetheart, I have a plan. I’m not leaving anybody high and dry.”
“O-of course. Of course, you do,” she stammers.
I grin. “I always have a backup, but I haven’t seen you in a month and—”
She tilts her chin back.
“You missed me too,” I whisper.
She doesn’t answer as her eyelids flutter shut.
I cup her face with my hand, bring her mouth to mine, and savor her sweetness, her coffee-rich breath, the eager way her tongue flicks against mine and the moan she spills in my mouth.
Goddamn, I’m going to savor this woman until the universe goes cold.
I hear a faint slapping sound behind us. Everyone perched inside my office claps. A few whistles make it through the thick glass.
Dakota bolts away from me and groans, her face rivaling a tomato.
“Yikes. How could I forget them?”
“I’ve got this,” I say, stomping over to throw open the door to the balcony. “Show’s over, people. Everyone out of my office.”
Cheryl, Jane, and a couple other women go reluctantly, beaming back grins too big for their faces.
Anna lingers, her hands on her hips as she meets my eyes.
“Yes?” I clip.
“Don’t you dare hurt her again, Mr. Burns.”
“Noted, Miss Patel. Now kindly leave.”
She stands there, looking at me for an uncomfortably long moment. I fold my arms and glare back.
“It won’t happen again. I’d rather die a thousand times.”
Her death stare lightens.
“That’s so sweet,” she muses, slowly walking away.
“Anna?” I call.
She glances over her shoulder.
“Thanks for caring so much about her. You’re a good friend,” I say.
She smiles and leaves my office.
I look back at Dakota. “Now that they’re gone...”
She closes the space between us.
“Yeah. So what’s your big plan?”
“We’ll have a meeting with the senior staff and HR in the afternoon. I have to work out a few last details first.”
She nods. “Lucy’s back, so I’ll be downstairs working on this stupid meeting.”
“No, you won’t.” I grab her gently by the hand.
“Oh?” She raises a brow.
“You’re not going to be a marketing manager much longer anyway. And because I haven’t seen you in a month, there’s no damn chance you’re leaving my office this morning.”
She smiles. “But we’re at work.”
I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her again, closing my eyes with a thick sigh.
“Um, are you okay?” she asks with a laugh.
“Yeah. I just—I’ve never been this happy.” I run my lips up her neck. “It was a long, lonely month.”
“I know. It was hard for me too...”
This time, she attacks my mouth first, all teeth and wandering tongue. I find her lips with mine again, relishing how tightly she clings to me.
She breaks away, drawing in air as my grip on her intensifies.
“Smooth. Now there’s no chance you’re getting away from me before the meeting,” I growl.
“Lucky you, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”