The Boss Crush

“Will you marry me?” Holding up the box, her eyes gloss over as her smile grows.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m very serious.” Kissing the back of her hand, I hold her fingers tight. “Make me the happiest man in the world and say yes.”

Tears start to fall freely as she shakes her head up and down.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Sandy asks loudly, rolling her eyes. “You’re really going to do this right now? You’re going to get on one knee and fucking propose?” Running open hands down her face, she groans. “This is fucking insane! I throw myself at you, literally ready to give myself to you, and this is what you do?”

The room falls deadly quiet as jaws crook and brows drop.

She actually said it out loud. For everyone to hear. For all of our clients to take in, to judge, to destroy anything she ever built for herself.

Because it’s all gone now. The looks on the faces around me are enough to know she didn’t ruin anyone else’s life but her own.

“What!?” she yells, brazenly holding her arms open and glaring at everyone. “I love him! I love him like no one else in this world will ever love him!” Sandy growls, loud and high pitched like the cackle of a hyena. “She’ll never give you what you want! She’ll never give you what you need! Only I can do that! Me!”

Her arms all over the place. Over her head, slapping her chest, clapping and waving. She’s barely able to stand as she wobbles on the tabletop, almost falling off. She won’t stop yelling, screaming obscenities and condemning the love I have for Dalia.

There’s a security guard at the door, so I get his attention, nodding for him to get her out of here.

The guard stalks over, flipping his fingers for her to come down. Sandy’s yelling and cussing, throwing her arms and kicking her legs as she’s torn off the table. Her voice fades as he pulls through a back door, leading her away from the party.

Wrapping an arm around Dalia’s waist, I pull her into my chest. Her head tips up, eyes connecting with mine. Smiling down at her, I run my fingertips across her forehead.

“You know, since we kissed at that party, every day after there’s been this weight in my chest. For the longest time I never knew what it was until you came back into my life.”

“Really?” she asks, wriggling her body as close as she can get and curling her arms up around my shoulders.

“Yes, really.” Scooping her face in my hands, I kiss her.

The room erupts in cheers as I kiss the only woman in the world to ever make my heart beat like this. Dalia excites me, she invokes this level of desire and need I can’t control.

And I don’t want to control it. Because all that matters is that I finally have her.

After all these years, I’ve gotten the only thing I ever truly wanted.

Her heart in my hands.

Because she’s already owned mine for a lifetime.

Epilogue

Lyle

Sneaking down the hall, I look back over my shoulder to make sure no one has spotted me. I’m not supposed to be here. Traditionally, I’m not supposed to see her before she’s walking down the aisle.

But I’ve never really been good at following the rules. And I can’t take it. I need to see her. It’s killing me. I haven’t been away from her for this long since we found each other again.

Taking one last look around, I press my ear against the door, and listen. I’m not sure if she’s alone, but I saw her mother and sister down in the lobby, and I saw Kira getting in the elevator as I came around the corner.

Turning the handle, I open the door slowly, and step inside. “You need some help?”

Dalia turns around in surprise, pinning the back of her dress shut with her hands. “What are you doing in here? It’s bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony.” She sniffles, grabbing a tissue from the nightstand, and wiping her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Baby?” I ask. “Today isn’t a day for sad tears, and those look like sad tears.” Taking her face in my hands, I run my thumbs under her eyes, wiping away the black streaks.

She lifts her hands to my wrists and holds them tight. “It’s just my hormones.” She tries to smile, but I know her well enough to see right through her fake smile. “I’m just having trouble getting the buttons.”

My eyes scan behind her, and I see the floor length mirror. Dalia looks back over her shoulder at herself in the mirror. “Ugh, I don’t want to look anymore.”

“Baby, don’t,” I say, pulling her in close. “You look so beautiful. You know that, right? I don’t think you’ve ever been more gorgeous than you are right now.”