Chapter 42

Jake moves off me and flops down on his back, his skin damp with perspiration, much like mine. There’s a subtle smell of male sweat, which only turns me on more, proof of his exertions in the last few hours, erupting in multiple orgasms.

“Told you the second time would be slow.” He grins at me, but I’m too tired to move. I feel like I’ve just run a marathon. My breathing is labored, and my body is tingling and heavy. I could sleep for a week. The clock on the bedside tells me it’s almost 5 a.m., and we’ve been awake since we got home just before two.

“We will never get up for work.” I laugh. He’s exhausted me again, despite my long office nap. If I fall asleep now, I won’t get up for hours.

“That’s okay because we’re not going,” he points out, his eyes resting on mine.

“Why?” This slacking off work is becoming a bad habit with him lately; I’m not sure I have such a good effect on him anymore. He rolls toward me and leans onto his arm to look down at me, his other hand tracing my jawline. I can’t help but watch the haziness of those endlessly deep green eyes.

“Because I said so. And we need to talk about it,” he adds with a slight brow furrow.

“Talk about the fact that you never go to work anymore?” I smile indulgently. He smiles too, biting his lip thoughtfully. He always looks so young when he does that. I also know that means he’s pondering a decision.

“Talk about the workplace dynamic; I think it needs changing. I did a lot of thinking on the flight home.” He suddenly looks so serious that I get a little jolt in my stomach of apprehension. He has on boss-Carrero face. I don’t know if I will like what he has to say.

“Go on,” I urge nervously.

“I think we should hire two new assistants to take your place and do more for me.” His frown increases, and he sits up a little more.

I shoot up suddenly, the shock on my face apparent as I bolt upright.

“You’re firing me?” I yelp, confused and instantly upset. He catches my shoulder and pushes me back to the bed, then he shifts over on top of me, trapping me in his arms, his biceps straining as he keeps his weight over me, overpowering me.

“No! Listen to me. Neither of us can seem to get our shit together since you came back. It’s because neither of us can think about work when we’re just yards apart in the office and want to go fuck in the closet.” He smiles at the memory. “We went back too soon, Emma. All of this is too new, and it was dumb to think we could slot back into being boss and PA. I don’t think we can ever do that again; I don’t even want to. Before returning, we should have taken more time to get through the honeymoon phase.”

“It was your idea.” I pout, distraught that he no longer wants me at work.

I should have known this would happen.

“It was. And it’s why I’ve come up with a new way to try it. You’re no longer going to be my PA; you’re going to be my number two in a sense, like an assistant CEO with whom I talk over big decisions. I’ve always valued your opinion and trusted your decisions anyway. You and I will oversee the major stuff but let two capable assistants do the grunt work for us under Margo’s watchful eye. I relinquish a little control, and we enjoy being together for as long as needed. No more taking my bad moods out on you with work shit, no more stress on your shoulders, baby.”

I stay silent, watching his face suspiciously while I run what he’s saying through my head slowly. I can see his logic, but it isn’t taking the sting out.

“What does that mean exactly?” I ask a little too pointedly.

“It means for the near future, we only go in sporadically. Margo gets a promotion, and she has some suggestions for two assistants who will work under her, the three of them doing our day-to-day jobs. We just sign things, make the big decisions, and show our faces at meetings when needed. No more flying around the world for the menial crap we did. It’s time I followed my father’s example and spent less time working and more time enjoying being stupidly rich and young.” He lowers himself to rest his head against mine. “I want time to be with you, time for us to get into this relationship. Focusing on work so much will get in the way of that for now.”

He kisses me lightly. “I want to show you the world, take you places you’ve never been, and stay in hotels in locations of our choosing. I want to take you to Italy to meet my family and lie on white sandy beaches with not a care in the world. We have six months if we’re lucky before the baby arrives, and I want to make sure you’re so hopelessly in love with me by then that it won’t change things between us.” He looks so genuine and full of love that my heart melts.

“I’m already hopelessly in love with you,” I admit quietly, his face lighting up at my admission.

“Trust me, by the time it arrives I’ll have turned your world upside down.” He kisses me slowly and surely, lingering to tease my mouth with his, rubbing his nose against mine. “So, are you in agreement that we try this out? Or do you love your job more than me?” he teases, watching me for an answer, a tiny speck of self-doubt in his eyes, a hint of a waver in his overconfident self that I love so much.

“PA Emma is distraught,” I say. “She’s folding her arms and glaring at you like she wants your head to self-implode right now, but, seeing as she’s on a long leave of absence, I guess it doesn’t matter.” I giggle, his smile matching mine.

This is temporary. For now. As long as he understands, I will go back to work. This is just temporary.

“That’s my girl,” he breathes before swooping on me all hands and mouth, working me into another fever, aching for much more than playfulness.