AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His strong hands took my shoulders as he looked into my eyes and nodded his answer. “Have a little faith. If the baby bird doesn’t get coaxed out of the nest, it never learns to fly.”
“I don’t know who this is harder on.”
He released me and pulled a folder from his bag. “I’ve got a present for you.”
“Not again.” He’d been showering me with gifts for the last week.
He put the folder back in his bag. “Okay, if you don’t want it…”
My curiosity got the better of me. “What is it?”
Josh handed me the papers with a sly grin. “You might want to sit down.”
I returned to my chair and opened it. It was a letter from Benson Corp., signed by him and Harold Snyderman.
“I’m taking Bremmer away from you.”
I snorted as I read the paper. “I can live with that.”
“She’s all yours now. I’m not your boss anymore.”
I got to the important part. It was a letter of rescission, canceling the purchase by Benson.
“Rossi’s is independent again,” he said. “I’ve made sure the bank will honor your previous loans and credit line, but anything beyond that is up to you to negotiate. And, you can pay me back the money I put in when things settle down.”
I sprang up and launched myself at my man. I gave him the passionate kiss he deserved for delivering on my dream, but only for a few seconds, because this thank you wasn’t good enough. I lowered my hand to palm his growing erection. “I have a key to a locked closet in the back hallway.”
His eyes lit up. “Lead the way, Nickels.”
Epilogue
If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they’re yours; if they don’t, they never were. - Richard Bach
Nicole
Josh satacross the table from me with his iPad in front of him, just as he had that first time I’d laid eyes on him. The breeze off the water was warm, and the sun was setting, same as it had been months ago.
Coming back to Barbados, where it all began, had been his idea, and I hadn’t required much coaxing. Josh had even invited Sandy, but she’d thought it would be weird.
Tonight we didn’t have Bad Dad and his boisterous, roughhousing kids, which was a plus.
“Two green monkeys,” Josh told Diego. “And a bottle of champagne, please.”
I tapped my finger to my wine glass. “I don’t need more.”
Our waiter ignored me and scurried off to rustle up our drinks.
Josh’s eyes locked with mine. “Staying true to the memory, Nickels.”
His smile grew, and I couldn’t help thinking this whole idea was corny as hell—and also sweet.
I ran my bare foot up his calf under the table. “You know you don’t need to get me liquored up tonight. I’ll probably say yes to whatever you have in mind.”
He returned my wink with a raised eyebrow. “I’m counting on it.”
I’d already saidyestwice—or was it three times?—yesterday after we arrived. And then again this morning and after lunch. We’d given the bed, the floor, the wall, the couch, and the bathroom counter all a try, and were going to run out of surfaces in our suite at this rate. But we did have furniture on the balcony, if we were quiet enough.
“What are you smiling at?” Josh asked, pulling me back to reality.
