Page 111 of His Surrender

“It definitely did.”

Our eyes meet again, but neither of us says a word. We don’t need to.

He leans up just enough to kiss me, slowly, the kind of kiss that doesn’t ask for anything except another second together.

When we finally pull apart, I can’t help but smile. “You interrupted my very important job search.”

“I did.”

“And now I’m behind.”

“I’ll accept full responsibility.”

“Oh, will you?”

“Mmhmm.”

“How exactly do you plan to make it up to me?”

His grin widens. “I was hoping another kiss might be a good place to start.”

I laugh before leaning down to meet him halfway. For now, the résumés can wait another hour.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

DEAN

Iused to hate Sundays.

Not because anything was wrong with them, but they were empty.

There weren’t board meetings to distract me. No investors were demanding updates. There wasn’t an excuse to spend fourteen hours buried in work, pretending I preferred it that way.

The penthouse was usually quiet. When I look back now … it was too quiet.

Now, somehow, Sundays have become my favorite day of the week. Mostly because there isn’t anywhere I have to be.

“You ready?” Aubrey calls from the kitchen.

“Almost,” I shout in return.

I finish adjusting the sleeves of my navy henley before grabbing a baseball cap off my dresser. A pair of sunglasses completes the disguise.

It isn’t foolproof. If someone really looked, they might recognize me, but it’s not like I’m Brad Pitt. Pictures are generally only taken at events where they know I will be.

But there have been occasions where my privacy was violated and plastered on the internet.

By the time I walk out of my bedroom to see Aubrey carrying Liana, I forget entirely why I was looking in the mirror.

“Wow.”

She smiles. “What?”

“You two,” I reply.

Liana is in a tiny brown sweater dress over red leggings, complete with little boots that serve absolutely no purpose, considering she can’t walk.

A knitted bow sits on top of her impossibly soft hair.