Page 1 of His to Keep

Chapter 1

Emerson

I leaned back in my desk chair, listening to the familiar squeak as the chair combatted gravity on behalf of my six-and-a-half-foot-tall frame. I was half tempted to pop my feet up on the desk, but I only did that when I was sure that no other AXE Securities staff was there.

I hadn’t worked for half my life to build this company, only to have someone waltz by, see the CEO with his Guccis in the air, and then decide to spread the word. I wouldn’t stand for it. It’d be even worse if one of my brothers were the ones to have seen me.

But then, if Asher was behaving himself, he was on a case guarding a rather stunning flutist at his penthouse. Xavier ran out the door every day by five o’clock, and while I goaded him endlessly about this schedule, there was no way I would really tease the man.

Because I was jealous.

He was on his way home to plan his wedding to his fiancée. Or maybe to curl up on the couch, holding her baby belly between them.

I didn’t have those things.

I had the job. I’d always had the job. Since Dad and I had a crazy idea in high school and AXE Securities had been born. I had enjoyed my time in the field, letting Dad run the logistics. But with him wanting to retire and play with grandbabies all day, he needed two things.

The first, of course, was said grandbabies to be born. The second was for me to take the helm here. And about a year ago, I had.

It fit like a glove. Which was obvious since the company was designed by a Brooks. But more than that, it suddenly felt manageable. Because it was mine.

And the first thing I’d done, the day I changed my email signature to CEO, was call the most reputable surrogacy agency in Chicago. That was months before Xavier fell for his brilliant software engineer, but seeing him these past months, it had been murder.

I hadn’t told a soul about the process.

Perhaps because I was still worried about things falling apart. But the bottom line was, this was only for me. I wasn’t ready to try to explain to my family about why I was going this route. Not when it had taken me years to come to terms with it on my own.

But today was the day.

I glanced over at my watch. I was supposed to have the message in my inbox any moment. The message. The big one. My heart sped up as my phone buzzed faintly. It was designed to do this for only a few things.

Mom.

And the agency.

I pressed a hand against my chest, leaning in.

Mom: Where did you send your brother? He’s not answering my texts.

I sat back with an accompanying groan to my chair. Of course, my mother would sense that she should text me now.

Emerson: He’s on a case, Mom. I’m sure he’ll call you back.

Mom: He better.

Emerson: You should leave him be. I think he’s falling in love with the client.

Mom: Is that allowed?

Emerson: Wasn’t Dad your bodyguard?

Mom: Those were different times.

Emerson: Oh sure.

Mom: Come over for dinner. I’ll make homemade lasagna.

I considered her proposal. If I got bad news in this message, I would gladly eat my weight in my mother’s amazing pasta. But if it was good news, I already knew what my plan was.

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