Chapter 43

After a month of searching for a reasonable partner in his law firm, Noah was losing hope. He had plenty of prospects, but when it came down to actually investing in the firm, no one was interested in putting their entire life savings on the line.

He was down to his last option. Another local firm was interested in buying him out. It wasn’t ideal, but at least Noah could get his money out of it, and most of the associates would be able to move on to the other company. They had already said they weren’t interested in bringing Noah over with the buyout, though; it wasn’t a merger, it was Noah selling his law firm and everything he had worked so hard for.

“I’m sorry it’s come down to this,” Rose said as the two of them walked into the office from the parking garage.

“It is what it is. I really thought one of the senior associates would have wanted a partnership.”

“I’d take it if I could,” Rose offered.

Noah paused as he looked at Rose and started to think through that possible option. She had a lot of money from the bonuses that she had gotten in the past few months. Certainly, he couldn’t ask her to put every last dime she had into his company, though; that was too much to ask for.

“Why don’t you?” Noah asked.

“Noah, I’m a second-year associate and your girlfriend. How do you think that would go over with everyone else?”

Rose hadn’t totally been joking; there was a small part of her that thought being a partner in the firm would be fantastic. But Rose didn’t want to take the position if it was just because no one else wanted it. She wanted to be wanted, and so far that didn’t seem to be what was going on. Up until that point, Noah hadn’t even considered Rose as a partner.

“No one else wants it, Rose. They think this is a sinking ship, and they don’t want to stay on board. If anyone else wanted it, I would let them have it.”

“The board will never approve me. I’m too green.”

“Let’s be honest. The board wants the firm to be successful. If you becoming a partner will help us be successful, then they will be fine with it.

Rose smiled at the idea of making partner before the end of her second year. But it didn’t feel like as much of a win as she thought it would. Rose didn’t feel like she was very skilled at all and certainly not as knowledgeable as the senior lawyers in the firm. How would she ever be able to supervise people and give them advice if she didn’t even know what she was doing herself yet?

“Maybe,” Rose said as she thought about it some more.

“I’m not sure what it would look like having my girlfriend as my partner. We might have to get rid of that ‘no dating’ policy around here,” Noah joked.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be married by then, so it won’t matter,” Rose joked.

“I’d marry you right this minute.”

“Really?”

“Yes, without a doubt.”

“Noah, are you serious. You’d get married just like that?”

“I have no reservation at all about going to the courthouse this second and marrying the hell out of you. I love you, in case you didn’t know that.”

Rose knew that Noah loved her, and she loved him too. But getting married at the courthouse wasn’t exactly what she wanted as her marriage memory. Plus, her family and friends were dying to see her happy again. She had to at least let them come to the wedding.

“Let’s deal with this business stuff for now. I want to be a partner, let’s make it happen.”

“Then you’ll marry me?” he asked as he got down on one knee.

“Noah!” Rose exclaimed as she looked around the office and noticed people were starting to look at them. “Get up. Please just get up,” she begged.

Embarrassment flushed across her face. Most people in the office knew there was some sort of relationship between Noah and her, but they certainly didn’t know it was at any sort of level close to a proposal.

Working with Noah over the previous month hadn’t been as hard as Rose had thought it would be. She had expected the close proximity would make it impossible to concentrate on anything. But the more Rose stayed away from Noah during the day, the better night they had when they both got home.

Having a relationship with the owner of a company was exactly the opposite of everything she knew about business. Their relationship could put all other business endeavors into danger, and that scared the hell out of Rose.

“I don’t have a ring anyways,” Noah said as he reluctantly stood up. “But I think we should get married.”

He was smiling like a schoolboy who had just been told by his crush that she liked him just as much as he liked her. But Noah couldn’t help himself. He knew that Rose was right for him, and that he was right for her; in his mind, there was no reason to wait if they both knew they were right for one another. But he also wanted to keep his firm afloat and liked the idea of owning it with his new wife.

“Let’s see what the board thinks about me as a partner and we can go from there,” Rose said as she leaned in to whisper in Noah’s ear. “Then I’ll marry the shit out of you.”

The directors were the only people remaining in the way as Noah moved to make Rose a partner. The board had to vote in favor of the idea, or Noah would never be able to move forward. He suspected the board would say yes to pretty much anyone that Noah brought in; they were just as desperate as he was to actually have someone named and start the process of moving that person into Elaine’s old office.

Noah was going to miss Elaine. She had put up with him long before he knew what he was doing in a courtroom. Noah might never know why Elaine had pushed him to become a partner, but he was so glad that it worked, and he wasn’t going to let the opportunity to be the lead partner pass him by.

***

“Should we call ourselves Conley and Conley?” Noah asked as he and Rose sat in his office the evening after the board had approved Rose’s partnership.

The news was exciting, and it gave Noah and Rose the reassurance they needed to move forward with all their plans. Noah couldn’t suppress the excitement as the biggest stress of the year was finally lifting off his shoulders.

“Hmmm, I think Tate and Conley as a nice ring to it.”

“What did your mom say about the whole getting married idea? I’m pretty sure she hates me. Have you seen the way she looks at me?”

“Oh, she loves you. I’m pretty sure she loves you even more than me. She’s excited that we are getting married but more excited at the prospect that she might have grandbabies someday.”

“You know, misses soon to be Conley. I love you.”

“I know.”

Rose did know that Noah loved her. She could see it in his face, in the way he looked at her, and in the way she looked at him.

“And …” Noah asked as he waited for Rose to say she loved him too.

“And … I’m excited to be your partner?”

“And …?” He asked for more.

“I’m excited to have a bigger office,” she teased him. “Oh, and I’m super stoked for the new parking spot I have.”

Noah pulled Rose close to him and held onto her as she teased him. Over the last few months, Rose had transformed from an anxious and mean woman to the kind of woman that Noah knew she had always been. He couldn’t keep his hands off of her and constantly felt the need to kiss and love on her. They had to tell the office about everything when they decided to make her a partner, and people were surprisingly supportive of them.

“And … what else?” he pushed.

“I think you’re a really swell guy.” She laughed.

“And …”

“I love you damn it. I friggin love you. Okay, is that what you’re waiting for?”

Noah still had a hold of Rose and leaned down to kiss her. That was indeed what he was waiting for. Life hadn’t been the easiest on Rose, and she had always struggled to get those words out of her mouth, but he loved to hear them. He loved to see how she was softening up and opening up to become the woman he always knew she would be.

He knew she was nervous about becoming a partner, but what Rose didn’t realize was that so many people already looked up to her. Rose had overcome obstacles and gone back to college at a later age than most new associates. She had worked hard and made great impressions on the clients, not to mention her killer win ratio. Despite her own insecurities, Rose was a damn good lawyer and was going to make a great leader to the younger associates in the firm as well as the women.

“I love you too.”

“Should we celebrate?” Rose asked as she walked over to the blinds and started to close them.

Noah watched her as she seductively moved around his office. She took the time to twirl each of the blinds slowly closed as she used her other hand to start unbuttoning her blouse.

“Here?” he asked as he looked out the window at the city below. “My door lock is broken.”

“Oh, we better make it quick then,” Rose said as she slid her skirt to the ground and stood naked in front of the city window.

“You’re killing me,” Noah groaned.

He moved toward her with lust in his eyes. This was another side of Rose that he was enjoying getting to know. Her love for excitement and primal fun was something that he was starting to enjoy very much. They were making love in alleys, their cars, even the local movie theater. Sure, he knew that someday they would calm down, and he was always worried about the possible consequences, but it was fun and exciting.

Together, Rose and Noah had practiced all of each other’s sexual fantasies. They were sexual explorers who were comfortable with each other, passionate, and in love. What more could any man hope for in a wife?

Noah quickly grabbed her naked body and turned her around. He pressed her up against the glass of the building as they both looked down at the city below. Her hands wrapped around and started to unzip him as she felt his body throbbing with desire.

This was the life she wanted. Rose wanted to be a lawyer, to be a wife, and to still be a sexual woman. She had always thought she had to give up one for the other, but Noah was showing her day after day that she really could have it all.

His hands slipped around and played with her nipples as he kissed her neck and they admired the city lights. All their dreams were about to come true; there was nothing in their way. Finally, Rose and Noah were going to have happiness. Finally, all the stars were going to align, and they were going to get their happily ever after.

She pressed her hips back against his throbbing member as she urged him to slide inside of her. Rose couldn’t wait to make love right there in front of the whole city. Although she suspected that no one would see or notice. But it was still fun to explore and play with Noah. She didn’t have to feel self-conscious about her sexuality around him. In fact, Rose felt freer than she could have ever felt with another man. Not only did she love Noah, but she respected him, and he respected her. They had built a relationship on a firm friendship, and that was the basis for love that was everlasting.

“Say yes,” Noah moaned into her ear as his body teased her opening.

“Yes to what?”

“Say yes to Conley and Conley.”

“Yes,” she moaned as she pressed back in desperate need to have him. “I’ll marry you. I’ll love you forever. I’ll take your last name. I’ll have your babies. Yes, yes, yes,” she said as she pulled him close.

“And …” he teased as he waited for her to say it one last time.

“And I friggin love you. Now fuck me!”

“Oh, yes darling. Anything you say.”

THE END