Three weeks later . . .
When I returned to work, Gavin did the one thing he’d threatened to do the day I was hired at Cates—he sent out a company announcement. Granted, it wasn’t telling everyone we were dating, but an engagement announcement, complete with a photo taken of us from the charity event.
“What’s being delivered today?” Gavin asked as he opened up a box of kitchen supplies.
The weekend after our engagement, we went furniture shopping so that we could at least move into our house. Gavin had also called for all the stuff from his New York apartment to be delivered.
“Let me check,” I replied, pulling out my phone from my back pocket. I scanned for the email. “Today is the sofas for the family room, a few sofa chairs, couple of end tables, and two bed frames.”
I loved our home. It may have been empty, but it was ours. Not a hotel, not a cramped apartment, but a house that we’d chosen as a couple. A place for us to live and grow our family.
It took nearly two weeks, but my iron levels finally got to a normal level and all of my symptoms were gone. The only sickness left was the morning sickness caused by our growing little peanut.
The doorbell went off, and I jumped up. “That must be them.” I ran to the door and flipped the lock, then pulled it open.
But what was on the other side was not a furniture delivery, but a fifty-two-year-old man with his brown hair thinning.
“Dad?”
He beamed at me, throwing his arms open. “Emmybear!”
Instantly, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close. My dad. My dad.
“Omph!” He was laughing, but I could tell by the way his arms tightened that he missed me just as much.
It’d been years, and his hug was the world.
“Emma?”
I turned to find my mom standing behind him.
Tears filled my eyes. “Mom.” I wrapped my arms around her. “What are you doing here?”
“Gavin didn’t tell you?” Dad asked.
Gavin? What had my fiancé been doing behind my back?
I shook my head and sniffled. “No.”
“We’re moving back to Boston,” Mom said as she looked me over. “He invited us to stay with you while we get situated.”
“Come on in,” I said, gesturing them inside.
“Oh, Emma . . .” Mom trailed off as she looked around.
“We don’t have much yet, so it looks really big with all the empty rooms.”
“Beats the seven-hundred-square-feet your apartment had,” Gavin said with a chuckle from behind me.
“Mom, Dad, this is my fiancé, Gavin.” I held my arms out like I was presenting him.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Dad said, shaking his hand a little too vigorously.
“What’s going on?” I asked. I was obviously missing something, because my dad knew what had happened in July. I was shocked he was being so nice.
“Turns out one of our departments was seriously lacking a key element,” Gavin began. “The manager of the department and I went through the candidates from the headhunter we use, and your dad fit the bill perfectly.” He smiled at me, which only caused me to narrow my eyes on him.
“Gavin, what did you do?” I asked in a whisper.
He smiled down at me and brushed my hair back. “Part of my doing everything I can to make you happy.”
I stretched up and pressed my lips to his. “Thank you.”
To have my parents near was like a dream, and would be especially when our baby arrived. A fact I still had yet to break to them. So much had been going on, I hadn’t gotten to it.
“How about a tour?” Dad asked, his neck stretched around the doorway leading to the parlor.
“Sure,” I said. We walked them through all of the bare living spaces, describing what we were going to do with them.
When we got up to the bedrooms, I stopped at what was the largest, but not the master. It appeared more like a living space with its fireplace and flanking built-ins.
“This would be a great space for you two,” I said when we walked in. “We have a queen bed in another room we can bring in here, and the frame is being delivered today.”
“Perfect,” Mom said with a smile.
We continued on, passing a bathroom before coming upon the smallest bedroom.
“We’re going to use this room for the nursery,” Gavin said.
My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe he’d just blurted it out like that. Then again, it was one way to tell them.
“Nursery?” Mom glanced down to my stomach. “Baby, you’re pregnant?” my mom asked, her eyes wide.
There was no hiding it in the shirt I was wearing. My stomach had just a small bump in my abdomen. Small, but noticeable compared to the flat stomach I’d had just weeks before.
“Eleven weeks today,” I said as I ran my hand across my bump. “Due to some earlier issues, we were waiting a little longer to tell you.”
“Earlier issues? Emma Elaine!” Mom’s eyes were wide, completely horrified. She was such a worrywart—another reason why I didn’t want to tell her about my trip to the hospital.
“I have iron deficiency anemia. It caused issues early on, but I’m fine now. I take supplements and I’m fine.”
My dad remained silent, still as a statue as he stared at the small room. He looked to Gavin, then to me, then back to Gavin.
“Okay. The answer is yes.”
The answer?
My brow scrunched as I glanced to Gavin who held out his hand to my father.
Dad noticed my confusion. “Gavin asked for my blessing to marry you. I told him I’d have an answer when we met face to face and I saw him with my daughter.”
Gavin wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his side.
“Are you happy, baby?”
I smiled, my lips forming a thin line as the emotions threatened to burst out in the form of tears. “So happy.”
Gavin continued to give and give. Bringing my parents back to Boston was one of the greatest gifts I could receive. Worth more than the ring on my finger, my necklace, and my bracelet combined.
He gave me my family—both the one I was born into and the one that carried his last name.
Words could never describe how much I loved the worst guest I’d ever had to deal with.
A year and a half later…
Gavin
A small cry, and my eyes were wide open. With a glance over to the monitor to check in, I saw he was standing up in his crib. Emma was a heavier sleeper than me and hadn’t noticed the small peep our son made.
I slipped out of bed, letting my wife sleep.
“What’s going on, Liam?” I asked as I stepped up to his crib.
“Dadada, bah-ba.” His chubby fingers held onto the edge. Only recently did he start standing. Soon he’d been walking, and we’d be chasing him nonstop.
I picked him up and set him on my hip. “Okay, let’s go get you a bottle.”
We headed down to the kitchen, our way lit by a dozen night-lights. After retrieving a bottle and warming it, we followed the same path back up the two flights of stairs.
I sat down in the glider and held Liam in my arm, his bottle in my opposite hand. Out his window, I caught the flash of colored lights still blinking on the trees in the median. With the holidays over, my family had returned to Ohio, and our home quieted down. My hope was to spend some time in Ohio over the summer. I wanted Liam to see something besides the congested city.
Emma always said that I was the one who turned her life upside down, but the exact same could be said about her. We changed each other’s lives, and for the better. Liam was proof.
She was five months pregnant when we were joined as husband and wife in front of a small gathering of friends and family. It was simple, intimate, and a show of our love for each other.
His eyes were heavy as he slowly suckled. I pulled the bottle away and repositioned him as I set the bottle down. My feet continued to lightly push on the floor as I lulled him back to sleep. As I looked down at him, I continued to be amazed that he was mine. I still hated that even for a fraction of a second I ever doubted that he was. On the day he was born, the fear was still there, in the background. I’d been there before, but left a changed, warped man.
William Alexander Grayson entered the world on March sixth, and the second he opened his eyes and looked at me, all of my fears melted away. I was hooked, so in love with him.
As he grew, his eye color began to change. He had one blue and one green eye—just like me. It wasn’t the only trait he inherited from me. My boy was quite demanding at times.
I loved those moments—the middle of the night, just him and me. The days were always a mad race, but in the quiet of the night, it was just the two of us.
Alexander was setting up his retirement in two years and had officially announced me as his successor. It was an informally known progression already, but the world was now aware. We’d already started the transitioning process, but the responsibility on my shoulders was suddenly a lot heavier. I’d been with Cates for over a decade. I was there when they became a billion-dollar company, and was there as they continued to grow. The hard part was going to keep the company advancing and growing as well as keeping a balanced home life.
I wanted to spend as much time as possible with my family. I was happy and didn’t want Cates to be my sole focus like it once had been.
That was my fear—being eaten up by work and losing Emma.
I strived to make certain that didn’t happen.
“Baby, wake up,” Emma said as she roused me.
I drew in a breath as my eyes went wide. I’d fallen back to sleep on the rocker, Liam in my arms. Emma lifted Liam from me and set him in his crib before taking my hand.
“Come on, Mr. Grayson. Shower time.”
The morning wood in my pants twitched, excited about the idea. “I like that idea very much, Mrs. Grayson.”
She looked back to me, a sly, naughty smile playing on her lips.
Forty-five minutes later, I headed down to the kitchen to help with Liam so that Emma could finish up. My mother-in-law stood at the counter by the coffeepot while Emma sat at the table with Liam in his high chair.
“Morning, Kathy,” I said as I entered the kitchen.
“Good morning. Coffee?” she asked as she held out a mug.
I nodded as took it from her. “Thank you.” I headed over to Emma and draped my jacket over a chair.
While Emma’s parents living with us was supposed to be temporary, we were going on almost two years with them still with us. Our home was big enough, and we were grateful to have the help with Liam, but at the same time there was something to be said about the lost privacy.
Fucking my wife on every surface of our home was taking longer than it should have.
Emma was feeding Liam while she ate a yogurt, and I took over so that she could finish eating and getting ready. She popped up once done and gave me a quick kiss before heading upstairs.
She came back down fifteen minutes later as I wiped banana from Liam’s mouth. “Ready?”
I nodded, giving one last swipe to his mouth before picking him up. “Let’s go.”
“Bye, Mom!” Emma called, waving at Kathy. “Have a good day.”
“You, too. Bye, Gavin. Bye, Liam.”
I waved Liam’s arm at his grandmother before following Emma out. Tom, Emma’s father, had already headed out.
We loaded into the car, Liam in his seat, and headed to the office. I loved our drives, even though they were short, because it was a few minutes of the day when it was just us.
“Isn’t it a little cold for a skirt?” I asked as I set my hand on her leg. Normally she wore pants in the winter.
“Yes, but I was so hot when we got out of the shower.”
“It was a hot shower.”
“Mm-hmm.”
I loved it when she wore skirts because I knew what she was wearing under them. Nothing turned me on as much as her thigh-highs. I pushed her skirt higher, sliding my hand over her silk stockings until I reached the soft skin of her upper thigh.
“Where is that hand going, sir?” she asked.
I gave her a lopsided smile. “Wherever it wants to.”
“This morning wasn’t enough?”
“I can never get enough of you.”
She bit her lip and tried not to smile. “Better not let my husband hear you say that.”
A chuckle slipped out, and I squeezed her thigh. “I’ll keep that in mind when I’ve got you laid out on my desk later today.”
“I don’t know if my boss would like me to be missing from my desk.”
“Baby, I’m your boss’s boss. She’ll have to deal.” I swung into my parking spot and threw the car into park. “If you want to keep your job, you’ll be in my office at noon.”
She gasped beside me, eyes wide. “But, Mr. Grayson, you can’t do that.”
Fuck, I loved our little role play. “Oh, I can, Emma. My office. Noon.”
She gave a little nod and looked down. “Yes, sir.”
I took hold of her chin and pulled her closer. “Such a good girl.” My mouth was on her, lips parted, tongues mingling. A taste to hold me over until I saw her again.
It was difficult pulling away from her, but I managed with a slight adjustment of my dick as I exited. I unclipped Liam’s carrier while Emma grabbed his diaper bag.
We walked in together and dropped Liam off on the tenth floor before stepping back onto the elevator.
“Have a good day, baby. Love you,” Emma said when we reached the seventeenth floor.
“I love you,” I said. My lips pressed to hers before she stepped away, her hand still in mine. Our eyes were locked all the way until the doors closed. Fuck, did I love my wife.
It was Emma’s idea to create a company daycare. I was resistant at first, but when she laid out some of the benefits, including less missed work, happy workers, and happy wife, I couldn’t refuse. Especially when Liam arrived and Emma went back to work, it was extremely convenient to have him close by. In the first month, tardiness was down by fifty percent at our Boston office. Seeing the benefits, I approved the program at our other locations around the country.
We did charge a fee per child, but it was a fraction of the cost of daycare and strictly to help with getting quality staff. Not a single person complained, and nearly everyone with young children signed them up. We were also about to launch a version for older kids for when summer break came along
“You’re making some great changes, Gavin,” Alexander said as we sat in his office discussing the financial reports an hour later.
“Thank you, Alexander.”
“The daycare is flourishing.”
I nodded. “I have to admit, if it wasn’t for Emma pointing out the need, I might not have thought of it.”
He smiled at that. “Morale is up, attendance is up, and employees seem happier, which is a good thing.”
“Very. Production has been up as well.”
“You know, from the moment I met her I knew that girl was special, but it’s amazing what she’s done to you.”
“Done to me?” I asked, a brow quirked.
“You’re no longer thinking about this as just a job. This is the livelihood of your family, and everyone who works for you is part of that family.”
He was right. Cates’s success was financial security for many families, not just my own. The weight was tremendous, but it was all about the balance, and I was determined not to lose sight of either of my goals—a thriving company and family.
An hour later, there was a familiar knock on my door, breaking me away from the email I was writing. A smirk grew on my face—it was a knock I’d know anywhere.
“Come in.”
“You wanted to see me, Mr. Grayson?”
Fuck. I loved my wife.
My assistant must have been away from her desk, otherwise she wouldn’t have started our naughty boss play.
“Yes, Emma, come in.”
She started walking, but as she approached, her smile dropped and she bent over, eyes closed as she blew out a breath.
I was immediately out of my chair and rushing over to her. “Are you okay?” I asked as I ran my hands up her arms, directing her to a chair.
Her brow was furrowed as she nodded. “Yeah. I just think I’m coming down with something.”
“Make a doctor’s appointment.”
She nodded. “I might. Mom’s off today, and she can get Liam and me.”
“Don’t worry about Liam. I’ll pick him up at five.”
She smiled up at me. “Thank you.” Her expression dropped, and she froze.
“What?”
“Well, I was just thinking . . . I’ve felt like this once before.”
“What was it then?” I asked.
“A baby.”
I froze as I stared down at her. “Do you think . . .?” I trailed off as I pressed my hand against her abdomen. With our first child, she was alone when she took the test, but I wasn’t going to let that happen again. “Let’s go.” I took her hand and headed toward the door.
“Go where?”
“There’s a drugstore a block away.” I stopped and turned back to her. “No, wait. You stay here, I’ll go. Just wait here.”
“Gavin, I have work to do.”
“Please, baby.”
She nodded and sat down. I placed a kiss to her forehead before racing out and down to the nearest drugstore.
Round trip, it was only fifteen minutes before I was back in my office.
“You’re hogging my employee,” Julianne said as I entered.
“Technically, she’s my employee as well.”
Julianne quirked a brow. “Just because she’s your wife doesn’t mean she gets special privileges.”
Emma snickered, her lips turning up.
I lifted the bag up that held the tests. “Give me another fifteen minutes, and she’s all yours.”
Julianne’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a pregnancy test?”
I took hold of Emma’s hand. “Fifteen minutes.”
“Fine,” Julianne huffed.
I dragged Emma into the women’s restroom, receiving a startled gasp from a woman washing her hands before she scurried away.
“You’re abusing your power,” Emma said as she stepped into the stall of the women’s bathroom, tests in hand.
“Trust me, Julianne has used being Alexander’s daughter in the past.”
After Emma had healed from Liam, I wasted no time fucking my wife anytime I could. Being my wife, I also no longer saw any reason to pull out. I made sure she was never left wanting, and it made me hard knowing each time I came inside her could get her pregnant again.
I was actually surprised it took this long. Liam’s first birthday was coming up. The sound of the toilet flushing echoed around the tile walls and she stepped out, setting the tests on the counter.
She stared down at them, her lip caught between her teeth. It took almost no time before markings appeared. I looked down at the box for the results, then down to the tests.
A smile stretched across my face as I stared down at the two little lines. “Pregnant.” I looked to Emma to find her face was pale as she stared down. “Baby?”
She blinked and shook her head. “Sorry. I was having a bit of a flashback.”
I tipped her chin up and locked my eyes with hers. “We’re going to have another baby, and I am so fucking excited,” I said, knowing she needed to hear it. I needed to make up for the last time we found out we had a baby on the way. “I love you. I love you so much, and I am so happy we are adding to our family.”
“Really?” Her brow was furrowed.
I pulled her to my chest and wrapped my arms around her as I kissed the top of her head. Her fingers clenched around my jacket.
“Over the moon excited.” And I was. “Though your parents may never be able to move out.”
She laughed at that. “Don’t say that.” She sighed and leaned into me. “I guess it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s a big house.”
“I hope it’s a girl,” I said. “As beautiful and strong as her mother.”
“I’d love a little girl.”
“Then we can have a boy. Do an alternating pattern.”
She pulled back and stared at me. “I am so going on birth control when this baby is born,” she said.
“Why?” I asked.
Her eyes were wide as she looked at me. “Baby, you may love me being pregnant—”
“I do,” I interrupted her.
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to just be a baby maker. Two kids is plenty.”
“I always saw us with three or four.”
She shook her head and smiled. “Let me have a breather of a couple of years, then we’ll talk about it. There’s plenty of time for more later.”
I ran my hand over her stomach and our baby inside. “You’re right. I just . . . I fucking love that you’re pregnant.”
A smile grew on her face. “Because you claimed me?”
I nodded. “I fucking did.”
It was months later when baby girl Grayson came into the world. We named her Amelia.
Life always came with ups and downs, but we handled everything together. Emma and our babies were my world. I loved them with my whole heart, my scars long healed, because Emma had shown me what true love could be.