Chapter
Twenty
Another knock had Vice lifting his head and ordering darkly, “Go the hell away.”
“Um, maybe you shouldn’t have—” I didn’t get to finish because his mouth claimed mine, and once again, I was lost in Vice.
Another knock, that one heavier. “Vice, sweetheart?”
We froze. With our mouths still glued together, we opened our eyes and stared at one another. Slowly, Vice pulled back, but not before laying a quick peck on my lips.
“Who’s that?” I asked in a whisper.
“My mother.”
“Yoo-hoo, Vice. We’re coming in.” It was a different voice.
“Who is that?” I hissed.
“My other mother, Molly’s Mom.”
With my hands still curled into his jacket, I pushed him back and straightened myself just as the door came open, and two women in their sixties stepped in.
Right then would have been a perfect moment to crawl under Vice’s desk and hide. Both mothers looked from a scowling Vice to a nervous, smiling me, over and over a few times, as if they were at a tennis match. It was easy to tell them apart. Molly, like the woman on the right, was a little shorter. Both had light brown hair and matching eyes. Though Molly’s mom’s hair held some gray tinges. The other woman—gulp—Vice’s Mom, was taller, and her coloring was so much like Vice’s lovely tanned skin. Both women wore dark slacks with different color shirts.
Finally, they grinned at the same time and walked further in. “Vice sweetheart, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Molly’s mom asked.
Vice sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and gestured to Molly’s mom, “Melanie, Molly’s mom, and Grace, my mother, I’d like you to meet Adalyn Sage.” He’d remembered to say my maiden name.
“Oh, gosh. You’re Molly’s friend. She’s told us so much about you and Drew. But, what are you doing here?” Melanie asked.
“Um, I’m Mr. Salvatore’s assistant.”
“Your lips look well kissed, dear.” Grace smiled.
My face went up in flames.
“Mom,” Vice said in a tone of warning.
“Well, they are.”
“Mom.” Vice glared.
Fighting for something to say, I blurted, “I’m also his girlfriend.” My eyes widened. I covered my mouth with my hand. I couldn’t look at Vice. He’d said he wanted to see where it would go between us, but I’d just advanced us in seconds because I was scared they would think less of me.
“Adalyn.” At least his tone was softer than he used on his mom.
But I was still in panic mode because a sudden thought popped into my head. I slid my hand to my neck, gripped, and rushed out, “I didn’t pressure him into giving me this job. We hadn’t been, um, seeing each other then. If anything, he peeved me off until, well, to be honest, he still sometimes does, but I don’t mind so much anymore, and he’s really great with Drew. Just last week we were at his house because he cooked us dinner—”
“Adalyn.” I heard Vice laugh.
However, I powered through. “Which, by the way, I think is amazing, a man willing to cook, so thank you,” I said to Grace. “And Vice played pool with Drew. He gave him one of his sweaters to wear outside. It was the sweetest moment I’d had in a long time. Drew just adores Vice, and I don’t mean just because of his house either. I was sure Drew wanted—”
“Adalyn,” Vice called louder.
Jolting, I whispered, “Yes?”
“Relax, baby.” He smiled and tugged me to his side, where he placed his arm around my waist.
Flushing, I took a chance to look at both women. I was surprised to find they were smiling at us with tears shimmering in their eyes.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, “I got a little flustered.”
“It’s fine, dear,” Grace said. “We’d come to steal Vice away for lunch, but we’ll let you get back to work.” She winked, and I wanted to die since it seemed she thought I would go back to making out with her son.
“Adalyn,” Melanie called. “Molly just rang before we came in. She mentioned something about a get-together for wedding talk.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“Fantastic. Kisses,” she said with an air kiss and then walked out. Grace came up to her son, and he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“We’ll talk soon,” she told him in a tone that brooked no argument.
“Yes, Mom.”
“Adalyn, lovely to meet you.”
“You also, Mrs. Salvatore.”
“Grace, dear. Call me Grace from this day on.”
I wasn’t sure if I would ever see her again because I was terrified what Vice had to say about me telling his mom, his mom, I was his girlfriend. Still, I replied with, “Um, okay, thank you.”
Then again, when he curled his arm around me, I took it as a good sign he hadn’t minded.
I had to think positive.
He wanted me. I wanted him.
Stating I was his girlfriend to his mom wasn’t too bad, right?
Once they left, closing the door behind them, I shifted away from Vice and faced him. “Can you please just kill me now?”
“Why?” He smirked.
“They knew we were kissing. Your moms knew. And then my mouth wouldn’t listen to my brain when I told it to shut up, and I kept raving on about things they didn’t need to know. I just made the biggest fool out of myself, and you ask why? And then I went….”
“What?”
“No, never mind. I really should get back to work. I’ve been in here way too long. People must be conjuring up stories about us.”
“I don’t care what they think. I want to know what you were going to say.” He stepped closer, and I backed up, so he came forward again. When I was backed into a wall, he stood in front of me.
“And then you went…?” he asked again.
Expelling a heavy breath through my nose, I closed my eyes and muttered, “And then I went and told then I was… that I’m, um, your, you know.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Yes,” I cried, my eyes springing wide as I glanced up at him. “Girlfriend, Vice. And we hadn’t even talked about anything. I’m not a clinger if you’re worried about that.”
“I’m not.”
“And I don’t want anything to do with your money.”
“I know.”
“I like your company, Vice. I like seeing you each day. I like talking to you, even when it’s at times when we’re going head to head about something stupid. I may have jumped us ahead, but I’d like to think you want the same thing here.”
“I do.”
My body deflated, relaxed. “Oh, well… good. So you’re okay with me saying that G word in front of them?”
“More than okay,” he growled low. Just before I got another taste of my boyfriend’s—cue giddy giggles, which makes me sound like a teen, so I mentally groan and think of Vice as my man without a giggle—mouth, someone else knocked on the door.
“Fucking hell,” Vice snarled and then moves off to open it while I once again straighten myself, and prayed I didn’t have a guilty look on my face.
“Vice, I tried ringing your assistant’s phone, but she’s not even at her desk, and it’s not her lunch break. I wanted to see if I could make a time for a meeting with you?” Kylie Whore-face asked from the doorway. Vice had hold of the door. She couldn’t see me since I stood near the wall behind the door.
“Is this meeting about work, Kylie?”
She giggled, and I knew it had nothing to do with work, but the new policy on dating within the company. Kylie wanted to get her claws into Vice. My Vice.
“Of course it does,” she replied, all sultry.
Stalking over to the door, I grip it and force it from Vice’s hand to open it all the way. Kylie gasped, her hand fluttering over her heart. “Oh, you scared me.” She laughed and glanced at Vice to see if he was watching, only he wasn’t. His eyes were down on me with his perfect, twitching lips.
“Excuse me, Adalyn.” Kylie sneered. I faced her again. “I tried calling your desk. It’s not good to leave it unattended.”
“Sorry, Kylie. I was busy. What can I do to help you?”
“I’d like to book in a meeting with Vice please.”
“Oh, really? What time are you free, Vice?” I asked.
“I’m not sure—”
I interrupted him. “Never? Did you say never, because that’s what I heard? Actually, Kylie, if you have any questions regarding anything, I’ll be sure to help you out. If not, you can see Henley.” Shifting to Vice, I grabbed the back of his neck, tugged him down and planted my lips against his quickly. “Now, honey. We’d better get back to work.”
Oh, oh, oh… what did I just do? I overstepped, and it was the second time in a couple of minutes. Someone needed to lock me up and throw away the key or at least keep Vice away from me because it was his fault both times I overstepped.
Panic seized my heart to a point it hurt in my chest.
“Breathe, Adalyn,” Vice’s amused voice said in my ear. “As you can see, Kylie, Adalyn deals with all meetings. Also, if it has anything to do with the change in the contract, I don’t want to hear about it.” Once Kylie stormed off in a huff, Vice turned my still stiff form his way, using his hands on my hips. “Relax, woman.”
Blinking, I asked, “How did you know I wasn’t?”
“The freaked-out expression on your face. Don’t second-guess your actions, baby. People now know, which means we can move things up….” Move things up. Does he mean sex? Vice chuckled and lowered his voice even more. “I’m not talking about that just yet. Lunches are with me now. I get to walk you to your car, and when you arrive in the morning, I expect a greeting. We’re still learning about each other. The other part will come. At least, I hope so.” He winked, and I blushed.
Great, all I could think about was getting naked with Vice, and pondering it at work wasn’t good.
Tapping his stomach, I said, “I’d better get back to work.” And think about shaving my legs, underarms, and cleaning up down below.
“Where did your mind just go?”
“Hmm? Oh, nowhere.” I grinned. “Don’t you have a business or two to run?”
“I suppose I do.” He gave me a quick peck and then went back into his office while I stepped out and walked to my desk. I didn’t bother looking around. I knew I had eyes on me. They could stare all they wanted. I was more than happy, and no one was ruining it.
Then I remember my conversation with John, causing my stomach to sink. Even if I’d gone about it the wrong way, I was glad I’d mentioned me dating since I knew where Vice and I were finally at.
John would have to deal, and honestly, I didn’t understand why he was so bent out of shape about me dating in the first place, not when he was the one who cheated and then left me for her.