I slump at my desk, forehead propped in my hands. The words on my computer screen are all blurring together, a meaningless jumble of symbols that don’t make sense or matter to me right now.

All I can think about is her.

The look on her face when I told her I loved her. A look like I was tearing her apart, breaking her in two. She cares about me, I know she does. I can see it in her eyes every time I look at her. But after I told her about Tricia, about her ultimatum…

My stomach churns. And why did I say all that shit about supporting her? We’ve only been dating a few weeks, of course she doesn’t trust me yet. But I just wanted her to know, I’d never leave her high and dry, never let her take the fall for a mess I’ve created.

It’s my fault she’s in this mess. My fault she has to deal with my crazy ex wife. My fault I didn’t look into this company before I hired her.

But then, if I had looked into the company, if I’d known all along Tricia ran it, I never would have hired a Party Princess from her. And then I would never have met Tilly. And despite everything, despite how much my heart is aching now, and how much worse I know this could get before Tricia stops digging her heels in and trying to sabotage me at every turn… I can’t bring myself to regret it.

Tilly is the best woman I’ve ever met. The one person who turned me around, who reminded me what falling in love could feel like. What living could feel like, when all I’ve been doing since the divorce has been existing, getting by, being there for Lina.

To think that I could lose her, after all this… Fuck.

Tricia must be loving this, I think bitterly, running my hands through my hair, fists balled. I shut my eyes and I see Tilly in my mind.

Tilly, spread-eagled across my bed just a couple nights ago. Tilly, gasping as I lick and kiss and suck my way down her lithe body. Tilly, wrapping her thighs around my head as I lick her sweet, tight little pussy, as I run my hands over her perfect ass and curvy hips.

Tilly, her eyes bright and blue and fixed on mine as she whispers how much she wants me. How much she needs me.

Tilly, texting me silly selfies in the morning, bright eyed ones saying Woke up like this, her hair a cloud around her head. I always tell her she looks beautiful, and she laughs like she doesn’t believe it. But she is. Even first thing in the morning with her hair a mess and her eyes squinty as she adjusts to daylight, she’s gorgeous.

I could look at her all day and never tire of it.

But now… Now I might never look at her again.

I shove back from my desk and storm across to the kitchenette to make myself a cup of coffee. But after the coffee maker finishes running, I find myself just standing there, staring into space, forgetting what I was here to do. Numb to the world as thoughts of her, memory after memory, flit through my mind.

Someone touches my shoulder and I almost jump out of my skin. I turn to find Vince next to me, watching me with a frown. “Hey man, you okay?”

“Fine,” I reply, reaching for the coffee I’d nearly left stranded, forgotten about. I duck past him to add a splash of creamer from the fridge.

“Something up with that girl you’ve been seeing?” He raises an eyebrow.

Vince and the other guys at the office have heard about Tilly by now, since I’ve all but completely flaked out on every work happy hour or get together since she came along, even the ones I’d normally be available for since Lina isn’t back from school until a bit later on Thursdays. I don’t give them details, but they fill in the blanks enough to make fun of me, calling me moony-eyed and pointing out how often I’m on my phone texting her in between meetings.

To be honest, I hadn’t noticed how much I was doing it myself until they decided to point it out. Once they did, I didn’t mind. It was proof that things were going well between us. Proof that, despite how much younger than me she is, I’d finally met someone mature. A woman who doesn’t play games, who says what she means.

Somehow I still managed to get her tangled up in my bullshit past, though. Even when I’d tried to shield her from it.

“Hello? Earth to Flore. Do you read me, Killian?”

I snort and roll my eyes at Vince’s antics. “Loud and clear. I’ve just got better things to worry about right now.” With that, I brush past him.

But he bars my passage with one arm. “Well, I’m sorry to hear things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows on the home front. But if it makes you feel any better, a bunch of us were planning on checking out that new rooftop bar that opened up down in the business district. Supposed to be pretty cool, good nightlife. Lots of eye candy on display the last time we went.” He smirks.

I roll my eyes harder. “I’ll pass on the rooftop girl ogling session.”

“So you are still seeing this chick,” he announces.

I let out a sigh that turns into a groan. “Not exactly,” I admit, and since it doesn’t seem like he’s going to give this up anytime soon, I start sipping on my coffee, eying him over the rim of the mug.

“Something happen between you two?”

“Not between us. Just between certain other unwanted parties.” I scowl, and Vince’s eyes narrow.

“You’re joking me. That trifling crazy woman is still trying to ruin your game, huh?”

“It’s not a game!” I shake my head, scowling. “It’s—it was getting serious. Or so I thought. Then Tricia stomped into the middle of it and ruined everything, like she always does.”

“You have got to stop letting that woman get under your skin.”

“I don’t give a shit about what she does to me. That’s not the issue. The problem is when she tries to take our shit out on other people—on Lina, and now on Tilly, who it turns out works for her.”

“Hold up, the girl you’re dating works for your ex?” Vince’s eyeballs bug out of his head.

“I didn’t know that when we started dating.” I grimace.

“Fuck, man.” He laughs, but it’s not a real laugh. More a groan of shock. “You have some seriously shit luck.”

“Trust me, I know,” I mutter.

Vince huffs out a breath of air. “Well. Look. Are you serious about this girl?”

“Didn’t I just say that?” I arch an eyebrow.

“Then let her know.”

“I did.” I spread my hands. “Ball’s in her court now. It’s up to her if she wants to put up with this whole Tricia mess, and I sure as hell don’t blame her if she doesn’t.”

Vince keeps going, trying to convince me there’s no way any girl as smart as I claim Tilly is would let someone like my ex-wife push them around. But I’m not listening anymore. I try my best to tune him out as I head back to my desk, to bury myself in my work.

The last thing I want to do right now is allow myself to hope. She’ll decide what’s best for her, and if I can’t convince her I’m the right choice, then, well…

I don’t even want to think about it. I can’t lose her.

The rest of the morning ticks by like that, in slow starts and fits. My phone runs out of battery before it’s even noon, because I keep refreshing it, checking and hoping against hope that Tilly will have replied to my last message to her. Finally, I ready myself to face the world, at least for long enough to grab a bite to eat. I leave my phone shut off—probably for the best, and Lina’s school has my office number on file in case any real emergencies crop up—and scoop up my jacket and my wallet.

But as I’m turning to leave, I hear a commotion by the doors. More than a few people are glancing over at the glass-encased stairwell where our secretary works. Then I notice Vince stand and go over to push open the door.

“Miss!” I hear our secretary, Jim, shouting. “You can’t go in there without a pass—”

“She’s with me,” Vince shouts into the atrium, and I wonder what the hell is going on, when another figure comes bursting through those doors, into our office.

She’s facing away from me at first, but it doesn’t matter. I’d know that shower of golden curls anywhere. Tilly whips around, and her eyes land on me, widen with recognition, surprise…

Happiness.

In spite of myself, I feel an answering smile start to spread across my face, as impossible to resist as a flower turning toward the sun. She hurries across the office toward me. It’s not too busy right now—most people already skipped out for lunch half an hour ago—but there are at least a dozen people scattered across the floor. She doesn’t seem to care.

The second Tilly reaches me, she throws her arms around my neck, and our mouths collide. I catch her in my arms, pull her tight against me, as her lips part and close against mine, and her tongue slips into my mouth, tentative, soft, exploratory. I kiss her back hard, hot, and desperate enough to drown in her right now.

She twists her hands into my hair, and climbs up onto the desk we’re standing beside so her face is at the same height as mine.

Some people in the background are clapping. Distantly, I register the sound of Vince whooping at the top of his lungs. Someone else mutters to get a room, and I force myself to draw back, just a breath, just far enough to gaze down at Tilly in stunned surprise.

“What are you doing here?” I manage, still smiling, half-laughing as I talk, unable to believe she’s really here. I can’t quite believe this is real. It’s what I’ve been hoping for, daydreaming about all day, but… “Tilly, is everything—”

“Shut up,” she says, startling us both quiet. The laughter and catcalls around us increase in volume. Her cheeks go bright red, that delicate blush I love so much on her. But she carries on anyway, determined as ever. Because that’s who she is. My determined princess. “I have something important I need to say to you, Killian.” Her smile drips away, but mine stays put.

No matter what she has to say to me right now, I can’t not smile, at the simple fact that she’s here. Or that she just kissed me and climbed onto a desk to make out with me in front of half the damn office. I’m grinning like a dumbass right now.

“I should have told you this sooner,” she says, biting her lower lip. “But I’m ready now.” She holds my gaze. I could stare into those baby blues of hers forever. “I love you, Killian,” she whispers.

My heart skips a beat. Then three or four more, before I cup her cheek and pull her into another kiss, this one softer and slower and so sweet it makes my teeth ache. When we pull apart again, just by a hair’s breadth, I smirk. “I knew that,” I tell her.

She punches my shoulder lightly. “What are you, trying to retroactively Han Solo me?”

I snort. “Not my fault you’re easy to read, Tilly.”

She rolls her eyes. Then her face softens. Goes serious again. “I shouldn’t have left,” she murmurs. “The other morning, after you said it. I just… After everything you said about Ms. Conn—Tricia, I—”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Tilly.” I step back and hold her hand as she climbs down off the desk. Most of the onlookers have moved on, some leaving for lunch, others returning to their own desks and computer screens. Though they’re all doing a pretty terrible job of pretending that they’re hard at work and not eavesdropping on every word we’re saying. “Come here.” I keep hold of her hand and tug her after me into one of the larger conference rooms, the ones that lock from the inside and have windows high up on the walls. Vince is still tall enough that he’ll probably be able to peek in at what we’re doing, but most other people won’t be able to.

I tug her down into a seat next to mine, and spin her until we’re face to face. We lean close, our foreheads touching, and gaze into one another’s eyes.

“I understand why you left, Tilly,” I murmur. “I can’t blame you for it, at all. It was a hard situation. Who wants to get involved with a single father, much less one with a crazy ex to contend with on top of it all?” I’m shaking my head, but so is she.

She lifts a hand to press it to my lips. “Are you kidding, Killian? You’re perfect. You’re the best man I’ve ever met, the best person I’ve ever dated… And Lina is incredible. I’m just sorry that you both have to deal with your ex’s messed up behavior during all this. I hope she gets better, gets help and stops obsessing—”

“Believe me, you have no idea how much I wish for the same thing.” I shut my eyes. Open them once more. “But I can’t ask you to put yourself into her crosshairs for me. I don’t want to get in the way of your career. I respect you too much for that.”

“I don’t want to pin my whole career on a woman like that,” Tilly counters. “And it’s up to me to decide how to handle her. Which I already have. I met with her today and I told her I won’t stop seeing you. Nobody’s going to blackmail me or force my hand, Killian. I make my own decisions.” She reaches up to cup my cheek. Runs her thumb across my mouth, and the soft touch of her fingers sends a spike of desire straight to my groin. Fuck. Much more of this and I’m going to have to find a conference room without windows…

“And I choose you,” she finishes in a whisper.

I lean in to kiss her, hard and fast. Before I know it, I’m pulling her onto my lap, wrapping my hands around her hips and pulling her down against me as she arches into me, her chest pressed against mine, her legs on either side of me, wrapped around the chair as she tilts her head, lets me kiss her deeper. When we break apart, breathless, I catch her eye, frowning. “But what about your book? You said—”

She cuts me off at once. “I’ve spent years working on my writing and my books by myself. I’ll keep doing that. I’ll find an illustrator on my own, perfect this project myself. The way I always have. I don’t need that woman to give me help. I’ll do it on my own.”

I grin. There’s that determination again.

Then I slide my hand up her back and cup the back of her neck. Draw her down again into the kiss, and as I do, I can feel my cock starting to grow stiff beneath my pants. She shifts against me, wriggles to reposition herself, and fuck, the sensations that sends shooting through my damn monkey brain…

I stop her before this goes too far and whisper, breathless, “Next door.”

She staggers to her feet and I catch her hand, dragging her into the supply closet next to this office. Neither of us cares. We slam the door behind us, and I pin her against it, holding one hand over her head against the wall. With my free hand, I pull up the tight little office-appropriate pencil skirt she’s wearing, while she uses her free hand to undo the zipper of my pants, push those down my thighs, and shoves at my boxers after.

“Fuck, Tilly, you drive me so fucking wild,” I murmur against her lips, her jaw, her neck.

My cock springs free, and I take advantage of that moment to catch her other hand too. I lift it up, wrap my left hand around both of her wrists, over her head, so she’s all mine to claim. She’s breathless; her eyes glassy. “Fuck me, Killian,” she breathes, and I have never been so eager to obey anyone else’s demand ever.

I press into her slowly, our eyes locked, and this time, when I murmur, “I love you, Tilly,” she says it back right away, her eyes bright and wide and honest. Fixated on me. On the future we’ll build together.

My eyes fall shut as I start to fuck her, slowly at first, then building up the pace. She cries out, so I clamp my other hand over her mouth, both our eyes bright with amusement as we struggle to stay quiet. And at that moment, I know it, with a kind of certainty I’ve never experienced before.

I will do anything for this woman.