learnt how to share and take turns, and I value fairness more than I ever have.” He gave Chloe a knowing grin. “Welcome, friends, to Razzo!” Damien popped the top from his bottle of champagne and the room resounded with cheers. Servers emerged from the kitchen doors with trays of filled champagne glasses for the guests while Damien filled crystal flutes for himself and Chloe.
* * * *
Chloe sipped her sparkling wine and felt perfect happiness. The last several months had been a blissfully busy blur. That first day, Volare’s financial books had been more twisted than the fusilli bucati on Razzo’s menu. After she’d straightened them out, she established a sound accounting strategy for both Volare and Razzo.
Along the way, she and Damien had learnt that she had a knack with clients. The two of them had become a team. She offered humour during the potentially embarrassing parts of therapeutic exercises. Her open, playful mannerisms helped put clients at ease, while Damien’s skilful assessments and techniques continued to deliver success. She and Damien now served an average of four clients each week. In addition, they co-managed Volare. Razzo would add a new element to their lives, but Chloe had assembled a team of new employees—all former clients—whom she expected would ease their growing pains.
Chloe slid a hand through Damien’s wavy hair and pulled him to her for a kiss. Tasting his tender mouth, flavoured with fine champagne, sent a thrill down her throat that settled in a warm, slippery place between her legs. As she had countless times over the past few months, she traced her fingertips down the side of his face, from the soft indentation next to his eye, past his warmly roughened cheek, and down to the strong line of his jaw. He felt like heat, stone and security—a living rock to lean into and a sturdy base from which something wonderful could grow.
We’ve become more than a working team, she admitted to herself. Damien is more than a boss, or a partner, or even a lover. It’s happened. I love everything about him. I love us together. I love him.
Feeling his lips on hers and his strong arms around her back, Chloe knew that her life simply couldn’t get any better than it was in that moment. This was as good as it could possibly be, and it was totally fabulous. She hummed with feline satisfaction as Damien grazed kisses down her jaw and neck. “I love you, Chloe,” he whispered hoarsely in her ear. “I really do.”
Chloe felt a thrill that started in her ear and swept over her entire body. “Yeah,” she giggled, tongue-tied. “Me too.” She turned his face to hers and kissed him deeply, sliding her hand down to cup his ass and give it a light squeeze. “I love you, too, that is,” she clarified, leaning back to look into his eyes. “You make me so happy, Damien.”
Joy flickered in his eyes. Damien removed her hands from his body and kissed her knuckles softly, then dropped to one knee in front of her.
“Oh my God!” Chloe squeaked. The room grew hushed around them.
Damien withdrew a small black velvet box from his pocket. He looked up at Chloe with tears in his eyes. “I don’t know what the future will hold, Chloe. I know that it won’t always be smooth and worry-free. I also know that I need to have you in it to make me whole. I love you so much, Chloe. Please say you’ll be my wife.”
He opened the box and held it up to Chloe. Inside was a platinum ring, fashioned in the stylised shape of a bird in flight. Diamonds encrusted the gracefully curved wings. “Because you make me soar, Chloe,” Damien said softly.
Chloe traced her fingers over the diamonds and bit her lip. “It’s so beautiful, Damien. I don’t know what to say.”
He pulled the ring from the box and took Chloe’s left hand in his. Placing the ring at her fingertip, he gazed at her with longing. “‘Yes’, Chloe,” he whispered softly. “Just say ‘yes’.”
“Oh! Oh!” Chloe
* * * *
Chloe sipped her sparkling wine and felt perfect happiness. The last several months had been a blissfully busy blur. That first day, Volare’s financial books had been more twisted than the fusilli bucati on Razzo’s menu. After she’d straightened them out, she established a sound accounting strategy for both Volare and Razzo.
Along the way, she and Damien had learnt that she had a knack with clients. The two of them had become a team. She offered humour during the potentially embarrassing parts of therapeutic exercises. Her open, playful mannerisms helped put clients at ease, while Damien’s skilful assessments and techniques continued to deliver success. She and Damien now served an average of four clients each week. In addition, they co-managed Volare. Razzo would add a new element to their lives, but Chloe had assembled a team of new employees—all former clients—whom she expected would ease their growing pains.
Chloe slid a hand through Damien’s wavy hair and pulled him to her for a kiss. Tasting his tender mouth, flavoured with fine champagne, sent a thrill down her throat that settled in a warm, slippery place between her legs. As she had countless times over the past few months, she traced her fingertips down the side of his face, from the soft indentation next to his eye, past his warmly roughened cheek, and down to the strong line of his jaw. He felt like heat, stone and security—a living rock to lean into and a sturdy base from which something wonderful could grow.
We’ve become more than a working team, she admitted to herself. Damien is more than a boss, or a partner, or even a lover. It’s happened. I love everything about him. I love us together. I love him.
Feeling his lips on hers and his strong arms around her back, Chloe knew that her life simply couldn’t get any better than it was in that moment. This was as good as it could possibly be, and it was totally fabulous. She hummed with feline satisfaction as Damien grazed kisses down her jaw and neck. “I love you, Chloe,” he whispered hoarsely in her ear. “I really do.”
Chloe felt a thrill that started in her ear and swept over her entire body. “Yeah,” she giggled, tongue-tied. “Me too.” She turned his face to hers and kissed him deeply, sliding her hand down to cup his ass and give it a light squeeze. “I love you, too, that is,” she clarified, leaning back to look into his eyes. “You make me so happy, Damien.”
Joy flickered in his eyes. Damien removed her hands from his body and kissed her knuckles softly, then dropped to one knee in front of her.
“Oh my God!” Chloe squeaked. The room grew hushed around them.
Damien withdrew a small black velvet box from his pocket. He looked up at Chloe with tears in his eyes. “I don’t know what the future will hold, Chloe. I know that it won’t always be smooth and worry-free. I also know that I need to have you in it to make me whole. I love you so much, Chloe. Please say you’ll be my wife.”
He opened the box and held it up to Chloe. Inside was a platinum ring, fashioned in the stylised shape of a bird in flight. Diamonds encrusted the gracefully curved wings. “Because you make me soar, Chloe,” Damien said softly.
Chloe traced her fingers over the diamonds and bit her lip. “It’s so beautiful, Damien. I don’t know what to say.”
He pulled the ring from the box and took Chloe’s left hand in his. Placing the ring at her fingertip, he gazed at her with longing. “‘Yes’, Chloe,” he whispered softly. “Just say ‘yes’.”
“Oh! Oh!” Chloe
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