expecting you to reject me. I thought you’d be gentle about it and tell me you needed more time, but I fully expected a no in some form. That’s why I’m so thrilled you said yes.”
How could I feel any doubt in the face of his honesty? Instead, I snuggled up with him as our kisses gradually turned more passionate, our touches meant to stimulate and tease. It was several hours later before I made it to my apartment to pack up my things with his assistance, and I never did get a load of laundry done.
Chapter Six
Gabriella
I arrived at work ten minutes early, as was my habit. I wasn’t entirely shocked to find my manager waiting for me, telling me Mrs. Watts was expecting me. I’d vaguely anticipated this, but with the move yesterday and the flurry of excitement, I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on it too much.
Mykael had left before me this morning, to meet a client for breakfast, so it was just me making my way to the top-floor office alone. It would have been that way anyway, because I couldn’t in good conscience mix my personal life with my professional life and insist on dragging along my boyfriend to meet his mother for what was probably going to be a disciplinary meeting at minimum.
I was actually a little surprised she was acting already, especially by summoning me during work hours, but I supposed she wanted to deal with me and have me gone as quickly as possible. I was fully expecting some sort of offer to go away and never come back, which I knew I wouldn’t be accepting.
After the childhood I’d had, and the last six years spent being so lonely, there was no way I was throwing away a chance of happiness with Mykael just because his mother didn’t approve. Directly after meeting her Saturday, my inclination had been to do so, but I had calmed down since then and realized that no matter how much she objected, she couldn’t stop us from having a relationship.
Something had changed between Mykael and me over the weekend, something moving us a step closer toward his original goal of marriage, and in the end, Nila Watts wasn’t even a factor in my decision. Or not much of one.
I was feeling a little less brave than my thoughts implied as I knocked before entering her office a few moments later. It was so spacious and luxurious that it made Mykael’s nice office seem like the janitor’s closet. I didn’t bother to pay much attention to the décor or my surroundings as I focused on Nila, not letting my gaze waiver as I crossed the room to her desk.
She was seated, which was a bit startling. I’d expected her to stand up and tower over me, since she was several inches taller. I couldn’t decide what kind of message she was trying to send—either that I was too unimportant to acknowledge as anywhere near an equal, or that she was so powerful she had no need to make an overt show about it. I didn’t know her well enough to guess which.
I stood in front of her desk, awaiting an invitation to sit. She simply stared up at me with a cold look on her face. I could have made an effort to say hello or give some kind of greeting, but my voice felt trapped in my throat under the intensity of her glower. My mouth was much too dry to speak for the moment, so I just stared at her as the stretch of silence lengthened.
She spent a moment observing me, looking me over from head to toe. Finally, she leaned back just a bit in her chair, steepling her fingers together on the black wood. “There’s a folder in front of you. Open it.”
I looked down to see a plain white folder with only the law firm’s name embossed in navy ink. My hands tried to shake when I lifted the folder, but I refused to let her see the reaction. I opened the folder, and a check fluttered out. I picked it up, giving it a brief glance. All the zeros following the one made my stomach churn with nausea when I realized just how badly she wanted me gone.
Without allowing much of a reaction to show in my expression, I stuffed the check into
How could I feel any doubt in the face of his honesty? Instead, I snuggled up with him as our kisses gradually turned more passionate, our touches meant to stimulate and tease. It was several hours later before I made it to my apartment to pack up my things with his assistance, and I never did get a load of laundry done.
Chapter Six
Gabriella
I arrived at work ten minutes early, as was my habit. I wasn’t entirely shocked to find my manager waiting for me, telling me Mrs. Watts was expecting me. I’d vaguely anticipated this, but with the move yesterday and the flurry of excitement, I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on it too much.
Mykael had left before me this morning, to meet a client for breakfast, so it was just me making my way to the top-floor office alone. It would have been that way anyway, because I couldn’t in good conscience mix my personal life with my professional life and insist on dragging along my boyfriend to meet his mother for what was probably going to be a disciplinary meeting at minimum.
I was actually a little surprised she was acting already, especially by summoning me during work hours, but I supposed she wanted to deal with me and have me gone as quickly as possible. I was fully expecting some sort of offer to go away and never come back, which I knew I wouldn’t be accepting.
After the childhood I’d had, and the last six years spent being so lonely, there was no way I was throwing away a chance of happiness with Mykael just because his mother didn’t approve. Directly after meeting her Saturday, my inclination had been to do so, but I had calmed down since then and realized that no matter how much she objected, she couldn’t stop us from having a relationship.
Something had changed between Mykael and me over the weekend, something moving us a step closer toward his original goal of marriage, and in the end, Nila Watts wasn’t even a factor in my decision. Or not much of one.
I was feeling a little less brave than my thoughts implied as I knocked before entering her office a few moments later. It was so spacious and luxurious that it made Mykael’s nice office seem like the janitor’s closet. I didn’t bother to pay much attention to the décor or my surroundings as I focused on Nila, not letting my gaze waiver as I crossed the room to her desk.
She was seated, which was a bit startling. I’d expected her to stand up and tower over me, since she was several inches taller. I couldn’t decide what kind of message she was trying to send—either that I was too unimportant to acknowledge as anywhere near an equal, or that she was so powerful she had no need to make an overt show about it. I didn’t know her well enough to guess which.
I stood in front of her desk, awaiting an invitation to sit. She simply stared up at me with a cold look on her face. I could have made an effort to say hello or give some kind of greeting, but my voice felt trapped in my throat under the intensity of her glower. My mouth was much too dry to speak for the moment, so I just stared at her as the stretch of silence lengthened.
She spent a moment observing me, looking me over from head to toe. Finally, she leaned back just a bit in her chair, steepling her fingers together on the black wood. “There’s a folder in front of you. Open it.”
I looked down to see a plain white folder with only the law firm’s name embossed in navy ink. My hands tried to shake when I lifted the folder, but I refused to let her see the reaction. I opened the folder, and a check fluttered out. I picked it up, giving it a brief glance. All the zeros following the one made my stomach churn with nausea when I realized just how badly she wanted me gone.
Without allowing much of a reaction to show in my expression, I stuffed the check into
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