the runaway train feeling. “The network just gave me the green light for First Date in Flight.”
He shook his head. “That right there should tell you just how much the network loves you. I adore you, but it really is a silly idea for a television show. A couple goes on their first date on a cross-country flight? I can’t imagine anything worse.”
There was a time when this would’ve prompted a fight, but even she found her own idea a bit ludicrous. Fortunately, at least as far as her career and earning potential were concerned, the network was thrilled. “Believe me. I know.”
“You should put Joanna on it.” He unleashed a devilish grin.
“I should totally put your sister on that show.” Now the wheels were really turning... Maybe she could put Grace on it, too—as the new head of network publicity, Grace had no time for romance. “My point is that our lives are crazy right now. Even crazier than they were a month ago. Do we really want to plan a wedding? I get stressed out just thinking about it.”
He pulled her closer and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I don’t want you to get stressed. I really don’t. But I also don’t want to wait to start our lives together.”
She pointed at the enormous gaping hole that was once the wall between their bedrooms. “News flash. We’ve already started.”
“I’d still like to get it all sewn up.” Quickly he planted a kiss on her forehead. “Lila should be up any minute now. We can go for our walk and talk about it some more.”
“Or we could just go on our walk and have fun,” she called, but he was already out of the room.
Now that the three of them had been living together for nearly a month, they had routines, one of which was to go for family walks. They would traverse Central Park at Seventy-Second Street near Strawberry Fields, stroll down Fifth Avenue to the southern edge of the park, back across at Fifty-Ninth Street and up again. Lila loved every minute of the sights and sounds of the city, and it was good couple time for Marcus and Ashley. He hadn’t been enjoying the city nearly enough.
It was a beautiful May day, almost like summer. Ashley wore a tank top with her jeans, and Lila was in an adorable purple sundress that Ashley had bought for her. The sun shone brightly, the temperatures reaching into the upper seventies. Truly a glorious day in the city. When they arrived at Fifty-Ninth Street, Ashley started veering right, but Marcus walked to the curb with the stroller, waiting for the crosswalk signal.
“Where are you going?” she asked, pointing in their usual direction.
“Let’s walk a few more blocks down Fifth Avenue. It’s such a beautiful day.”
Ashley shrugged and joined him at the light. Two blocks later, she knew precisely what he was up to.
Marcus stopped in front of Tiffany & Co. “Oh. Look where we ended up.”
“You planned this. I really don’t think it’s fair for you to coerce a woman with diamonds.”
He leaned down in front of the stroller and lifted Lila out of her seat. “What’s that? You think we should go inside and look for a fancy ring for Ashley? That sounds like a splendid idea.” He smiled, the sun glinting off his Ray-Bans. “She’s so smart. I tell you, I really think we should have her IQ tested. She could be off the charts for all we know.”
“You’re very funny.” She stepped next to him and pushed his sunglasses down his nose, trying to discern if he really was serious.
He swiped off his sunglasses and hooked them on the front of his T-shirt. “Listen to me, Ash. We’re already knocking down walls. Let’s knock down the final wall between us. Because the reality is that you’ve already folded us into your life, and we’ve done the same to you. We’re one unit. A family. We’re already here. Let’s make it official. It’s just a ring. It’s not a big deal.”
“You realize that’s an argument for not bothering, too, right?”
“I do. But I think we owe it to each other. We love each other. We should get married.”
“We’re talking about a big, expensive party that’s going to be a total pain to plan.”
“Yes. Exactly. With flowers and a band and a cake and the most beautiful bride in the world.”
She looked down at Lila, who was watching the exchange between then. “And how about the most beautiful flower girl, too?”
“We’ll have to keep the rose petals out of her mouth.”
“We could give her a basket of toys. She’ll have no problem emptying it.”
He grinned wide. “I like it. Stuffed frogs and Mr. Bunny to step over as you walk down the aisle.”
“Do we really want to go ring shopping with Lila? You know she won’t be happy in Tiffany. I’m sweaty from our walk. We’re both in jeans.”
He took her hand. “Ashley George. You and I both know that we can argue until we’re blue in the face, but it’s not going to make either of us happy. You’re giving me every reason in the book why we shouldn’t do this today, but I’d like to give you one why we should.”
She had a good idea what he was about to say, but she wanted to hear it. “Okay. Tell me.”
“I love you, you love me and we belong together.”
She ignored the urge to tell him that he’d actually given three reasons. The truth was that they were the three reasons—Ashley, Marcus, Lila. Was there anything else? Absolutely not. Tears rolled down Ashley’s cheeks. “Damn you, Marcus Chambers. You made me cry.”
“Does that mean yes?”
She looked into those mesmerizing green eyes of his. She couldn’t have said no even if she’d wanted to. “That means yes.”
“Did you hear that, Lila?” He folded Ashley into his arms and twirled her in a circle, Lila between them. The three of them laughed. “Finally, I win an argument.”
* * * * *
Read on for an extract from WAKING UP WITH THE BOSS by Sheri WhiteFeather.
One
Carol Lawrence stood in her boss’s luxurious high-rise office, with a zillion things running through her mind. Being Jake Waters’s personal assistant was a demanding job, with most of her duties centered on organizing his social life. No doubt about it, the jet-setting real estate mogul kept her on her toes. Not only did he travel for work, purchasing properties all over the globe, he was the consummate party boy, dashing off to exotic locations with models and actresses and whoever else struck his rich-guy fancy.
Jake sat on the corner of his desk and flung his jacket over his unused chair. As always, his shirtsleeves were rolled up, exposing the colorful tattoos on his arms, and his dark brown hair was in sexy disarray. With his disheveled good looks and need for speed, he reminded her of James Dean, except that Jake was half-Choctaw, his mixed-blood heritage lending his features an uncommon beauty.
He certainly wasn’t the type of man she should
