Chapter Thirty-Six
ISOBEL
Boston
Thanksgiving had been low key this year. With all the travel I’d done, I had no desire to return to Iowa to spend time with my family.
They didn’t seem to understand that my career was my life, and while things had now changed with my pregnancy, I had no intention of staying home like my mom and sisters did with their kids. That would never be in the cards for me. I liked my job too much to give up everything I’d worked for.
Some people might think that was selfish, and there were countless women who were amazing stay-at-home moms, but I didn’t expect being one of them. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t try to be the best mom to this baby, but she would never be encouraged to give up her dreams to fit into some antiquated female stereotype. She should be able to make her own choices without judgment. Which was why I was thankful Adrian had never even brought it up for me to stay home longer than my planned maternity leave.
We had accepted that we’d both continue to work full time and have her downstairs at the corporate daycare during the day. He hadn’t even asked me if I would consider something different. The one time it came up, he’d taken my opinion and wholeheartedly supported me. He’d grown up in a household where his mother worked full-time to provide for their family, and he’d never resented her or questioned her decisions.
“Hey.” Think of the handsome devil and he would appear—wearing a suit, no less. “Do you need to go home to change before tonight?”
Closing my eyes, I scrunched my nose and then slowly blinked, trying to refocus my eyes after staring at a screen for so long. “Huh?”
“Are you wearing that to the cocktail hour?” Glancing down at my casual blouse and Adrian’s favorite white skirt that barely fit despite having a stretchy waistband, I frowned.
“No, but I don’t need to go home. My dress is in the garment bag on the back of my door.” Adrian had been at an early morning meeting with an author when I needed to come into work, so I’d just taken an Uber instead of waiting for him to get done. I felt bad enough I was relying on him for transportation to and from work every day.
He adamantly refused to let me give him any money for gas, and he got cranky when I didn’t ask him first if I needed to go somewhere. I knew his heart was in the right place because he wanted to take care of me in any way he could, but sometimes the quiet to gather my thoughts before a hectic day at work was nice.
“Need some help?” he asked, stepping a few feet further into my office and reaching back to close the door. He moved to the blinds, twisted the rod to close them, and turned off the overhead lights. The click of the lock was last.
“Not the kind of help you’d clearly like to provide,” I laughed as he grabbed the garment bag off the door and unzipped it while he headed in my direction.
“I’m only here to please my lady,” he chuckled, draping the dress over the chair and beckoning me to stand with a crook of his finger.
“You just want to reenact a few weeks ago.” While he’d threatened to bend me over my desk multiple times as a joke in the past, I may have lured him into my office a few weeks ago under false pretenses to do just that. My hormones started going haywire after twenty-three weeks and now that I was at twenty-seven weeks, things had settled back to as normal as they could get with my growing midsection.
“While I’d love to take you up on that, we need to leave in a half hour. And you know Sloane would not be impressed if we’re late.”
In my new capacity as her right-hand woman, Sloane had invited me—and Adrian by extension—to attend a holiday cocktail party followed by a dinner held every year for the region’s publishing industry professionals. Vivid was the host this year, so she expected the attendance of several of the genre heads in the editing department.
“Think she’d be alright with us cutting out early after dinner is over?” While I appreciated the opportunity to network, I was also asleep by nine pm most nights. That was true before I got pregnant, and even more so now.
“We’ll see how it goes, but I doubt we’re getting out of there until she leaves.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” I sighed, reaching for the zipper on the back of my skirt. Adrian’s eyes followed every movement as I wiggled my hips and it dropped to the floor. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I think you know why,” he murmured, walking around to stand behind me and using his fingers to unfasten the small button on my blouse that rested at the base of my neck. “I love seeing you like this.”
Cupping my belly, I arched my back and let out a heavy breath. “I’m huge. And we still have twelve weeks left. I’m going to need my own area code by the time she’s born. Don’t even get me started on the swollen ankles. Wearing heels makes me want to cry.”
“Is, babe, stop,” he chuckled, wrapping his arms around me to palm my stomach. “This is not an I love you to appease you right now. This is an I love you, period, full stop. These curves are just a bonus. ”
“You don’t have to flatter me. I know this isn’t what you’re attracted to. It’s fine. Just…”
“Look at me,” he growled, cutting me off and pulling me back into his chest. His strong hand cupped my jaw and turned my head so I could look back at him. “That’s better. Stop thinking that gaining a few pounds or your hips spreading—because you’re carrying my fucking baby—are things I’m not 100 percent here for. You are still sexy as fuck.”
Adrian grasped my hand and pressed it to the front of his suit pants. “You still make me hard when I think about being with you. It’s you. It’s not a number on a scale in a doctor’s office. I’m attracted to you. I want you.”
“But what happens if I never find me again once she’s here? What if the me you fell in love with is gone?” That’s what I was afraid of most. There were no guarantees he’d stick around for me after she was born. I knew he’d never step away from his daughter, but I wasn’t owed anything. Even a ring didn’t mean security, not that he’d ever brought up marriage again after New York.
“She’s not. She’s right here with me. I’m going to keep loving her as long as she lets me. And I’m going to do everything in my power to show her I find her to be the sexiest, smartest, most sensual woman I know. I’m still in awe of the fact that she lets me be near her every day.”
Unbidden tears rose to my eyes, and I nodded. “Okay.”
“Damn straight it’s okay. Now step forward so I can get this blouse off and that dress wrapped around these curves. I’ve got a sexy girlfriend to show off.”
Raising my arms above my head, he pulled the material up, carefully freeing my hair before he threw it toward my desk. His large hands flattened on either side of my belly, and he tucked his face into my neck while his thumbs rubbed softly against my skin.
She stirred and the familiar butterflies floated in my belly as our little girl wiggled, making her presence known. It was crazy that she was already over a pound. That might have been one bonus of being considered a geriatric pregnancy—I had 3D ultrasounds scheduled every four weeks.
“There she is,” Adrian murmured against my neck, his hand tracing across my skin to follow her movements.
“We’re going to be late if I don’t get dressed,” I whispered, hating that I was breaking the sweet moment with his daughter, but we needed to get moving. I knew I’d need to pee at least once before we drove across downtown to the restaurant.
Kissing my neck, he stepped away, grabbing my dress and helping me wrap it around my back before he fastened the ties at my waist. This dress showed a bit more cleavage than I was comfortable with right now, but his eyes had lit up when I tried it on at the maternity boutique two blocks away from the office a few days ago.
After I’d put my coat on—that I couldn’t button anymore—he grabbed my shoulders, bending down slightly to look into my eyes. “You are going to go in there tonight and show how much of a boss babe you are. Don’t let being tired or self-conscious diminish your shine. You deserve everything you have earned and never doubt it.”
As I followed Adrian out my office door, I silently sent thanks to whatever cosmic forces aligned to make sure we ended up together. I never expected it, and definitely not with him, but Adrian just very well may be the love of my life.
“Can I get you a water, babe?” Adrian asked, placing his hand in the center of my back. Shaking my head, I smiled when he leaned in and kissed my cheek before he retreated.
Things had gotten crazy once we arrived at the restaurant, the cocktails portion of the party already in full swing. Sloane had almost immediately dragged me off to introduce me to people, and Adrian had kept busy talking to other editors he knew across the room.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t watching me like a hawk, periodically stepping in behind me and handing me a glass of water before he disappeared again. He hadn’t once tried to insert himself into conversations he hadn’t been invited to, and I hadn’t realized how empowering that would feel. He was letting me spend the night doing the thing I loved most—talking about books and publishing—without trying to steal the attention for himself.
“Adrian seems to be keeping a pretty close eye on you tonight,” one of the publishing execs at a rival publisher mused as Adrian walked away.
Sloane cut in before I could respond. “Mr. O’Neill has an excellent track record of being very attentive to things he’s passionate about.”
“Maybe that’s why he turned down my job offer six months ago,” he casually commented, and my eyebrows drew together. Adrian had never said a word about it. I wasn’t sure if that was because he didn’t trust me, or because he’d never considered leaving Vivid. “Now I can see maybe there was something else keeping him in his current position. It really is too bad when people let personal relationships cloud their professional decisions.”
Sloane growled, not loud enough to be heard, but I knew she was holding back from laying into this jackass. Maybe Adrian hadn’t considered the offer because this guy was an even bigger dick than people around the office thought Adrian was. “On that interesting note, I believe they’re flagging everyone down to get dinner started. It was as lovely as it usually is to talk to you, Chip.”
The man smiled, lifting his drink in my direction before he walked away. Sloane gripped my elbow, halting my movements as she leaned over. “Adrian turned it down because the offer was shit and he has much more responsibility and freedom at Vivid. Don’t start thinking he stalled his career for personal reasons. I knew about the offer and matched the salary they were offering him.”
Nodding, I sighed, relieved that he hadn’t passed something up to stay close to me.
“Seriously, put it out of your head. It’s in the past, and I’m sure he had other things on his mind at the time. Which he should have, considering...” she trailed off, gesturing at my stomach.
“What are we whispering about over here?” Adrian asked as he stepped up behind me, placing a hand on my hip.
“Just how Chip tried to poach you and insinuated that you stayed at Vivid to stay near the colleague you knocked up.” My eyes widened as she blurted it out, but Adrian started laughing, his chest shaking against my back. Then I realized he hadn’t hidden it from me because he was trying to keep it a secret—it just wasn’t something he’d ever considered seriously.
“God, he’s such a fuckin’ ass. Maybe I didn’t consider his offer because my boss would have been an egomaniacal sexist jerkoff. Although I appreciated the pay bump. Maybe I should try to get poached more often.”
“Glad to know I’m a better supervisor than Chip. Not that it sets the bar that high. Anyway, I’ll see the two of you at the office on Monday. I’m planning to take off after the speeches are over.”
Sloane walked away, and I turned in Adrian’s arms, grasping the plackets on his suit jacket as I looked up at him. Since I’d given up on high heels, our height difference was even more pronounced lately.
“You could have told me.”
He smiled, leaning down to kiss my nose, pulling me closer with a hand on the center of my back. “It was the same week we found out you were pregnant. You were freaked out enough and I honestly never even considered it. I’m right where I want to be. ”
“I love you,” I whispered.
He murmured the affectionate words back and his hand slid down my back to grab my ass, tucking his face into my neck. “Maybe your idea of disappearing was a good one.”
Before I could agree and convince him to play hooky, a low voice from beside us sent a chill up my spine.
“Isobel, is that you?”
Adrian pulled back, tilting his head and glancing at the man standing a few feet away before giving me a questioning look.
“Oh, uh... I didn’t know you were back in Boston,” I stuttered as Adrian shifted to stand beside me, wrapping a protective arm around my back. My ex still worked for a local magazine, but he’d gone remote when he’d relocated to Colorado. Too bad he and his new family didn’t stay there.
“Yeah, we moved back a few weeks ago. Trina’s residency was over in Denver, and she got hired to take over pediatrics at a clinic near Cambridge.”
“That’s...” I wracked my brain, trying to recall if I knew his yoga instructor was a physician.
“She’s at home with the baby right now. Lei told me you knew about the adoption and everything.” I hated he was using my best friend to keep tabs on me.
“She did. That’s great. Happy for you two.”
He nodded, the conversation stalling. Adrian squeezed my waist and extended his hand toward Grant. “Adrian O’Neill. I’m Isobel’s fiancé.”
My eyes widened as he claimed me with a title we’d never discussed, but as Grant’s face fell, I didn’t bother to correct him. “I didn’t know you were involved with anyone.”
“Well, neither of us felt the need to notify people who are firmly in our past. It’s kind of tacky to broadcast that stuff all over social media. The only people who need to know about the important milestones of our lives are still actively involved in it.” Adrian’s wrist flexed, clearly squeezing hard before letting go of Grant’s hand. “How do you know Is? The only ex she’s told me about is her ex-husband. But he was an ass who threw away this stunning creature, so... can’t say I’m sorry he’s out of the picture.”
“I’m the ass,” Grant replied sheepishly. “Sounds like Isobel has told you some stories about me. But you know there are two sides to every relationship and she…”
Adrian held up his hand, stopping Grant before he said anything else. “I’m gonna stop you right there. The only other thing either of us needs to say to you is thank you. If you hadn’t been incapable of behaving like a real man, we wouldn’t be welcoming this baby in three months.”
“Is, can we...?”
“No,” I interrupted, reaching down to clasp Adrian’s hand. He squeezed it back, letting me finally get closure with my past. “I would say it was nice catching up with you, Grant. But I can’t because you’re still as much of a selfish asshole as you were over a decade ago. I’m sorry I ever tied my self-worth to how you treated me, but I’ve found someone who understands what it’s like to be a partner. I’m not interested in investing any of my time into worrying about what people with the emotional maturity of a gnat think of me.”
Grant’s eyes widened as I took a breath and prepared to really give him a piece of my mind. Adrian could tell I was about to lose my shit and wrapped his arm around me, laying the final blow. “See ya later, cunt... I mean Grant.”
Adrian pulled me to his side, steering me toward the exit of the restaurant, my heart beating out of my chest as I realized what I’d just said.
“Oh my God,” I gasped. Adrian grabbed our coats from the coat check and helped me into mine before he tugged me out the door. “What did I just...”
But Adrian stopped me, pulling me around the corner and backing me into the bricks on the side of the building .
His mouth covered mine, and he kissed me desperately, thrusting his tongue into my mouth while his hands grabbed my ass and pulled me tightly against him.
“You stood up for yourself, and you were fucking amazing,” he panted against my lips when we separated. “I fuckin’ love you, babe.”
“But...”
“Nope.” He shook his head, reaching up to push my hair behind my ear. “No second guessing putting that asshat in his place. He was your past, but he’s never going to be a part of our future.”
“I love you,” I whispered, leaning into his warm embrace.
He wrapped his arms around me, rocking us from side to side. One of his hands drifted to the side of my stomach and he looked down between us. “Your mama is a badass little one.”
I laughed as she kicked him, tears gathering in my eyes when his met mine. “Take me home.”
“Oh, you’re gonna get it tonight, Isobel. Gonna fuck the thoughts of that man out of your mind for the last fuckin’ time.”