31. Find Humor
FIND HUMOR
“What’s going on, Ian?” Fletcher asked once he was in his office.
His son looked around. “This is bigger than your other one.”
“It is,” he said.
“And it drives you nuts, right?”
“You know, early on it did, but recently I’ve realized this job is pretty great.”
“Because of this fancy office and building?”
“Because it gives me the time to be here for you. You wouldn’t have been able to stop in before.”
“I didn’t think they were going to let me do it now,” Ian said. “I had to show my ID and say who I was and then they had to wait and call a few other people before they found out you had a son.”
The look on his son’s face was close to what Paris’s expression was.
He was on the verge of introducing the two of them, just trying to figure out how to do it, when she took a step away.
Then his son had to make that comment about the way Paris smelled. Talk about embarrassing.
And she caught it. Then pointed at him. As if she knew how uncomfortable it made him.
“There are plenty here who know. The important people,” he said. “But I’ve never gone around talking about my personal life. You know that.”
“Because at your last job it could be dangerous. Is it here?”
“No, it’s not. And my boss knows about you.
His secretary does. I was meeting with him when the call came in.
The woman at the desk is someone who just fills in, so she wouldn’t know those things but got the answer fast enough.
I’ll make sure that your name is on the list to always let up, but ID is necessary every time. ”
“Thanks,” Ian said.
“Did you just want to stop over to see my office? I got the impression there is something else.”
“Yeah.” His son was moving his foot back and forth. “One of the guys at school. He’s having a party tonight. He invited me. It’s a sleepover.”
“Who is it?” he asked. “Anyone I’ve met?”
“No. I know that is a thing, but it’s Stefan’s cousin. He lives a block over. I’ve met his parents at the school before. They are nice. You can call Stefan’s parents. It’s his mother’s brother, I think.”
The old him would have done that.
The new him said he had to trust his son’s judgment.
“It’s fine,” he said. “As long as I have the address and names of this kid and his parents, you can go.”
“Really?” Ian asked. “Just like that?”
“You’re going to be seventeen in a few months. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.” Ian beamed. “Is this a co-ed party?”
Now his son flushed. That was answer enough, but Ian said, “Yes. But they aren’t staying the night.”
“Got it,” he said.
“So,” Ian said. “That hot blonde that was talking with you.”
He kept his expression neutral. “What about her?”
“That’s who you’ve been spending time with, right? You’ve said it’s work and she’s in the building, so that is work, right?”
He didn’t want his son to think he’d been lying. “Her name is Paris Westerly.”
“Paris?”
“Yes. She’s West’s cousin. She and her twin, London, own Westerly Consultants.”
“Paris and London?” Ian asked. His kid would find humor in this.
“There are a lot of kids in her family and all have city names.”
“And you know this because you’re dating? You can tell me. You can be honest.”
“I’m not lying. I’ve been spending time with her for work. She’s needed some extra... protection for something, but that’s over with.”
“Oh,” Ian said, his smile dropping. “I just thought maybe you were doing something else.”
“Would you be upset if I was?”
“No. I know you’re old.”
“I’m not old,” he said firmer than he wanted.
Ian grinned. “Older than her I’m sure. But even if it’s not her, anyone. Like you should.”
“I am,” he said, letting the truth out. Because he really couldn’t hide it anymore.
It wasn’t right to even consider it.
He and Paris had just talked about secrets. They’d just talked about letting it be known.
That meant the most important person in his life had to be privy to the fact that he was dating someone.
“You’re what? Dating her or someone else?”
“I’m dating Paris.”
“Why didn’t you introduce us?” Ian asked.
“I was going to before you called out her scent.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. It caught me off guard.”
“Then she left,” he said. “But if you want, I can bring you down and introduce you to her now.”
“Really?” Ian asked.
“Let’s go.”
They left his office, went down the two floors, he opened the door and saw Molly there, then went to go through the steel door.
“Paris just left,” Molly said.
“What?”
“She ran out to pick something up, then said she was going to finish working at home. You just missed her.”
“Not a problem,” he said. Since Molly knew he was dating Paris, he introduced his son. “Molly, this is my son, Ian.”
“Oh, nice to meet you,” Molly said. “Now I wish she hadn’t left. She seemed a little distracted.”
Which meant that she had to be bothered that he hadn’t introduced his son.
Guess he got jammed up there.
“Wow, this is a nice place. You own it?”
“I do,” he said.
Paris had been shocked to get Fletcher’s text twenty minutes after she’d left for the day. The one saying he’d stopped down with his son to introduce them.
“You bought it after you started working for West?”
“Once I signed the contract, yes. I wanted Ian closer to his school. Before I was closer to my job.”
“Which isn’t that far from here,” she said.
“Not if you live in another city it’s not. But with traffic.”
“I understand,” she said. “Now that I’m here, are you going to tell me what you said to Ian? Is everything okay with him?”
“It’s fine. He’s spending the night at a friend’s.”
She ran her finger down his chest.
Now that she knew Fletcher let his son know about her, she wasn’t feeling nearly as insecure about their relationship.
For her, it was that move that told her it wasn’t just a passing thing.
She knew she was the first he’d been with since his divorce.
He had no reason to lie about it.
But keeping her hidden from his son, that was the worst burn possible.
“So that means you’ve got the night to yourself?”
“That’s why I told you to bring clothes,” he said. “Did you?”
She put her tote on the island. “In here. I didn’t want to be too obvious and it was easier to carry. I had no idea what was going on.”
“I wouldn’t have you spend the night with Ian here. Not at first at least.”
Her heart was thumping more in her chest.
“We can work our way up to it.”
“So he’s gone for the night and it’s just you and I,” he said.
His mouth lowered to hers. He was trying to distract her.
She put her finger to his lips and shook her head. “Not yet. Talk first, play next.”
“You’re like a drill sergeant.”
“I never realized I could be. I kind of like it.”
“I like it too.”
She picked her bag up off the island and followed him into the open area. There was a dining room table off to the side, four chairs at the island where she assumed most of their meals were consumed.
A large sectional in front of a fireplace and an awesome view of the city.
There were two halls and she was guessing bedrooms on each side, giving them separation.
She’d love something like this.
“Tell me about Ian.”
He pulled her to the couch. “He stopped over to ask about spending the night at a friend’s for a party. He wanted to ask in person since I hadn’t met the kid yet.”
“Do you always have to meet his friends?”
“Yes. And their parents. Or know who they are. Those are the rules. Or I was stricter before.”
“And now?”
“He expected me to say no. The fact that his best friend that I know lives in the building and will be there helps. It’s Stefan’s mother’s brother. I’ve got the kid’s full name and his parents’ name and the address. Stefan even came down to get Ian with his mother, who verified it all.”
“That was nice.”
“I think they assumed I’d have an issue.”
“They knew about your previous job?”
“They did. But that took care of that. Before we left the office, he brought up you smelling like flowers again.”
She slapped his thigh. “I knew you were caught.”
“I was. I won’t lie.” She listened to him explain the conversation, how it started one way and now they were dating. “He was good about it.”
“Does he know I’m here tonight?”
He put his thumb and finger on her chin. “He does. I said you could meet him in the morning when he comes back.”
“Now you tell me that,” she asked, all but jumping back.
“You’re not nervous, are you?”
“I would have brought something better than leggings and a sweatshirt to wear tomorrow.”
“He’s not going to care. He’s going to cook us brunch. He really enjoys cooking. He’s talented. When he’s not ruining my pans.”
“That’s sweet.”
“So am I forgiven?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Guess nothing gets by you.”
She crawled into his lap, put her arms around his neck. “I saw it on your face. I opened my mouth to introduce the two of you and he threw out the flower scent.”
“And you had a panic moment?”
“No.”
His mouth lowered again, his tongue slid against hers, slow at first, then exploring.
The teasing disappeared.
This wasn’t feather-light anymore.
It was heat.
Her fingers tightened in his hair as she leaned into him, deepening the kiss without hesitation. His hands moved to her waist, gripping with more purpose now, anchoring her against him as if he’d decided he was done holding back.
Her heart hammered.
He tasted warm. Familiar. Dangerous in the way her heart was holding out against. For now.
Their kiss turned molten, unhurried but consuming, his hand sliding up her back, his fingers spreading wide like he was discovering her for the first time again.
She shifted in his lap, and the reaction in him was immediate, a low sound in his chest that made heat spiral through her.
“Paris,” he murmured, her name rough now.
She loved that.
Loved that she could do that to him. Loved that the controlled, deliberate man could unravel just enough with her.
And that he allowed her to see it.
He was no longer trying to hold back like he had in the beginning.
She kissed along his jaw, down to his neck, feeling the tension in him snap tighter with every brush of her mouth.
His hands moved decisively then, one at her back, one under her thighs.
Before she could fully process it, he stood.
She gasped softly, him cradling her as he carried her out of the room like a child.
“You’re not very subtle,” she murmured against his mouth.
“I stopped trying to be,” he said, his voice low.
He carried her down the short hallway without breaking the kiss, steady and sure, like this was the most natural thing in the world. Like she belonged in his arms.
Like she wanted to be forever and was fearful of those words slipping out.
Her fingers curled into his shoulders as he nudged open the bedroom door with his foot.
The room was dim, quiet. Private.
He lowered her slowly onto the bed but didn’t pull away. Not fully. His hands remained braced on either side of her, his body hovering just enough to make her feel the promise of weight without the full press of it.
His thumb brushed along her cheek, softer now. Romantic again.
Things she only saw a glimpse of before.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice steady despite the heat in his eyes.
She reached up, sliding her hand along his jaw.
“More than okay.”
And when she pulled him back down to her, it wasn’t impulsive. It was deliberate.
Just like him. Just like he undressed her, then removed his clothing while she watched.
It was all slow. Practiced. A tease of sorts.
Telling her this time would be different. That all the hurdles in her mind, he had no problem jumping over them.
She welcomed him with open arms, him not hesitating to join her. Kiss her. Touch her. Everywhere.
But most of all her heart.
She was falling for this man and it was so damn hard to keep it inside.
He laced their fingers together over her head, his mouth never leaving hers.
“I’m on birth control,” she whispered against his lips. “Are you okay with that?”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.
He kissed her again, nudged her knees apart, found her slick heat and slid home.
Their bodies moved together like a slow dance.
Like one that she wanted to go all night long.
And when her body tension built. When she felt as if everything inside of her demanded to break free, Fletcher was right there with her.
Still holding her hands.
Still kissing her.
But this time, this time he had part of her heart.