Passion in the Heart (9 page)

A smile slowly formed on her face. “I guess I overreacted a bit.”

He covered his mouth over hers and wrapped his arms around her. Warmth spread through her as she leaned against him and tenderly stroked his tongue. But the kiss didn’t last as long as she would’ve liked.

He slackened his arms, but held them around her waist. “I would’ve told you if I had to go. More importantly, I would’ve begged you to come with me.”

“Beg is a strong word.”

“But accurate. I want you, Gwen. I want what we have now to last every night. You’re the only woman who has ever made me truly happy.”

His words stunned her and she stared at him, speechless.

He took a step back and gathered her hands into his. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I have a plan that might work for us.”

Adrenaline surged through her. She wanted to scream with joy. “What is it?”

“You mentioned selling your house soon. Right?”

She nodded.

“I’d like for you to quit your job and list your house for sale. I’ll move in here and pay the mortgage and bills until the house is sold. Meanwhile, we look for a home of our own, wherever you’d like. And when I have to travel, you’ll come with me.”

Thudding in her ears stemmed from her pounding heart. “Quit my job?”

“I’ll pay bills. I’m sure I can afford them.” He grinned.

“But, I won’t have any income.”

“Well, I’m going to hire you as an assistant. I’m looking for two, actually. One to help me with the minor details of my company. The other, you, will help me branch out into another business. And keep me company every night. Are you interested?”

Her head started spinning. “I need to sit down.”

She backed up to the bed and sat. She was dizzy. She’d never thought he’d ask her to quit or work for him.

He claimed one of her hands and knelt before her. “Gwen, I’m in love with you. There. I said it. But I know this is…sudden. It’s a big change for both of us. When I think about leaving you… I can’t do it again. I don’t want to. I couldn’t stop thinking about you after we parted in London. I wanted to contact you, but I didn’t know if you were interested in a relationship. I knew you valued your freedom, so I let work carry me away as it always does. Then, you contacted me. I wanted to hop on a plane that minute. I love you, Gwen. We can take this slow. We
should
take it slow. But in my heart, I know you’re the right woman for me.”

Tears filled her eyes. A man had never swept her away like Phillip did. Her ex-husband had been a school friend, lover, and later he had become the father of her children. He’d never given her affection the way Phillip did. Phillip was the real deal, a gentleman with strong passion in his heart. And other places. She’d gladly return such deep heart-felt love to him, and only him.

Concern for her daughters popped into her mind. She feared they might not agree with her choices. With time and after getting to know Phillip, they should be able to accept him. And if everything worked out between her and Phillip and they moved away, she could probably hop on a plane to visit her daughters whenever she wanted. She would miss being close to them, but they had their own busy lives. They would be a phone call away if she needed to hear their voices, just as it was now. In the end, she deserved to be happy as much as they did. Phillip was an honorable man. Surely they would see it and how much joy he brought to her.

Gwen gazed into his blue eyes. “I want this. I want you. I love you.”

He swallowed. “Are you sure? I know it’s a major—”

“I’m one hundred and fifty percent positive. The question is, are you sure?”

His lips curled. “I’m two hundred percent positive.”

“Two hundred?”

“If you can go over one hundred, so can I.”

She chuckled and placed her palm to the side of his face. “I love you, my naughty man.” She kissed him.

“I love you, my naughty woman.”

He pressed his lips to hers and started a kiss rich with love. Her heart swelled as bliss consumed her. He belonged to her and she was his. They both had what they wanted. Together, they would work through all the changes. Gwen couldn’t wait to begin her new life with him. Moreover, she couldn’t wait to spend every night in his passionate embrace.

Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

Destined for Love

Diane Thorne

Excerpt

Chapter One

Valerie stared at the lay-off notice in her hands. Her jaw hung low and tears swelled in her eyes. Her day had been a complete disaster since she’d left the apartment. A train had delayed her arrival at work because she’d had to wait at a railroad crossing for twenty minutes. A co-worker’s coffee had spilled on her beige slacks. She’d lost her last two dollars to the vending machine gremlin. Lastly, she’d fought computer issues all day long. Not a single good thing had occurred. She’d thought the worst had been over, but apparently not.

“Hey, Val, did you get the incentive…?” Terri’s bright and cheerful expression transformed to a grim one. “What’s wrong?”

Val placed the small pink piece of paper on the desk then slid it towards her. Terri’s eyes widened immediately. She picked it up and held the notice closer.

While Terri read the layoff slip, Val dug her purse from her lower drawer. She removed a round mirror and checked herself. Tears in her blue eyes begged for release. Biting her lip, she strengthened her dam to keep from crying. Besides, she didn’t want her eyeliner to smear, nor did she want to appear weak to her co-workers. Val was strong, independent, always in control, and at the top of her game. She supported others, portrayed what she believed to be a good leader, and consistently gave positive feedback to maintain good morale. Everyone in her department came to her for questions and advice—even employees from other departments sought her assistance. She was the queen of the help desk, and proud to perform her duties. Come hell or high water, she would not let anyone besides Terri see her in despair.

She ran two fingers through her wavy brown hair then tucked the strands behind her ears before snapping the compact together.

“This has to be a mistake.” Terri placed the paper on her desk. “We should go see Mr Williams. I just can’t believe this.”

Val rose from her chair then placed her hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “The form is complete with all my credentials, including the date I started here. I don’t think it’s a mistake.”

She forced a slight smile as she held her emotions in check. Val would miss Terri. They’d started with the company at the same time and had grown close within a few months. They’d soon discovered they enjoyed the same kind of men, movies, music, and munchies. It was as if fate had brought them together, and they were destined to be best friends. They had moved into an apartment together and double-dated several times. That was how Terri had met Sam and Val had met Thomas. Six months ago, Sam had put a ring on Terri’s finger and she’d moved out. Val missed her friend’s company, but they always saw each other at work. Now, Val doubted she would see her friend much. While Terri’s life was travelling up to better opportunities, Val’s seemed to be heading south.

“Someone made an error.” Terri grabbed Val’s hand and tugged it. “Come on. We’re putting this to bed right now.”

Val grinned as her friend led her down the centre aisle. Their co-workers were chatting on the phones or too busy staring at their computer monitors to notice them holding hands as they passed by. Approaching the director’s office, fear crept into Val’s mind and she considered turning around. What if the layoff notice was valid? Could she handle looking into her boss’s eyes and hearing him tell her she had to get out? He was a reasonable man and had always given her good evaluations. He’d recommended her for promotions plenty of times, or so he had said. So why was she getting the pink slip? Terri had to be right—someone had made a mistake.

“Let me handle this.” Val quickened her pace to reach the office before Terri.

“Are you sure?” Terri asked softly.

Lips pressed together, Val nodded over her shoulder. In all honesty, she wasn’t certain about anything anymore. She’d always thought she had her life under control and knew where she was heading. The road of her life was a smooth one without many potholes. But now a crater had destroyed her path, forcing her off course to an unknown territory. She didn’t know what to expect next.

She stopped in her boss’s open doorway. Terri came to a halt beside her. Mr Williams was sat behind his large, cherry-wood desk. He had a neat and casual appearance with trimmed short hair and a blue, striped polo shirt. Bits of grey in his dark hair along with a few wrinkles on his face revealed his middle age. His average build and blue eyes attracted most of the women in the office. While Val thought he was handsome, she had never once considered flirting with him. The ring on his finger was an instant deterrent.

Val knocked lightly on the door. “Excuse me, Mr Williams.”

He glanced up from the two computer monitors on the corner of his desk, then back at them. “Valerie, what can I do for you?” Not a hint of a smile reflected on his face.

She hesitantly stepped into his office. The fact that he had spoken in a low and flat tone had given her cause for concern. He’d always been a polite, outgoing, and chipper man.

“Mr Williams, I’m sorry to bother you.” She stopped in front of his desk, glanced over her shoulder to find Terri at the door, then shifted her attention to her boss. “I received a pink slip a few minutes ago, and I thought maybe it was a mistake.”

He stopped typing and looked up at her. “I wish I could say that it was, but unfortunately…”

Val’s heart sank, yet she held her composure. “But why?”

“Upper management made the decision. I tried to talk them out of it. I told them how valuable you are to the department, but they’d already selected people.”

Questions swarmed in her head.
Why would upper management want to lay me off? What have I done to deserve the boot? Who else got a notice?
In the last four years of her employment, she’d only spoken to the directors briefly. She’d assisted them with questions. As far as she knew, no one had ever complained about her. What logic did they have for getting rid of her?

“I’m sorry, Val. Really, I am.”

His blank expression confused her. Had he really spoken for her, or was he making it up? But why would he lie? Her frustration intensified as no one had provided a logical answer yet.

“Mr Williams, with all due respect, why would management select me? I’m not a bad employee. I’m always here early, always helping others with questions—”

He lifted his hand to stop her from continuing. “I wish I could say more. I hate to see you go, but management has made the determination. There’s nothing I can do.”

His words were like nails sealing a coffin. Swallowing hard, she nodded and headed for the door.

Terri stepped out of her way as Val exited the office. “What did he say?”

Val strode towards her desk. “He said he was aware, and upper management made the decision.”

“What?”

Terri's high-pitched voice halted Val. She turned to face her friend.

“Why would…?”

Val shrugged. “I don’t know. I asked and he didn’t have an answer.”

Terri crossed her arms. “This is ridiculous.”

Movement in the distance behind Terri stole Val’s attention. Mr Williams stepped out of his office and walked towards them. He fixed his gaze on Val.

“Here he comes,” Val said. “We better get back to work.”

Terri lowered her head and walked away. Val took a deep breath and headed for her cubicle. Her friend was right about the matter being absurd. She’d yet to hear a good reason for her dismissal. But what could she do? Nothing. She couldn’t do a damn thing except leave with her chin up.

Val returned to her desk and sat down. The last hour before five o’clock would undoubtedly seem like an eternity, but she refused to let her mood dive south. Somewhere in the world children were starving. Troops were in harm’s way. Cancer patients were undergoing treatments. A job loss seemed so insignificant compared to what other people had to endure.

“Valerie?” Mr Williams said as he drew near to her.

She gave him her full attention. “Yes.”

“I spoke with HR and they said you could leave now and the company would pay you for completing the day. You don’t need to stay until five.”

Talk about a company wanting to push employees out of the door.

“I appreciate it, but I’ll stay. I’d hate to disappoint anyone.”

Mr Williams stepped closer and put his hand on the back of her chair. He bent near her ear. “I don’t think you understand, and I don’t want to make this difficult.”

Her blood heated. Was he trying to tell her to leave, or else? What nerve.

She lowered her hands in her lap, under the desk where he couldn’t see them. Then she balled them into tight fists. “Are you telling me I should go before I’m escorted?”

“It would be wise if you gathered your belongings and left.”

Face flushed, she turned away. “All right. I’ll go.”

“Thank you.” He stepped back, then paused. “If there’s anything I can help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”

She gave him a fake half grin. “Thank you.” Her wealth of pleasantry was dwindling by the second, yet she remained respectable. In case she might need a recommendation or reference down the road, she decided it would serve her well to leave under good circumstances.

After he had left her cubicle, she gathered her purse and the few supplies she’d brought from her apartment. Everything fitted adequately in a plastic grocery bag.

“What happened?”

Hearing Terri’s voice, Val turned to face her. “He politely asked me to leave now.”

“What? Why?” Confusion masked her face.

Val rose and slid the strap of her purse over her arm. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t want to cause any trouble, and neither should you.”