Tenacious Billionaire BWWM Romance Series - Books 1 to 4

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Jenny’s mouth dropped open the second Adalia strolled through the kitchen door.

“Don’t look so surprised,” she muttered to her old friend and colleague.

“Sorry, it’s not that I’m surprised. I hope this means you’ll be coming back to work, because things haven’t been as fluid without you here.” Jenny squeezed her shoulder.

“Where is he?” Adalia asked, reaching up to grip her friend’s hand. She had to do this before she got the chance to chicken out. Too much had passed between them now, and there wasn’t any going back.

Jenny hesitated then nodded to herself. “He’s through there, but I gotta warn you, kid. He’s been in a foul mood every time he’s come in here... although he hasn’t come by as much since you left.”

“Yeah, sorry for that. I’ll deal with it, don’t worry,” Adalia replied then waved Jenny off with a weak smile.

The office door was a few feet away, but it took an eternity to get there. Each step was three breaths long. Three very quick breaths in succession, then she’d lift her other foot and do the same.

She felt like Armstrong on the moon, taking the first small steps for mankind. Except these were for forgiveness, not that she’d necessarily get it.

Adalia stopped in front of the door and knocked once, softly.

“What do you want?” Trent yelled inside. “I’m busy in here.”

She let herself in and pressed the door shut behind her, leaning her back against it to study his reaction. He didn’t seem happy.

“I came to talk about what happened.”

“For once, I don’t feel like talking to you, Adalia. I don’t want to see you at all.” Trent shuffled a pile of papers together, patted them on their end and stored them in a tray on the edge of the desk.

Adalia cleared her throat. “I know I’ve been a jerk. I realize that.”

“That’s a first,” he replied, but his tone had softened slightly. He ruffled that blond hair and popped his collar, then smoothed it down again. There was no tie today either, and he was decidedly frazzled. His nails weren’t as neat, not cut but bitten maybe.

Trent had taken strain.

“You look haggard,” she said.

“Thanks,” he replied, “you don’t look like a million bucks either, but you don’t see me rubbing it in.”

“You just did.” Adalia finally parted from the door and went to take a seat in the chair across from his. “I want to know the truth about Michelle Van Heerden. But most of all I want to say sorry for jumping to conclusions so fast. I guess I expect the worst because then I’ll be less disappointed when it actually happens.”

“Have a little faith in me, Adalia. I’m not your f*****g enemy,” Trent snapped, then reeled in the anger.

“It’s difficult for me, but I’ll be better, I swear it.” Adalia pressed her lips together and let them unglue themselves into a pout. She was so unsure of this and everything else. She needed to be sure of him. She needed that sense of security.

“To answer your question,” he said, then traced a circle on the wood of the desk. Adalia sensed from the creases on his forehead that he was thinking about what he’d say next. “Michelle is nothing but an assistant. I’ve been aware of her desire to get me into bed for a while, however.”

Anger flared again and Adalia slapped her thighs. “So why keep her on?”

“A favor to her father and because I have no physical attraction to her whatsoever,” Trent replied, matter-of-factly.

“But what about the picture of you two together, or the time I walked in on you with her at your place?” Adalia asked.

“That’s the same day, I assume. She took that picture when I was at my most vulnerable. I was drunk as hell, Adalia. I was upset because of you and she took her chance to make her move. I didn’t do anything with her.”

Adalia’s thoughts flashed back and forth, then settled on the night she’d walked in on them together. She squeezed her eyes shut and envisioned the picture. The underwear, that cursed thong, was the same in both cases.

“I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to explain,” she said.

“It’s all right. I understand why you’d think the worst. She’s an abrasive woman at the best of times.”

Their conversation faded into nothingness, the separation of space was consumed by silence. Adalia needed to be closer.

Trent scooched forward in his chair and leaned over the desk. “I don’t want you to leave the bakery.”

“I have to. I can’t be here with you when there’s history between us. It’s not professional,” Adalia said.

Trent pushed himself out of the chair and came around to her side of the desk, then got down on both knees in front of her. He rested his palms on her knees.

“What if there wasn’t a history between us? What if there was a future?”

“What?” she asked, not daring to hope that he would still want her.

“Here’s the deal. I love you. I want to marry you. I want to be with you for the rest of our natural lives and I want to run this bakery together.” Trent retrieved that box from his pocket and took the ring out of it, then tossed the velvet case aside. There wasn’t a question this time. He grasped her left hand and slid the engagement ring onto her finger.

“I, oh God, Trent. I don’t know what to say.” Adalia gasped for air, her pulse pounding in her throat.

“Yes would be good.”

“Yes, I’ll marry you. I’ll be your wife.” That was the most amazing sentence she’d ever uttered. He enclosed her cheeks in his massive hands and brought her lips to his for a gentle kiss. He sucked her bottom lip then kissed her nose and both her eyes.

“I love you. I want this to be our forever.”

They stood together and he towered over her, wrapping her in his strong arms and sheltering her from the fear of failure in their love life at last.

“This means you’ll continue at the bakery, too,” Trent stated, then tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her lobe.

“No, I’m not sure about that.”

“Aren’t we past the whole charity thing yet? This is me. You’re allowed to be vulnerable with me.” Trent smooshed his lips onto her forehead this time.

“This isn’t about charity or handouts.” She tugged back and looked up at him, drinking in the edge of his jaw and the sharp eyebrows. “I’ve felt like a failure the past few months. I’ve been low on self-esteem and it’s thrown my judgement off big time.”

“But you’re not a failure,” he said. The frown returned.

“I know that. I’m not a failure,” she said out loud, and it felt damn good to voice it. “I’m not a failure, but I do need to establish my independence professionally and financially. You understand that, right?”

Trent considered it for a few minutes. “Yeah, I understand, but working here could help you set yourself up for the future.”

“Explain.”

“Well, work here and make enough to set yourself up. We’ll go from there.” Trent smiled, and she appreciated the offer. That would mean setting up in direct competition.

“I don’t know.” Adalia snaked her arms around his neck and tugged him down for another kiss. He lingered for a while, and she grew warm inside, hot and ready for him. He slipped his hand inside her shirt and tweaked her n****e.

“I do know. You’re the one for me, and I want to make you happy. We’ll do what it takes. All right?”

Adalia beamed with joy. “All right.”