The Secretary and Her Boss

Chapter 38

There are moments in life that feel made entirely of magic. Every single aspect of them are so utterly perfect that they leave you breathless, charged full of light.

Those moments of magic sharpen everything, the details coming into focus like a high-definition movie. It's like seeing a shooting star in the dark when you have forgotten how to wish, or seeing a symphony of fireflies dancing across the grass while you sit on a porch on a warm summer night after a day of back-breaking work, or when you realize that you are suddenly standing before a man that you are so desperately in love with, snow at his feet, determination in his eyes after so many years of wanting, you can't help but hope that maybe this time... the timing is right.

"Laurence? What are you doing here?" I breathed out, shocked.

He held an umbrella above his head, dusted with flakes, a duffel bag dropping to the ground next to him, sending up a swirl of snow as he took me in.

"I'm here for you."

He stared up at me, the twinkle lights on the deck giving him a soft glow.

I swallowed but didn't respond, still too shocked to see him standing before me. I hadn't mentally prepared to see him yet.

"How are you?" I finally managed, barely able to look at him as he continued to look up at me like he had all the time in the world and the only thing he wanted was to soak me in.

I began to back peddle, suddenly so nervous that I couldn't stop talking. "Sorry, stupid question."

He took a step toward me, umbrella cutting off my ability to see his face for a moment. "My house is ash. My family name is tarnished beyond repair and I am currently staying with Dashielle."

I bit back a laugh, mitten fingers covering my mouth. "Dash?" The picture of them living together left me fighting another wave of laughter. "That's... awful."

"I have nowhere to live, my brother is in prison for the rest of his life, and despite all of that..." he tilted back his umbrella as he reached the bottom step to get a better look at me from where I stood on the top step several feet away. "I can't bring myself to mind those misfortunes."

I held my breath, blood roaring in my ears, the world suddenly silent.

"Because there's something I have to do." He paused, watching my expression. "I've come to break a promise I made you and keep a different one."

I crossed my arms to keep myself from shivering. "And what is the answer to this strange riddle, Laurence?"

"I once promised to never kiss you again and I've come to break that promise. And to keep another one by finishing that kiss in my house two weeks ago."

I couldn't feel the cold anymore. I couldn't see the deck, the stars, the snow. Nothing else existed but Laurence Royal and that single statement. Laurence Royal standing before my childhood home, having hunted me down.

He searched my face, "That is... if you'll have me."

I was frozen, shocked, unable to process his words. Is this real life?

He continued, taking a small step forward, his shoes brushing the bottom step. As close as he dared to approach without an invitation.

"I..." he ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't mean it like a kiss goodbye, or a passing affair." He let out a breath, the air steaming as it left his lips, showcasing the first hint of his uncertainty. "I've never been good at grand gestures, or gifts, or words. So... Let me make myself clear."

There was no air. My body seemed incapable of breathing.

His eyes grew dark, open and wanting. "I want you. Deeply. No games. I want you, Lily Autumns. I've wanted you for a long time. So much, that it hurts to breathe when you look at me. It burns when you smile at me, it makes it impossible to think when you touch me. And if you'll let me, I'd be willing to be utterly breathless and burned for the rest of my days if you'll give me a chance."