and squeeze her shoulder. “But I had no doubt you’d be happy.”
She likes my answer and curls into my other side, wrapping her arms around Bizzy and me.
“So Shaw finally has a girlfriend?” my dad teases, taking a sip of his drink and eyeing me over the glass. I know that look; it’s telling me he’s happy, and also that he wasn’t fooled by our attempt to be sly.
“Dad, I’m thirty years old. Girlfriend sounds a little juvenile at this point, doesn’t it?”
“What would you call it?” He’s challenging me to see what I’ll do.
I remove the arm around my mom, lifting Bizzy’s chin up. There’s so much love and happiness on her face, my heart skips a beat. She gives me a small smile, waiting for my response.
“I’d call it so much more. I’ve found the woman who makes my life worth living,” I say without reservation and watch her eyes transform into a stunning grey and start to glow.
I bend and run my mouth over hers, wishing I could take her inside and prove how much I mean those words.
“No fucking way! Quit that shit right now. I may be okay with this, but I never want to see or hear that corny ass shit again,” Nick hisses, shaking his head. “Just because I know about it, doesn’t mean I need to witness it.”
My mom lets out a breathy sigh, but she seems to be the only one interested in my public declaration. Mathis looks horrified, and my dad raises his head to the sky, trying to hide his smirk.
“Maria, would you like to help me in the kitchen? I think we should eat out here tonight. It’s a beautiful evening.” Bizzy steps away, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and guiding my mom inside.
I watch them disappear and turn back to see all eyes on me. Nick’s fun-loving attitude is gone, replaced with a glacial stare.
“Don’t fucking hurt her, Crenshaw. She means the world to me.”
Dad and Mathis visibly tense, watching us with concern.
“Well, that’s one thing we have in common, because she means the world to me, too. I’d die before upsetting her. And you better get used to that because she may be your best friend, but she’s also now mine. I take care of her. It may be hard to accept, and I’ll give you that, but know this. Never worry about her with me. She’s now my number one priority.”
“Glad to hear it. She deserves nothing less.”
“If you two are done, let’s get to the good stuff.” Mathis shoves a glass of whiskey at me and a bottle of water to Nick.
“What’s the good stuff?” Dad asks, watching the three of us.
I grin and point to my iPad on the table, leading them over. My screen pops alive, and I smile with pride, knowing this is the perfect choice.
“We’re getting a boat. Let me tell you about it.”
Chapter 12
Bizzy
I try to ease the butterflies swarming from my stomach to my throat. This is the boldest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I want it to be perfect.
I purposely walk the long way around to Shaw’s office, making sure every cubicle is empty, and breathe a sigh of relief when I know we are truly alone. His voice booms through the office, indicating he’s on the phone.
He’s been tense with the start of football season, and our nights have been scattered with my shifts, so I decided to surprise him tonight with dinner at the office. Gail was essential in my plan, making sure I could get in after hours.
I lean against his office door to watch him in action. He’s got his back to me, the chair turned around as he hassles with the person on the other end of the line. His hand waves in the air, stopping when he catches the reflection of me in the window, and he spins around.
I saunter in slowly, feeling him watch my every step as I close the door and make my way to his sofa.
It’s hard to stay focused. His eyes burn into me as I remove the glasses and open the bottle of wine. He stares the whole time, and I make a mental note to thank Claire for making me buy this ridiculous sundress. It’s tight, short, and incredibly sexy. It’s also the exact golden color of his eyes.
Walking slowly to him with two glasses of wine, I perch on his desk, crossing my legs in his lap,