His Unexpected Lover Page 0,49

Ash asked, his eyes taking in his best lawyer in his brother’s arms. “You’re off to Paris?”

Kiera was trying to stand up and look professional in front of her boss, but Axel was making it very difficult. “Um…no…we’re uh…” She couldn’t get his hands off of her waist to pull her suit jacket down properly no matter how many times she batted his hands away.

“Yes. She’s taking the job.”

“No. We’re staying here.”

Axel turned to glare down at her. “You’re taking the job. I’m opening up a branch of the firm in Paris. We can be there next month and I can start laying the ground work.”

She smiled up at him, already shaking her head. “We’re staying here and I’m going to become your brother’s most brilliant lawyer,” she countered.

“I’m all for that,” Ash stated firmly, crossing his arms over his large chest.

Axel sighed. “You’re taking the job. It is a fantastic opportunity and you’ll regret it later on. You’ll resent me for not getting you to Paris. You can be back here in two or three years and we can work through the issues later.”

She grinned up at him, thinking she had the trump cards. “I was kind of hoping to be pregnant in two or three years. Maybe even with our second child.”

The picture of Kiera pregnant caused a lump to form in his throat and he had to swallow, several times, to be able to even speak. And even then, he wasn’t very coherent.

While Axel tried to think of a response, she turned to her boss. “Did you need me for something?” she asked.

Ash was grinning like an idiot but at her question, he snapped out of it and remembered what he’d come in here for. “Yes.” He jerked up again and handed her a small piece of paper. “Here,” he said. “I’m marrying Mia next weekend. She says you already have the dress to be one of her bridesmaids.”

Axel finally found his voice. He pulled Kiera back so his arm was around her waist protectively. “I thought you were getting married in three months. What happened to that plan?”

Ash shook his head as if he still couldn’t believe what he’d found out. “I realized that Mia was delaying the wedding so she could get better prices on the food and cake and such. So I called up all of the people she’d worked with and told them to get everything done in one week versus three months and I’d double the amount already agreed upon.”

Kiera gasped, her hand flying over her mouth in shock. “Does Mia know about this?” she asked.

Ash laughed. “She does now. We fought about it on the phone but I won.” He winked at Kiera. “Mostly because she wants to be married as well anyway so she was only uncomfortable about the money.”

Axel chuckled at the idea of his almost sister-in-law being so frugal. It made him feel even better about her joining the family. “At least she isn’t after you for your money.”

Ash grinned right back at him. “Just my body,” he said before he turned and left. He was just about to close the door again but he stopped and said, “By the way, stop molesting my team members during work hours.”

“Get out of here,” Axel ordered, looking around to throw something at his brother who simply pulled the door closed while laughing uproariously.

“He’s right,” Kiera said, trying to pull out of his arms.

Axel was having none of that. He’d waited six years for this woman to be his and he wasn’t going to listen to anyone telling him he couldn’t touch her whenever he wanted to. “We’ll fix everyone’s perception quickly,” he said and took her hand, pulling her out the door.

“Where are we going?” she asked, almost running to try and keep up with him.

“You’ll see,” he said and stopped in front of the elevator. She pulled her hand out of his since there were so many people waiting there as well.

No matter how many times she asked, he wouldn’t tell her where they were going but simply pulled her out of the building and down the street. When they were in front of one of the most exclusive jewelry store in Chicago, she pulled back, shaking her head. “We can’t go in there!” she gasped, horrified at what he was thinking.

“Of course we can. I want a ring on your finger so there isn’t any confusion. We can’t make out in the hallways if people think we’re just