I dip my chin, lowering my head so that we’re closer to one another. “Tennessee, don’t,” I practically beg.
“Tell me nothing happened. I know what I saw, but lie to me.”
I let out a grunt. “I don’t need to lie to you. Not now, not ever.”
She tries to push away from me, but I don’t let her. I can’t. Holding her closer, I refuse to let her go. She’s mine and I’m not letting her go anywhere.
“Let’s go and get Holden. I have something to show both of you that can’t wait,” I announce, quickly changing the subject.
“What?” she asks, her brows snapping into a frown.
My lips twitch into a small smile. “Trust me.”
She doesn’t say anything, but I can tell that she’s teetering on the edge of trust. She thinks that I fucked Susan while she was away at lunch. I don’t blame her, I’m sure Susan put on a show for her, one similar to the one that she attempted to put on for me.
“Okay,” Tennessee eventually sighs.
Thankfully, her purse is still hitched on her shoulder so we don’t even have to stop at her desk. Wrapping my hand in hers, I tug her behind me as I quickly make my way toward the elevator.
I hear Julie call out my name, but I lift my hand, giving her a wave and tell her to reschedule my day, that I won’t be returning to the office.
It doesn’t take us long to sign Holden out, and both of them are confused as hell as I drive them to my new home. I hadn’t planned on taking them here until tonight. We were going to have dinner, then a tour of the new house, but it can’t wait.
Parking in the driveway, Tennessee sighs. “I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.”
I don’t respond to her observation. Unfolding from the car, I walk over to her side and open her door for her, then open the back door to unbuckle Holden. He likes to climb out of the car himself, so I don’t help him past unbuckling his straps.
I watch as he makes his way directly toward Tennessee and takes her hand with his little one. Walking over to her other side, I press my palm against the small of her back and guide her toward the house.
“Why are we here?” she asks softly as we climb the front steps.
“I have something that you need to see.”
She doesn’t say anything, but I can tell that her mind is spinning, ideas are rolling around inside and she’s trying to figure out just what in the hell I’m doing with her here. She could think about it all day, every day, but she would never guess why.
Not ever.
Once we’re inside, I continue to guide them toward my destination. I count the steps one-hundred and twenty-three until we reach the closed door. Reaching out, I wrap my hand around the knob and twist it.
I only open it enough to reach inside and flip on the light, but not enough that she can see into the room.
“I want you to open the door,” I state.
Tennessee turns her head, looking up at me in confusion. I don’t say anything, instead, I dip my chin and release her hand. She takes a hesitant step forward, pressing her palm against the door, she slowly pushes it open.
I know when she’s seen it.
Her gasp is loud enough to fill the entire house. It bounces off of the walls and she spins around toward me at the same time Holden squeals and runs forward.
“What did you do?” she asks, her voice trembling as a tear falls down her cheek.
“I planned this after the first time up in the penthouse. When I knew that I wanted more from you. The rest of the house’s décor is up to you, but I did hire an interior decorator for this one room.”
She doesn’t say anything.
She just stares at me, and I wonder if she’s going to speak at all.
She doesn’t say a fucking word.
Chapter Twenty-Three
TENNESSEE
A million thoughts race through my head. A million words that I can’t even fathom or attempt to express in this moment. My voice is gone because this man has stolen it with his actions. He’s stolen my voice from me.
The bedroom looks like it was clipped from a magazine, or pinned from Pinterest. I shake my head once, my gaze shifting from him to look at the room again. It’s all dark hardwood flooring, with light blue-gray painted walls and dark