on Victor’s letter then handed it to Sean. “Can you send this to Jen Shiloh in HR, please? Immediately.” Tomorrow, this would be way below Jen’s pay grade. But right now, Jen was the only person Lacey knew in HR. She could consider it a promotion present.
He didn’t even look at it, half bowing as he backed away. “Yes, ma’am. Right away. Thank you, ma’am.”
If she hadn’t already been planning to spend half her time in the London office, she certainly would be now. Closing the door behind her, she turned back to Victor.
He leaned against his desk, his hands in his pockets, gaze studying her like a paleontologist who had just found an undiscovered species of dinosaur.
“So.” She strode across the small office, reaching him in five steps.
“So.” Victor didn’t so much as twitch from his position.
“I went and saw my sister.”
If he was surprised by the sudden change in topic he didn’t show it. “How is she?”
“Good. We had a good talk.”
“I’m glad.” He still didn’t move. If anything, he leaned a little further back.
She should have written speech notes. She’d never considered her words might fail her. “The thing is, my whole life, I’ve been afraid of being trapped by a man. That was all I saw. Loving someone made you weak. Loving someone took away your choices, required you to give up everything. My grandfather did it to my grandmother, then my dad with my mom, and Mitchell had with Betsy.”
She drew in a breath, smoothing her damp palms on her pants. “At least, that was what I thought. But I was wrong. Betsy isn’t trapped by Mitchell. She chooses him and their life. The only thing keeping her there is her. Because it’s what she wants. Because he’s who she wants a life with.”
Victor didn’t say anything, just watched her intently.
“But the thing is, even if it was true, even if loving someone did mean giving everything up … You’re not Mitchell. You’re not my dad. You’re not my grandfather. You have never tried to trap me. All you have ever done is love me enough to let me go.”
Victor’s hands curled around the lip of his desk. He wasn’t going to make the first move. Not here. Not with everyone watching.
So she stepped into his space until the toes of her shoes covered his. When she lifted her head, the warmth of his breath mingled with hers. “Anna says this couldn’t have happened by chance. She says God is in all of this.”
Victor’s lips curled. “She’s a smart woman, that Anna.”
“I don’t know what you said to her on the phone, but she’s your biggest fan.” Lacey could hear Anna’s voice ringing in her head. God will never force anything on you. You’re the only one who can choose. Faith or fear. What’s it going to be?
Reaching out, she grabbed Victor’s hands, twisting her fingers between his. Then tilted her head up.
Untangling one of his hands from hers, he lifted it up and ran his fingers down her face, his thumb against her bottom lip, and then tipped his head so his forehead touched hers. His other hand palmed the small of her back, pulling her flush against him.
There was nothing to be afraid of here.
Her hands traveled up the front of his shirt and wrapped around the back of his neck. “I don’t want you to get over me.” The declaration whispered through her lips. “Because I’m never going to get over you.”
“I’ll say this,” Victor murmured his words against her mouth. “You sure do know how to make a guy sweat.”
“Sorry.” Not that sorry. Not now. Not when she’d done what she needed to do to be here. Knowing with everything in her, this was the right thing.
He pressed his lips against hers, and she clung on to the deepening kiss until they were interrupted by cheers and whistles.
Lacey turned her head to look at the whole floor on their feet. “Stupid window. Whose terrible idea was that?”
Victor leaned back slightly and kissed the tip of her nose. “The new CEO. I hear she’s a spectacular kisser.”
Then, because he was a smart man, he kissed her again before she could hit him. By the time they both came up for air, they were both gasping. Victor trailed his hands down her side, then back up again.
Lacey ran her hands up his face, her pointer finger tracing the scar like it had always wanted to. “I love you.” Now that she was here,