Unlocking my Boss’s Heart (Romance in Sweet Comedy #4)

25. Celia

Chapter twenty-five

Celia

W e ran through the rain to the pergola-sheltered flagstone patio. My rain-soaked blouse clung to my torso, and my hair hung in tendrils around my face.

Anton chuckled, wiping raindrops from his face. He looked so youthful and happy. The heart-pounding that had worsened when we disagreed on marriage had changed to fluttering since he burst out laughing at my skirt swirling in the wind. He was such a cinnamon roll when he was this carefree.

“You want to go inside?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m fine here.” Even though my breath came out in chilled wisps, I didn’t want to be around anyone but him.

He nodded, gazing out at the garden where the rain had turned the leaves and petals into a flurry of green color. The downpour around the pergola made the landscape look like a hazy watercolor painting.

“I’ve been thinking….”

“Thinking about what?” I prompted when he didn’t continue.

“About you.” He looked steadily at me. “I miss spending time with you like this. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing. I’m happy when I’m with you.”

Butterflies exploded in my chest, and my heart skipped a beat, then started to race. “Me, too.” And I wasn’t just echoing him. I’d missed this, too.

My throat went dry as he stepped closer. His hand felt like it was on fire when he held my waist and pulled me nearer.

He wrapped me in his strong arms, and I threw my arms around his neck. Neither of us cared for our wet clothes as our mouths met in a synchrony of passion. Just like yesterday, a similar intensity surged through us. I let him ravage my mouth without restraint, enjoying the way he changed between light brushes and the deep swirling of his tongue against mine. Waves of warmth I’d never experienced coursed through me from head to my toes.

My fingers curled around the hair at the nape of his neck, seeking to hold on unless I buckled. Small, happy whimpers escaped my lips each time I caught a breath. Our wet clothes stuck to each other as he pressed my soft body against his strong chest until it felt like we were one.

He slowed down the kiss, peppered my cheeks with kisses. Then, he held me in a tight hug, I fit perfectly into his arms. His heartbeat was like a lullaby; I closed my eyes and enjoyed its rhythm while my own heart slowed to match his.

“You’re shivering,” he said against my hair.

I didn’t care. I snuggled even closer to him, not minding that we were both drenched. There was no denying how much I loved being with Anton. This moment felt right, and I kept my eyes closed to savor it. But this thing between us was still confusing. I didn’t know where we stood.

After our earlier marriage talk, one would think Anton would run away from kissing me because he was so afraid of marriage. Yet, how fervently he kissed me, his soft grunts matching my own whimpers, was telling the contrary. Didn’t he know this was a big part of marriage?

I smiled to myself.

It had been bold of me to bring up marriage like that. Thanks to Maddison for reminding me who I truly was inside—not the competitive and sophisticated person I’d imagined becoming while in law school.

Since speaking with her, I’d been torn between what my heart and my head were telling me. I liked being happy. I was happy at this moment. And I believed his parents liked me, though they hadn’t said so.

“My parents would love you.”

My eyes popped open, and I froze, shocked that I said it out loud.

“What does that mean?” Anton asked, rubbing my arms up and down.

I placed my hands on his chest and looked into his face.

“Just that they would be upset if I lost someone like you. I’m happy with you.”

“And what about you? Would you be upset if you lost me?”

“I'd be more than upset.” My voice had dropped to a whisper.

He pulled back to meet my gaze. “Does that mean you’re willing to give our relationship another chance?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Well, maybe we should take things slowly this time around. Get to know each other before we dive headfirst into the deep end?”

I chuckled. “Isn’t that a little too late? Considering what happened yesterday and today….”

“Kissing you wasn’t one of things I planned to slow down on,” he replied.

I blushed bright red.

After I stopped shivering, I didn’t want him to ever let go of me, so I remained there. His strong muscles made me feel safe, and he was so relaxed. He’d been tense earlier when I rambled about my parents’ marriage. I couldn’t bring up that subject anymore. I liked him like this.

“The rain stopped. You ready for me to take you home?”

I didn’t want to leave him, but it was time to go. “Yes, please.”

After a quick goodbye to his parents and brothers, Anton drove me home. We were a few blocks from Maddison’s apartment when he steered his car into a parking lot.

“I’m not ready to end our evening together just yet,” he said.

“Me, neither.”

He opened the car door for me, and we strolled through the streets hand in hand. The night was cool, the pavement was wet with rain, making the city glisten even more than usual.

We turned a corner, and my gaze fell on the bookstore— our bookstore—where Anton and I first met. Despite the damp night air, a food truck was parked at the curb, and a line of customers was waiting. A delicious aroma wafted from the truck, with a spicy scent that reminded me of my small hometown.

Despite the meal I’d enjoyed at the Waltons’ home not long ago, I couldn’t shake the nostalgia of the familiar smell. I pulled Anton to a stop and turned to read the menu on a wooden board. Most of the food was vegan and vegetarian, which wasn’t the kind of food my mother used to make. But this place must use the same spices.

“I'm going to get something,” I said.

“You’re still hungry?”

“Not famished. But the smell brings back memories of home.”

His lips curved in response, and he guided me to the short line.

“Do you want anything?” I asked.

He glanced at the menu board, then shook his head. “I'm more of a meat guy.”

I ordered the spicy, crunchy tofu with sauce on the side. It came in a paper box, tofu aligned on a long thin kebab stick, convenient to hold and bite into the tough flesh of the brown tofu.

I took my first bite and held the stick to Anton for him to taste.

He shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re eating that.”

I was too busy chewing to reply. The tofu was surprisingly well-seasoned. I couldn’t pinpoint all the ingredients, but I tasted black pepper and saw specks of onions and garlic garnishing it.

“I'm going to order this again sometime,” I said between mouthfuls. “Are you sure you don't want a bite?”

He backed away from me. “No, thanks. I’m not a fan of tofu.”

“Only meat, then? How about fish?”

“Fish is definitely on my menu.”

“Well, you’re missing out.”

Anton shook his head again and placed his arm around my waist as we walked.

The food container was empty when we arrived at the front of my apartment building, and I tossed it into a trash can by the curb.

I couldn’t believe it was time to say goodnight to Anton.

“Thanks for inviting me,” I murmured into his chest, hugging him tightly.

He returned the hug, wrapping his arms around me. “Thanks for coming.”

Reluctantly, we pulled back from each other. I walked into the building while he watched to make sure I made it safely before he returned to his car.

In our apartment, I leaned back against the door to settle my emotions before facing Maddison. When I walked by the kitchen, she was there, a knowing grin spreading across her face as she watched me walk past.

“Don’t say a word,” I told her while crossing the living room and heading down the hallway.

She followed me to my bedroom. “I wasn’t going to.”

I pulled my sandals off and tossed them into my closet, unable to contain myself any longer, I said, “We’re back together…slowly.”

She started a celebratory dance but stopped. “What do you mean, slowly?”

“He wants to take it slow. According to him, part of our troubles came from getting in too deep too fast.”

She crossed her arms, leaning against the door jam. “Well, just don’t mess it up this time.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Maddison chuckled. “ Someone has to be the voice of reason.”

“Oh, Maddy, thank you for being just that. I’m finding my grounding again.” I shook my head. “Becoming someone else was too stressful.”

“You’re welcome. You do the same for me all the time.” She grinned. “So, no more arguments?”

I shrugged. “Oh, who knows? Relationships always have their bumps, don’t they?”

“That’s good enough, I guess.”

When she left, I changed and got ready for bed. I was exhausted but happy. Anton was back in my life, and the aching in my chest had ceased.

I woke up in the middle of the night, my mouth dry. I gulped water from the bottle by my bed. It didn’t take long for me to fall back asleep. Then, I jerked awake a second time, my stomach tight and churning, and a wave of nausea hit me like a punch to the gut. I tossed back the covers and walked into the bathroom, clutching my abdomen. I opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a bottle of pain relievers. Swallowing two pills, I prayed they would work quickly. Another wave of pain and nausea hit me, and I practically had to crawl back to the bed.

I drank more water and lay in the darkness of my room, trying to go back to sleep despite my discomfort. My chest was tight, making it difficult to breathe.

Suddenly, the acidic taste of bile at the back of my throat had me running back to the bathroom. After emptying my stomach, I slumped onto the floor, feeling completely drained. My eyes fluttered closed, and I leaned my head against the wall. I just needed to rest for a minute, and then, I could stand up and go back to bed.

Eating that tofu was obviously a mistake.

Somehow, I fell asleep slumped against the wall, only realizing this when another bout of surging nausea forced me to lean over the toilet again. My hurls echoed through the tiny apartment. I started shivering. The bathroom tile felt like ice against my skin. I didn’t have the strength to stand or even call Maddison for help.

The bathroom light felt too bright, filling the room with such ferocity that I lifted my hand to cover my eyes. I heard a noise floating to me from the doorway and dropped my hand. Maddison stood there, her hair a wild mess.

“Celia, what’s wrong?” Her voice was sleepy and worried. She was at my side in an instant. “Oh my, Celia! What’s the matter with your face?”

I groaned, forcing a few words out of my sore, achy throat. Tears spilled down my cheeks. “I feel like I’m dying.”