I rolled my lips between my teeth. I could think of a few times that we’d been reckless. Sex in Jasper’s office, to name one. But not when it came to making decisions that affected the company.
If I disagreed with Jasper, I let him know. And he respected me for it. He encouraged it.
“No. If anything, I feel more invested than ever in theHuxley brand. I know how passionate and dedicated Jasper is to the company, and he inspires me on a daily basis.”
Sloan stood. “And that is exactly why I’d like to move that Halle be promoted to SVP permanently. She handled the role with ease while I was out on maternity leave, and she’s been ready for this position for even longer. She deserves to be recognized for her contributions to the company. And we need someone in the role we can count on. Halle is that person.”
I… Wow.I was honored that she thought I was ready to take on such a big role in the company permanently. And it was reassuring that she still felt so strongly about it, despite the fact that I’d been dating her brother—the CEO—in secret for all these months.
“Seconded,” Graham said.
Leith cleared his throat, his eyebrows twitching. “First, the board needs to vote on whether there was a conflict of interest. And if so, what action should be taken. Then we can approach any other matters, based on the outcome.”
Sloan inclined her head, and my stomach lurched, threatening to expel my meager breakfast.
Leith turned back to me. “Were you aware that you were being considered for a permanent promotion as SVP?”
“Not until more recently,” I said. “Though it makes sense that Sloan would use the temporary promotion as a trial run.”
“You’ve given us a lot to consider,” Leith said. “Halle, could you please step out while we deliberate?”
I excused myself, heading back down the hall toward Jasper’s office. The door was open, and I knocked on the frame. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He glanced up from his desk. “How’d it go?”
I shut the door behind me. “About as well as expected.”
I gave him a quick rundown. All morning, I’d tried toremain calm. But I was officially freaking out. I stood and started pacing along the windows in Jasper’s office.
“Halle,” Jasper said, coming over to me. “It’s going to be okay, love.”
“Is it?” I felt incredibly exposed and vulnerable now that the truth of our relationship was out there. It was freeing in a way, but I also felt as if I was in a free fall. I wasn’t sure where I’d land or if I’d even survive the drop.
“Give me your hand,” he said, and I placed my hand in his. He rubbed the bare spot on my left ring finger, and I knew he was thinking about marriage. About our future.
No matter what happened today, our relationship would survive. And I had faith that, together, we could overcome any obstacle.
He slid his fingers down to my wrist, clasping it lightly as he tilted my hand so my fingers were pointed toward the ceiling. “Breathe in.” He traced the outside of my pinkie finger, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Good,” he coaxed in a soothing tone. “Now, breathe out,” he said after cresting the tip of my pinkie finger.
“In.” He traced up the side of my ring finger, and I could feel some of the tension easing from my body. “Then out.”
He continued the exercise until he’d finished tracing all the fingers of my left hand. Finally, slowly, he lifted my hand to his mouth to kiss each and every one of my fingertips. The entire time, his eyes remained locked on mine. In that moment, I forgot about everything else. It was just the two of us.
“I love you.”
He smiled. “I love you, Halle.”
He pulled me to his chest, holding me close. I wrapped my arms around Jasper and just let him hold me. I listened to the beat of his heart, steady and reassuring. Even wheneverything else felt out of control, he was always there—a calm, solid presence.
When he pulled back, it was only to cup my cheeks. His hazel eyes were filled with such love and tenderness that it stole my breath. He leaned in to kiss me, and just as our lips were about to meet, there was a knock at the door.
I jolted, springing back from him as if I’d been shocked. He chuckled, going over to the door to answer it. One of the board members was standing in the hallway.
“The board would like for you to return.”So formal.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one on edge. And now that their decision seemed imminent, any small bit of calmness I’d had vanished.
