Grace follows me into the next room down the hall, her expression morphing into one of confusion as she takes in the crates and cages scattered around the space.
“What are these for?”
I shrug, trying not to look at her as I grab a blanket and place it at the bottom of one of the larger cages. “I used to foster dogs. I just never got rid of the crates.” It’s a lie, but I can’t exactly tell her the real reason—that I was testing the strength of various models to see which would be best to hold a human.
“Oh. That’s sweet of you.” She gives me a bright smile that tugs at my heart. “He looks comfy in there.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Should we name him?”
I take in her excited expression with a small grin. “Of course. What do you think would suit him?”
She brings a finger to her lips, thinking hard. “Hmm. What about… Zorro? He’s already got a cute little mask, so I think it’s fitting.”
“Zorro it is.” I gaze down at my handiwork, satisfied that the creature has a nice, quiet, safe place to get some rest. “You know what this means, don’t you, Grace?”
“What?”
“It means we’re going to have to spend quite a bit more time together.” I nod toward the raccoon. “It’s in Zorro’s best interest, after all.”
“Yes,” she says, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “It is.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
GRACE
2 weeks later…
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been living in bliss. Fancy lunches with Archer, stolen kisses in his car, on his office desk, after hours at the office. And the best part—I haven't had any visits from Seven.
It’s Friday now, and I’m currently packing for a team-building work trip. The entire company is attending—including Mr. Graves—and I want to make sure that I pack accordingly. Apparently, the resort we’re staying at in Neon Valley is right next to the beach, which means I might get the chance to show off one of my new bikinis. I ponder the two swimsuits laid out on the bed, ultimately deciding to pack both because I can’t decide which would be better.
I look at the clock, noting that I have about an hour before Archer picks me up. He somehow managed to get us seats in first class on a different flight than the rest of the company, meaning we’ll have some alone time before we go back to pretending we’renotdating.
My mind wanders to a memory from a few days ago. Archer had invited me out for dinner—a really posh place with white tablecloths andthreedifferent forks—and halfway through our main course, he asked me to be exclusive. At the time, I was so happy that I said “yes,” not thinking of the repercussions. But Seven hadn’t shown up in a while, and Archer looked so vulnerable and incredibly sexy. How could I resist?
Plus, we’re basically co-parenting a raccoon baby. It just makes sense.
Speaking of the raccoon baby…
I pull out my phone and tap Archer's contact to send him a message.
Me
How’s our son?
In response, Archer sends a picture of Zorro eating a grape.
Archer
See for yourself.
Me
I’m dying of cuteness. I wish we could take him on the trip!
Archer
