Page 91 of Bound Hearts

“Exactly. After the meeting, I can talk to Celeste and Olivia to see about⁠—”

My finger flies up to shush him, and I simultaneously grumble. “You will do no such thing. Work is work. Home is home. You will not interfere or play the Mr. CFO card. Although wildly hot, it will make things worse. We are already in a hole. I can handle it myself.”

“Okay,” he complies with a soft smile. “Anyway, I’ll get us a table at Noshy for tonight.”

My eyes light up, and all talk of physical misery is swept away. “Really?”

“Yep. When you let me use my connections, things happen,” he teases.

We made it our mission to try out new restaurants before our little boy comes. Even when we haven’t been intimate lately, we’ve still taken time to be together, because we’re aware that time for the two of us is limited before life changes.

“We’ll go only if the meeting is okay. I hope we can use your connections. This is why I love you.” I tie my arms around his neck. “You make my foodie dreams come true. Let’s order a lot so I can bring home a doggy bag. I won’t have to worry about dinner tomorrow when you go to San Diego for work.”

He clucks his tongue, and his eyes remain set on me. “Not going. I canceled it.”

“Oh? Since when?”

His smirk is smooth, maybe a little cocky. “Since thirty minutes ago, before you joined me in the shower. I had already emailed my assistant.”

Lines form on my head. “Why?”

His fingers cup my chin with the pad of his thumb, caressing my cheek. “Because I don’t want to travel if you’re not feeling 100% or if the meeting…” He doesn’t dare finish that sentence. “In fact, I will probably cancel all of my business trips for a while.”

My eyes pop out. “Foster,” I groan. “You can’t do that. You have people to yell at and numbers to crunch. Our relationship can’t get in the way.”

“Sutton, quiet. I can be Mr. Badass from my phone or desk. I don’t want to be away from you. The clock is ticking, and we need to enjoy this time of quiet and calm, and somebody has to massage your feet or be the punching bag while you toss and turn at night.”

Truthfully, a part of me blooms with happiness. I would much rather have him near. Anxiousness for the baby has been trickling into my daily life more and more.

Smiling, I bask in the arms of a man who only wants to take care of me. “Well, who can say no to foot massages?”

Leaning in, our lips meet for a tentative touch, but our warm kiss turns deeper, and I hum in the back of my throat as his mouth holds a strong command. It’s a struggle when we pull away.

His hand pats my ass. “Now move it along. We’re going to be late.”

I sigh playfully. “Okay, I shall obey. My husband did nab us reservations at Noshy, after all.”

Walking to the conference room with my laptop tucked under my arm, our baby boy is moving inside me to the point I’m not sure it’s normal. A kick, then one that feels lower, another nearly stabs me. I knew I shouldn’t have had a piece of carrot cake from the breakroom. Sugar tends to make him go a little active. But I was stress eating.

I enter the room as though I’m distributing weight between the balls of my feet and my heels because I’m insistent that heels are needed in the office. My redistribution of weight is an attempt to calm both the baby and me. Managing to give an unwavering smile, I notice Celeste and Olivia looking at me peculiarly.

“Are you okay?” Olivia asks.

“Mmhmm.”

I swivel out the chair opposite Celeste, her face neutral with her hands folded on the table.

Olivia clears her throat. “I’m going to cut to the chase. You’re in the clear.”

A whoosh goes through me that the issue just popped away into oblivion. My sigh of relief fills the room.

“There is no reason for the bar association to be contacted, and as you and Foster already disclosed a while ago, the only issue was contracts you had both worked on together before you disclosed. The external party found that nothing was out of the ordinary, and any complaints are invalid. As far as I’m concerned, this issue is closed.”

“I’m very… This is good news.”

Olivia smiles at me. “It is. I’m happy they wrapped this up before you go on leave in a few weeks.”

Nodding my head vigorously, I couldn’t agree more.