AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We’re both panting now, breathing hard, our hearts pounding.
How did I manage so long without this? Without him? Tears prick my eyes, and when he notices, I close my eyes, feeling too exposed, my emotions too raw.
When his climax hits him, he cries out, his entire body tensing. His muscles tighten, his big body quakes. Finally, as he comes down, thrusting slowly inside me as if he doesn't want this to end, he leans down and kisses me. “I love you, Kennedy. I never stopped.” He kisses one closed eyelid, then the other. “No regrets,” he whispers. “No recriminations. Just us, together, as we should be. That’s the only thing that matters.”
My throat tightens. “I never stopped loving you, either.”
* * *
“So, what’s next? What do we do now?” I ask as we lie in each other’s arms. Our legs are intertwined. My head rests on his shoulder, and my arm is draped across his waist.
He wraps his arms around me and strokes my bare shoulder. “I’ll need to go back to London to make arrangements to work remotely. I’ll need to speak to a few people, namely Will’s father. I’ll pack up my personal belongings and have them shipped to New York. I should be able to arrange everything within a few weeks.” He tips his head to meet my gaze. “Do you mind if I invite my housekeeper, Sarah, and her husband, Bruce—my chauffeur—to come, too? Like Will and Skye bring Maggie and Hamish with them?”
“Of course. That’s fine.”
“They can live with us, as they live with me now in London. Or they can remain in London. It’s their choice.” He leans over to kiss my temple. “Once we’re settled, we’ll have to invite my mother to come for a visit. She loves New York, and I know she’ll want to spend some time with you. She’s always liked you.”
* * *
The next morning, while we’re eating breakfast, Connor makes a phone call to Will, updating him on our big news. The guys put their phones on speaker so Skye and I can join in on the conversation.
“Kennedy, I’m so happy to hear this,” Skye says, her voice filled with excitement.
“Aunt Kennedy, are you getting married?” Penny asks.
When I say yes, she squeals with delight.
“We’ll come visit you when you’ve had a chance to get settled into your new home,” Skye says.
* * *
That night, Connor and I lie in bed and plan our strategy.
“The first thing I’ll do when I’m back in London is talk to Mr. Carmichael about my plan to split my time between New York and London.”
“Do you think he’ll have a problem with that?” I ask.
Connor shakes his head. “Not at all. His own son is doing it. I’ll just need to talk to some of my colleagues at work and explain the plan. What about your job? Do you think your boss will be okay with you working remotely from the UK for half the year?”
“I’m not sure. There are a few people at Wentner who worked remotely. What if they tell me no?”
Connor chuckles. “Then I’ll buy a controlling interest in the company, and voila—we have a change in policy.”
I lean over and kiss his cheek. “Money solves everything, right?”
“Generally, yes.” He returns my kiss. “Don’t worry. This will work out. Hey, why don’t you come with me to London? We’ll make a holiday of it, maybe spend a week in the UK before we come back here and start house hunting.” He comes over me, resting his hips between my thighs. “Do you think Mrs. P would mind watching Betty for you?”
I smile, feeling very pleased that he’s asked me to come back with him. This is really happening. “Yes, I think she’d be amenable to that.”
The next few days are nothing short of chaotic. I hire a reputable property management company to manage the apartment building for me, because with the trip to London, then back here to start house hunting, I won’t have time to do it all. Even though I won’t be living here, myself, for much longer, my neighbors will, and I want things to run smoothly for them.
I offer my apartment to Lauren, and she jumps at the chance to have her own space. Right now, she’s sharing a tiny two-bedroom apartment in Queens with three other young women. Moving to Brooklyn will cut her commute in half. I’ll offer to let her live here free of charge, in exchange for her promise to look out after Mrs. P and Ms. Talisman for me.
* * *
Connor sits on my bed and watches me pack for the flight to London. “I can’t wait to show you my penthouse in London. And I know a lot of people at Carmichael and Son will be eager to see you again. You made quite an impression on a lot of them.”
It takes Connor a whole ten minutes to pack his luggage for the return trip. When we’re done, we set our bags by the door and wait for our Uber ride to arrive.
