Page 37 of Shotgun Spouse
"You didn't accept my marriage proposal either, but I'm a patient man. And you're the only one I want in the position."
Bunny's grin widened, transforming her entire face. It was radiant, bright, and completely unguarded. He’d seen her smile plenty of times before but never like this. Never so openly, so brilliantly.
Her lips curved in a way that made him think about how soft they’d felt the last time he’d kissed her. How they’d felt like the start of everything he didn’t know he’d been waiting for. His gaze lingered there, his thoughts slipping into dangerous territory.
He wanted to kiss her. No, he was going to kiss her.
But first, he needed to clear the office of the two men who were currently gaping at them like fish out of water.
Teddy tore his attention away from Bunny—though it took every ounce of willpower he had—and turned toward Frank and Preston. Both men were still mid-protest, sputtering arguments that sounded less like words and more like white noise.
"Gentlemen, you can see yourselves out.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Bunny jumped as the door slammed shut behind Preston and Grant. Teddy Carter’s office door was never closed. For as long as she’d worked here, his open-door policy had driven her crazy. There were always people in his office—constituents, staff, neighbors popping in for a chat—and when she actually needed to find him to finalize paperwork or go over a speech, he wasn’t there. Half the time, he was out in the town somewhere, charming people into liking him more than they already did.
But now he was here. The door was closed. No one else was in the office. It was just the two of them.
The change in atmosphere hit her immediately. The space, usually alive with the hum of voices and the shuffle of footsteps, was silent save for the low buzz of the heater. The familiar chaos was gone, replaced by a stillness that made her hyper-aware of every sound: the faint rustle of her clothes as she adjusted her skirt, the quiet creak of the floor beneath her feet, the steady hum of her own heartbeat in her ears.
She was still wearing his sweater. She hadn't taken it off once they'd come back inside. He hadn't asked for it back. She'd been prepared to turn in her resignation, but she had decided she wasnot giving the sweater back. It was the only severance package she was taking with her.
Except he hadn't asked her to go.
Teddy sat behind his desk, his fingers steepled and his elbows resting on the polished wood. He wasn’t leaning back, as he often did during their casual banter. He was leaning forward, his dark eyes locked on her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. He looked calm and composed, but there was a tension that thickened with each passing second.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“About what? The job offer, the marriage proposal, or my giant screw-up with the after-school funding?”
“We both messed up on the funding. And we’re going to fix it. Together.”
Bunny swallowed hard, pushing away the knot of guilt in her stomach. “I still think the grant is better. But I’m going to do everything in my power to save the after-school program.”
“Are you going to do that because it’s what I want?”
She hesitated, then squared her shoulders and met his gaze. “If I were your campaign manager, I’d remind you that kids don’t vote. Business owners do. They need those funds.”
He dipped his head, his expression one of patient consideration.
“If I were your girlfriend?—”
“Wife,” Teddy interrupted. “Or fiancée. Girlfriend implies no commitment. You should know I'm very committed to this cause.”
Bunny's throat tightened, and she cleared it before continuing. “If we were discussing this as intimate partners—” She paused, and his smile widened at the phrase. “Then I’d say go with the after-school program.”
“Why?” Teddy rested his elbows on the desk, watching her like a hawk toying with something sparkly.
“Because it’s what’s in your heart. Taking care of people is what you do best. And you take care of those kids—the ones who don’t always have someone looking out for them.”
Teddy’s smile grew. It wasn’t his usual lopsided grin. It was something softer. He stood slowly, walking around the desk to stand in front of her. “What about you? Are you going to let me take care of you?”
“I'm going to try. I’m not always going to be good at that. But I’m going to make an excellent campaign manager.”
“I'm going to kiss you now.”
Bunny stood, holding her hands out in front of her like a Supreme. "Shouldn't we sign some HR paperwork or something? This is going to be a power imbalance."
