Page 28 of One Little Favor
My dad exhales, long and slow, the tense lines of his forehead softening. “Okay then.”
My mom’s nervous smile relaxes into her real one as they glance at each other and then at me. That black hole in my stomach feels like it’s working in reverse now, too, no longer a painful pit of anxiety.
“I’m happy you two are happy,” Mom adds, and lifts her glass in a toast. “To new beginnings, and getting to spend this holiday together, after all.”
My smile is huge at this moment, because it’s everything I never expected to have for this holiday.
* * *
“On a scale of furious to ridiculously happy, where are you right now?” Tom asks as soon as we’re in the cab alone. We took my mom and dad back to the cruise ship after dinner and said our goodbyes. The ship leaves midmorning tomorrow, and none of us wanted to rush around early on Christmas morning after tonight’s dinner ran very late, so we’re not going to have time to see them again. But at least we got to spend Christmas Eve together.
“I’m extremely content,” I sigh as I scoot to the middle seat and lean my head against Tom’s shoulder.
“I’ll take it. I was worried you were going to be pissed off. When I planned that dinner out in my head, I didn’t really think about how we were going to explain our relationship status to your parents. I was just excited to make it possible for you to see them.”
I’ve been through a riot of emotions tonight, but in the end, I mostly just feel gratitude. “It was truly a gift to get to spend Christmas Eve with them.”
I think of how well Tom got on with my parents once the awkwardness of the initial meeting passed. He and Dad bonded over hockey, as Dad told him all about teaching me to skate, and my early morning hockey practices. And now that Dad knows Tom is friends with Alex Ivanov, they’ve already arranged to catch a home game together this season. I could tell Mom liked how attentive and supportive Tom was. Besides, I’m in my late twenties, it’s not like they don’t know I date—though most of my dates don’t involve a surprise trip to St. Thomas.
“So I’m not pissed at all,” I say, leaning up and kissing his cheek. “I just wasn’t expecting to have to explain to my parents that we’re sleeping together—”
“You’re making it sound like it’s nothing more than that.” His voice is terse and maybe tinged with worry.
“Tom,” I say, leaning into his side. “What more can this be? I can’t afford to lose my job.”
He cups his hand along the side of my face and gently tilts my head, our eyes lock and in the low light of the cab, his look is possessive and dark. I want to be consumed by him. I want to be the kind of woman who throws caution to the wind in pursuit of love, or lust, or whatever this is at this point. But I can’t be her, because I always have my dad’s health and the enormous strain of my parents’ financial situation to think of.
“Is your job the only thing standing in your way? Or is there another reason that you don’t think this could work between us?”
I try not to acknowledge my own disbelief that Tom is this interested in me. “No, there’s no other reason. But Tom, it’s notjusta job to me. My dad’s recovery depends on that job.”
“Do you trust me, Avery?”
I look up at him and when our eyes lock, the truth is there in the astounding way he’s looking at me—trust, desperation, adoration, care—practically daring me to fall in love with him.
“Yes.” The word is whispered but fervent.
His thumb smooths the worried creases at the corner of my eye, then trails down my cheek, lighting a path of longing that travels across my skin. “Then let me take care of the work part of this, so there’s nothing in the way.”
“Can you possibly do that without letting Mitzi know about us?” I hate that the woman scares me, but it’s felt like she’s out to get me for the last year.
His lips quirk up on one side. “I told you before, I’m not sneaking around like you’re some secret I need to hide. You deserve better than that, Avery. We deserve better than that.”
I also hear what he’s not saying: he’s not his father. This fooling around with his executive assistant, or anyone he works with, isn’t something he normally does. And if we hide it, it’ll make it seem like we’re ashamed of being together. I’m partway elated that he wants what’s between us to be out in the open, and partway terrified because it’s so new and because I know what the repercussions will be at work. People will likely assume I got this job because I was sleeping with him, and the director of HR will know I violated my contract.
“I appreciate that,” I tell him, “and yet I know Mitzi will try to get me fired for this.”
He leans down, running his nose along mine and then kissing my forehead. “She’s not going to get you fired. Please trust me that I can take care of this.”
I want to trust him. He’s a partner at the firm, which puts him way higher on the corporate ladder than her. But one of us stands to lose everything if this doesn’t work out, and it’s not him.
“Wait,” I say, drawing back so I can see him better. “Mitzi never seemed to notice me until I started working for you.” I hear the suspicion in my voice, but can’t cover it up. I’m not sure I want to. “Is there a reason she’sparticularlyconcerned that nothing happens between us?”
The car comes to a stop at a light, and Tom turns to fully face me in the back seat. He reaches out and snakes his hand behind my neck, pulling me closer to him and tilting my head so that I’m forced to look at him. “If you’re asking if anything has ever happened between her and me”—his voice is hard and rough—“no. Nothing has ever happened between me andanyoneI work with. You’re it, Avery. You’re the only one. You’llalwaysbe the only one.”
Tears prick my eyes and my entire body feels like it’s on fire, melting into a pool of molten lava as I absorb his words. Silently, I climb into his lap, curling into him as I rest my head against his shoulder. I don’t know how I’ve gone so quickly from lusting after my grumpy boss, certain he had no feelings for me, to trusting that we might be perfect for each other—but here we are.
“Same,” I whisper before I tilt my head up and trail kisses along his jaw. His arms encircle me and hold me to him protectively right as the driver takes a turn a little too hard.
