"What do you mean your employees are worried about where their next paycheck is coming from?"

  "The moment you and my father made that deal, we are in limbo until the final takeover."

  "Correct me if I’m wrong, but since you’re tied to me now, shouldn’t you have asked me for help? That’s the kind of thing you come and ask your husband for help with."

  "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not married yet. And I solve my own problems."

  I frowned at that. I’m essentially a blank check waiting to be written. “Why don't you just ask? We’re about to be married, and I have a vested interest in this team."

  Tell her you already solved the problem.

  Actually, no, I wouldn’t tell her just yet. I wanted to see just how stubborn she would be.

  "I know all too well how these things fall through and promises get forgotten." She pushed to her feet, bringing her body in full contact with mine, and fucking Christ, the full body shiver that ran through me wasn't something that could be controlled.

  She stepped around me, opening the door. "Now, if you don't mind, Atticus, I have actual work to do. Please look at the contract changes and sign it so I can pay my fucking employees. Employees like Carla over there, who's going through chemo treatments. And Michael, who just had a brand-new baby. Oh, and there's also Paul, who is desperately saving for a house. I don’t have five million to throw at the problem to prove a point, but they are my responsibility and I made them a promise. They are counting on me. So I am the one that needs to fix this for them. I can at least do that much.”

  Shit. “I get it.”

  And for the first time in my adult life, I had been summarily dismissed.

  Chapter 19

  Gwen

  "Dude, you are on the cover of every society page in the city."

  I groaned as I slipped off my shoes and my sister strolled into my office. "Hey, Morgan, what are you doing here?"

  She snorted a laugh. "My sister is on the fucking society pages. Where else would I be? We need to discuss."

  “What about school?”

  “School schmool. I just turned in a design project,” Morgan said as she threw a copy of the Times on my desk then pulled up her phone showing me the gossip sites.

  "You know I didn’t intend to be on the society pages, right?"

  "Well, that's one way to say that you weren't trying, because would you look at that? That is... my God. Was it terrible? Because it doesn't look terrible."

  "I'm not going to tell you how my kiss was." Besides what could I say? I still think about it, but for him it was all business?

  “Oh, come on. Give your sister a thrill. The man could play the Ice King in your favorite fantasy movie, but the pictures of him kissing you are hot, hot, hot.”

  I sighed. “It was fine.”

  “Please, be fucking for real.”

  Rolling my eyes, I muttered. “Okay, it was better than fine. It was one of those kisses that your body tingles about for days.” We’d kissed yesterday, and I could still feel the after-effects of it. Hell, my lips still tingled.

  Macy West, one of my lead developers, poked her head in. "Sorry, boss, but I could have sworn I heard Morgan."

  "Oh, for fuck's sake, Macy, stop calling me boss. We were roommates for how fucking long?"

  Macy plopped herself on my couch next to Morgan. "Calling you boss gives me such a fucking thrill, mostly because you hate it. I always told you that you were a badass, so in a way, it's like telling myself I was right all the time."

  "Would you two please stop?"

  The two of them were exact opposites. Macy, with her paler-than-pale skin and light blond hair, dark lipstick, black sweater, and black, skintight jeans, was in complete contrast to Morgan's caramel coloring, dark silk-pressed waves, and solid white fashion sweat suit. "You guys would make a great Town & Country cover,” Macy said.

  “If you say so. Now please, you guys, I have work to do."

  Morgan shook her head. "No, ma'am. We need to talk about this kiss."

  Macy hoisted herself up and went to the closet where I kept my secret stash of gummy bears and pulled out a bag, opening it before offering Morgan a handful and then me. When she was settled back on my couch, Macy popped a gummy bear in her mouth. "Okay, spill. I don't have much time. The QA guys are going to call me in a second as soon as they find the next round of bugs."

  I groaned. "We have customers waiting on this release."

  Macy shrugged. "I know that. The team are working their asses off on it, but there are still bugs. Or more features, as I like to call them."

  I rolled my eyes. "Do you want me to take a look at it?"

  She shook her head. "Nah, we’ve got it covered. Now spill.”

  "There's nothing to spill, Macy."

  "Lies. Because right now, I can see the look that you two are exchanging, and I know something is going on. You have to tell me. It's like friend-code."

  I rolled my neck, trying to ease the tension. Seeing Atticus today had only made it worse. Since meeting him a little over a week ago, it was like there was an electric crackle all over my skin that I just needed to release like a giant lightning bolt or a really big orgasm. "It's nothing. We met, hit it off, he asked me out."

  "I’m not buying it. You've been keeping secrets, boss. I want them. Show me the gorgeous ring I see in the photo."

  "Mace, I can't tell you."

  Morgan nudged her with an elbow. "Okay, Macy, she can't tell you. But if you guessed, she could probably confirm."

  I rolled my eyes. "Jesus Christ, Morgan."

  "What? Macy and I are basically your only friends and people in your life that you make time for. She needs to know because I need someone to talk to about it. I can't call you because you're too busy."

  "You forgot Lance. You can also talk to him."

  Morgan ignored me. "Like I said, Macy is the only other person in your life that I can connect with."

  I sighed. "I'm not going to tell you, but if you guess in the ballpark, I wouldn't deny it."

  Macy clapped her hands together and laid the bag of gummy bears aside. "Okay, um, I saw you wearing a massive rock in that picture, and you can't tell me that was costume jewelry. That shit was real. The kind of elegance those Park Avenue princesses wear. Was that really an engagement ring?"

  I sighed and nodded, then pulled my chain out to show her the ring.

  She and Morgan both whistled low when they saw it.

  Her eyes went wide. "But you just met the guy. You don't even know him. I would have known if you were dating. You never leave this place."

  I shrug. "Sometimes things move fast."

  "No... You never leave this place, and you've been chasing down money because Becks is a shit show. Your father hasn't been able to manage all his acquisitions. He spent more money than he had, and now the piper has come for payment and he doesn't have it. Which means he needs to sell off parts of the company."

  I rubbed the back of my neck. Sometimes, I hated having smart friends.

  "Okay, so I'm in the ballpark. So… Oh my God, is this an arranged-marriage kind of thing?"

  I sighed. "Morgan, I feel like you prepped her."

  "I did not!" my sister said indignantly.

  Macy shook her head. "Well, the moment I saw the ring and the gossip rags, I assumed something was going on. At first I thought maybe they were exaggerating. Because you know how they immediately love to put two sets of rich people together. But let's face it, you're not the usual demographic. And while people don't know it, you're no longer as rich as you used to be."

  "Yeah, thanks for pointing that out."

  "I still want you to have everything you have ever wanted. So rich is good, but you're not the usual type of socialite. You actually work for a living, for one thing. And you’re hella smart. I'm guessing Pendragon wants a partnership, and your father is pushing for marriage."

  "Well, that's that, I guess."

  Macy shrugged. "So, how big is his dick?"

  I choked on a gummy bear, and half of it went down the wrong pipe. Morgan and Macy both jumped up and came over to pat me on the back until we dislodged it. "Oh my God, I don't know,” I sputtered.

  Macy laughed. "I'm so sorry I almost killed you, but how was I supposed to know you were going to clutch your pearls at the mention of his dick size?"

  "I have not seen his dick yet. We have agreed to take it slow. At least that part of the relationship. Everything else is moving at warp speed."

  I eased back in my chair and hoped Macy would forgive my lies.

  I slanted Morgan a glance as she dug through the gummy bear bag for the green apple ones and said, "I knew something was going on with you two. The way you jumped up to volunteer and the way he watched you at dinner… I mean, I know I thought the guy was cold, but there’s something about you that thaws his frigid exterior a little. It's so hot."

  "Wasn't that you calling him the Ice King just yesterday?"

  "That was before you said you were going to try and work on things. So, how big is his dick?"

  I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't know. I told you I haven’t seen it."

  Morgan and Macy both shook their heads at me, and my sister said, "Well, that's something you are going to have to rectify soon because you don't want to be tied to someone forever if you don't know what you're working with."

  "Will both of you relax? It's not going to be a problem."

  My sister watched me as Macy finished off the bag of gummy bears. I was going to have to be careful. There was no hiding anything from her. One little slip and she'd see exactly how I felt about Atticus Price and his kisses.

  Chapter 20

  Atticus

  For the rest of the day, I'd been plagued by what Gwen had said.

  I'd been so focused on her and the big picture that I didn't see what her father was up to. She was fighting for her people and hadn't asked for help. The fight was a trait I admired. But goddamn it, I wanted to help. It was hard not to be impressed by her, but she was far from being impressed by me. I needed to do something about that.

  When I got home that night at nine-thirty, I knew where I'd find her. Not that I was having her followed, I was just having someone keep an eye on her. After all, if Lions was right about my father and Jacobson, it was better to keep an eye on her than not. But if she knew, she'd be irritated. So I didn’t tell her.

  I knocked on the slightly ajar library door. "It's late, you should go to bed."

  She barely lifted her head. "As you can imagine, it was a long day for me."

  "Of course, it was. Did you eat anything?"

  She frowned. "What time is it?"

  "Nine-thirty."

  She gave me a sheepish half-smile. "Then other than my gummy bears, no."

  "You need to eat. I'll get Magda to warm you a plate."

  She frowned at that and then sat back and crossed her arms. She still wore her silk shirt from earlier, but she’d swapped that fuck-me skirt for sweatpants. "What are you doing?"

  "What do you mean, what am I doing?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe. Her gaze swept over me, leaving little licks of heat everywhere it touched me.

  "This act. Being nice. You have already made it clear in public that we are the real deal. But it’s not like you talk to me other than to bark orders. Why are you being nice?"

  I sighed. I had said that. And I had been an ass. "I'm just trying to make sure you've eaten and that you get some sleep. That's all."

  She frowned, working her bottom lip with her teeth. "I still don't trust you."

  "I’m well the fuck aware of that. Now eat something. Go to bed. We're tied together for the foreseeable future, and you're going to be my wife, which makes it my job to take care of you. So fucking eat, would you? And not gummy bears, for the love of God."

  She looked adorable with her pursed lips and narrowed gaze. "I don't remember the last time someone took care of me. I promise you, I'm not a damsel in distress. You don't need to ride in on a horse to save me."

  I cocked my head at that. The way she'd bit out the words. When was the last time someone had taken care of her? "Okay. But I'll have Magda warm something up for both of us. I know if I didn't have a chance to eat, you certainly didn't either."

  "I’ll eat later." She inclined her head toward the bowl of gummy bears.

  I shook my head. "You can't be serious."

  "Have you ever had a gummy bear?" She cocked her head and studied me, her gaze doing a slow perusal of my body, turning those little fires into furnaces as she went along.

  "Not since I was twelve."

  "Well, you're missing out. Gummy bears are my favorite. And they're surprisingly filling."

  I shuddered. "You know they’re nothing but sugar, right?"

  "And sugar is delicious."

  "You need to eat proper food." I pressed my case. "You know, protein. A vegetable or two."

  "And I will. I'm just busy. So right now, I'll stick to empty calories. Tomorrow I'll guzzle down a smoothie. Get lots of protein and veggies."

  I sighed, turning when I saw Magda coming down the hall with a tray. I took it from her with a smile and a nod of thanks and then turned to my wife-to-be. "No, you're going to eat real food now."

  Gwen pierced me with a narrow-eyed pout that only made me want to kiss her as I placed the tray on the coffee table.

  "You can eat with me,” I said. “How's that?"

  Magda had piled the plates high with enough for two and had included two spoons and napkins.

  "Christ, Atticus, are you going to follow me around and make sure I eat?"

  "If I have to." I sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to me as I lifted the silver plate covers. Scents from the rich stew wafted into the room, and I could see her nose twitch. Just knowing that she considered gummy bears an acceptable meal irritated me. Why wasn't she taking better care of herself? "You're going to eat. Then you're going to put away the laptop and get ready for bed."

  She squared her shoulders. "I'm still not⁠—"

  I put up a hand. "Yes, I know. You're still not sleeping with me. Got it. Noted. And maybe you'll remember that I promised I wouldn’t touch you until you begged me to. Your only job is to sleep there."

  She pushed to her feet and came to join me on the couch. When I handed her a spoon, she took it reluctantly. "Only because I'm being forced to sleep there."

  "Do you have to sleep there? Yes. Am I going to make you do anything you don't want to do? No. Except for the eating thing. So tuck in."

  I didn't start to eat until I watched her spoon the first bite of stew into her mouth. And when she gave a delicate moan and her stomach grumbled, I nodded appreciatively and started to eat as well. "See? Not so bad, is it?" I asked.

  She rolled her eyes. "Fine, it's delicious. But still, I'm not done working for the night, so I'm not going to bed yet."

  "I'll give you a couple of hours. But you're not going to be of help to your team if you run ragged and don't feed yourself anything better than gummy bears."

  She opened her mouth to argue, but instead, I tore off a piece of the dinner roll and shoved it in her mouth before she could talk.

  She made this adorable little growling sound at the back of her throat, but then she moaned. Fuck, I was hard. There was something about feeding the woman that oddly also made me want to fuck her. Jesus, I needed help.

  "What would the world think if they saw you feeding me?" she mumbled around the bite of bread.

  I shrugged. "If I concerned myself with the opinions of others, I'd never get anything done."

  She ate three more bites hurriedly. "Can we be done now so I can finish?"

  "With the pace you keep, you're burning yourself out. Take it from someone who knows."

  She grinned at me and then took one of the rolls back to the desk. "Question for you."

  "What's that?"

  "Does anyone ever insist that you're going to burn out?"

  I wet my mouth before answering. "Sometimes. Mostly Micah, but yes."

  "But do most people ask you that? Or is the assumption that you should work hard?"

  I pressed my lips together. "What are you getting at?"

  "You know exactly what I mean."

  I shook my head. "No, I don't."

  "What I mean is, you're a man. Nobody questions how much you work. Matter of fact, people question your commitment if you don't work hard. But as a woman, I'm not supposed to work like that. But if I don't, they question my work ethic. I just care about my job, and about my team, and⁠—"

  "You think you have something to prove?"

  "Don't I?"

  "You tell me."

  She swallowed hard. "For years, I have worked to make this company something I could be proud of. Something my father could be proud of. I don't know, to honor my mother's legacy or something. Everything she gave up so my father could build Becks. I have my team, the software, the job. It's all I have."

  "I doubt that. You have a sister you clearly love."

  She coughed a laugh. "Morgan, yeah. You're probably wishing you’d taken the other sister now, aren't you?"

  Fury flashed hot over my skin as I cocked my head, assessing her. "Why do you do that?"

  "Do what?" she asked around another bite of bread.

  "I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it's almost like you deliberately mark yourself as less than Morgan. Just because your father does it, that doesn't mean it's true."

  Her brow furrowed. "First of all, I do no such thing. I love my sister."

  "That's apparent. You were willing to fall on the sword for her."

  "Well, I wouldn't need to fall on the sword if you didn't want to carve out part of my father's company."

  "That’s what Bronson Jacobson wants, and he doesn't care about your software. He just wants to make sure I don't have it. But I'm a businessman. Your father is the one who dangled you out like a carrot."

  She sighed. "Whatever little pissing contest you have with Jacobson is not my business."