CEO'S Secret Baby: A Standalone Surprise Pregnancy Romance - Iona Rose (which ebook reader .txt) 📗

explained. “Every employee is going to be able to vote for the anonymous entries. The decision isn’t going to be made by some executive panel.”

I smiled to myself, and shook my head as Carter came to mind. She left us then, and I went over to the sink to rinse out my mug.

“Your man seems to have dealt the VP a serious blow,” Jeremy said.

“No comment,” I replied.

“Were you aware of this beforehand?” He asked.

I gave him a frown. “Of course not.”

“I believe you,” he said.

“But what makes you so sure that the CEO ordered this and not the VP himself?” I asked.

He smiled. “Because, I don’t think that this was just to give the employees a chance. It was perhaps also to test the VP, especially after what he did yesterday. If he had said no to the CEO’s request for this, then he would have made it clear that his alliance was not to the company or employees, but to his pride. That, Leah, would have been the start of his decline towards unemployment. Help me confirm if this theory is true from Mr. Edwards would you?”

I smacked his arm as I left the room, and returned to my desk. Picking up my phone, I texted Carter, ‘Any plans for lunch?’

My hand trembled as I placed the phone down. However, he did not respond. I waited with my heart in my throat and my gaze glued to my phone’s screen.

His response came, ‘No, not yet.’

I immediately rushed to reply before he disappeared again. ‘I’ll get us a sandwich. Do you want to come out with me, or can we have it in your office?’

‘Let’s have it here,’ he replied.

I released a deep sigh of relief.

By lunchtime, I hurried over to the coffee house, a short distance away from the office and ordered us both a chicken sandwich. I then returned to the office, and didn’t bother stopping on my floor as I headed over to his. When I arrived at his door, I found his secretary’s desk was unoccupied.

Glad at his absence, which I suspected Carter might have had a hand in. I gave three little knocks to his door.

His voice came from within, “Come in.”

I pushed the door open, and saw him behind his desk.

He lifted his gaze from the documents he was perusing in hand at my entrance.

I sent him a smile. “Do you want me to come over there, or do you want us to stay here?”

“I’ll be right there,” he replied.

With a nod, I headed over to one of the single seater sofas in his lounge area. I unpacked the sandwich and white chocolate cookies I had gotten for him, and soon enough I heard his approach.

I looked up to watch him, dressed simply today in a dark, round necked shirt, under an equally dark patterned blazer. His hair didn’t have a single strand out of place and his face was completely shaven, showing off skin so supple that it glistened.

It reminded me so much of the first time I’d seen him, and how I had been completely struck by his very presence. What a way we had come since then.

He reached me and instead of sitting by my side, took his seat on the edge of the coffee table opposite me, so he could face me directly.

This kind of proximity wasn’t every good for the rhythm of my heart, but I tried my best to remain composed as he retrieved his wrapped sandwich from me. He pulled the paper backwards and took a bite, while I focused on mine.

We were silent as we ate, occasionally stealing looks at each other and sending smiles, until I couldn’t take it anymore. I knew he was waiting on me by all means, to speak first. “You left, last night,” I said, my voice sounding smaller than I had intended. But I could do nothing to increase the tempo. I was shy and vulnerable with him and it stripped me bare of my usual established confidence. “Were you so angry that you couldn’t even bear to be in the same room with me for the night?”

He seemed unfazed as he replied, “I didn’t leave because I couldn’t bear to be with you. I just didn’t want you upset throughout the night. I stayed on the couch for a little bit, but then since I couldn’t fall asleep, I just went back to the hotel.”

“I wouldn’t have been upset, and I also missed you,” I told him.

I lifted my gaze to see the softness in his.

“I missed you too,” he said. “I won’t do it again.”

“Please don’t,” I said. “Even when we’re upset with each other, I don’t want us to be apart. And I wasn’t upset with you, I was just… conflicted. But now, I’ve thought things through and you’re right. I did nothing wrong and I shouldn’t act like a criminal, just because I’m dating you.”

His grin was blinding as he set his sandwich down. “I knew you’d come around.”

Before I knew it, his hand slid around my neck. I was pulled into a kiss that weakened my bones, and I almost fell into him when he ended it and sat back.

He stabilized me with a laugh and brushed the curls on the side of my head away from my face.

I shut my eyes, melting into his touch as my heart jumped around in my chest. “For the record, I’m sorry, Carter,” I said. “And thanks for always being on my side, and that of your employees. You’re a great boss, and lover.”

A deep emotion flashed in his eyes as he stared intently at me. “I’ll always be on your side, Leah. I hope that you’ll also always be on mine.”

“I will,” I promised.

He sealed it with yet another kiss.

I was on top of the world when I returned to my floor after lunch, and was even more ecstatic over my plan for the rest of the day. Since my scope of duties