Please God, let me not be too fucking late.
An address finally pops up on my screen, and I have a sudden urge to kill a billionaire named Jared Westland. Is the other man the reason why Mary is currently at a boutique that's known for selling designer lingerie?
The place is just within walking distance from our office, and Mary looks at me in shock when she finds me suddenly standing in front of her.
"S-Stone?"
"Can we talk?"
Mary shakes her head. "How did you even find me?"
Since now isn't the right time to tell her I've installed a tracker on her phone without her knowledge, I ignore her question and repeat mine instead. "Can we talk?"
Mary only looks at me.
"Please."
She suddenly whirls around to leave, but I manage to grab her wrist and spin her back to face me.
"Mary—-"
"You've made your point earlier," she says numbly. "It's over between us—-"
"I was wrong," I say hoarsely. "I was wrong, Mary."
But Mary only shakes her head. "Let's not talk—-"
"I'm sorry—-"
"I'm sorry, too," she says painfully. "I'm sorry I ever—-" Her voice breaks, and my own fucking heart breaks at the sound of it.
"I'm so fucking sorry—-"
Mary tries to turn away again, but this time I haul her close, and I hear a couple of people gasp as she falls into my arms.
"Please let me go," Mary says jerkily as she tries pushing me away. "People are looking—-"
"I thought she loved me."
Mary freezes at the words.
"I had a girlfriend," I say rawly. "Her name was Jocelyn."
I force myself to relive everything again, and I don't leave anything out, even when it means Mary will also see how big of a fool I was.
"Seeing her mother made me remember the past, but it also made me realize that what I felt for her is nothing...just fucking nothing compared to how I feel about you, and that's what scared me. Terrified me. That's what made me run away like a fucking coward—-"
Mary places one trembling finger on my lips, and my words come into an abrupt halt.
"Are you saying you love me?" she asks brokenly.
The words catch me off guard, and my chest tightens at what she's asking of me. It's just so like Mary, just so fucking like the perfect secretary that she is, to cut to the chase like that and force me to confront the truth with six simple words.
And although a part of me is still terrified this will all blow up on my face, and I'll end up making a fool of myself again—-
If the alternative is losing Mary for good, then there's no choice but for me to face the truth.
"Yes," I say rawly. "That's what I'm saying. I love you."
Tears start falling down her cheeks, and my own hand is shaking as I wipe her tears away.
"When I think about it now," I say hoarsely, "I think I fell in love with you from the very first day I saw you—-"
"So did I," Mary chokes out between tears.
My lips form a crooked smile. "You don't have to lie."
"But I'm not."
"You told Scarlett—-"
"That was the lie. I lied about you not being my type—-"
I stare at her incredulously. "So you don't really want a sugar daddy?"
"I signed up for that app to help one of Francesca's friends with research," Mary explains with a teary laugh.
I can only shake my head, but I also make a mental note to find out who that friend is, just so I can thank him or her. But in the meantime—-
"Can I ask you something?"
My guarded tone has her blinking. "What is it?"
"Why did you come here?" The question makes her blush, and my gaze narrows. "Don't fucking tell me you intended to buy new underwear for your date—-"
Mary rolls her eyes. "No, of course not."
"Then why?" I demand.
Mary fidgets on her feet before finally revealing the truth. "It's one of my guilty pleasures, okay? Shopping for pretty lingerie makes me feel good, and considering how you broke my heart earlier..."
I can only wince and say, "I'm sorry, baby girl."
Mischief dances in her eyes, and it's cute and hot at the same time. "Forgiven, daddy...because I love you."
"I love you, too, but..."
Mary's brows furrow. "But what?"
"Do you really love me?"
"Of course." My secretary's tone is sincere and earnest, and it just makes me want to tease her all the more.
"How much do you love me?"
"More than you can ever think possible."
"I'm glad to hear that," I say gravely, "since..."
She blinks up at me. "Since?"
I bend down and whisper into her ear, "Since Daddy right now wants to have a taste of his baby girl's other hole, and if she truly loves him—-"
Mary suddenly walks away, and I laughingly go after her.
"I thought you loved me."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Verhoff," she says politely over her shoulder. "But I can't seem to hear—-" Mary ends up squeaking in surprise when I easily catch up to her.