Jeff’s brow furrows as he recognizes the voice. “Is that Charlie?” he asks.
My mom glances between me and the door questioningly.
Panic flares in my chest as I tell them, “I'll be right back. Just continue drinking your wine.”
I head to the door and open it just a crack—just enough to poke my head out and hiss at him, “What are you doing here? Our parents are here!”
“Good,” he growls as he pushes the door open and barges his way in.
I stumble back as more panic floods my system. “Charlie, please. You can't be here!”
“What the fuck is this?” he holds up a piece of paper and waves it in my face.
I glance at it guiltily, already knowing it's the resignation I sent him scarcely an hour ago via email.
“What is this?” Mom and Jeff, of course, didn't listen and are standing in the doorway watching Charlie and me with wide eyes. “What's going on here?” Jeff asks in a stern voice. “Why are you speaking to her like that, son?” It's obvious he's upset with how his son is speaking to me.
Charlie flings the paper, and I watch as it flutters to the ground between us. “She just sent me over a letter of resignation.”
My mom's eyes go wide. “Sharon,” she says in a shocked voice, “honey, you wanted to work at that company so bad. Why would you do this?”
I look between all three of them, my mind short-circuiting on what to say.
It turns out I don't have to say anything because Charlie beats me to the punch. The crazy man drops to one knee and takes my hand in his. “Sharon, kitten, I know you're scared. I know you're worried about what people are going to think, but I don't give a fuck about any of that. I love you. I know it's fast, and I know it might not make any sense, but we're right together. I know you feel that too.”
Tears sting my eyes at his sweet words, especially whenever he kisses the back of my hand and looks up at me with clear adoration in his eyes.
“You love me?” I whisper.
He lets out a choked laugh. “Of course I fucking do. How could you doubt it?”
I glance over at my mom with trepidation, ready to see her disapproving, mortified gaze, but instead, I see tears in her eyes, and I know her well enough to see that they're happy tears and not ones of mortification. Even my new stepdad has a tender look on his face as he wraps his arms around my mom and tells her softly, “Let's give them some space, honey.”
Hope blossoms in my chest when it looks like our parents aren't opposed to us being together.
I glance back down at Charlie, but he hasn't even looked at our parents. He's still staring up at me as if his entire world rests with me.
My chest swells with love when I realize that even if our parents hadn't approved Charlie wouldn't have cared. Nothing was going to stop him from being with me, and isn't that all any girl could ever want? A man who loves her enough that he would walk through fire, do anything to be with her?
“I love you too, Charlie,” I confess before I fall onto my knees in front of him.
He wraps me up in his arms and fists his hands in my curls before he crushes his lips to mine and kisses me passionately.
And just like he said I would, I purr for him.
epilogue
One Year Later
Charlie
My heart swellswith pride as I watch my wife wrap up our business meeting, and yes, it'sourbusiness meeting. Just as it'sourcompany now.
It might be a bit untraditional to have two CEOs, but when Charlie told me with a smug grin how she was determined to work her way up the corporate ladder and take over my company before she ever knew who I was, I'd heartily laughed, my chest swelling with pride at my smart, beautiful, ambitious girl.
I promptly made her partner and not only because she’s my wife and I like having her in my office where I can bend her over my desk and fuck her at a moment’s notice, but also because she’s truly an asset to the company. She’s great at what she does.
Everyone leaves the boardroom, and I walk over to her and place a possessive palm on her slightly swollen belly as I kiss her deeply. She purrs underneath me, as she always does when I touch her, and I have to fight back a smirk.