The Billionaire and the Virgin (Billionaires and Bridesmaids #1)(81)

“This is new,” she murmured.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he told her. “Stay the night?”

She snuggled down against him. “Of course.”

He brushed aside her wet hair and kissed the side of her neck. “Stay forever?”

Her heart felt incredibly full. She nodded. “Always.”

***

The next morning, Marjorie dressed in her paint-ruined clothing and Rob packed an overnight bag. Hand in hand, they headed out of his building and walked to her apartment. They’d decided last night—somewhere between marathon sessions of loving—that Rob would stay with her until the renovations on his penthouse were done, and then she’d move in with him. It sounded perfect to Marjorie’s ears, but she knew Rob was a little worried that if he was back in her life, he’d f*ck things up for her with her job as Bront?’s assistant.

So today, she was going to have to leap again, and take Rob with her.

Marjorie and Rob showered at her place and combed the last bits of paint out of their hair, and she changed into a casual maxidress and a pair of strappy heels. Then, she invited Bront? to meet her for lunch at their favorite spot. Bring Logan, she texted her. I have something I need to discuss with both of you.

All right, Bront? sent back. Do I get a hint?

No hints! Just keep an open mind. And whatever you might think, it’s not a business meeting.


Curiouser and curiouser! We’ll be there. Logan’s meeting me for lunch today anyhow, so this works out perfectly. See you soon!

“You sure you want to do this, sweetheart?” Rob asked her as they headed out the door to her apartment.

“No,” she told him honestly. “I’m really not sure at all. But I don’t want to live in fear of what they’re going to think, and we’re not going to sneak around behind anyone’s back anymore. If they don’t like it, they’ll just have to suck it up, won’t they?”

“Damn, that makes me hot when you say that,” Rob told her. “I think I like it when you take charge.”

She just gave his hand a gentle squeeze. She knew he was nervous. He said he didn’t care what Logan Hawkings thought of him, but she suspected otherwise. He wanted the man’s respect, if nothing else. Marjorie hoped Logan would have an open mind about things, or this afternoon was going to be very, very awkward.

They arrived at the cafe early and got a table in the back, tucked away from the lunch rush. Rob fidgeted in his seat next to her, but Marjorie was serene.

She knew what she wanted—Rob. Everything else was just going to have to fall into place and cope.

Soon enough, the cafe began to fill with customers, and Marjorie watched the door as Rob fiddled with his phone with his right hand, the fingers of his left interlaced with hers under the table. As she watched, she spotted Bront?’s dark curls, followed a half step behind by the taller Logan.

“They’re here,” she murmured to Rob, and stood up to wave at her friend.

Rob slowly stood at her side, and as Bront? and Logan approached the table, she saw their expressions change to dismay as they saw who she was with.

Marjorie raised a hand as they approached the table. “Before anyone says anything, this is not about business. This is about me. And I’d like for you both to hear me out before anyone says anything else.”

Bront? and Logan exchanged a look. The billionaire looked pissed, Marjorie noticed, but Bront? laid a calming hand on his sleeve and he shrugged, impatience stamped into his features. He pulled his chair out for his wife and then sat down, and Marjorie sat again too. Her hand found Rob’s under the table again and she gave him a confident smile that she didn’t entirely feel at the moment.

“What’s going on?” Bront? asked, her voice as polite and friendly as ever.

Marjorie kept smiling. “I just wanted you guys to know that Rob and I are back together.” She looked over at him, her gaze filled with love. “We reconciled yesterday, and since I know things left off badly the last time we were all together, I thought we should hash things out. The truth of the matter is that Rob is exactly the person who he says he is . . . and I love him. He loves me with all my flaws, and I love him. And we wanted to bring this out into the open, because no one is hiding anymore.” She licked her lips, her throat suddenly dry. “And he’s going to be a major, major part of my life, so you’re just going to have to accept him.”

Bront?’s eyes widened, and a tiny smile touched her mouth. She looked over at Logan.

Logan was stone-faced for a long moment. He studied Marjorie, and then his gaze slid back to Rob, who was being unnaturally silent. Only the squeeze of his hand told her his true feelings.

Then, Logan cleared his throat. “I read about what you did with the Cannon Networks. Sold for a billion?”

“Bill point two,” Rob said.

Logan grunted. “And you gave it all to charity?”

“Three charities, actually. One got the majority, but yeah. Two sister charities got an equal share.” He shrugged, and Marjorie knew he was pretending an ease he didn’t feel.

“Why?” Logan’s question was succinct. “You never struck me as the charitable type.”

“Because Marjorie hated who I was,” Rob told him. “And I wanted to become someone that she could be proud of. That seemed like the logical first step.”