When it came to his home life, he couldn’t quite get over how well he and Angie fit together, blended, and he’d realized a few days earlier that he no longer thought of their engagement as a position he’d hired her to fill. He couldn’t say when the transition had occurred. Like everything else about Angie’s advent into his life, it had been equally seamless. He simply recognized that life was different. Better.
He could even fool himself into believing their engagement had come about the way normal engagements did—with two people falling in love and deciding to link their lives through marriage. And though he wouldn’t go so far as to claim they’d fallen in love, they’d certainly fallen in lust. Even more important, they enjoyed each other’s company. Respected one another. There was such an amazing naturalness to their interactions, a comfortable fit to how their lives had blended. And yet they could exchange a single glance and have passion explode instantaneously between them.
He removed Mikey’s breakfast dishes and dumped them in the sink before grabbing one of the neatly folded washcloths on the counter. “I also wanted to warn you that, according to my sources, the Ridgeways still plan to file for custody.” He dampened the washcloth and returned to the table to apply it to Mikey’s hands and face, ignoring the baby’s squirming protests at his mistreatment. “I want our wedding to take place before that happens so no one can accuse us of marrying as a countermeasure.”
“You have sources who have inside information regarding the Ridgeways and their lawyer?” At his bland stare, she nodded. “Okay, I guess you do. Why are they delaying?”
“They’ve arranged for a cardiac specialist to give Benjamin a full workup.”
“So you won’t have grounds to argue any possible health issues impeding their ability to raise Mikey,” she surmised.
“Shrewd as always,” he said with an approving nod. “That’s precisely their plan.”
“Okay.” She lifted her shoulder in a casual shrug. “How do you want to handle the wedding?”
The level of relief Lucius experienced at her immediate understanding and willingness to fall in with his plan, caught him off guard. He’d anticipated her arguing the need to marry quite so soon, had his arguments lined up like little ducklings following the mama duck. Or in this case, the papa. He’d been determined to bend her to his will with logic and reason, and if that didn’t work, with emotion. He’d even been prepared to commit the ultimate sacrifice and take her to bed and wring an agreement from her once he had her naked and helpless and vulnerable to his influence. Of course, considering those moments of ecstasy left him equally naked and helpless and vulnerable to her influence, put him at a small disadvantage. Not that it mattered.
Bottom line, he wanted Angie tied to him in every possible way, wrapped up in inescapable bonds, though he didn’t want to look too closely at whether it was strictly for Mikey’s sake or if there were another, more personal reason for the sudden rush.
“I’d prefer a small, private ceremony,” he said. “Tasteful, with a few close friends and family invited.” A sudden thought struck him. “You’ve never mentioned your parents. Will they attend?”
She shook her head. “My father walked out on my mother when I was Mikey’s age. Mom died in a car accident shortly before I started working for you.” Her smile held a heartbreaking stoicism. “There’s just me.”
“I’m so sorry, Angie.”
“That’s okay.”
But it wasn’t. He could see it wasn’t. One more abandonment. One more relationship that had slipped away, never to be recovered. Could they be any more alike?
“I do have a couple of friends I’d like to include if that’s acceptable,” she continued. “Trinity, in particular. She’s my best friend.”
“Of course. Anyone you want. How about a sunset ceremony followed by a small dinner reception? Would that appeal?”
“Very much.” Her smile was radiant. “Will you be inviting the Ridgeways?”
“Definitely, though I doubt they’ll attend. I’m thinking engraved invitations, the Dorchester Chapel for the service, followed by a private dinner for our guests at Milano’s on the Sound. Joe has a room for events like these above the main dining room.”
“I’ll get on that right away.”
She immediately fell into PA mode, opening a kitchen drawer and rummaging around for a pen and notepad. Lucius took them from her and tossed them aside. Then he drew her into his arms. “You’re not my PA anymore.”