She's Having the Boss's Baby. Kate Carlisle
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Название: She's Having the Boss's Baby
Автор: Kate Carlisle
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
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Naked. Okay, maybe he was just being a guy here, but the only thing he found awkward about this situation was that she wasn’t naked now. Still…he sat back and thought about what she’d said for a moment. Basically, she felt awkward and it was all his fault. Hell, if he could kick his own ass, he would do it. “Damn, Ellie. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Now she looked contrite. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t set out to embarrass me or anything. It’s not in your nature to be mean. But you have to admit the idea’s a little…bizarre.”
He took a careful sip of coffee and wondered if his desperation was starting to show. He had overplayed his hand and she was about to turn him down. A woman. Turning him down. Was there an apocalypse about to happen that no one had told him about? Logan would laugh his ass off if he ever found out about this conversation.
“You’re right,” he said wearily. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt our working relationship. If it’s possible, can you please forget I ever said anything?”
“Just give me a minute,” she murmured.
“Take all the time you need. In fact, if you’d rather collect your thoughts and meet later…”
But she ignored him as she started to voice her feelings. “It makes a certain kind of sense to stay here on the island and take care of it, I mean, do…it…with you.” She rushed to add, “Even though it’s a terrible idea. Because, you know, it’s you and me. We’re pals. Or we were. I hope we still are. But more than that, you’re my boss and I’m your…you know. Your employee. So that makes it a really bad idea, right?”
Truly desperate now, Aidan played what he hoped was his trump card. “What if you were more than my employee? What if I told you I was planning to make you a partner?”
She didn’t react right away and Aidan thought maybe she hadn’t heard him. He wasn’t going to mention the fact that he and Logan had already decided to offer Ellie the partnership. She deserved it and it was past time they offered it to her. And if a partnership deal would help sway her to accept his other offer, he was willing to add it to the pot. On the other hand, if his other offer was totally offensive to her, the partnership deal might help lighten the insult.
He just wished she would say something one way or the other. It wasn’t like her to equivocate so much.
Finally she looked up and squinted at him. “What did you just say?”
He smiled. “I’m offering you an associate partnership in our corporation.”
Ellie was pretty sure most of the blood in her head had flowed right out, leaving her brain empty and her ears ringing. She felt dizzy and faint and was still not sure she’d understood him. “Say that again, please.”
“Partnership, Ellie,” he said. “You heard me. I know you want it.”
Of course she wanted it. She had brought up the subject of partnership during her review last December, asking the brothers if they had considered adding a partnership track to incentivize their top senior-level employees. Aidan and Logan had admitted they hadn’t yet decided, unsure whether they wanted to include anyone else in their tightly knit twoman operation.
“You—you’re offering me a partnership position.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you deserve it. And because I’m determined to do whatever it takes to keep you here working with us.”
She would’ve stayed without the partnership offer, but now she was overwhelmed. First he’d offered his own sperm—and everything that went with it, so to speak. Now he was offering her a partnership deal? Had she won the lottery? What was going on?
“Well, what do you think?” he asked.
“I’m stunned,” she admitted. “And a little suspicious of the timing of your offer.”
He nodded. “I understand how you might feel that way, but the truth is, Logan and I had already planned to make you the offer once he was back from his honeymoon. I’m just speeding up the process.” Standing, he walked over and sat down in the chair next to her. He took hold of her hand, warming her all the way through to her heart. “I know you want to have a baby and I want to help you if you’ll let me. It’s your choice, absolutely, and no matter what you decide, you’ll still be a partner and a friend. I brought up the idea with the best of intentions, no matter how idiotic it sounded to you.”
“Oh, Aidan.”
“Wait.” He held up his hand. “I feel honor bound to add that it wouldn’t make me uncomfortable at all to see you naked. In fact, it’s pretty much all I’ve thought about lately.”
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