Woods
I'd had Jimmy bring breakfast, too, so all I had to do was get up and get it out of the fridge. While Della finished getting dressed after I'd feasted on her in the shower, I went and got everything ready.
I cleared the table from last night and toasted her Belgian waffle, then added the orange cream and shaved almonds to the top of it. I also put out a bowl of honey yogurt with figs and goat cheese. These were all items that Jimmy said Della ordered off the breakfast menu.
When she came walking out of the bedroom, her hair was pulled up in that sexy bun again and she was dressed for work. Good. I had to talk to her about the new board.
"I hope it's okay if I go to work today," she said as she walked into the room.
"Whatever you want to do," I told her, then pulled back her chair.
She took in the food on the table, then cut her eyes back at me and smirked. "You got Jimmy to help you with this."
I shrugged. No use in denying it. "I wanted to get it right."
She stopped and pressed a kiss to my lips. "You get everything right." Then she sat down at the table and let out a pleased sigh. "I'm starving."
"Wild, hot sex all night and morning will do that to you," I replied, and sat down across from her.
She blushed and reached over to take a fig. "Yes, I guess it will."
I was sticking with a Belgian waffle and butter. The fancy shit wasn't my thing. I took a bite and watched her eat some before taking a drink of my coffee and preparing myself to ask her to be on my board.
"I fired the board of directors. I hired a new one. People whose opinions I care about," I said, getting straight to the point.
Della put her fork down and stared at me. "Good for you. You're in charge; you need those close to you helping you with this."
I was glad she agreed. Not that I expected her not to. "I want you on the board, Della."
She had started to pick up her juice but she set it back down and looked at me like I'd just spoken a foreign language.
"What?" she asked.
"I want you on my board. I already have your paperwork ready. You just need to sign it."
Della shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, maybe later when you're sure, but right now . . . that's a hasty move. I mean, just three weeks ago you and Jace were worried about my, uh, problems being an issue. I can't be on your board. I'm better, but what if I relapse? You don't want that there and I know your friends agree. I heard Jace. He's gonna want to see that I'm better."
I had forgotten about that damn conversation she'd overheard. I stood up and moved around the table, then knelt down in front of her. "Della, I need you to listen to me. What you heard wasn't what you think it was. We weren't talking about you. Never you. We were talking about my mother. She had called board members and caused problems for me. We were discussing her because, unlike you, she really is crazy. Baby, I would never call you those things or allow anyone else to call you that."
I could see the relief in her eyes. She believed me. She hadn't brought it up all night and I'd been so damn happy to see her that I hadn't thought about it. But damn, she was here in my arms thinking I'd said those things. It was humbling.
"Oh," she said simply.
I smiled and stood up and kissed her. "Yeah. Oh."
"I should have asked you about it. I was . . . I didn't want to hear the truth. I was scared of it."
"Never be scared to hear the truth from me," I told her.
She nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you about it."
"I'm sorry you thought we were talking about you."
She sat there and studied her hands a moment, then looked up at me. "I want to be on your board."
"Good. I can't do this without you."
She went back to eating and I had to force myself to eat, too, and not watch her. I just wanted to watch her do everything. Letting her out of my sight today was going to be hard.
I stepped off the elevator and Vince looked up to greet me. He started to speak and stopped. I watched him as he observed me.