A Family For The Billionaire ✅

3.

So much for the businesslike attitude. Aubrey tapped her stiletto heel as she glanced at her watch once more. He's thirty minutes late. She knew traffic hadn't held him up. The coffee shop she'd chosen for her brainstorming meeting with Aston was right near his office building. As she watched the board on the river and tourists wander by in the sidewalk, she struggled with her impatience.

Yes, something probably came up: a business call, papers to sign, something. But what hadn't someone called? She's sent the contract in plenty of time. Her racing thoughts were driving her crazy.

I'll wait five more minutes. Just sitting here was annoying her all the more, so she dumped her coffee and set off towards his office building. The gorgeous architecture and sweet smell of praline from a riverside candy shop didn't calm her agitation as she walked over the stone pathways. The skin built up inside- a problem she'd never had with her clients. What was it about this guy? Usually she could just breathe and reroute her focus to where it needed to go in order to produce forward momentum toward their mutual goals.

Not today.

Days spent wondering what that tattoo was on his neck, where his hair was mused when he rolled out of bed in the morning or if he ever did anything but work had taken her to places she hadn't wanted to go. And the stupid ring wasn't helping.

She glanced down at the emerald she wasn't used to having in her right hand. So stupid. But if she backed don now, her sisters would never let her hear the end of it. So she'd prove to them that the legend wasn't real- and reach Luca there were plenty of special things in life without magic.

Her phone started vibrating in her hand. Glancing down, Aubrey mumbled under her breath, "Well, its about damn time."

"Hello Mr. King," she said. His tone was as clipped as hers.

"I need to pospone. Please come to my office in an hour." He was short, she wondered if he even realized he was taking to an actual person.

"Excuse me?"

"Come here in an hour," he repeated.

Click. An hour? Aubrey paused to scroll through the calendar on her phone. Oh, my. Since Aston had only allotted an hour for their meeting, Aubrey hadn't worried about the tight timeline she had for this morning. An hour would put her right smacking in the middle of Auntie's doctor's appointment. Wynter was in class. Summer was at work. Which left....well, no one to watch Luca. Except her.

He probably wasn't fit to like how that went...:But then again, he hadn't really given her much choice in the matter. It was time Mr.King for his first lesson in seeing the person behind the business opportunity.

When Aubrey walked into the outer office a little over an hour later, Morgan's eyes widened,"Miss Johnson, I'm so sorry," his eyes widened further- if that was even posible-as he glanced down" I-"

"Just announce me, please, Morgan," she said with an overly sweet smile. Her stomach fluttered from the nerves rushing through her in waves, but she reminded herself necessity took this out of her hands. Besides, he'd brought it on himself.

Aubrey went through the door while Aston continued to talk on the phone. His back was to her. Taking advantage of his distraction, she turned and smiled down at her surprise. Then lifted Luca from his stroller and turned to find Aston staring at her backside. Aubrey should have been offended, but his distraction played to her advantage in this instance. When he finally realized where he was staring and looked up, the switch from lust to shock in his normally schooled expression was priceless.

"What's this?" He sputtered as he jumped to his feet. Aubrey ignored Luca's cooing, because breaking her businesslike faced wouldn't be to her advantage right now.