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“You,” I said easily. “What else could possibly bring this sour bitch so much joy?”

“You’re so cringy.” Mia giggled, her cheeks dark with her flush. “But this is overwhelming, Reid. There’s so much to consider. What if I’m not cut out for this? I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“The only way you could ever disappoint me is by not being honest with me,” I told her. “If you’re better off here, in the city you love so much, then I need to know. I don’t want you to regret working for me someday, not when you could have become so much more.”

“We both know that it’s not about the city,” she said quietly. “Are you- are you unsure about us?”

“What?” I blinked. “My beautiful Mia, I’d marry you right now if you let me. For real. This has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with your future.”

“It’s still such a huge deal,” she said, her eyes downcast. “I’m an assistant. I can’t even imagine running DawnStar without you around. How the hell can I do this by myself?”

“First of all,” I deadpanned, holding up a single finger, “you only lack experience, not intellect. You could run DawnStar by yourself if you needed to. Secondly, you won’t be alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way if you need me. Thirdly, if you don’t stop riding those fucking insecurities of yours, I’m going to call Terry and tell him you fucked up the departure date-”

“Youwouldn’t!” she hissed, clutching her throat like I’d threatened her at gunpoint.

“I would,” I continued, unabashed and undeterred. “You’re only my assistant because I haven’t made you a partner yet.Yet. I thought I’d start you off with your own company first to see if you’d be happy in the industry now that I’m not holding you back.”

“P-partner?” she sputtered.

“Yes, my love.” I sighed. “For someone as shockingly intelligent as you are, you’re a little slow on the uptake. You’ve had a front row seat toeverythingthat happens in DawnStar. You’ve been running my day-to-day for over two years now, and you’ve trained most of the current admin team. I know what I’m doing.”

“Reid,” she breathed, and a quick glance at her pulse told me her heart was thrashing away in her chest. “What if someone like Donnie shows up? What if the company’s reputation is ruined because of me?”

“If anyone so much asbreathesin your direction, they’ll disappear.” I shrugged. I meant every word. “The reputation of the company doesn’t hinge on something that happened years ago. Whatever happens, I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

At last, the hint of a smile brightened her face. “So, this is real?”

“As real as sin, my love.” I grinned.

She pressed a hand over her mouth and smothered a squeal. “I feel like you’re spoiling me a little too much,” she gushed.

On the contrary, I wanted to tell her.

She spoiled me.

“Wait, wait,” Vitoria said, lifting her hands up to get her attention. “So, you’re staying here?”

I looked at the joy in Mia’s eyes and smiled. “I’m a bit of a shut in,” I joked. “I don’t trust many people. Mia is the only one who could run the company properly anyway.”

“That is so fucking cool!”

“Vitoria!”

Out of the corner of my eye I caught the blur of an incoming object zooming through the air toward us. Vitoria dove onto the sofa next to her, her hand clamped down over her mouth.

“Was that?”

“My mom’s famous chinela.” Mia nodded in response. “Vitoria was much better at dodging them than I was, as you can see.”

“Damn,” I muttered under my breath. “Can I go and say hi? I don’t do well with violent projectiles.”

Mia snorted but led me to the kitchen, where her mother stood muttering incoherently over the stove. Wearing just one slipper.

“Ah, you finally brought back your girlfriend,” she said in Portuguese, and Mia choked on her own spit.

“Mom!” she hissed. “We talked about this.”

Her mom chuckled and wiped her hands on the dishcloth that hung off her shoulder. “I know, I’m sorry,” she said in English, and Mia’s jaw dropped.