Page 10 of You'll Be the Death of Me

Dell ignored his plea and took another lap of the lavish space.

They’d been let into a private office and left to wait. The law offices of Brooks, Sterling, and Hoffman, the Moratto family’s preferred firm, were no slouch. Everything in sight was leather and gold and shiny. A vase of orchids elegantly bowing their white heads balanced on the giant desk’s corner. Shelves of thick books lined one wall, and a TV was mounted on the other next to a grid of framed degrees.

“Why are they so late?” Dell asked for the third time. She had places to be. Namely, her restaurant, where the prep for Pierrick Moreau’s dinner was set to start in under an hour.

Tommy casually shrugged. “Dunno. Probably busy.”

Dell sighed and checked her phone. She had a news alert: An article about Pergo being named best in the Bay had been picked up nationally. It brought a smile to her lips.

“It shouldn’t take too long when they get here, at least,” Tommy said. “All we have to do is sign, then we’re good to be Mr. and Mrs.” He reached for her arm when she passed near him and shot her a devilish grin.

She smirked back.

They’d discussed her keeping her last name at length, and he’d come around to the idea, but she knew he still held out hope she’d change her mind at the eleventh hour.

“Mrs.Moratto is your mother,” she said. “I will remainMs.Rodgers, thank you very much.”

His grin widened, and he tugged on her arm to pull her down into his lap.

“Tommy!” she squealed as her face heated. All she needed was for their esteemed legal counsel to finally show up and find her draped across her fiancé’s lap with his hand on her ass. They’d surely be taken seriously then. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

He softly smiled. His cheeks were pink. “Don’t worry; I know a good lawyer.” He moved to push his nose into the crook below her ear just as her phone rang.

It had never left her hand, so she quickly pulled it into view. Mariana was calling her. She’d left her down in the building’s lobby, and if Mariana had escalated beyond texting, it must have been important.

“I need to take this,” Dell said without standing from Tommy’s lap.

He gestured with his hands as if to sayBe my guest.

“Mari? What’s up?” she greeted.

“Pierrick Moreau changed plans. He’ll be at Pergo at six, not seven.”

Dell’s heart leaped up into her throat with the skill of a pole vaulter. She jumped out of Tommy’s lap. “He what?”

“Six, Dell. Six p.m. I’ll let Oscar know, but you need to get to the kitchen ASAP.”

“Yes! Yes, I’m coming. I’ll be downstairs in a minute.” She ended the call and lunged for her bag where she’d left it in the chair beside Tommy’s.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Pierrick Moreau is arriving early. Dinner just got bumped an hour. I have to go.”

She was two steps toward the door when he pushed out of his chair and reached for her.

“Dell, you can’t leave. We have to sign this thing. They’ll be here any minute, I’m sure.”

She slipped her arm out of his grip with an apologetic grimace. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

He reached for her again, but he might as well have been trying to grab a slippery fish. “Dell, baby, this is important.”

“Yes, and so is Pierrick Moreau.”

“Just five more minutes!”

“I have to go, Tommy!” she said as she got free and reached the door. “I’ll sign it later. Bye!”

She half expected him to chase her down the marble hall, but he knew not to get in her way when she was on a mission.