Free Breaking All the Rules by Aliyah Burke Page B

scrunched the napkin a few times. “I can’t lose this job because of hurt feelings.”
    Wild sat forward and took the tray from her. She hadn’t finished but he didn’t care. This was more important to him. Once it had been moved, he lifted her over him. She tucked the sheet beneath her arms and stared at him.
    “Listen to me, Alyse. One, I can’t hire and fire anyone on my own. I am partners with my brothers. No one person can make that decision. Not that I would I’m just telling you that to get it out there. Second, and more importantly, why are you thinking things would go bad between us? I’m thinking we need something more permanent.”
    Her eyes widened.
    “Yes, you heard me right. Alyse, there was a connection between us in Belize. You know it. I know it. Why are you fighting it so hard?”
    “This job is important to me, Wild.”
    “Am I?” He rested his hands on her hips as he held her gaze. Those amazing green eyes she had, peered through to his soul.
    “Yes. You’re very important to me.”
    “And that scares you.” He could see that fact.
    “It does.”
    “Can you tell me why?”
    “Other than my brother, his wife and my nephew, no one’s meant anything to me.”
    “Until me.”
    She nodded. “Until you.”
    “Why would pursuing what we have, here, now, risk that?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    Her insecurity flared and he slid his hands up her spine, drawing her in closer.
    “Let me tell you something, Alyse Lamar. I’ve fallen in love with you. I want you in my life. I want you as my wife. The mother of my children, if we decide to have any.”
    “You’ve fallen in love with me?”
    “Yes.” He never believed he would have said those words to a woman first. It didn’t matter, for he felt how he did. “I know you love me. Look at how hard we fought to stay away from one another, Alyse. It killed me every time I saw you go off with one of my brothers. I want you to fly me, not them. To be there for me when I come back. I want to be there for you when you come back.”
    “You’re my boss.”
    “So, I’ll give up my part of the company and just be an employee like you.”
    “This is your family’s business.”
    “You mean more to me,” he said honestly.
    She was silent for a moment, her lips pursed, head angled to one side. “No, you can’t give it up for me.”
    He arched a brow. “I can’t?”
    “No.”
    “Why not?”
    A sexy smile teased her lips. “Give me some time, I could learn to enjoy sleeping with the boss. Karen says she gets perks, perhaps I would too.”
    He sank his hand into the hair at the nape of her neck and put their lips near touching. “I’d be sure to give you all the perks you want, and all the perks you could handle.”
    “I don’t want to lose what we have, either, but I have to think about Ricki.”
    “Baby, I’d never take away money from you, I know how important he is to you. Let me help.”
    “No, this is a family issue.”
    He slid his hand around to the side of her face. “Then let me become family and help. You know already my family loves you and thinks of you as a Wilder. You may as well just give in and take my name.”
    She kissed him. “Slow down there, Marine.”
    He rolled them over so she lay beneath him. “Don’t think so, baby.” He pulled back and stared at her. “Tell me one thing.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Do I have a chance?”
    “Better than anyone ever has.” She tugged him back down and rejoined their mouths.
    Wild groaned low in his throat and realized that she wasn’t quite ready to discuss marriage. A chance, he’d take. He would take anything she offered as weak as it may make him sound. This woman, the one here, now, in his arms was everything to him. I vow you’ll know it every day, Alyse.

Epilogue
    CHRISTMASTIME THE FOLLOWING YEAR
     
    Alyse looked up when Karen called her name. “What’s up?”
    She laughed as her friend walked—more waddled—up to her. Karen was nine months