Lost in Time (Forever and Always #20) Read Online Free PDF Page A

It
was really rare for me to be emotionally invested in anything, but
with Scarlet, I wore my heart on my sleeve.
    She pulled away then gave me a kiss. “We
shouldn’t be crying. We should be happy.”
    “Baby, I am happy.” I rested my chin on her
head and took a moment to soak it all in. Scarlet and I were
already parents, we just didn’t have a baby yet. But now we knew it
was coming. In just a few months, it would be in our arms, a
perfect mixture of both of us. I never felt so grateful in my life.
I was finally getting a family.
     
    Now I had a bounce in my step. At work, I was
in a good mood. My baby was strong and healthy and would be here in
a few months. Seeing the happiness and stress on my wife’s face
made it better. My earlier resentment toward her lack of jealousy
was forgotten. I was too happy to care.
    Not having Mike around was a little
stressful. Now I had more work to do, and I quickly realized how
useful he was. I always disregarded him because he was my idiot
brother, but he actually was an essential component to this place.
I sent him work via email as much as possible, but not everything
could be communicated that way. I had to pick up the slack. The
only reason why I didn’t bitch about it was because I knew I would
have time off when Scarlet was late in her pregnancy. It was a fair
trade.
    “Mr. Preston, the vice president of Concave
Engineering is here to see you,” my assistant said over the
intercom.
    I totally forgot about that. I had a meeting
to acquire a new operating system for our new product. While our
engineers had furnished the best technology in the business, this
foreign company made something quite special. We were strictly an
American company, but I couldn’t deny the progress we would make
with something more advance. Cortland agreed it was worth investing
in. “Send him in.”
    “It’s a she, sir.”
    Oh. “My apologies.” I quickly looked up the
vice president’s name. Aris Augustine . I had no idea it was
a woman. In my line of work, the forefronts of companies were
usually males, not that I was sexist.
    The door to my office opened and my assistant
chauffeured her inside. I stood up and came around the desk, ready
to shake her hand.
    She was not what I was expecting. She had
shoulder length blonde hair that curled inwards slightly at the
ends. It was layered and soft, framing her face and her slender
neck. Skin as fair as porcelain, and lips as red as a strawberry,
she had the typical features of a European woman. Her bright eyes
reminded me of blue waterfalls, and her height was only a few
inches shorter than mine. Her heels gave her some extra height, but
even then, she was still tall and thin. I wondered if she was a mix
of French and Swedish.
    “Hello,” she said with a French accent. She
shook my hand.
    “Hi.” I gripped her hand firmly and shook it.
“Thank you for coming.”
    “Of course. I’ve been looking forward to our
meeting today.” Some of her words were heavy with her accent but I
could understand her after I processed it for a second or two.
    “Likewise,” I said. “Please take a seat.”
    She did then crossed her legs, perfect
posture and grace. I couldn’t deny her obvious beauty. She was
someone I would have been interested in if I were single. But I
wasn’t single. I was happily married to a supermodel. This girl had
nothing on Scarlet. But I was surprised, nonetheless.
    “I’m flattered you came all the way here from
France for our meeting.”
    She smiled. “I love New York. It’s
beautiful.”
    “I like it too,” I said with a smile. “I
apologize for assuming you were a man earlier. You know how these
things slip.”
    She chuckled. “It’s quite alright. Every time
I walk into a room, people are always surprised to see me. I do not
take offense to your ignorance. But I should explain something. The
CEO and founder of the company is my father. I’ve been working with
him for many years.”
    “I see. That’s wonderful.