The CEO Above My Desk (Mckenzie Shinabery) novel Chapter 234

The CEO Above My Desk

Chapter 234

Rowan

By the time we finally reached the resort, everybody looked exhausted.

Not normal exhausted either.

Emotionally drained exhausted.

The kind where your body felt heavy and your brain just stopped caring about functioning properly.

The lobby itself looked ridiculous. Not in a bad way. Just… Ridiculously beautiful.

Massive open ceilings stretched overhead with warm golden lighting hanging from dark wooden beams while huge tropical flower arrangements sat around polished floors that reflected everything around them. Soft music played somewhere nearby and open walls looked directly out

toward the ocean.

Actual ocean. Not pictures. Not screens. Ocean.

The scent of flowers and saltwater drifted through the entire place while staff smiled and greeted everyone like we were family returning home instead of tired people dragging luggage through the lobby.

Camille had already gasped at least six times.

Theo looked like he had accepted his fate.

Devin looked one step away from laying down directly on the lobby floor and sleeping there.

After checking in, security mode switched on in my brain.

Theo and Camille got a suite directly across the hall from us. Devin got one only a few doors farther down.

Close enough. Safe enough.

And once I was satisfied with security placements, room access, and private floor restrictions, I finally slid our room card through the suite

door.

The second the door opened… Violet walked right into me. Actually walked into me.

Because she had completely stopped moving. “Oh.”

The suite wasn’t absurdly oversized like I expected. Not aggressively rich, just beautiful.

Warm lighting reflected softly against pale cream walls while dark wood accents ran through the entire room. Large windows stretched almost floor to ceiling directly ahead and beyond them-

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Chapter 234

Ocean. Nothing but ocean. Moonlight reflected across the dark water outside while waves rolled softly toward the shoreline below.

The bedroom sat off to the side through a wide open archway. Nothing dramatic. Just a massive king bed covered in crisp white bedding with soft blue accents and oversized pillows that honestly looked dangerous.

Dangerous because I already wanted to sleep on them.

There were subtle tropical details throughout the room too.

Warm woods.

Soft woven textures.

Muted colors.

Comfort. Not flashy. The bathroom somehow looked even more ridiculous.

Violet disappeared into it immediately. Then I heard, “ROWAN.”

I sighed. Of course,

When I stepped inside, she stood near the giant jet tub looking personally offended.

“Why is the bathtub bigger than my first apartment?”

The thing wasn’t a bathtub.

It was practically a small indoor pool.

Huge rounded edges, deep enough that I was fairly certain somebody could accidentally disappear beneath the bubbles and never be found

again.

And farther back sat the shower itself.

Floor–to–ceiling glass. Stone walls. And built directly into the ceiling with multiple rainfall shower heads.

Not one. Multiple.

Violet slowly turned toward me with a horrified expression. “Rowan.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes?”

She pointed dramatically toward the giant tub. “That thing has its own zip code.”

I looked at it for a second. “That is rather excessive.”

Violet’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Thank you.”

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Chapter 234

Then I looked back at the tub. “I still want one.”

Her eyes narrowed immediately. “That was not concern.”

“No.” I shrugged calmly. “I was considering whether it would fit in the penthouse.”

“ROWAN.”

The corner of my mouth lifted as I watched her stare at me in disbelief.

She stared at me another second before muttering something under her breath and walking away dramatically toward the balcony doors.

The second she slid them open, warm night air rolled softly into the room.

Ocean air. Saltwater. The distant sound of waves below.

I followed behind her quietly.

And honestly, I knew the balcony was probably going to be Violet’s favorite thing.

Deep plush seating wrapped around a low fire table with oversized cushions that looked ridiculously comfortable. Soft lighting lined the edges while clear glass railings overlooked the beach below.

Palm trees swayed gently in the wind. Moonlight danced across the ocean.

Everything felt still. Quiet. Peaceful.

Violet slowly lowered herself into one of the oversized seats and immediately disappeared halfway into the cushions.

Completely gone.

Only her head and crossed arms remained visible. “Oh no.”

I looked down at her. “What?”

She stared back at me very seriously. “We have a problem.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What problem?”

She pointed dramatically around us. “This.”

I blinked once.

…The balcony?”

“Yes.” She gestured toward the ocean next. “And this.” Then toward the seating. “And this.” Then back at me. “I don’t think I’m leaving.”

I stared at her for a second. Then slowly sat beside her, pulling her against me while looking out at the ocean.

“Good,” I said quietly against her hair. “Because I wasn’t planning on letting you.

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Chapter 234

Neither of us said anything for a while.

We just sat there.

Listening to the ocean. Listening to the wind. Listening to absolutely nothing for once.

Then quietly, “I like this version of you.”

I looked down at her. “This version?”

She nodded against my shoulder. “The one not answering phones every five seconds.” She smiled softly. “The one not threatening lawyers.” Another pause. “The one sitting on a balcony in Hawaii with me.”

Something tightened in my chest. Because I didn’t know what to do with that.

I knew how to handle board meetings. Hostile takeovers. I knew control.

But this? Her. This quiet little life trying to sneak its way into me?

It was dangerous… Because I already knew I couldn’t live without it.

I pressed a kiss against the top of her head slowly.

“You know something?” I murmured quietly.

“What?”

I looked out at the ocean for a second. Then back at her. “If you had told me a year ago that I’d be sitting in Hawaii with my pregnant wife…”

My hand slid slowly across her stomach before resting there. “Planning baby names and arguing over bathtubs…”

She looked up at me softly.

“I would’ve thought you were insane.”

She laughed quietly.

And God, I think I’d spend every damn dollar I have just to keep hearing that sound.

I leaned down slowly until my forehead rested against the side of her head. “You ruined me, Violet.”

Her eyebrows pulled together slightly. “What?”

I smiled. “I used to work eighteen–hour days.” A small pause. “Now I leave meetings because I miss you.”

The CEO Above My Desk

Chapter 235