“Whatever you want, Analise.” He says as he backs out of the parking space and points us in the direction of the mall.
“Does that mean I can get a job?” I ask, a little shyly. I’ve been wondering, and it seems like a good time to ask. Since he’s telling me that I can have whatever I want.
He glances over at me, his brows drawn together, “Actually I have something to show you later, a surprise,” He tells me.
I bounce a little in my seat. “What is it? Can’t you show me now?” I’m not the biggest fan of surprises, and now that he’s said something, it’s going to drive me crazy. “I’m not very good at waiting,” I tell him laughing at my impatience.
“I can tell.” He pats my hand gently before holding it in his. “If you don’t want to wait, we can go there instead.” He shrugs, “Means shopping has to wait, but that’s ok, we can go later.”
That sounds good to me. “I want to see what you have to show me!”
Without saying anything else, he turns around at the next intersection and heads toward home. I’m a little confused, but I hold my tongue and wait. He parks in his usual spot in the parking garage, but instead of going into the building, he takes my hand in his and leads me into the afternoon sunshine on the bustling sidewalk.
Right next to his hotel is a small building that is empty. It’s tucked in between two big buildings and has what seems to be a couple of apartments, or maybe office spaces, over it.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a silver key and hands it to me wordlessly. Confused I take it from his outstretched fingers and use it to unlock the glass-fronted door, letting us into the narrow space. It’s completely empty and spotlessly clean. The flooring is a light golden wood and looks brand new, as does the crisp white paint on the walls.
“Vince mentioned once that you wanted to have your own shop someday.” His voice is apologetic as he brings up Vince, a
nd I know that we are going to need to talk about what happened. Soon. But not now, right now, I just want to let it sink in that he bought me a place so my dream could come true.
“This place is yours, if you want it.” He continues, waiting for me to say something.
His generosity shocks me. I run away for almost half a year, hiding that I’m pregnant, get kidnapped because I trust Vince to not screw me over, he saves me from the clutches of his uncle's lackeys, and he doesn’t say a word. He just accepts me and the baby… babies, then he offers me my dream. Just like that.
I burst into tears. I can’t help it. I don’t deserve this man.
“Thank you!” I sob, running into his arms and clinging to his waist. When he pushes back to look into my eyes, I press up on my toes and latch my lips to his, my tongue sweeping into his mouth and pulling him into my kiss. For long minutes we are lost in our embrace, our kiss tasting of my salty tears and our hopes for our future. He breaks the kiss and tucks me against his side.
“Let’s go home, sunshine. We can have some lunch and take a nap.” His eyes twinkle with good humor and desire, the hard bulge in his pants making it obvious that we won’t be getting much sleep during naptime.
Chapter Seventeen
Ana
Faye has been helping me with shopping for the baby while Xavier, Travis, and Blake have been holed up in X’s office for hours at a time. They are being closed-mouthed about everything, but I know that they have been doing damage control about the rescue mission. The FBI agent who has been working with X has that under control though, and Faye says that everything is moving forward with the plans to move their main office to Vegas.
They are closing the Spokane office and moving Becca, their office manager, here. Faye says that Travis and Blake both think of her as a little sister. I am excited to meet her. I’ve never had very many girlfriends, and neither has Faye. The idea of expanding our little circle of friends makes us both giddy. If only we could figure out what is going on with Blake and Ellie. Neither of them are talking, but I have caught them in the halls a couple of times, and so has Faye. They never seem to be doing anything other than talking, but Ellie’s golden skin flushes, and she won’t make eye contact whenever I ask her what is going on with her and Blake.
The guys are locked in the office again, so Faye and I are having coffee (cocoa for me) and breakfast in the hotel café. Ellie is supposed to meet us here when she gets her morning break. She is working in housekeeping today, so she’s a little harder to find since she could be anywhere in the vast building.
“Travis and I are leaving for New York tomorrow,” she tells me. “We’re going to the house to see if there is anything there that we want and to meet with a realtor so we can sell it. Travis says that we will look for the ledger too.”
She seems happy enough with the plan, though doubtful that they will find the document that caused so much trouble.
“Well, be safe.” I know X is worried because he hasn’t been able to locate Dominic, but they don’t think that Faye will be in any more danger since Travis barely lets her out of his sight. Not that X is any better. He won’t let me out of his sight unless I’m with Faye and Travis. The only reason we are having breakfast down here this morning is because someone is watching over us. Not to mention, God knows how many security cameras. I glance around, searching, but his guys are good. He says they are getting even better since they have started working with Travis’ training team. Glancing up at one of the many cameras, I grin and wave, laughing when Faye twists in her seat to do the same. I’m sure both Travis and Xavier see us and if they don’t someone is sure to tell them.
Ellie shows up just as the server delivers my hot chocolate along with a carafe of coffee. She sighs heavily as she slides into the booth beside me.
“Geeeze!” she moans, resting her head weakly against the back of the booth. “I’m so flipping tired!” She looks tired, there is a pallor to her naturally tawny complexion and deep shadows under her eyes.
“You need to work less,” I tell her as I pour her a cup of coffee and slide it across the table to her. She nods her head in agreement, finally opening her eyes and fixing them on the coffee.
“Lizzie has been having a rough couple of days.” She murmurs, lifting the cup to her lips and sighing with happiness as she tastes the first sip. Lizzie is Ellie’s twin sister. Last year she was in a terrible car accident. It killed her husband and caused a severe brain injury. She is regaining her independence, but no one know if she will ever be able to live alone or care for herself fully again.
Auggie was born by emergency c-section when she was life-flighted to the hospital. Now that she is home, Lizzie doesn't even remember that she was ever pregnant, so caring for little Auggie has become Ellie's responsibility too. The car insurance payout helped, but wasn't enough to pay for everything Lizzie and Auggie need. Their mom helps as much as she can, working as a telemarketer so that she can be home with the baby and Lizzie, while Ellie works her fingers to the bone providing for them all.
“Will you come work for me once I get my shop open?” I ask her. “I will need someone reliable when the babies come.” She smashes her lips into a flat line while she thinks.