“See, now giving me carte blanche like this is dangerous.”
“No, it’s not. I trust you.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. I trust you to take advantage of me thoroughly and completely.”
Daniel steps closer, leans into my private space until he’s so close, we’re breathing the same air. His eyes have a dangerous glint, and heat rushes through me. How can he do this? How can he still take my breath away? Still make me weak in the knees with nothing more than a look? In all these years, I haven’t grown immune to his charms in the least. If anything, I’ve become more susceptible.
Right now, I feel particularly close to him. I tighten my grip on the key and can’t help smiling from ear to ear. I’m going to make a copy of the key to my apartment for him when he returns from Sydney.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Caroline
We spend the night at his apartment but don’t sleep at all, what with his early flight. Plus, we need to get our fill of each other before he leaves on his trip. He’ll be gone for the rest of the week. Call it advance lovemaking.
“Can you check the airport website for any delays while I shower?” he asks from the bathroom.
“Sure.”
I check the airport’s website, and the flight is still on schedule. Then I make the mistake of opening his Facebook app. It’s a habit, because I do that almost every morning. And I freeze. The app opened on the page for his business, and he has a flood of messages. Some private, some for everyone to see.
How dare you break up that couple! Grant finally found himself a nice woman to settle down with. You should be ashamed.
Wow, I never knew Beatrix and Grant were America’s new it-couple, but it’s not like I’m up to date with celebrity gossip, and judging by the number of hate messages Daniel received, they have quite the fans. Some public messages are even worse, insinuating the photo looks as if Daniel’s taking advantage of her.
What the hell? How can people just throw around accusations like this? It’s insane. I barely stave off the urge of replying to every single one of them, give them a piece of my mind. By the time Daniel comes back from the shower, I’ve worked myself into a frenzy, pacing the room.
“What’s wrong?” he asks. I shove the phone in front of him.
“These people. How can they say all this?”
Daniel frowns at the screen, shakes his head. “Things will settle down after Grant and Beatrix make their statement, but I’ll have my PR team on this anyway.”
He dresses, checks his luggage with supreme calm.
“How can you be so calm about it?” I ask, putting on yesterday’s dress and the tights, but foregoing the panties. “Doesn’t it bother you? To read all those things?”
“No. I know you don’t believe them, and my family certainly doesn’t. Anyone else can have a field day for all I care. It’ll die down.”
“But—but won’t it affect your business?”
He grins, pulling me into a hug. “Don’t worry, if the business goes bust, I’ll retrain. Think I’ll be good at anything else? I can always be a stay-at-home dad to that entire brood we’re going to adopt.”
Wow, wow, wow. Every fiber in my body melts.
“You joker,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “I can’t believe you’ll be gone for the entire week. And I hate the time zone difference.”
“Me too, but we’ll work around it. Come on. Time to go or I’ll be late. If I miss the plane, I’ll never hear the end of it from Christopher for not using the private jet.”
“Why aren’t you?”
“Jet’s engine’s small, Australia’s far. Would’ve had to stop for fuel a few times. Not worth it. Trip’s long enough as it is. Ready to go?”
I’m going with him to the airport since I’ll be driving his car back. “Yeah, but I’m hungry. How about I buy both of us a sandwich and coffee while you get the car out of the garage?”
“Sounds good.”