Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92743 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
chapter 14
WEAVER
Her face…
It’s so damned beautiful.
And it gives her every thought and feeling away.
As I pull up in front of The Royal Dunes, the premier luxury hotel in Saint Mary, Sully’s jaw drops and her cheeks flush. “What have you done?”
“Exactly what I said I was going to do,” I murmur. “This is one of the things you deserve.”
“Are you sure? I think the people who work here are dressed better than I am,” she whispers, tugging at the lapels of her coat as two tuxedoed valets approach the car.
“Not a chance.” I take her hand, giving it a squeeze. “You look like a million bucks.”
“My dress cost thirty dollars,” she says in a rush. “Secondhand. And I didn’t wash it because I was afraid that I’d ruin it because I’m bad at laundry. And yes, they probably washed it before they put it up for sale, and it smells clean, but there’s a chance I’m wearing another woman’s sweat as well as her dress.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I say, holding her anxious gaze, loving that she lets me in like this. Even when it’s embarrassing or hard. “You could be naked, and you’d still put every woman in this hotel to shame.”
Her shoulders relax as her lips twitch into a crooked grin. “You’re a liar, but I like it.”
“I’m not a liar,” I say, before turning to the valet opening my door. Another appears on Sully’s side, welcoming her to the hotel.
I hand my valet the keys and a twenty before sliding out into the brisk evening air. I circle around to meet Sully on the passenger’s side, offering her my arm and the other attendant a twenty, as well. I tell him the name on the reservation and he gives me a claim ticket and a big grin before moving toward the trunk.
Sully glances over her shoulder. “Do we need to get the bags?” she asks in a soft voice. “Or give them a room number once we have one or something?”
“No, they know where to take the bags. I checked in online this afternoon. The key to our room is already on my phone.”
Her eyes widen. “Wow. I love an old-fashioned key, but that’s swanky.”
“And convenient.” I tip my head to the uniformed men at the top of the steps, who leap to open the copper and glass doors as we approach. “It will give us time to do a little shopping before dinner.”
Her brows lift. “Shopping for what?”
“Jewelry,” I say. “You could use some.”
Her nose wrinkles. “I know. But I didn’t have anything that looked good with a dress like this, and Elaina’s earrings are all enormous. I’m not a big earring girl.”
“Absolutely not,” I agree. She’s far more understated than that, elegant though I know she doesn’t think of herself that way. But she is, a fact proven when she selects a stunning, but discreet pair of diamond-and-pearl drop earrings from the gift shop beneath the grand staircase leading to the second floor.
“I can pay for them,” she whispers, as I tell the clerk we’ll take them and reach for my wallet.
“No, it’s my treat, consider it an early birthday present.”
“All right. Well, thank you.” She smiles, but her grin vanishes when the clerk gives me the total before taking my extended card.
“Five thousand dollars?” she mouths when the clerk dips her head, her eyes wide and scandalized.
“It’s fine,” I mouth back. “You deserve it.”
Her lips press into a thin line, but she leaves the earrings in her ears as I finish paying and takes my arm again as we leave the store. It isn’t until we’re halfway up the staircase that she says, “I had no idea they were real. I thought they were costume jewelry. We can take them back before we leave.”
“We’re not taking them back.”
She scoffs. “You don’t buy a five-thousand-dollar present for a friend.”
“I buy whatever I want, whenever I want,” I say, smiling down at her as we reach the top of the stairs. “It’s one of the benefits of being a heartless finance guy who invested wisely in his twenties.”
She makes a considering sound beneath her breath. “The only thing I’ve invested in in my twenties is new traps when someone stole some of our old ones last season.”
“We’ll have to change that,” I say, leading her toward the entrance to the ballroom on the far side of the impressive lobby. Soaring ceilings, two-story windows, and bronze Art Deco accents give the space an old-world feel. They also give me hope this party won’t be the usual cheesy, skeletons-and-fake-spider-webs Halloween affair. “We’ll get you set up with a retirement account that reflects your risk tolerance before I leave. Even a small monthly investment will grow with compound interest. It’s not too late to make sure you’re taken care of when you’re older.”