Oh, she was funny. “Of course not.”
“The receptionist gal told me to tell you that your next appointment is here.”
He pressed the call button on the desk phone. “Two minutes.”
The woman’s voice said over the phone, “I’ll try, but—”
He clicked the intercom off. “Two things,” he told Dree.
Her eyes darted to the sides like she might find them.
Maxence held up his phone. “I’ve had a text from Isaak.”
She brightened. “Yeah?” And then something made her pause. “I mean, is he okay?”
“He and Batsa are still in Nepal. Isaak commandeered one of Quentin Sault’s jeeps after we got on the helicopter, and they drove back to the last village with a nurse. He brought the premature baby’s mother to the hospital in Chandannath. The baby is doing very well, and her mother has named her Chirasmi, which means ‘a long life.’”
Dree sat in the chair, her hand covering her mouth. “So she’s okay.”
“She’s fine. You did it. Isaak and Batsa are starting up their preemie pod charity, and they need your signature on the patent paperwork.”
She started giggling. “Okay, cool. I still can’t believe it worked!”
“And one more thing.” Maxence leaned back in his chair and fished in the pocket of his trousers to retrieve an old-fashioned, oversized metal key, a black, finger-length rod with a fleur-de-lis at one end and a notched square at the other, more like a Christmas decoration than a functional security device.
The iron flaked in places, leaving a red speck of rust on his thumb.
He handed it to her across the desk.
“What’s this?” Dree asked, turning it over in her scarlet-tipped fingers.
Maxence cleared his throat. “As my admin, you’ll need access to my apartment here in the palace.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, her bright sunniness lilting in her voice.
“Access to my apartment,at any time,”he said, almost choking on his words.
She nodded so fast that her chin vibrated. “Uh-huh.”
His voice dropped deeper in his throat.“Day or night.”
Dree snorted a laugh. “You aresofunny when you try to be subtle.” She turned the key over in her hands, examining it. “So, am I supposed to come tonight?”
“Yes, you’re supposed to come tonight.”
The office door flew open.
Dree crammed the key into her satchel under her chair.
Alexandre and Georgie strode in, trailed by another brunette.
Maxence rose. “Christine.”
Chapter Twelve
Lady Christine Grimaldi
Dree
