I showered, brushed my teeth, got into my pajamas, and slid into the delightfully comfortable bed. Despite my excitement for the following day, I drifted off to sleep easily.
When I wastwenty and just going into remission, Natalie had gifted me with a massage at a spa a couple of towns over from Brookridge. It was small, comfortable, and the massage had been perfection. Where Lukas took me was nothing like that.
It had three floors…that alone was like, what? He and I were given robes that cost more than my car, and I was given my own “team.” I wished I could have stayed with Lukas but according to Renee, the head of my relaxation team, privacy and concentration were key.
I was shuffled off and endured—easily—a body scrub, a facial, time in a sauna, and many refreshments. I didn’t understand half of what they were saying to me, but if Lukas thought I’d enjoy it, who was I to say no?
By the time I was finished, every part of me felt like a million bucks…which was probably how much this had cost.
“Ah, Sam, how was it?” Lukas was waiting for me in the reception area…if you could call a room with five couches, two fireplaces, a fountain, and a man playing piano a reception area.
“That was amazing, Lukas. Thank you so much.”
He dipped his chin as if a compliment wasn’t something he often received. “Are you hungry?”
I patted my stomach. “No, they fed me a lot, actually.”
“Very good. Next stop, the salon.”
“Huh?” I followed him out and into his limo.
“Hair for the gala.” He glanced at the top of my head.
I patted the top of my head. “Is my hair awful?”
He pursed his lips. “Your hair is nice, but a little wild.”
I shrugged. I was fine with a haircut, and I didn’t want to embarrass Lukas tonight, so I’d do what he’d requested.
The salon was as lavish as everything else had been thus far. I was nervous they’d cut my hair too short, but the moment the smock was pulled away I realized all he’d done was tame it. Lukas’s hair was gorgeous, but it didn’t seem like he’d had much done to it.
“We have a couple of hours until the gala. Plenty of time to return to the hotel and get ready.”
The nervousness began to bubble in my belly again. “You sure you want me to go?”
Lukas huffed. “I asked you here, Sam. You’re going.”
That wasn’t really an answer, but I didn’t say anything. I enjoyed the ride through the city to the hotel, and when we entered the suite, we went our separate ways to get ready for the gala.
The suit I was wearing was explained to me as a single-breasted wool and mohair suit with silver-embossed accents. It was stunning and no doubt expensive. After Aldo had tailored it, I’d only had the chance to wear it for a minute or two before he’d said he had to send it to be dry-cleaned so I could have it on time.
As I dressed, each brush of fabric against my skin felt as if I were rubbing money over my body. But it was comfortable. The suit I’d bought for my parents’ funeral was awkward—tight in some places, too loose in others. This fit like a glove, and I swore it moved with me.
With one last look at myself in the mirror, I exited the bedroom. Lukas was standing by one of the windows, his head down, scrolling on his phone.
It gave me a minute to drink him in. His suit was similar to mine, except instead of silver accents, his were purple like his eyes. The suit looked poured on, and the swell of his ass was like art.
“You look wonderful.”
I met Lukas’s eyes, embarrassed he’d noticed I was ogling him.
“This old thing?” I scoffed, which earned me a small smile.
“Are you ready?”
“Let’s do this.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
