“I think so. I only had my first sip yesterday.”
Holding her hand, he led her into the suite and stopped at the state of the room. “I, uh…” He led her to the chair by the fire. “Just need a minute.”
He made quick work of cleaning up the mess he made, righting the table, and gathering the broken dishes onto the tray. When he found the syringe and nail file from his travel kit, he turned to her in question.
A bright flush rose on her cheeks. “You had a gun. That was all I could find.”
He chuckled. “I get the file, but I’m a little confused about the Vitamin B.”
Her head sagged forward. “It’s vitamins?”
“Yes, for energy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, it still has a point.”
He carried the tray to the bar and retrieved a bottle of Dom from the wine fridge, along with two glasses. Setting them on the table in front of her, he caught her chin under his finger and lifted her face to look at him.
Once more, her beauty took his breath away. He bent and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, which she leaned into. “The gun,” he whispered against her lips, “was to protect you, not harm you.” He licked softly, and she moaned.
“That may be true, but that needle was for your eye.”
“Ouch,” he laughed. “Should I still be concerned?”
“That depends on your behavior.”
He twisted the foil and popped the cork with practiced ease. Once he poured two glasses, he handed her one. “Cheers.”
“To friendship,” she said, clinking her glass to his before sipping. When he didn’t drink, she covered her mouth and set down the glass. “Don’t you like it?”
He sipped, realizing he was making it awkward, then set down his glass next to hers. “It’s fine. I just had a thought.”
“Oh? Care to share?”
He looked at her, wrapped up like a goddess painted in firelight. “I don’t want to be your friend, Daisy.” When her expression fell, he continued, “But I don’t know if I can be more.”
“Oh.” She licked her lip then reached for the champagne, taking two long sips. “Can I ask you something?”
“You can always ask. Whether I have an answer depends on the question.”
She took another sip, gently touching her nose as if the bubbles tickled it. “What happens at dawn?”
“The bells ring, and everyone returns to the ballroom.”
“Then what?”
“Limos come and take everyone home—well, to the hotels. The flights aren’t scheduled until later tonight.” He refilled her glass. “My turn. Do you like your job?”
“At the laundry?” She laughed, the sound bubbly and light. “God, no. I like my coworkers, but that’s about it.”
“What do you plan to do with your prize?”
She took a slow sip, her posture loosening as the champagne took effect. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
“I really don’t. I can’t even conceive of that kind of money. I was shocked just to receive the thousand pounds in good faith.”
“What did you buy?”
