Chapter Six
All through her run,Elizabeth tried to ignore her worries, with little success. She was being sued, she didn’t have a job, and she was having dinner with a man who both intrigued and baffledher.
After four miles, she stopped for a sip of water. Peering across the Charles River, she spotted a photographer, his camera pointed right at her. After staring at her for a moment, he turned and fled, and despite the bright sun illuminating the city, a shiver ran down Elizabeth’sspine.
She raced back to her apartment, every inch of her exposed skin tingling with pinpricks of almost-pain. Her eyelashes werefrozen.
As she rounded the corner and caught sight of her building, she skidded to a halt. A police cruiser idled out front with its lights flashing. Her neighbor, Mrs. McGillis, waved to her from the front steps. Approaching eighty, the woman still lived on her own and played bingo every Friday and Saturday night. Next to her, a young uniformed policeman with a round face and bright hazel eyes scribbled on anotepad.
“Elizabeth! Oh dearie, I was worried about you,” Mrs. McGillissaid.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Elizabeth rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “And whatever it is, can we discuss it inside? I’mfreezing.”
“Miss Bennett, I’m Officer O’Hara.” The policeman followed her inside. “Have you had any trouble the past few days? Anyone approach you, claiming to forget their key and asking you to let themin?”
After seeing the photographer, all she wanted was a cup of tea and a hot shower. Was this all a coincidence? Or had CPH come after her again? “N-no.Why?”
“A man followed your neighbor here into the building. She hit him with her purse, and he pushed her, but then ran off,” the young officersaid.
“Oh God. That’s awful. Did you get a good look at him?” Elizabeth leaned against the mail table, unsure her legs would hold her muchlonger.
Please let it just be a random would-bethief.
Officer O’Hara glanced down at his notebook.“White. Mid-forties. Blondhair.”
Elizabeth pressed her hand to her chest. At least this hadn’t been Perez, the man CPH had sent to intimidate her daysago.
“I’ll…keep an eye out in case he comes back,” she stammered. “Come on, Mrs. McGillis. I’ll walk you backupstairs.”
By the time Elizabeth locked her apartment door, her tears had spilledover.
Elizabeth paced in front of her closet. Alexander was too wealthy, and she owned nothing suitable for a date with a billionaire. Clothes littered the bed, dozens of options tried on anddiscarded.
As the clock ticked ever closer to 6:00 p.m., Elizabeth gave up and tugged on a shapeless black dress several sizes too big. Belting her coat tightly, she stepped out into the night’s chill to find Alexander’s driverwaiting.
She bit her lip before ducking into the back of the car. Warm air surrounded her, spiced with Alexander’s distinctive scent. When the door shut with a softclick, she sat back and dug her fingers into her barethighs.
What the hell was shethinking?
A divider rolled down with only a whisper, and the door that hid the scotch popped open. “It’s a twenty-minute ride, Miss Bennett. Help yourself to adrink.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said more to herself than thedriver.
The man met her gaze in the rearview mirror and offered her a small smile. “Mr. Fairhaven hasn’t been himself since he met you. Nor has he ever, to my knowledge, cooked dinner for awoman.”
“Thank you for that.” She almost smiled as the divider rolled up and the limo pulled away from thecurb.
The city flew by as they crossed the Charles River, and Elizabeth couldn’t help but stare out the window like a kid at Christmas. Snow dusted the streets, and her love for the city swelled, a welcomedistraction.
Once the limo stopped, her door opened. Alexander’s lips curved into a grin as he held out his hand to help herup.
God, he’shandsome.
The tight jeans and black button-down shirt suited him, though she felt increasingly out of place in her old dress and scuffed heels. Hell, she’d had to color in the abrasions with a Sharpie before leaving theapartment.
“Elizabeth. I confess until Thomas called me from the car, I wasn’t certain you’d come,” Alexander said as he drew her closer and then kissed hercheek.
“Well, my social calendar hasn’t exactly been overflowingrecently.”
