Chapter Twenty-Three
“Elizabeth?”Alexander rubbed his hand up and down her arm, and she forced her eyes open. “Your friends havearrived.”
He smiled down at her, tucked against his side and wrapped in a soft cream-colored blanket. She’d tried to stay awake when he, Nicholas, and Ben had started talking about the upcoming lawsuit Fairhaven was preparing to bring against CPH, but between the fire in the hearth, her injuries, and Alexander’s comforting warmth, she’d lost thebattle.
“Miss Elizabeth is in the parlor,” Samuel said as he led her two best friends into theroom.
“Oh my God,” Toni said as she rushed in and pulled Elizabeth into a tighthug.
“Ow!” Pain shot through her shoulder, and Toni jerked back,horrified.
“What did I do?” Toni ran a hand through her short brown curls and looked from Elizabeth to Alexander. Kelsey hovered just behind her, eyeswide.
Sensing Alexander seething beside her, Elizabeth forced out a breath. “I’m pretty banged up,” she said. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Just…let me do the hugging,okay?”
After Toni nodded, Elizabeth twined her fingers through Alexander’s under the blanket. “Um, this is Alexander, his brother Nicholas, and Ben, Alexander’slawyer.”
“Ourlawyer,” Alexander corrected. As Nicholas and Ben stood to shake hands with the women, he turned to Elizabeth, searching her gaze for a long moment to confirm she wasn’t in severe pain. At her nod, Alexander rose. “A pleasure,” he said as Kelsey shook hishand.
Toni jammed her hands on her slim hips and glared up at him. “I don’t care how much money you have. She looks like she’s been run over by a train. What.Happened?”
“Toni!” Elizabeth tried to get up, but her muscles screamed in protest, and she sank back downquickly.
Alexander motioned for Nicholas and Ben to give them all some privacy, and they headed for Alexander’s office behind thestairs.
“Miss Grimaldi, you don’t know anything about me, but I care very deeply for Elizabeth, and if I could have stopped her attacker sooner, I wouldhave.”
The two faced off for several tense breaths. After a brief glance at Elizabeth, Toni relented. “Okay. I believeyou.”
Alexander held out his hand, and Toni paused for only a beat before returning the gesture. “I’m sure you would like some time alone. I’ll leave you until five minutes before we’re expected outside.” He leaned down and kissed Elizabeth. Staking his claim, his tongue danced with hers, and he pulled away only after nipping at her lowerlip.
“Where will you be?” Elizabeth asked. Suddenly, she realized how little she knew of the home’s layout, and nerves—both over the press conference and her friends’ interrogation—had her voicetrembling.
“In my office with Nicholas and Ben. Down the hall and to the right of thestairs.”
With one last lingering brush of his thumb over her lips, he left themalone.
“Makeup. Now,” Elizabeth insisted. She gently pushed her hair back, and both Toni and Kelsey gasped. “I’mnotgoing to talk to a bunch of reporters with cameras looking thisbad.”
Kelsey set her makeup kit on the coffee table and started rummaging inside. “Spill it, Lizzie. All ofit.”
Elizabethsighed.
“Last night, my neighbor called as we were about to go to sleep. River was acting weird.” The cat heard her name and offered a littlemrrpfrom her spot next to thefireplace.
“He moved you in here?” Toni shook her head. “I take it back. That’s just…not cool. You’re locked away behind men with guns?” She dropped her voice. “I can call myuncle.”
Elizabeth tried not to roll her eyes. “You will do no such thing. I’m staying here because it’s the safest place for me. Now stop jumping to conclusions andlisten.”
As Kelsey started applying foundation, Elizabeth shared what she remembered from the previous night. By the time she’d finished, Kelsey had progressed to powder andblush.
“He really said he was falling in love with you?” Toniasked.
Her cheeks flushing, Elizabeth smiled. “Hedid.”
“So, what’s it like? Living in this big house and having the staff call you ‘Miss Elizabeth’?” Kelsey asked as she carefully arranged Elizabeth’s hair over her stitches, then added a couple of pumps of hair spray to hold the locks inplace.
“This isn’t…anything I was prepared for.” Elizabeth fiddled with the hem of her sweater again, the expensive wool softer than any of her clothes at home. “He buys container ships for a living. I don’t even shop at the Container Store because it’s too expensive. What if we’re just…toodifferent?”
