“Elizabeth.”
“Apologies, Miss Elizabeth, but that’s not going to happen.” Samuel chuckled, opened a drawer, and withdrew a notepad and pen so she could jot down her meagerlist.
Mypillow
The photograph of me, Toni, and Kelsey at Fenway Park from mydresser
My Gram’s floweredteapot
The wooden box on mynightstand
When she was finished, she stared down at her feet as Samuel gave her list a quick glance, folded the paper, and tucked it into his pocket. “I’ll be back in a little over an hour,” he said, a hint of amusement in hisvoice.
“I need one more thing that’s not at myapartment.”
“Yes?”
“A gift box big enough for the wooden memory box. And a bow or ribbon.Silk.”
Samuel smiled. “I understand, miss.” As he passed her, he paused, lowering his voice. “This isn’t my place, but I’m going to say it anyway. You’re a good match forhim.”
At six-thirty, Elizabeth tucked the wrapped box into her purse along with a little handwritten note. She’d agonized for an hour over it, finally settling on three simplelines:
I kept every one of the ribbons and cards. Even when I thought your gifts were made of nothing but strings. I loveyou.
Alexander walked out of the closet buttoning his cuffs. Tight jeans showcased slim hips and strong thighs, and his royal blue shirt brought out the cognac-colored flecks in his eyes. “More secrets?” he said as she fastened the clasp of herbag.
“Not exactly. But you’ll just have to wait to findout.”
When they slid into the limo, Alexander tucked an arm around her shoulders and kept her close. “Ben called today. My deposition is scheduled for next Monday down at hisoffice.”
“Oh! I told Toni we could have a girls’ night next week. Monday actually. Do you want me to rescheduleit?”
“Of course not. But unless you plan on having them over to the house, you’ll take Milos and Carl with you. They know how to beunobtrusive.”
“Our girls’ nights usually involve a movie and a bottle or two of wine at someone’sapartment.”
“Then they’ll wait outside. Or, use the mediaroom.”
“Control freak,” she said, but secretly she was relieved. “You really don’t want me to be…err…home after yourdeposition?”
“Elizabeth, I’m not looking forward to hours upon hours of questions. I have no doubt I’ll be in a piss-poor mood. This way, by the time you’re done with your friends, I’ll have recovered.” Alexander winked at her. “And I’ll be able to show you how much I missedyou.”
“Oh. Well, okaythen.”
“Milos is scheduled for his driving course over the weekend. The town car arrives tomorrow. You should resume your life—with some alterations, that is. You’ll have security when you leave the house. You’ll need to go shopping with Marjorie for some enhancements to your wardrobe for parties and any business events you choose to accompany me to, and you’ll need to forgive me occasionally for being—as you are so fond of saying—acontrolfreak.”
She laughed. “Maybe this won’t be so bad. Though it’ll be better once I get some clients and can pay for my own clothing. I don’t want to keep taking yourcharity.”
“It’s not charity,chérie. I love you. You’re not asking me to buy you a bridge. You’re not asking me to buy you anything. I’m the one who’s offering. And the first thing you need is a bettercoat.”
“Why? Yours works fine,” she teased. She wriggled deeper into Alexander’s leather jacket, inhaling his scene. She could live in this coat and be perfectlyhappy.
“It does look lovely onyou.”
Guiseppe’s was lit up with candles and dim, romantic lights when they arrived. After Milos circled the building and then walked through the kitchen and the dining room, they were allowed to leave thelimo.
Toni greeted them at the door and showed them to the only set table in the entire restaurant, complete with a bottle of Chianti breathing in thecenter.
