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“Paris!” I screeched. “That’s so exciting! When do you get back?”

“Late Thursday night…sometime around midnight, I think. But the nice thing is I get to take off on Friday and enjoy a long weekend.”

“I’m off on Friday too. The only thing I have going on is a goodbye party at Murphy’s in the evening. In fact, you should come. You know most everyone from Wally’s. Plus, Alex might be there, and you could meet him.”

“Count me in. I’m anxious to meet this mystery man of yours,” she said with a wink. “But let’s plan something for the afternoon too.”

“We could do a spa day,” I suggested.

“That’s a great idea! We haven’t done that in ages!”

“Because neither of us could afford it before!” I laughed. “But now that we both have fatter paychecks going forward, I think we can splurge a little.”

“For sure! We should go to one of those high-end places. You know, the ones we could only dream about before?”

“Ooh! The Mandarin. I’ll call and set it up,” I offered, suddenly giddy over the impending girl’s day out. I had been so wrapped up in Alexander, and it would feel good to have one-on-one time with Allyson.

“Okay, you call while I go take a shower. I still have to pack for my trip too.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, unable to contain my grin. “Oh, and one more thing. You’re not a mother hen. I know why you worry, and I appreciate that more than you know. Thank you for being there, Ally. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I’m here for you, babe. Always.”

Alexander

I couldn’t stop thinking about the look Krystina had thrown at me when I mentioned she should keep some of her clothes at my place. Her expression was bothering me, so much so, I couldn’t concentrate on business negotiations throughout the day. I tried leaving the desk work behind and went down to check on the construction of Turning Stone Advertising, except even that wasn’t enough to distract me.

I knew Krystina would never willingly hang a single stitch of material in my closet anytime soon, but I didn’t understand why it troubled me so much. The only solution I had was to take the liberty myself.

When I announced to Laura I would be leaving the office for a few hours to go on an impromptu shopping trip, the expression on her face was almost comical.

Yes, Laura. Believe it or not, I do know how to shop.

I dismissed her protests about calling Gabriella, my preferred sales rep over at Duncan Quinn, to order the things I needed. Gabriella was an expert in men’s fashion, and she also had contacts at several high-end women’s boutiques. However, making a simple phone call to order clothing for Krystina seemed too impersonal. This was one spending excursion that required my individualized attention.

I called Hale’s cell to tell him to bring the Porsche Cayenne around to the front of my building.

“I’ll have it there within five minutes,” Hale assured. “Where are we going?”

“Fifth Avenue. We’re going shopping.”

“Yes, sir,” he said.

And if I wasn’t mistaken, I thought I heard a hint of amusement in his voice.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Alexander

Surprisingly, shopping for Krystina had been rather enjoyable. From sweaters and skirts to jeans and boots—the possibilities with women’s clothing seemed endless. Looking at various styles and picturing certain items on Krystina was an experience unlike any other. I was careful with my selections, keeping her tastes above my own. I wanted her to be pleased with my choices and know I’d had her interests in mind. And most importantly, I wanted to show her how much I wanted to take care of her yet still allow her to maintain her individuality.

I knew I was taking a risk. Krystina might be downright furious once she saw everything I’d bought. But I also knew she might be more apt to accept my gifts if she knew I’d personally selected each item.

When I arrived home shortly after six, I was pleased to see the packages from the day’s spree had been delivered. Vivian had already organized my spacious walk-in closet to accommodate the purchases. It was strange to see the colorful array of cotton, silk, and cashmere hanging next to the line of utilitarian suits. Yet, I also derived a certain amount of satisfaction at seeing it, as if I had achieved some kind of great accomplishment.

As I closed the closet doors, the intercom to the penthouse buzzed. I assumed it was Jeffrey letting me know Krystina had arrived, and it irked me that he hit the call button to announce her arrival. I had given him explicit instructions to simply send her up whenever she came to my home.

“Yes!” I snapped into the intercom.