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“The thought never crossed my mind, beautiful,” he teased.
God, how I wanted to spend some time with Chase not thinking about or talking about my kidnapping, and if he wanted the same thing, the temptation was almost irresistible.
My arms crept around his neck as I finally asked, “Exactly what do you have in mind…?”
Chase
“Those would look good on you,” I told Vanna with a nod several days later. I took the turquoise and diamond earrings she’d been holding up to her ear and handed them to the saleswoman. “We’ll take them. I told you I knew a guy who had quality turquoise jewelry.”
“No, we won’t take them,” she said stubbornly. “They’re beautiful, but they’re surrounded by diamonds, Chase. If I paid that much for a pair of earrings, I’d kill myself if I lost one. And you certainlyknowa whole lot ofguys.You knew a guy when you got us into one of the nicest restaurants in San Diego on a last minute whim. You knew a guy who had a boat, which turned out to be a luxury catamaran, when you decided to take me whale watching. You also knew a guy who could pack us a Michelin star picnic lunch when we went to the park. Exactly how many of these guys who can do miraculous things do you know?”
I winked at her as I handed the clerk my credit card. “Enough to keep you happy for a very long time,” I teased.
I grew up in San Diego and I had enough money to make just aboutanythinghappen.
I had no shame when it came to using that power if it would get a five second smile out of Vanna.
Hell, I’d settle for a second or two if necessary.
Having seen her laugh multiple times over the last few days, I was now completely addicted to that sound and the smile on her adorable face that inevitably happened right after that.
She snagged my credit card before the saleswoman could run it. “I didn’t agree to spend this week with you so you could buy me things, Chase.”
I knew that.
We had fun together.
She liked being with me.
I loved being with her.
But I still wanted to buy her the damn earrings.
Why did she have to be so damn stubborn sometimes?
I plucked the card from between her fingers and handed it back to the clerk. “Stop, Vanna. You’re confusing the poor woman,” I said as I stepped between her and the saleswoman who would get those earrings in Vanna’s jewelry box. “I know you don’t need my money, and that’s not why you’re here with me. Iwantto buy you something you’ll enjoy. Let me do it because it makesmehappy. I don’t care if you lose one. I’ll just buy you another pair.”
Her eyebrows scrunched in a way I’d come to adore as she replied, “You’re absolutely exasperating. Do you know that? I just came here to look. I haven’t actually physically shopped in a long time.”
“I assume that means you’re not mad,” I ventured. “Come on, Vanna. They’re quality earrings, but they’re not exactly what I’d call expensive.”
She rolled her eyes. “I think your idea of quality and mine are two very different things.”
“You do realize that I own several of the most quality luxury brands on the planet,” I answered. “I can make a call and get you whatever your heart desires.”
“That would be absolutely no fun, and I don’t buy your brands. Most of them are outrageously expensive. Who pays that much for a dress or handbag? I make decent money at what I do, but not as much as bigger name journalists. I don’t have to penny pinch, but I’m a long way from having one of those black credit cards. I’m also on the market for a new home. I’d like to buy something nice in a good neighborhood that’s reasonably close to the water.”
I’d buy her that place in a heartbeat, but I knew I’d get kickback on that one. Besides, it wasn’t like Iwantedher to go anywhere.
“Don’t hurry on that,” I said firmly. “It’s not like you have a time limit on how long you stay at my place. I like having you there.”
She sighed as she took the bag from the clerk. “Believe me, it’s no hardship to be staying there. That place would be anyone’s dream home, but I need to vacate eventually.”
Nope. Actually, she didn’t ever need to leave.
Unfortunately, she’d feel like she had to once she was completely healed.
Physically, she wasn’t as strong as she was prior to the kidnapping, but she would be.
