Sadie’s speechless for a few seconds. “You could?” she asks tentatively, like she thinks he might be joking.
“Sure,” Dallas confirms, nonchalant, like it’s no big deal. “There’s plenty of room.”
Wait a minute. It’s too soon to lock it in so stone-clad like that. “But?—”
“Amelie Thibodeaux, don’t you dare turn down such a generous offer by my new favorite billionaire,” Sadie scolds me. To Dallas, she says politely, “We’d love to take you up on that offer, thank you kindly, Mr. Wilder.”
“My pleasure.”
“To be perfectly honest, I’m not entirely sure my old Toyota is up to the challenge of a thousand miles anyway. We would have been praying to the Toyota gods the entire way.”
“Sounds unsafe to me,” Dallas offers.
“Okay, then.” Sadie is completely over the moon. “I guess I’ll see you both on Monday. What time works for you, Dallas?”
“Let’s say noon. The limo will pick us up from the White Swan. Why don’t you meet us there.”
“You got it.Oh my god.Listen, I’ve got to run. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, kids. Have fun. Bye-e-e.” She ends the call abruptly and I know this is so I can’t protest or change my mind.
It wouldn’t have helped anyway if I had. I hold the phone in my lap and watch the battery die and the cracked screen go black.
I don’t know how that escalated so quickly. And I don’t like that Dallas intercepted that whole thing and now I’m somehow locked into a plan I haven’t entirely agreed to. “I’m not sure yet if I’m going to New York or not.”
Dallas’s smile barely lingers. “You should. It’d be a shame tolet Sadie down at this point. It’ll be fun.” Placing it in the space between us, gently, to see where it lands.
I might be high on expensive champagne and also lust-drunk but I can’t go toNew York. The mere thought of it terrifies me and always has.That’swhy I don’t want to go. I’m well-aware that fear has been holding me back for a while now. And I’m not happy about it. But sometimes you can’t just brush off your entire history. Sometimes it digs a whole lot deeper than you know how to handle. And it’s a reality that pisses me off. “You shouldn’t have offered that. Before talking to me about it. You can’t just take control of things you have no business taking control of.”
“I’m not controlling anything,” he says.Ashe continues controlling everything. Because we’re at the hotel now and the door is already being opened for us and Dallas is lifting me into his arms like I weigh nothing and starts carrying me toward the hotel’s private back entrance. “You’ll have to forgive me. This is all entirely new to me. I’ve found the girl of my dreams so I’m going to be a traditionalist about this and carry you over the threshold.”
Threshold?
A man is standing at the back door to greet us. “Mr. Wilder.” He tips his hat. “Please let me know if you need anything.”
“Actually, André, there is something we need. Amelie, give André your phone, please.”
“My phone?” I’m still holding it. I’m confused, but I hand the guy my phone.
“Could you please have this replaced,” Dallas tells him. “Have all the information transferred over to whatever thenewest and absolute best model iPhone is and have it ready for us by noon on Monday. Bill me double whatever the cost is for your service fee.”
“Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.”
Dallas carries me into the elevator and the doors slide closed.
23
Self-control has always been builtinto my personality. I don’t have to think about it, it just happens on its own. What I find interesting is that the sassy little New Orleans princess has bulldozed through every inkling of it I possess with a single sweep of her long, blond-tipped eyelashes.
When it comes to Amelie Thibodeaux, I have fuckingzeroof it. Her existence has caused me to morph into a feral, fanatical, fiercely loyal yeti whose only consideration is getting as close to her as she’ll let me.
Not only am I hooked, I’m also spellbound by all the things I’ve honestly never taken the time to notice on any other human being before.
I’m holding her in my arms as the elevator takes us up. Her lips are full and soft and have that bee-stung thing going on. They’re pillowy and perfect and the most mesmerizing shade of pink I’ve ever seen in my life.
Her eyes are bright, multi-colored starbursts glowing like something inside her generates its own light source.
The champagne has given her cheeks warmth. She was gorgeous in her old worn work clothes, but the dress has transformed her into something so beautiful it’s painful to look directly at her. But I do it anyway.
I love her.
