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CHAPTER 56
LEO
Leo blinked his eyes open. Early morning light filled the room, and he pulled his voluptuous brunette close to him because she was halfway off the bed. He wanted to do this every morning for the rest of his life. Make love to her and then sleep, entangled together, except on a larger mattress. “Good morning,” he whispered in her ear.
“Give me ten minutes.” She groaned into his shoulder.
He shifted, trying to get comfortable. “We’re going to need a bigger bed.”
“We’ll pick one out together.” She placed a kiss on his chest. “But first I want a few more minutes of sleep,” she said through a yawn.
“I’m afraid not. Our car’s coming soon. We’re flying back to London this morning.”
“Okay.” She snuggled in again next to him and then sat bolt upright. “I almost forgot.” She gave him a quick kiss and sprang out of bed. “There’s something I need to show you before we leave.”
With a final stretch in this too-small bed, he smiled at how fortunate he was to have Cassandra in his life.
“C’mon.” She tugged on his hand. “We’re going to be late.”
Cassandra led him outside and up a hill surrounding the property.
Once they reached the top, Leo said, “Wow. We didn’t come up here last time. This is almost a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view.” He looked at Cassandra as her eyes darted over the scenic landscape. “Is this what you wanted to show me?”
“Yeah. I wanted you to see it because I have an idea. It might seem a little far-fetched, but I was thinking about how much inspiration I find here at Meraki. Beatrice had admirers from all over the world, so I thought it might be good to share this place with other scholars.”
Leo looked a little closer at the site. “What do you have in mind?”
“A research center with a library, so her books can be together. There could be individual units to live in and work, with a communal area. Do you think it’s possible?”
He walked a bit over the terrain. It was slightly rocky up here, but mostly level. “Multiple floors?”
“No. Maybe more like small cottages. That way it maintains a lower profile. Maybe fifteen to twenty cottages?”
“I can see that. How are you going to pay for it?”
“Beatrice left me a yearly stipend, but I’m not sure how much it will be.”
“It’s expensive to build, let alone maintain property. I’m more than happy to help you.”
“Oh.” Her expression fell. “I appreciate the offer, Leo, but I planned on doing it on my own. I thought I’d have enough money to cover it.”
She really wanted this.
“You could file for non-profit status. The loans are affordable. I can help you with the paperwork.”
Her smile returned. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
He came close to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Let me build it for you.”
“I don’t know, Leo. You’re still working on Rose Village, and you’re ready to take over a huge company. You won’t have time for this job.”
“We don’t have to build it tomorrow. It’ll give me an excuse to come see you while you’re working on your book.”
“I would love that.” Her face lit up. “Thank you.”
****
Once they were back in London, he ordered takeout from Tio Gilberto’s with a double order of coxinha. Tomorrow was going to be a challenging day. If he failed, Malcolm would do his best to crush him. But if he won, Malcolm would lose his position at the company and be tried for his crimes. No matter the outcome, he had Cassandra back, and nothing else was more important.
