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“Mom has ordered me to meet her in Paris. I tried to avoid her, but she sent one of her thugs by boat to get me.”
“You’re always over-exaggerating Ash, but that’s funny.”
“I’m not kidding. Mom sent a boat to the island. She must have seen Sawyer in the video on the beach and figured out where I was,”Asher responded.
“She messaged me that she is in Paris and to meet her in your penthouse. She’s on to us,”I texted back.
“I gathered as much. I really wanted to have Valentine’s with my girl, but I’m on my way there. I’m landing in about twenty minutes,”Asher said back.“It’s gonna be okay, August. She’ll be livid with me. Even though you lied, you got the problem solved, so you’ll be the hero still.”
“We land in forty minutes. Meet me in my office, ground floor of the hotel. We’ll face her together,”I said.
Chapter 69
IMOGEN
We landed in Paris almost to the minute the pilot had said. I’d had so much fun watching the landing process I forgot to go out and visit with Asher. I’d realized sometime in the hours I laid in bed trying to fall asleep that it didn’t matter where we were going to live or when we would travel. I was feeling content in a way I’d never felt before.
I’m in love with Asher and I’m telling him tonight for Valentine’s.
Gunner was at the bottom of the stairs when the doors opened, as promised. I ran down the steps and hugged him then placed a kiss on his cheek.
“I missed you, Bond. Wait ‘til you hear where we went,” I said, looping my arm under his elbow. “First, before Asher gets off the plane. I need you to help get a special dinner set up for Valentine’s tonight. When we get to the hotel, I’ll make up an excuse that I need you to take me somewhere, so go along with whatever I say.”
“As you wish,” Gunner said as Asher got into the limo with us. “Welcome back, Mr. Hawthorne. Our Solitaire seems extremely happy.”
“What’s this, Mr. Hawthorne stuff, Gunner?” Asher said as we pulled away from the airstrip. “And yes, I surprised her with a Keith Urban concert. But now that we’re back, we have a lot to get done.”
“I hope you two got to know each other while you were away,” Gunner went on.
What’s going on with them? They sound like they’re talking in code.
“Enough with your small talk, boys, I need to tell Bond here all about meeting Keith Urban,” I said, sliding to the dividing glass. “He is every bit as dreamy as I’ve always thought he would be. And he was so nice.”
“Solitaire, no one would be able to be mean to you once they get a look at that smile,” Gunner said. “Did you do anything else while you were away?”
“Not really. I tried to teach Asher about take-out food, but he didn’t quite get it. Can you believe he’s never had take-out?” I said, glancing back at Asher tapping away on his cell. “He thought it meant room service.”
We had a good laugh at that. Then my cell chimed, so I slid back to my spot next to Asher and searched through my purse for it. It was my mother, but by the time I found my cell it had stopped. I called back, but no answer. Seeing the missed call from my mom made me think of the Brice thing from the flight. I slid back to the dividing glass.
“Hey Bond, Asher said something I didn’t understand while we were flying home,” I said. “He said I can go back to Australia any time I want because Brice won’t be able to bother me. What does that mean?”
“Solitaire, that man was a menace to society. My friends made sure the people that could do something about him found out about him,” Gunner said, reaching back to pat my cheek. “He won’t be able to hurt you ever again, nor will he hurt anyone else. I told you before that I got you covered.”
I wiped a tear off my cheek when we pulled into the hotel. I made an excuse to not go into the hotel with Asher. I promised I’d be back soon.
“When you get back, I think it’s time for you to see the other penthouse.” Asher said from outside of the car. “We need to talk about some important stuff, so don’t be too long.”
“That sounds ominous? Should I be worried?” I joked.
“Of course not, it’ll all be okay once we talk,” he said, then closed the door and dodged paparazzi on his way inside the hotel.
What was all that cryptic talk? Probably something to throw me off Valentine’s. I hope.
Gunner pulled around to the back of the hotel and we went in the service entrance. I had texted Halima to meet me so she could help me set up the special dinner plans. Then I sent Gunner to pick up a list of supplies I needed. I snuck into the back part of the lobby unnoticed and stepped into the private elevator. I sent Asher a text to see if I was to meet him in the other penthouse, but he hadn’t answered yet. I hit penthouse one and waited. When the doors opened, I called out to Asher, but no answer. Victoria sent me a text to meet her in Asher’s penthouse in ten minutes.
Did he know his mother was here? He must know. That’s probably why he said meet him in penthouse two.
I took a step back so the doors could close and pushed penthouse two. When the elevator doors opened, I was immediately at a loss for words.
