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“Let’s see how she likes your selection. I had it washed and there’s a full tank of gas.”
I pressed my hand against the small of her back, forcefully pushing her to follow him. She gave me another hard glare and after we’d taken only a few steps, she grabbed my arm, pulling me to the side. “What about insurance? I can’t afford the insurance at this point.”
“I’ve taken care of that as well.”
“What? How? You were spying on me? Do you have some burly hackers like you do bouncers?”
Her sarcasm was a reminder of how special she was. “You answered the question on your new hire form. Remember?”
“Oh. I did?”
“Yes, you did. I took the liberty of paying for a year just so you’d have time to get on your feet.”
“Of course you did. Do you always go around doing anything you want?”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. “I’m used to getting what I want, Alexandra. Before you ask, I’ll take it if necessary.”
Her mouth twisted as she tried to think of a barrage of ugly words to counter it. Then she exhaled. “Being around you is exhausting.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
She walked ahead of me. I watched her for a few minutes and two thoughts entered my mind: fucking her in the backseat of her new car and turning her over my knee. Both would happen eventually. When I finally headed toward them, I sensed another outburst coming.
“You bought me a new truck.” She tipped her head, the sunlight unable to hide the shock on her face.
“It’s reliable and I like the visibility it offers.”
“You’re… crazy.”
“I’ll take that as another compliment. If you don’t the color, I’m certain Tony has several others.”
She stared at the red Dodge Ram, her mouth twisting more than before. “It’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
I was surprised she didn’t walk closer, still rooted to the ground as if it wasn’t real. “No one has done anything so nice for me. I won’t forget it.”
“I had the liberty of getting your belongings from the other car. It’s on the floor of the passenger seat.” I could tell she wanted to find some snappy retort but remained floored.
She smiled, but I noticed pain in her eyes, the girl from behind the mask.
Only when she walked toward the truck did I finally take a deep breath. I’d sequestered myself for so long, I’d forgotten how much I’d enjoyed aspects of life I’d given up on while trying to block out the pain. The sound of my phone was an interruption that had become far too normal. As I yanked my cellphone into my hand, I noticed her smile and it added brightness to the gorgeous day.
I glanced at the screen and groaned. Lachlan was on the phone. The Scot was a ballbuster and always had been, the true playboy of our group of three. Thank God, he’d softened over the last few months, a spunky senator’s daughter the reason.
“If you’re calling this early in the morning, there must be an issue,” I told him, half laughing.
“It’s after ten. Are you still getting your beauty sleep?” Lachlan teased.
“No. I’m doing something good for a change. What’s up?”
“We might have an issue in Paris that needs your attention.”
“Do I want to know and why didn’t Philip give me a call?”
My buddy snorted. “Maybe because his attorney called me instead. It would seem Mr. Dumas has gotten himself into some legal trouble. Apparently, his family also has ties to a ruthless crime syndicate overseas. From what I was told, if we don’t want the workers to walk off the job, they need someone controlling them.”
“Why would they walk off?”
