“And then Ariel comes back a few days later…I find it suspicious.”
I found it suspicious too. “Thanks for letting me know, Dimitri.”
“Of course, sir.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.
I took a seat and crossed my legs, my fingertips rubbing against my jawline. The fact that London hadn’t mentioned any of this to me told me something significant happened, and it was peculiar for Ariel to change her mind.
And that meant London said something to make Ariel reconsider.
In that moment, I felt like a very lucky man. The woman I loved did whatever she could to keep my business partner in my life, even though she personally hated the woman. Despite our shaky beginning, she really proved her loyalty to me. She cared about my happiness, even if it sabotaged her own.
That was real love.
I wouldn’t take it for granted.
London immediately questioned me when I returned to the royal chambers. “What happened?”
I adjusted my cuff links and did my best to keep a stoic expression. “Ariel changed her mind. She starts again tomorrow.”
London did such a remarkable job with her performance. Even though I knew she had something to do with it, she nearly fooled me into believing her innocence. “Wow. That’s incredible. I’m relieved.”
I inserted my hands in my pockets as I walked closer to her. “I’m glad to have her back. She makes my life a lot less complicated.”
“I know. You’ve been working a lot…”
A smile formed on my lips as I looked at her, seeing the genuine happiness in her eyes. “It’s too bad you two don’t get along. Looks like you’ll be seeing a lot more of her.”
“She’s not so bad,” she whispered. “When she’s around, I see you more. So, this is a win for me.”
“Yeah.” I could have told her I knew everything. I was tempted. I wanted her to know I appreciated the gesture she made for me, that she pressured Ariel into staying, whatever her argument was. I wanted London to know it meant a lot to me that she cared about my happiness so much. But not saying anything at all made it just as special. She proved she loved me without getting anything in return. So I kept it to myself and chose to stare at her instead. “I love you.”
Her eyes softened at the unexpected words. When she was emotionally moved, she looked even more beautiful. She looked even more gorgeous than she did when she said she loved me when we made love. She looked perfect. “I love you too.”
Like nothing happened, Ariel came to work the following day and picked up where she left off. She caught up on everything she had missed, rearranged the data sheets, and managed to pick up another client all within the first hour.
She was definitely a hustler.
In the afternoon, we had a meeting with a client in Edinburg. He owned a branch of high-end restaurants in Greece, and he was interested in making a large order of scotch on a regular basis. Since he was considered a VIP, we met him in person—and even I tagged along.
We got through the meal and signed the papers at the end. He had to leave to catch his flight, so he left us with the bill—not that it made a difference to us. It gave us more time to enjoy the bottle of wine we hadn’t finished.
“That was easy,” Ariel said. “Now he’s in our top ten.”
“Easy money.” I checked my phone for emails before I drank my wine again. Having Ariel at my side made everything smooth. I enjoyed her company as well as her brilliance. “Where did you find him anyway?”
“Cassandra,” she explained. “She’s friends with his brother-in-law.”
“I’ll have to thank her next time I see her.”
“I’ll thank her for you.” She winked then drank her wine.
I didn’t know much about Cassandra, other than the fact that Ariel adored her. “What does Cassandra do for a living?”
“She’s a lawyer.”
That didn’t surprise me. Ariel seemed like someone who would be drawn to another successful person. “What kind of law does she practice?”
“Mainly divorce cases. But she enjoys it.”
“That’s great. The four of us should have dinner together sometime. I’d love to get to know her better.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Her nails were painted black, and she wore a gold bracelet that contrasted against her olive skin. Ariel was a natural beauty who accessorized minimally. Less was always more with her.
“Dimitri told me he saw you and London having a private conversation.”
Ariel swirled her wine like I said nothing of consequence.
She didn’t respond, so I pressed forward. “I don’t know what London said to you, but I’m glad she said it. I was pretty miserable when you left.”
She finally set down her wine and looked me in the eye. “I still don’t like her. I’ll never trust her. I’ll never forgive her. But I will say that she genuinely cares for you, and that’s the only thing I tolerate about her.”
My assumption had been confirmed, and it only made me fall for London harder. The scar over my chest was just a bad dream now. We had our differences, a difficult beginning, but everything had been worth it. Now I was happy again. “Maybe your tolerance can grow to fondness someday.”
“Unlikely, but possibly.” She poured herself another glass of wine. “But you know me. I always keep an open mind.”
“You do.” I tapped my glass against hers. “To new beginnings.”
She smiled. “To new beginnings.”
14
London
The second Ariel walked back into his life, Crewe was in a much better mood.
And he worshiped the ground I walked on. When we weren’t making love, he was still fiercely affectionate. And if he wasn’t touching me with his hands, his eyes still explored me with their usual intensity.
I made a deal with the devil, but right now, I didn’t regret it.
One day I would. But that day was not today.
He walked into the bedroom just before lunch, our usual daily routine. He used to have working lunches when Ariel wasn’t around, but now he had plenty of free time. “Would you like to join me for lunch?”
“Definitely.” I was dressed and ready to go, knowing he would walk in the door between 12:00 and 12:15. “Where are we eating?”
“The sun is out today, so I thought we’d eat in the courtyard. How does that sound?”
We could eat in the bathroom and I wouldn’t care. As long as I got to be with Crewe, it didn’t matter to me. “Perfect.”
He circled my waist with his arms and pressed a quick kiss to my mouth. If he didn’t have time for a rendezvous, he usually avoided giving me too much affection. When he did, it always led to other things. And if that happened, neither one of us would be eating lunch. He took my hand and walked with me to the courtyard. The second he appeared in the midst of the stone, flowers, and neatly trimmed bushes, the maids walked out with platters of sandwiches, salad, and assorted fruit. They set everything on the table underneath the umbrella then disappeared. Even though Crewe said thank you, they didn’t say much back. It was as if they were afraid to anger him in some way.