Page 54 of The Billionaire's Wife

I swallowed the lump in my throat. All of my will to fight disappeared. “Okay.”

“Okay?” His eyebrows knit in confusion.

“You can give me Paris.” There was more I wanted to say. I wanted to tell him I was sorry. For everything. I should have stayed. Or come back sooner. Or even kept in touch. I regretted it all. But the words were stuck somewhere in my throat and I couldn’t shake them loose.

Tristan smiled, holding my gaze, and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Then I will.”

Apparently, when Tristan leaned into his whole billionaire thing, the wheels moved seamlessly and fast. Before I knew what was happening, we’d driven to the airport, climbed aboard a slick-looking jet, and were buckled in sipping Coke and munching on chips while we waited for Noah and Jenna to arrive.

“Hey guys, sorry we’re late.” Noah stepped in from the stairs and handed his suitcase to the pilot.

“It’s my fault.” Jenna had to duck to get through the hatch. It didn’t even look like she could stand completely straight without nearly touching the ceiling. “I couldn’t decide how much to bring. Noah had to talk me down.”

Noah chuckled. “Mostly I just told her to bring it if she thought she’d want it.”

“Which is why my bag is at the bottom of the stairs and we’re actually using the cargo hold instead of stowing everything in here like usual.” Jenna’s cheeks pinked. “I’m not usually like this.”

“It’s true.” Tristan gestured to the seating. “Noah and Jenna, this is Faith. Faith, Noah and Jenna.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Surprisingly, it was. Tristan had always had good taste in friends. I didn’t imagine that had changed.

“Thanks for letting us horn in on your trip.” Jenna grinned. “It’s my fault. I was nosy when Noah got the text.”

“It’s not a problem.” I settled back into the seat. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing.”

“Right?” Jenna laughed as she plopped down beside me and nudged my shoulder. “Imagine my surprise when I get back in touch with Noah after moving to the area and find that he’s rolling in it. And yet he still needs a backup date.”

“Why settle for the rest when I have an in with the best?” Noah winked at Jenna and took a seat beside Tristan. “And hey, turns out I’m not the only one keeping secrets. I think Tristan out-secrets all of us.”

Tristan’s face flamed red. “No one asked.”

“Right. Because it’s obvious that we should have asked someone we’ve known since college if he happens to be married.” Noah rolled his eyes. “Duh.”

I laughed. “He has a point.”

“I guess.” Tristan shrugged. “Are we ready?”

Everyone nodded.

Tristan unbuckled his seat belt and stood, making the short trip up to the cockpit area. He poked his head through the divider and I listened to the quiet rumble of voices, not taking in the actual words. He was probably telling them we were ready to go whenever.

He made his way back to his seat. “Just waiting on clearance from the tower. Shouldn’t be long.”

The reality of the situation crashed over me. “We’re really flying to Paris for the weekend?”

Tristan reached over and took my hand. I didn’t think about it, just threaded my fingers through his and held on. “We really are.”

15

TRISTAN

Even a private jet couldn’t make the trip across the ocean fast. The benefits still far outweighed commercial travel though. No one minded if you needed to stand up and pace a little to stretch your legs. The food was better. And ultimately, after watching two movies on the big screen, we played poker together to pass the final hours.

“So is this what your Friday nights with the guys are like?” Jenna studied Noah. “You know the girls could all play poker, too, right?”

“Seeing as how you just cleaned everyone out, yes, I realize that girls can play poker. But now I’m even more sure that I don’t want you to join us. With the guys, I have a remote chance of winning occasionally.”

I laughed. “A small, remote chance.”

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