Page 52 of An Heir For Her Enemy

DELANEY

“Seriously, you’re going to have to tell me what you have planned.” Delaney crossed his arms and raised her eyebrows at Logan in what she hoped was a stern gesture. Inside, she was bubbling with happiness. Ever since Logan had announced that he’d be taking her for a surprise weekend getaway, she’d been looking forward to this moment.

“And ruin the surprise?” Logan shook his head. “No way. Don’t worry; I promise I’ve packed everything you and Sofia need.”

Delaney glanced down at Sofia, who was sleeping in her car seat at Delaney’s feet. The nine-month-old looked angelic and peaceful, with her long eyelashes splayed across her round baby cheeks and her tiny hands curling and uncurling in time with her dreams.

“Okay, okay. Let’s go to this mystery destination, then.”

“Come on, Ms. Cohen.”

They were standing on the tarmac of the private airport outside of New York where they’d met for that first flight almost eighteen months ago. Little had changed since then; there wasstill a small airport building and a collection of private jets ranging in size from the modest to the over-the-top ostentatious. Logan’s plane clocked in right in the middle. It was clearly the plane of a billionaire, although not a showy one.

Logan was a billionaire now. Several months ago, he’d successfully crossed that mark. He’d come home from the office, where he only worked part-time since the unveiling ofThe Cherished Infant,when he and Delaney had become an official couple. He’d been excited, but when Delaney told him that Sofia had taken her first slow, hesitant crawling steps, he’d completely forgotten about work. They’d spent the evening on the floor with Sofia, tempting her with her favorite toys and lots of encouragement, until she repeated the milestone.

“What did you want to tell me about work?” Delaney had asked later that night, when they’d lain in bed together after tucking Sofia in.

“Oh, right.” Logan had grinned at her. “I made my first billion. Although it hardly seems to matter now.”

Delaney had kissed him, long and slow.

“I love you. And I’m proud of you.”

“I love you, too.”

And she’d fallen asleep happy and secure in the knowledge that Logan really did put her and Sofia first.

Not much had changed since Logan had reached the one-billion mark. He’d always insisted on treating Delaney to anything her heart desired, from a babymoon in the Caribbean to jade earrings to all the funding she needed to start her gallery, and he still did that now. The only difference was that he felt moresecure than ever, having reached his goal, and Delaney was proud of him for that.

Logan carried Sofia’s car seat up the steps and strapped it securely into one of the plane seats. Delaney was distracted from the process, though, by an unexpected guest.

“Cora?”

“Delaney!” Cora gave Delaney a quick hug.

“What are you doing here?”

“On your big romantic getaway, you mean?” Cora winked. “Don’t worry; I’m just the babysitter. Since it’s your first trip after Sofia, Logan wanted to make sure you’d have time to relax, at least for a few evenings. He also knew that you weren’t about to leave your baby with a stranger.”

“That’s true.” Delaney turned to Logan, who was still working on the car seat. “Thank you. And thank you, Cora, for coming and babysitting. I hope you’ll also have plenty of time to enjoy…” She trailed off meaningfully, but Cora shook her head.

“I’m not falling for that. I know this is a secret destination.”

“Fine.” Delaney took a seat beside Sofia, while Logan sat on her other side. “I guess I’ll just be surprised.”

The flight went surprisingly smoothly. Sofia turned out to be a wonderful traveler. On a tip from a friend, Delaney nursed on the takeoff and landing to help the child’s ears clear, which seemed to work. Other than that, Sofia mostly slept or lay across Delaney and Logan’s laps, smiling at them and wiggling to music that Cora played.

When they came down for landing, Delaney pressed her nose against the glass, eager to see where they were. Her eyes widened when she made out a few familiar shapes in the landscape, followed by several buildings she could easily identify.

“Logan, are we in Rome?”

“We are.” Logan took her hand. “I hope you aren’t disappointed at the repeat destination — I thought you might enjoy seeing the city again.”

“I definitely do!” Delaney leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m not disappointed at all. You know I’ve been wanting to come back here!”

“I know. And this time, we’ll get to show Sofia where her parents met.” They both smiled at the baby in her car seat, and she grinned a gummy smile back.

“Bah,” she said importantly.

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