Page 66 of Scrooge

“Ouch.” I squint at it, seeing it still red and swollen.

“Yeah… I think I will add frozen peas to the grocery list,” he admits, flexing and stretching it and wincing a little.

“Laurent has emailed through a brief about the media. Probably best not to look at your social media for a while.”

I’m not too worried about that because I stopped looking at it weeks ago.

“What is the general consensus?” I ask, wanting to get a feel for what is being said.

“Well, it’s positive, but it appears that the media are now painting us in a somewhat fairy-tale couple scenario,” he says, his shoulders lowering.

“Fairy-tale?”

“Since I saved Deloris from the shelters on Thanksgiving, and now I am pictured saving you from an assault. Apparently, that means I’m a real-life Prince Charming to the woman I love from Tucker Toys who has stolen my heart,” he murmurs, a small grin coming to his face.

Love.There is that word again. I swallow, because I have thought I was in love in the past, but that wasn’t what love is. Now, the feelings I have are strong, but I don’t know how I can be sure.

“But…”

My eyes flick back to look at his, as I take another sharp breath.

“But what?” I prod, my anxiety spiking, then lowering, then spiking again.

“But we areeverywhere.”

“The office is bombarded, and here, downstairs is a mess, with media on the sidewalk outside. My team has doubled at your parents’ place and the toy store because of it.”

“Not good,” I say as I cringe. I know he’s taken care of my family, but I hope they’re not upset with me because of this.

“Been to the Hamptons before?” he asks, looking at me.

“Ahhh, no…” I say tentatively.

“Laurent has advised that we lie low for a few days, because it is getting a bit out of hand.”

“Oh, okay…” I’m not sure where he’s going with this.

“So, I’m taking you to the Hamptons for a few days.”

“The Hamptons?” I confirm, raising my eyebrows.

“I have a house there.”

“Of course you do.” I roll my eyes, and he pinches my hip.

“I haven’t been there since my father died, but I think it is the perfect place to hide. My helicopter will be here in half an hour, so that should give us enough time,” he says, grinning mischievously. That’s a new look I haven’t seen yet, and it has me giggling.

“Helicopter? Enough time for what?” I ask.

“To make you come one more time,” he says cheekily before he stands with me in his arms and throws me over his shoulder, taking me back to the bedroom.

30

ALEXANDER

The chopper descends, and I’m not prepared for the feelings that come. After speaking briefly with Haylee, we were packed and on the rooftop at my penthouse within the hour, and now forty minutes later, I see my private helipad in view, sitting right outside my house.

Haylee’s hand squeezes mine as we come into a landing. I know she does it because she has never flown in a chopper before, and her stomach is probably floating, but I take it as a sign of comfort. Here was the last time I saw my father before he died.

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