Page 43 of Steel Beauty

I exhale a quiet sigh of relief. “All right. First order of business—getting your things moved to the penthouse. I can call now and have someone handle it while we’re out unless you’d rather do it yourself.” I flash a teasing smile. “Don’t worry, nothing will go missing. You have my guarantee.”

“I’m not worried about that. Go ahead and arrange to have my things moved. I trust your people.”

A teasing grin tugs at my lips. “Should I warn them about dirty knickers on the floor?”

Her laughter lightens the moment. “I don’t leave dirtyknickerson the floor.”

I pull my phone from my pocket, scrolling through my contacts. “What room are you in?”

“Oh, 7714,” she says, her lips curving with a trace of amusement.

I tap the screen, dialing Gigi, the manager of the Harbourview Grand. The call barely rings once before she answers. “Good evening, Mr. Sebring.”

“Hello, Gigi. I need a favor. The guest in room 7714 needs to be moved to one of the penthouses for the remainder of her stay—around ninety days. A complimentary upgrade.”

There’s a brief pause before she responds. “Certainly. May I have the guest’s name?”

For a moment, I falter. “Her name is… you know what? It’s completely slipped my mind. But the room number should give you all the details you need.”

Gigi’s laugh is soft and professional. “Not a problem, sir. I’ll sort it out and handle the transfer.”

“The guest isn’t in the room at the moment, but she’s given her permission for her belongings to be moved now.”

“Understood, Mr. Sebring. We’ll take care of it.”

“She’s a special guest. Treat her as a VIP.”

“Of course, Mr. Sebring. Consider it done.”

I hang up and slide my phone back into my jacket pocket. Charleston’s gaze rests on me, her expression warm with gratitude. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

Chloe comes into the dining room, wiping her hands on a towel draped over her shoulder. “So, what did we think of dinner?”

“The meal was great.” I glance at our untouched desserts. “We’ve been so caught up talking we haven’t even made it to dessert yet.”

Charleston shakes her head. “It wasn’t great—it was extraordinary. I’ve never had anything like it.”

Chloe’s grin widens. “I like this one, Big Al. You should keep her around.”

Big Al.I cringe inwardly at Chloe using her pet name for me. It doesn’t reveal my real name, but it wouldn’t be hard for Charleston to figure out that Al is short for Alex.

“Thanks for coming in and doing this,” I say, steering the conversation back to safer ground.

Chloe plants her hands on her hips, shifting her weight to one side. She takes a deep breath, her gaze lifting to the ceiling like she’s trying to keep her emotions in check. “I had to do something to get my mind off Ben.”

Her breath hitches, and she quickly presses a hand to her eyes. “Shit, I’m sorry, guys.” She sniffles, offering a weak smile as her gaze shifts from one of us to the other. “Charleston, you must think I’m a right drongo.”

Charleston shakes her head, her voice warm and reassuring. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I definitely don’t think you’re adrongo… whatever that is.”

I stand and wrap my arm around Chloe’s shoulders, pulling her into a firm hug. “Come here, Clover.” My words soften as I lean in. “I’m really sorry you’re going through this.”

Chloe exhales a shaky breath, melting into my embrace. “I’m sorry for ruining your date,” she mutters against my shoulder.

“You haven’t ruined a thing,” I say firmly, leaving no room for doubt.

“Nothing is ruined.” Charleston offers her a warm, reassuring smile. “Everything was perfect.”

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