Page 27 of The Caress

If anything, I’m looking forward to the change of pace from island getaway to winter wonderland, but I can’t pretend I’m not nervous about being among a bunch of strangers again.

Keir has assured me a dozen times already that we’ll be perfectly safe with the new security firm he’s hired, but I’d honestly rather stay on the plane with Keir and Isla, where I know for sure there are no lunatics hiding in the shadows. The only drawback would be spending more time than necessary in these cramped quarters with Keir’s mother, but I’d rather take my chances in the air with her than on the ground with a killer.

At least the sudden need to get out of Malta gave Saffron the excuse she needed to escape to Los Angeles without any unnecessary drama.

"Come on, Ella," Isla says as we prepare to exit the private jet. "Look at all the snow! We can start building a snowman as soon as we get on the ground."

I grin, pushing my worries aside for now. "You want to build a snowman here at the airport? Wouldn’t it be better if we waited until we got to the resort? Then we can build a whole snowman family outside the window of your room if you want."

Just as I’d anticipated, her entire face lights up at the prospect of building multiple snowmen. I might be terrible at lying, but I’m getting better and better at bargaining.

Even Keir seems impressed. "Nice move," he says as he leans in from behind me, his deep voice barely above a whisper, and places his hand on the small of my back. "You know the way to her heart, that’s for sure."

I turn to look back at him over my shoulder, my smile slipping just a little when I see his mom giving me the stink eye as she follows behind us. "Behave," I murmur as his hand drifts down to my ass. "Don’t want to cause a scene." Clearing my throat, I continue, "I might know the way to her heart, but I doubt I’ll be feeling so clever when I have to follow through on my promise and make a bunch of snowmen out in the freezing cold."

He laughs. "Good point. I might have to come out and rescue you if it gets too cold." With a smirk, he adds, "Or if my daughter starts getting too demanding."

The icy wind hits my face as soon as we take our first few steps off the plane. I suck in a deep breath to brace myself against the sudden change in temperature. Even Isla looks like she’s decided against playing in the snow for now. is running ahead of us as fast as she can toward the waiting SUV.

Gstaad feels like it’s an entire world away from Malta even though it’s been a relatively short flight, but I guess that’s the point. We’re supposed to be leaving the worry, the anxiety, and the killer behind us. The police can handle him while we stay as incognito as possible here in the mountains.

But traveling with Keir and his entourage is never a subtle, incognito experience. I just hope we’ve put enough distance between ourselves and the rogue bodyguard for now. I hope the authorities in Malta will lock him up and throw away the key so he can’t hurt anyone else, ever again.

For now, all I can do is trust Keir and try to enjoy the snow-covered resort where we’ll be staying.

CHAPTERTWELVE

KEIR

I can’t remember the last time I smiled and laughed so much. After all the running, hiding, and near-death experiences, being in Gstaad feels like an actual vacation. It’s like some kind of pressure valve in my soul has been released, and I feel happy and carefree for the first time in a long time.

Okay, maybe not completely carefree. That’s probably taking it a little too far.

But the tiny Swiss resort town does a good job of making me feel insulated from the rest of the world. I'm content to stay in this safe little cocoon with Ella and Isla, completely off the radar.

"Dad!" Isla calls out from the breakfast table, where she and Ella are finishing their meals, as I walk into the dining room of our suite. "Can you believe Ella hasn’t ever been skiing?"

"You’ve only been once," I remind her, sitting down at the end of the table and skimming the front page of the newspaper that’s waiting for me. "But no, I didn’t know that. That answers the question of what we'll do this afternoon."

Isla cheers, and Ella shoots me a pleading look. "We don’t have to do that," she says, wide-eyed. "Like, seriously. I don’t mind not knowing how to ski."

"It'll be an adventure," I wink, tossing the paper aside and concentrating on these two important people in my life. The news can wait. Business can wait. I have everything I need right here in front of me. Right here at this table. "It’ll be an experience, anyway. You might even like it. It’s not like you don’t have the balance or coordination for skiing."

"What if I fall, though?"

Isla giggles. "Oh, you’ll fall. We’ll all fall. That’s part of the fun!"

I shrug. "She’s not wrong. Give it a shot, at least? Might as well make the most of this place while we’re here."

Ella sinks back against her chair and nods, her defeated look in stark contrast to Isla’s excited cheering. "Fine. I guess we’ll go skiing."

"That’s the spirit," I say. "Isla will show you the basics, and I’ll be there to catch you if you fall."

There’s a slight hint of her sunny smile peeking through her cloudy expression. "You promise?"

"I promise. I’ll be right there with you."

That's the easiest promise I’ll have to make today.

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