Page 66 of Billion-Dollar Attitudes

He grinned and left the room. I ate a few bites of the breakfast and then set it to the side, curiosity getting the best of me. I walked over to the clothing on the door and unzipped the garment bag. There were a pair of wide-legged, black Calvin Klein pants, a Versace white blouse, and a Gucci belt. He definitely knew that I liked to dress in name brands. His stylist did well.

On the floor next to the door were two pairs of shoes. One was a pair of flats, and the other a pair of black, red-soled heels. I smirked and hurried to the shower, shaking my head at the honeysuckle-scented body wash he had put next to the sink. It was my favorite scent. I wasn't sure what was happening or what I did to deserve the wake-up, but I was going to give in and just enjoy myself. Besides, it wasn't often that when I got spoiled, it came from someone other than myself. And I thought it was cute how excited Ryder seemed to be. It was a nice change from moody.

I took my time showering, shaving, and doing my hair and makeup before getting dressed. I looked at myself in the mirror and grinned, finding that I looked and felt very comfortable. It was very my style, but at the same time, not restrictive like so many of the outfits I wore. I slid my feet into the heels but shoved the flats into my purse, just in case. I had no idea where we would be going, and I knew walking around in a new pair of not broken in yet heels would result in a lousy afternoon.

I grabbed the rest of my croissant and my coffee as I headed downstairs. As I rounded the corner into the living room, I found Ryder standing at the windows, looking out at the ocean. He was wearing black suit pants and a black suit jacket. His loafers were a shiny black, and Ryder skipped the tie, leaving several buttons on his crisp white shirt unbuttoned. His hair was perfect, and he had even shaved.

"Wow," I said, wiggling my brow. "Look at you."

He shook his head, walking over and taking my hand. "No, look at you. Do you like the outfit?"

I glanced down and nodded. "I would like to say your stylist deserves a raise."

He chuckled. "The car is out front. You ready?"

I nodded, chewing the last bite of croissant as we headed to the door. "Where are we going?"

He grinned. "You'll see. We're going to have some fun."

Ryder and his idea of fun made me nervous, considering he rode motorcycles and had been bungee jumping and base jumping with the guys when he was younger. But I couldn't imagine he would strap me to a bungee cord in that outfit and toss me off a bridge. So I took a deep breath and headed with him to the chauffeured car. The car left the neighborhood and headed into the city, stopping in front of his company's building. He got out and came around, opening my door, and taking my hand as I stepped out onto the curb.

I raised a brow. "Is your idea of fun crunching numbers? Because this would seriously be the worst surprise ever."

He laughed and shook his head. I tried to calm my nerves as we went inside and took the elevator to the roof access. As we stepped out, I gripped his arm, finding a helicopter waiting for us. I couldn't ask questions if I wanted to. The sound from the chopper was far too loud. We both ducked down, and he helped me into the helicopter, climbing in beside me before shutting the door.

Handing me a set of headphones, I put them on as he gave the pilot the signal to leave. I situated the microphone in front of my lips as my eyes widened. "Have I ever told you that I've never been in a helicopter before?"

"Really?" he replied with surprise. "I would have figured the company had one."

I shrugged. "They do, but I've never needed to take it anywhere."

He smiled and reached out his hand, taking mine. After we were up in the air and headed wherever we were going, he reached into the front and pulled back a bottle of champagne. It had already been opened to avoid shooting out the pilot's eye by accident. He handed me a clear plastic cup and poured some in. Ryder set the bottle on a small stand connected to the seat in front of him and tapped his cup to mine.

"What are we toasting to?" I asked.

He thought for a moment and nodded. "To our bond. To make our dreams happen in any way we can."

I thought it was a strange toast, but he was right in many ways. I was making my dreams happen, even if the means of doing so were ridiculous and over the top. I tapped my cup to him and took a sip, watching as we flew out of the city. The helicopter ride was about an hour and a half, but the scenery was beautiful. Every time I looked over at Ryder, he smiled at me, and after a while, I let that smile sink in. I couldn't fight it all day. Still, I needed to remember that whatever he was doing was all part of the show.

When we landed, we were at a private airport, and another car was waiting for us. As I climbed in, he followed, shutting the door. "We are almost there."

I had no idea where I was, but it didn't matter to me. I was enjoying the excitement of it. I always hated surprises, but with Ryder, it felt more like an adventure. There was something sexy about giving over my control to him.

When we finally slowed, we turned down a long paved drive, an enormous mansion in the distance. There were cars parked in lots to the sides and tourists walking around, all dressed very nicely. I looked over at Ryder with an excited grin. "What is this?"

He leaned in, looking out the window with me. "This is Sir Hubert Grant's estate. He was an oil tycoon and built this mansion for his wife. She loved roses. So, every year, they plan out the blooming of the roses and open up the rose garden to ticket holders. The rose garden is more like acres of very carefully pruned and cultivated roses, with pathways all throughout, that led to the main area where Lady Grant would spend hours reading and relaxing while her husband was hunting for oil around the globe. The main area is a spiral that leads to the direct center of the fields."

"Wow," I cooed, seeing the immense amount of roses begin to show as we pulled up in front of the mansion.

We got out, and I immediately put up one finger, slipping my heels off and putting on my flats. I set them in the car and grinned at him. "I know my limits. This will be a lot of walking, and I want to enjoy the flowers, not be thinking about my feet."

"That's what I figured," he said, giving me a wink.

He got us some wine, and we headed down the paths, looking at the different artistic creations that the gardeners and artists had created. They weren't just rows of roses. They were sculptures and messages. Everything was centered around love and Sir Grant's wife.

"How did you know about this place?" I asked.

"Honestly? Brad and Chase had been here as kids with their families. They suggested it for Daniel and Sicily's party, but it was too far away."

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