Page 40 of The High Price Of Loneliness

They returned to their love nest suite for Edward to gather up all the toys and tools of Angelica’s advanced training session. The black satin robe was carefully placed on top of everything, folded neatly. The sound of zippers sealed the black leather case for a discreet exit from the five-star hotel. “Should we call the valet to bring up our cars?” Angelica suggested.A practical, time-saving idea, she thought.

“I believe you will find that they kept both of our cars out front for us,” Edward replied.

“Oh. I guess being a VIP comes with many perks. Not that I am complaining!” she said playfully, pulling Edward’s arm just a bit.

The elevator ride down from the Ritz tower was less eventful than on their way to their angry make-up sex session the day prior. But both smiled as they entered the same elevator car. Angelica tilted her head into him as Edward leaned over and kissed her forehead tenderly. She thought silently to herself,What a difference a day makes.

The walk across the marble lobby saw a busy morning with guests arriving for Sunday brunch and others checking out to fly home after a vacation retreat to Sarasota from all over. It was a cross section of different lives interconnecting in the busy lobby of the most iconic hotel in the area. One would never have guessed about Edward and Angelica’s story after seeing the two of them gliding normally across the lobby.

As Edward predicted, their cars were out front waiting silently for them to return as if they had just arrived. Gray raised his hand slightly for one of the valet attendants. Mathew from the day before was not in sight. As the uniformed valet approached, he said only one word: “Gray.” And with a nod, the valet was gone.

“Won’t they need our valet tickets?” Angelica whispered in his ear. But her very logical question was answered with the quick return of the valet with both sets of car keys. “We kept you both right up front, Mr. Gray,” the valet gushed in the very typical Ritz Carlton style of service with excellence.

First, Edward walked Angelica to her car, locked securely with its convertible top up and kept safe overnight, under the watchful eyes of the valet team. She saw her backseat was filled with all the boxes and shopping bags from Saks Fifth Avenue, the very same ones she had left lying at the front door of Edward’s oceanfront estate two nights ago as her penance to earn back his favor and trust. She looked at him with surprise when she saw them.

Angelica turned to face him, placing her hands on his muscular chest, to plead her intent once more and said, “I wanted to return those expensive dresses and shoes to you. I didn’t care about them. All I want is to be with you.”

Edward encircled her waist in his arms. “I bought them for you as a gift. Regardless of how our brunch conversation yesterday had gone, I wanted you to have them always.”

She opened her mouth to thank him profusely but managed to get out only one word, “I….”

But Gray’s index finger gently silenced her. He looked deeply into her soul and said simply, “I know.” Replacing the gentle touch of his hushing finger to her lips with his, he kissed her tenderly, softly lingering as they held each other with a longing embrace after their goodbye kiss. He helped her into her car and, always the gentleman, closed her door.

Angelica’s eyes welled up with joy at the feeling of being under Edward’s protective gaze, still looking into her eyes briefly through the car window before he turned to go. She was consumed with how he looked after her—even when she was not looking or aware. Her heart hoped to find an eternal place in his world. Whatever that would cost her is the price she was prepared to pay.

Hers was a feeling that soon would be tested, yet again. She started her motor for the morning drive home.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Agreement

Arriving home from her night of marathon make-up sex with Edward found her, once again, retrieving the shopping bags and boxes from her car. Perhaps not as gleefully as when she had first brought them home from her VIP shopping spree, it felt different laying them on her bed this time. It was a sign from him that he would have wanted her to remember him and to think of him for years to come—even if he had broken things off at brunch the previous morning.

She didn’t want to think about that, but apparently, he had set that in motion upon her arrival at the Ritz Carlton. Ever the chess player, he was Mr. Gray, after all, but perhaps it meant the connection with her mattered more to him than a bit of revenge recapturing the prizes from Saks.

She was exhausted and needed to sleep. Kicking off her shoes on the floor by the bed, she laid down next to the shopping bags. They symbolized him watching over her, and she liked drifting off to a much-needed nap next to them. The bags were comforting somehow, but not as much as having his great smell and warmth next to her the night before.

Hours passed before she awoke to see the afternoon sun streaming in her window. The long shadows gave clues that it was already late Sunday afternoon. She thought,Oh my goodness! How long was I asleep?Looking to find her alarm, she discovered it was almost 4 o’clock. Her body and mind must have needed rest after the past two days’ stress and emotional roller coaster. She stretched and thought about getting up, but not just yet.

She reached for her phone to discover two missed messages from girlfriends and one from Edward, which said simply,Hope you are home safe. Let me know when you get this?

She said aloud, “Oh shoot! That was from this morning.” As she raced to reply, she texted,Just woke up from a long nap. Apparently, someone wore me out with advanced training yesterday.She added a smile emoji to her late but playful message to him, hoping it would help make up for the lateness of her reply.

Edward promptly responded,Glad you got some rest. You needed it. Are you available after work Monday to discuss our new Agreement?

She happily replied,Yes, sir. Of course!She was relieved to have confirmation that he wanted to move forward with her long term. An Agreement, she felt, meant a commitment from Edward to her, and a huge step forward from the crisis narrowly averted after the black-tie affair in Tampa.Where would you like to meet?she added.

Let’s meet at my office building downtown at 5:30 p.m. after work. I will email you a copy of the Agreement beforehand to review.

Angelica thanked him via text and closed her eyes for a few more needed minutes of rest.

The impressive glass and marble office headquarters of Gray Global Enterprises were his ultimate home court advantage, as if he weren’t intimidating enough anywhere she would have met with him. But the high-rise glass tower downtown was certainly his impressive domain to finalize his negotiations with Angelica.

She left her work just before 5 o’clock Monday. She had no time to run home to freshen up, so she touched up her makeup at the office before heading over to meet him. She had worn her best office dress that day—a tight black skirt and white silk top with one strand of pearls. Well, imitation pearls, but they looked nice with the matching earrings resulting in a classic look.

She arrived promptly in the lobby waiting area and was about to give her name to the incredibly attractive, but older receptionist when she was asked, “You must be Ms. Hart, yes?”

Angelica replied politely, “Yes, ma’am.”

---