Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
I grab the square black box from my luggage and hand it to her.
“What is it?” she asks, glancing from the box to me.
“Open it.”
She gently unties the gold ribbon and then pops the box open, gasping when she sees what’s inside.
“Lorenzo,” she breathes, “this is—”
“A symbol of our time together,” I finish, refusing to let her say something ridiculous, like it’s too much.
Inside is a thin platinum necklace with a pendant of the queen of hearts playing card hanging in the middle.
“When I was trying to figure out which card to have made, I looked up the meanings since a wild card can be any card, aside from the joker.” I take the necklace out of the box and lay the card in my hand. “I looked up queen of hearts, and it said that it represents a woman who has stolen hearts with kindness and beauty.” My eyes meet hers. “And I couldn’t think of a more fitting card to represent you.”
Tears brim her lids. “This is beautiful,” she chokes out.
“May I?” I lift it up, and she nods.
Turning around, she gathers her hair into her fingers and exposes her slim neck so I can put it on her. When she turns around, it rests in the center of her chest, right above her breasts.
“There’s something you need to know,” I tell her. “The necklace isn’t just a necklace. It’s a tracking device as well.”
Her eyes go comically wide. “What?”
“When I asked Kane for the jeweler he used when he had Bri’s wedding rings designed, he mentioned that his guy could also put a tracker in any piece of jewelry. Bri has one in her wedding band. So do Peyton and Dani. It’s how Kane was able to find Bri when she was kidnapped. I would never use it to keep tabs on you …”
“I know,” she says. “Thank you.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “For the beautiful necklace and for caring enough to want to make sure I’m safe.”
“I’ll never stop,” I murmur, needing her to know how I feel. “No matter where you are, I’ll never stop caring.”
33
Vanessa
This is all too much.
The weekend away.
The necklace that isn’t just beautiful, but meaningful.
The sweet words from Lorenzo, telling me he’ll always care.
It’s not fair.
I stayed away from love, wanting to stand on my own two feet. Yet, when I least expected it, Lorenzo swept me off the ground and made me fall in love with him.
And because of him, I’ll never be the same.
I take a deep breath and will my tears not to fall. Then I plaster a smile on my face, refusing to ruin this weekend. If this is the only weekend we get together, I want to make it memorable, and I don’t want it tainted with the outside world.
Of course, just as I think those thoughts, my phone rings with a call from Kora. Apparently, her hiring me started today even though I don’t return until after Christmas.
When I don’t answer it, she calls again.
“Do you need to get that?” Lorenzo asks, glancing down at the vibrating phone.
“It will probably be easier if I do,” I admit. “Kora can be insistent.”
“I thought she hired someone else,” he says, his brow quirking in question.
“Hold that thought.” I press Accept. “Kora, everything okay?”
“No, the spring line is fucked because this idiot messed up the schedule for the photo shoot and double-booked it, and now I’m going to have a team of people and no location.”
“Kora, breathe,” I say when it’s clear she’s two seconds from having a panic attack—something I’m all too familiar with. “Instead of doing the shoot on location in Seattle since it’s been double-booked, move it to LA since we’re going there anyway. You have that entire location that rarely gets used, so I doubt it’s double-booked.”
“Right,” she says. “You’re right. I knew that. I was just freaking out, and … Thank God you’re coming back, Vanessa.”
“You’re good,” I tell her, my eyes meeting Lorenzo’s confused ones. “I have to go.”
I hang up, and Lorenzo stares at me for several seconds before he addresses the elephant in the room.
“LA?”
“She saw my online boutique and wants to discuss a collaboration. We’re flying to LA before I go back to school for a photoshoot and she’s scheduled a business meeting to discuss the specifics while we’re there.”
A small smile spreads across Lorenzo’s face. “Of course she does,” he says, resting his hands on my hips. The moment he touches me, it’s like everything and everyone else disappears, and it’s only Lorenzo and me in our own little bubble. “Because your designs are damn good. But before you make any deals, promise me something …”
I nod.
“I want you to sit down with my legal team—”
“I can’t afford that—”
“I have them on retainer. And if you don’t like it being on my dime, consider it a Christmas gift. I want you to talk to them and make sure you have all your bases covered. You need to trademark your name and start a corporation. You want to do it all right so that you’re protected.”