She doesn’t need to say anything, she’s given me so much already. More than she’ll ever know.
‘The love charm speaks for itself, but the other two charms are to go with this.’ I remove the envelope from my pocket. After she places the locket on the counter beside us, I hand it to her. Her hands slightly tremble as she opens it. She carefully unties the ribbon and unfolds the invitation. I hear her gasp. I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not, but I’m hoping it is. It took a lot of work to set this up for her.
‘Pierre Hermé,’ she says, as her wide eyes meet mine.
‘I’ve heard you mention him a few times, so I’ve arranged for us to fly to Paris so you can spend a day with him. You’re attending one of his creative workshops.’
‘But—’
‘What? You don’t want to do this?’
‘Are you kidding me? Of course I do, I’m just shocked. You do realise he’s one of the most famous pastry chefs in the world? How …?’
‘I know who he is, and I have my ways.’ I smirk. Money talks, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
She pauses briefly before looking down at the invitation in her hand again. As she rereads it, her smile grows. She then picks up the locket and studies the charms inside.
As well as the word love, there’s a plane and a tiny cake. They represent our journey to Paris and her day with Pierre Hermé. I intend to fill the locket with lasting memories before we return to Australia. If anyone deserves them, it’s her.
When her eyes finally meet mine again, I’m surprised to see them welling with tears. By the width of her smile I’m guessing they’re happy ones. ‘Thank you,’ she squeals with excitement as she throws her arms around my neck. ‘I love you so much.’
Hearing her say that is all I’ll ever need.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
BROCK
Jade is showered, dressed and ready for her big day with Pierre before I even wake. I can tell she is filled with a mix of excitement and nerves.
We’d arrived in Paris at some ungodly hour in the morning the previous day. It was a long flight with a five-hour layover in Dubai, and we had no plans for the rest of the day, so we spent it in bed.
After I shower, I return to the bedroom wrapped in a towel. Dropping my towel, I smile to myself as I watch her eyes rake over my body from the edge of the bed where she’s sitting. After sliding into a pair of jeans, I stalk towards her, pulling her off the bed and into my arms.
‘I can’t believe I’m in Paris with you,’ Jade whispers as she snuggles into my chest.
‘There’s no other person I’d rather be in the City of Love with,’ I reply, kissing the top of her head. ‘I plan on travelling the entire world with you. This is just the beginning, we have our whole lives ahead of us.’
We’re going to stay on in Paris for a few days after Jade’s class before flying home. I would’ve liked to stay longer, but it’s a busy time for my company at the moment. Things are going ahead full steam. I no longer have my father breathing down my neck, so I can make decisions without fear of retribution or backlash from him. He was old school and wasn’t comfortable taking risks. On the other hand, I thrive on shit like that. My vision is finally being realised. Within the next few years, I plan to make Weston Global the number one security firm in the world.
‘You’re awfully quiet,’ I say. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘I’m just nervous,’ she replies. ‘What if I stuff things up and look like a fool?’
She has nothing to be nervous about; she has a natural talent for cooking, so I’m sure she’ll impress. Placing my finger under her chin, I raise her face to meet mine. ‘Impossible. You’ve got this in the bag, sweetheart. You may even show him a thing or two.’
‘That’s very sweet of you to say, but I highly doubt it,’ she says, laughing.
‘Don’t underestimate your talents. I’ve eaten at some of the finest Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. Your cooking rivals the best, and I’m not just saying that to get in your pants.’
‘You have a permanent invitation to my pants, Mr Weston,’ she says, placing a soft kiss over my heart.
‘I’m glad to hear that.’ I move my hands down to squeeze her incredible arse. ‘Now let me get dressed before I do something that’s going to make you late.’
Smiling, she releases me and takes a step back. ‘I left a mark on you. Let me get a tissue to wipe it off.’
Looking down, I see the red imprint left by her lipstick. It’s sitting right over my heart. ‘No, leave it. I like being marked by you. Last time you did that, I didn’t want to wash it off.’ I wish I could leave it there permanently.