Chapter 41
ALARIC
Our first full day in Monaco proves to be beyond my wildest dreams.
Every moment I spend with Evangeline is one I cherish. She’s so easy to be with and seems genuinely delighted by my suggestions for how we spend the day.
We slept in, then I made a huge brunch, which I plan to do more often now that I know how much she likes breakfast foods. After a few hours of work—which we took out to the terrace—we took a walk, sampling soccas from two street vendors we came across.
We stopped by a café Evangeline spotted on our way into Monaco and sampled the fruit tarts and macarons. Now, as the sun sets, we’re standing on the terrace at the Oceanographic Museum, taking in the sweeping views of the water and beyond.
“That’s France,” I point out, hugging Evangeline to my chest. “And farther out, over there, you can see Italy.”
“This is incredible,” she breathes, tipping her head back to look up at me.
I hum. “Second prettiest thing I’ve seen all day.” With a kiss to the tip of her nose, I ask, “Are you sure you’re okay staying in tonight?”
It would be easy to find a table on our way home and enjoy dinner out. But after all the upheaval of last night, I thought a quieter night in would provide a nice balance to the day.
“Dinner at home sounds perfect.”
Home. Pride surges through me at her casual slip-up. It lights me up inside, knowing she already feels comfortable in my space.
“Can we eat later, though? I’m still stuffed from all the soccas,” she proclaims, rubbing one hand over her flat stomach. “Plus, I was hoping to sneak in an impromptu live tonight.”
That, I knew, thanks to the electronic newsletter she sent out this morning.
“Of course,” I assure her. I have work to catch up on as well. “How about nine?”
“That’s fine,” she confirms, a dreamy note to her tone. “Can we stay up here a few more minutes? I can’t get enough of this view.”
I survey her. It’s like she took the words right out of my mouth.
After a little while, we walk home hand in hand, mostly quiet as we wind through the streets of Monaco. The nearly set sun casts a rosy glow against my building when we turn a corner and it comes into view.
Which reminds me…
I squeeze her hand and stop. “There’s something I need to tell you about tomorrow.”
She peers up at me, nose scrunched. “Okay.”
“It’s not a big deal, and I don’t want you to do anything or give it another thought after this conversation.”
Brows practically in her hairline, she scans my face.
I drop my head and focus on my feet, sighing.
“What is it?” she asks, her tone full of concern.
Sheepishly, I meet her eye.
“Tomorrow is my birthday.”
Her mouth drops open, and she swings one manicured hand, smacking my chest. “And you’re just now telling me?”
I shake my head and sigh. “I honestly didn’t even want to tell you. But my doorman has the memory of an elephant, and I didn’t want you to find out when he inevitably mentions it.”
“Why didn’t you want to tell me?” she asks, the question laced with a hint of hurt.
I give her a pointed look, but as I take in her crestfallen expression, I temper my defenses.
“It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you specifically. It’s not a big deal to me,” I reassure her. “Tomorrow is just another day. Plus, it means I’m officially another year older than you…”
She presses her lips together, suppressing a giggle. “Okay, fair. But it’s not just another day. You deserve to be celebrated.”
I let out a breath. She’s sweet, but I don’t want nor need the attention.
She pulls her hand out of mine, then takes a few steps and turns. As she continues walking backward along the path, she asks, “If you could do anything in the world tomorrow, what would it be?”
“I don’t have that luxury,” I admit. “I have two meetings in the morning, then—”
She halts in her tracks, planting one hand on her hip “Humor me.”
I slow my pace, then circle back. With both hands in my pockets, I allow myself to really consider what she’s asking.
“What does your perfect day look like?” she nudges.
I tilt my head from side to side, then finally look up and meet her gaze.
“No alarms. No meetings. No work.”
She grins. “Go on.”
“We’d start the day with coffee and pastries in bed.”
Her mouth falls open in a mock gasp as she brings her hand to her chest. “Coffee? On a nonrace day? That’s a wild fantasy, Mr. Steele.”
I shake my head, amusement threading through me.
Though it quickly morphs into a completely different sensation. With a heated look, I continue. “Then we’d spend the day on my yacht, you draped over me all afternoon. Perhaps you could wear that little red bikini you bought for this trip.”
“I’m fairly certain you bought that bikini, Mr. Steele,” she teases. But then her smile falters and her brows knit together. “Wait. You have a yacht?”
“A small one.” I shrug.
“Seriously?” she asks, her other hand landing on her hip. “You have a yacht here? In Monaco?”
“Yes?” I admit with a grimace.
Without preamble, she throws herself at me, wrapping both arms around her neck. “I can’t believe you were trying to hide your yacht from me.”
“I planned to take you out later this week,” I promise.
She grins. I can’t resist capturing her mouth in a kiss.
When we break apart, she nudges her nose against mine. “What else?” she murmurs.
I drag my palms up and down her back. “What do you mean?”
“What else would you do on your perfect day? Where else would you go, and what would you eat?”
“I’d enjoy a big plate of pasta or a juicy steak for dinner, paired with a nice bottle of wine. But honestly, that’s all I want.”
“No cake?”
I nip at her bottom lip. “Who needs cake when I can take a bite out of you?”
Her expression softens, her blue eyes sparkling as her mind works.
We stand there, in the shadows of my building, the fragrant deep red tea roses making the warm air sweet as the sun continues its descent, nudging us closer to twilight.
There’s an ease to the way she fits in my arms.
Like she was made for me.
Like she’s supposed to be here, always.
Worrying her bottom lip, she peeks up at me. “There’s really no reason we can’t do all of those things tomorrow, you know.”
The timid hopefulness in her tone is exactly why I didn’t want to tell her about my birthday in the first place.
“Unfortunately, I have too many meetings,” I explain. “There are too many people counting on me.”
She looks past me, toward the marina, and sighs. “I wish I’d known sooner. I would have planned something.”
I grasp her chin, tipping her face up. “You being here with me is celebration enough. Truly.”
She arches one perfect eyebrow in challenge. “What if it’s not enough for me?”
The question grates against my nerves. I glower down at her. What game is she playing?
“From the moment we met,” she says, “you’ve gone above and beyond to care for me. My needs are constantly met, my expectations consistently exceeded. If our roles were reversed, and it was my birthday, you’d be insulted if I said I didn’t want you to celebrate me.”
Her logic is sound. Dammit.
“Please let me at least try,” she says, heartfelt sincerity lacing her request.
Groaning, I tip my head back, mentally running through the list of meetings I’ll need to reschedule. “Quinn is going to kill me.”
“Last I checked, you’re the boss.” She scrapes her nails through my hair, sending shivers down my spine, then tugs on the short hair over my ears. “And by the look of you, you’re not getting any younger, Mr. Steele.”
I snap back to attention. “I thought you liked my gray.”
“I love your gray,” she retorts. “But I want to see what it looks like on that secret yacht you’ve been hiding from me.”
“You’re not going to let that go, are you?”
She smirks, shaking her head. “I’m not above begging, you know. I’m an excellent beggar.”
I slide one hand down her spine and cup her ass, giving it a little squeeze. “I bet you are, angel. That won’t be necessary, though.”
Her expression brightens. “You’re canceling your meetings?”
I close my eyes, sucking in a ragged breath. I haven’t taken a single day off since I was promoted. It’d be so much easier to suck it up and attend the sponsorship meeting rather than reschedule. Quinn truly is going to shit himself.
But Evangeline made a fair case. And there’s nothing I love more than indulging this woman. Despite feeling out of my depth and unworthy of a full day off, I nod.
“Consider them canceled. I’m yours for the day, angel. Let’s celebrate.”