chance.
Quickly, I pull open the top drawer. Inside, I see several rows of carefully rolled delicates.
Don’t look at them, Leo. As much as you want to, don’t look.
Hell, who am I kidding? I feel a grin spread over my face as my eyes drift over her pretty little undergarments. Hopefully, I’ll get to see her in some of these soon.
But as much as I’d like to let my gaze linger, I’m looking for something important. I reach into the back of the drawer, pushing the lacy bits of fabric aside. There—a small bundle of papers.
I carefully pull them out.
Birth certificate, copies of insurance documents, her medical licensing information, papers regarding her house in California…and there. Her passport.
The water has stopped running. I stuff the rest of the papers back into the drawer and slip the passport into my pocket.
Better not to break any international laws, not if it can be avoided.
I’ve closed the drawer and spun back around by the time Elle emerges from the bathroom. She’s still tying her hair back in a ponytail when she looks over at me and smiles.
Pleasure flutters in my chest. She doesn’t even have to touch me. Just a look and I feel myself coming apart.
“Matthias should be here any moment,” I tell her. “Just let me brush my teeth and we’ll be on our way.”
My fingers slide over my pocket as I pass her, but her passport is safely tucked away. No reason to take any chances.
A few minutes later, as promised, Matthias appears outside with the car. I take Elle’s hand and help her inside.
“Are you ready?” I ask her as I slide in beside her.
“For the full royal date experience ? I’m not sure.” She turns and glances out the window as the car begins to move. “When are you going to tell me where we’re going? There isn’t much to do around here, as you discovered last night.”
“I’m glad you agree,” I say. “Which is why I hope you’ll consent to taking the jet.”
Her head jerks around. “I told you, I have an interview on Tuesday—”
“Which is why I thought New York might be a nice option. Or Miami. Or perhaps Los Angeles—there’s a new restaurant there I’ve been dying to try.”
She looks somewhere between annoyed and impressed. She shakes her head, turning to look back out the window. “I should have known you’d pull something like this.”
“Well, you can hardly have the full royal date experience here,” I say, gesturing at the passing scenery. “There isn’t a five-star restaurant within a hundred miles of here.”
She looks like she wants to roll her eyes at me again—and a little like she’s holding back a smile.
“Fine,” she says. “Take me wherever you like. But I have to be in Oklahoma by Tuesday.”
“Understood.” I realize my fingers have subconsciously moved to my pocket, and I quickly pull them away.
Elle still looks a little wary as we pull up to the small private airport where my plane is waiting, but there’s a gleam in her eyes as I help her out of the car.
This has to be the first time I’ve ever been nervous on a date. Even my attempt at cooking her a meal in her home didn’t make me this anxious—perhaps because I know, deep down, that this is my final chance. If I don’t convince Elle to trust me tonight, I never will. She’s already given me too many chances.
I glance over at her as I lead her across the runway to our transportation for the day. Her hand is in mine, and I’m pleased that, at this moment, she’s decided to trust me.
She pauses at the foot of the small staircase leading up to the cabin. There isn’t room for us to go up the stairs side by side, so I place her hand on the railing.
“Ladies first,” I tell her.
She looks over at me—for the briefest of moments I fear she’s going to tell me she’s changed her mind, that she wishes to go back to her dormitory—but then without a word, she starts to make her way up the stairs. I make every attempt to keep my eyes from her figure
Quickly, I pull open the top drawer. Inside, I see several rows of carefully rolled delicates.
Don’t look at them, Leo. As much as you want to, don’t look.
Hell, who am I kidding? I feel a grin spread over my face as my eyes drift over her pretty little undergarments. Hopefully, I’ll get to see her in some of these soon.
But as much as I’d like to let my gaze linger, I’m looking for something important. I reach into the back of the drawer, pushing the lacy bits of fabric aside. There—a small bundle of papers.
I carefully pull them out.
Birth certificate, copies of insurance documents, her medical licensing information, papers regarding her house in California…and there. Her passport.
The water has stopped running. I stuff the rest of the papers back into the drawer and slip the passport into my pocket.
Better not to break any international laws, not if it can be avoided.
I’ve closed the drawer and spun back around by the time Elle emerges from the bathroom. She’s still tying her hair back in a ponytail when she looks over at me and smiles.
Pleasure flutters in my chest. She doesn’t even have to touch me. Just a look and I feel myself coming apart.
“Matthias should be here any moment,” I tell her. “Just let me brush my teeth and we’ll be on our way.”
My fingers slide over my pocket as I pass her, but her passport is safely tucked away. No reason to take any chances.
A few minutes later, as promised, Matthias appears outside with the car. I take Elle’s hand and help her inside.
“Are you ready?” I ask her as I slide in beside her.
“For the full royal date experience ? I’m not sure.” She turns and glances out the window as the car begins to move. “When are you going to tell me where we’re going? There isn’t much to do around here, as you discovered last night.”
“I’m glad you agree,” I say. “Which is why I hope you’ll consent to taking the jet.”
Her head jerks around. “I told you, I have an interview on Tuesday—”
“Which is why I thought New York might be a nice option. Or Miami. Or perhaps Los Angeles—there’s a new restaurant there I’ve been dying to try.”
She looks somewhere between annoyed and impressed. She shakes her head, turning to look back out the window. “I should have known you’d pull something like this.”
“Well, you can hardly have the full royal date experience here,” I say, gesturing at the passing scenery. “There isn’t a five-star restaurant within a hundred miles of here.”
She looks like she wants to roll her eyes at me again—and a little like she’s holding back a smile.
“Fine,” she says. “Take me wherever you like. But I have to be in Oklahoma by Tuesday.”
“Understood.” I realize my fingers have subconsciously moved to my pocket, and I quickly pull them away.
Elle still looks a little wary as we pull up to the small private airport where my plane is waiting, but there’s a gleam in her eyes as I help her out of the car.
This has to be the first time I’ve ever been nervous on a date. Even my attempt at cooking her a meal in her home didn’t make me this anxious—perhaps because I know, deep down, that this is my final chance. If I don’t convince Elle to trust me tonight, I never will. She’s already given me too many chances.
I glance over at her as I lead her across the runway to our transportation for the day. Her hand is in mine, and I’m pleased that, at this moment, she’s decided to trust me.
She pauses at the foot of the small staircase leading up to the cabin. There isn’t room for us to go up the stairs side by side, so I place her hand on the railing.
“Ladies first,” I tell her.
She looks over at me—for the briefest of moments I fear she’s going to tell me she’s changed her mind, that she wishes to go back to her dormitory—but then without a word, she starts to make her way up the stairs. I make every attempt to keep my eyes from her figure
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