There were more important things than pride. “I suppose if Master Jordan deigns to be carried, as his mother I shouldn’t be too proud to accept a lift.”
“I can’t wait to get you into our bedroom, Mrs. Hall. I think it’s time you were inducted into the Mile-High club.” He looked into her eyes, seeing the uncertainty. “My induction too, my love. Don’t ever forget it.”
Recovering her poise, in as much as you could be poised when being carried up a flight of stairs by a hunk of gorgeous manhood, Harriet attempted a regal manner. “Indeed Mr. Hall. I’m gratified you intend to supply me with a bedroom. I understood bathrooms are the usual venue for such things.”
“Not just one bedroom, but two. I refuse to share with Mrs. Mac and Jordy.” He seated her in one of the luxurious leather armchairs and stood back. “So, what do you think?”
“Whoah.” What on earth could you say? Empty space, cream leather, walnut cabinets, lush carpet. Lush cream carpet? “I hope Jordy doesn’t spill his dinner. I hate to think of the cleaning bill.”
“Spoilsport. I didn’t choose the décor. I hate to admit it but I’m a bit of a skinflint. I got it second-hand. Some middle eastern potentate was upgrading.”
She raised her brows at him. “Cheap at half the price?”
He shrugged. “It takes time to build one of these and I was in a hurry. This had all the specs I was looking for. We can redecorate.”
Harriet gazed up at his face, noting the anxious frown. He’d rushed into buying something so he could have them with him straight away. Nothing to complain about in that. “It’s fine. I won’t be doing the cleaning, after all.”
The uniformed attendant appeared with her chair, placing it neatly behind her before fading away discreetly. “It comes with staff?”
“Pilots of course. And two attendants. They work in shifts.”
“Why is this plane more luxurious than our house?”
“Because I want you to be comfortable when we travel.”
For the first time since they arrived at the airfield, she really looked at him. “You’re serious. You really intend us to fly with you.”
“Where possible. Once the children are older it won’t always be practical. Having so much of my core business in the U.S. and Canada makes it necessary to travel. I need to keep ahead of the trends and that can’t be done staying at home.”
“You have no intention of letting me be your ball and chain, do you?”
“I don’t know about a ball. But I could think of some interesting things to do with a chain.”
“Be serious.”
“Why should I? You make me happy every moment of every day.”
“How unscientific. Shouldn’t that be micro-seconds?”
“Don’t go overboard. Who wants to be that happy? We need some misery to highlight the happy.”
“Why am I not feeling the misery here?”
“Because you’ve had your share. You are going to be happy every nano-second, pico-second, whatever. This is my personal crusade.”
His eyes were suddenly serious, the emerald depths glowing. “You are everything I ever wanted. Everything I ever dreamed. You are my gift from the Elven realms, my heart, my soul, my Faerie Queen. I knew it the day we met.”
“How did a geek get to be so poetic?”
“I’ve been practicing.”
“Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“You tell me with your eyes, but the words would be good. It must be, I don’t know, hundreds of billions of nano-seconds since you last told me. Thousands.”
“You are a genius level, prize idiot. And I love you.”
“I know. That’s why I’m a genius level prize idiot. Because I almost let you go. Twice”
“Kiss me, Mr. Hall.”
“I intend to do more than that.”
About the Author
Fiona M Marsden started out as an avid reader. She was a late starter in finding romance novels, but once found, they became an addiction. Considering she wrote poetry and stories from a young age, it was only logical that the next step would be to write her own romances.
Published Work
“Beautiful Stranger” 2018
Ruby Finalist Novella 2017
“Swept Away”
Ruby Finalist Novella 2018
Co-Winner Koru Award of Excellence Novella
“Road Trip Baby”
“The Runaway Christmas Elf”
“Man of Ice” Medal Up: Winter Games Duology
Short Stories
“The Sunstone Bride”, Little Gems Short Story Anthology 2016, RWAus.
“The Sunstone Inheritance”, Little Gems Short Story Anthology 2016, RWAus.
“Heart of Stone”, Little Gems Short Story Anthology 2017, RWAus.
“The Jaded Rake”, Little Gems Short Story Anthology 2018
“Club 73”, Spicy Bites Short Story Anthology 2018
www.fionamarsden.com
[email protected]
Tell Me No Lies Page 19