In the end, Sage insisted the dress was more than enough of a birthday gift. The shoes were just too much. But when she’d returned to the château, she’d found the boutique had delivered not only the dress but also the shoes. Trey obviously had selective hearing. She should insist they be returned, but shoes were her weakness. Did that make her a bad person?
A knock at her door had her rushing over to answer it. She pulled it open, ready to thank Trey for his tremendous generosity. However, when she took in his still-damp hair styled to perfection and his black tux, the words stuck in her throat. This man could definitely wear a suit with his broad shoulders, muscled chest and slim waist. Oh, yes, he looked like a star.
“You are breathtaking.” Trey’s voice jarred her from her thoughts.
“Thank you. I was just thinking the same about you.”
“What?” He acted all innocent. “You mean this old thing?”
She laughed. “That old thing looks like a million dollars on you.”
A sexy smile lit up his tan face and made his eyes twinkle. When he looked at her that way, her heart raced. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world for him. “Why, thank you, ma’am.” He held out his arm to her. “Shall we?”
She glanced back in the room, feeling as though she’d forgotten something. And then she realized what it was, her press badge and the pendant. She’d been wearing both for so many days that it felt strange not to have them on this evening.
She turned back to Trey. “Yes.” As they were nearing the top of the steps, she said, “You really went out of your way. But you shouldn’t have—”
“Yes, I should. I love to make you smile.”
She stared deep into his eyes. “All you have to do is be with me to make me smile.”
“I feel the same way.” He moved his free hand until it was covering the hand she had tucked in the crook of his arm. He stared deep into her eyes. “This evening is for you. Now let’s get the princess to the ball.”
He wasn’t serious? Was he?
“Trey, what have you done? You didn’t actually plan a ball, did you?”
His face beamed. “Just a little something to say happy birthday.”
“Thank you for this memorable day, these fabulous clothes and shoes. You’re like my fairy godmother.”
He shook his head. “I’d rather be your prince. I’m not much into wearing the tiara and dress thing.”
She laughed. “Whatever you want to call yourself, I think you’re wonderful.”
“I think the same thing about you, too.” He released her hand from his arm. “Now get going.”
“But aren’t you coming, too?”
“I’ll be right behind you. But the belle of the ball needs to make her big entrance.”
That meant there were people downstairs. She glanced down at the landing, but she didn’t see anyone. Perhaps they were waiting out on the patio.
“Trey, tell me what you’ve done.”
“You’ll have to go see for yourself.”
Her heart raced in that nervous, giddy sort of way. It tickled the back of her throat. And she struggled to suppress a nervous giggle. For so long now, she felt as though she’d had the weight of the world upon her shoulders. But this magical trip to France had her feeling so much lighter—so much more optimistic about the future.
Maybe it was all just a rosy illusion. Maybe she had too much sun and bubbly. Or maybe it was having Trey in her life. Either way, she couldn’t be happier.
She held on to the rail as she made her way down the steps. She wasn’t so sure she trusted her knees to hold her up. And with the other hand, she clutched the long skirt of her designer gown. She almost expected flashes to go off, like they had at the red-carpet movie premieres. Not that she was anyone special. She was a nobody, living a fairy tale.
Two steps from the landing, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder. Trey was still standing at the top, where she’d left him. He gestured for her to head into the living room.
She turned to find the double doors leading to the living room closed. They were never closed. So her surprise must lie within. Her heart leaped into her throat.
Willing her legs to cooperate, she successfully stepped onto the marble floor of the grand foyer. She started for the living room when the doors swung open and a bunch of smiling faces appeared.
“Surprise!” The house echoed with their happy voices.
A smile immediately pulled at Sage’s lips. He’d planned a surprise party for her. She was so touched. No one had done anything like this since...since her father was alive. Her vision started to blur with tears of joy. She quickly blinked them away and thanked everyone.
The next thing she knew Trey was by her side. She turned to him. “You threw me a surprise party?”
He nodded, looking a little worried. “You like it, don’t you?”
She sent him a huge, ear-to-ear smile. “I love it. Thank you.”
* * *
His heart swelled with a warm sensation.
Trey brushed aside the unfamiliar feeling. There was no time to analyze it now. At this moment, his full focus had to be on making Sage happy. That was the entire point of this evening.
If it was at all in his power, he would do whatever it took to make it up to Sage for his deception. Decisions have consequences. He thought he knew that—he thought he understood—but then he’d made a big decision and the consequences turned out not to be his alone to shoulder. He wondered if his father ever came to the same conclusion.
Trey halted his thoughts. Their two scenarios were not the same. His father walked away from his family for a business. Trey hadn’t walked away from Sage. He wanted to think that somehow they could start over. Was that even possible?
He turned to her. His gaze lingered, taking in the dazzling sparkle of her eyes and the smile on her beautiful face. In that moment, he was filled with the notion that anything was possible if you wanted it bad enough. And he wanted Sage to be happy—with the night and with him. He wanted to be close to her again. He wanted her to bestow her sunny smile on him. He wanted all of her. Period.
And tonight was his chance to dazzle her, spoil her and just plain make her happy. So far it appeared to be working. Just wait until she found out what else he’d planned, including a very special present.
He cleared his throat. “I remembered what you told me about your father taking you on a trip for your birthday and I wanted to do something to honor that.”
“Trey, what did you do?”
A hush fell over the crowd as all eyes were on them.
“Don’t go getting too excited. I know we have to remain here in Cannes until the end of the festival and then return to California for the board meeting, so I thought I’d bring some of the world here to you.” He took her by the hand. The crowd parted, clearing a path for them into the dining room. It had been cleared of furniture and replaced with a very long buffet with a white linen tablecloth. “Here you’ll find cuisine flown in from around the world.”
Her mouth gaped. Her gaze moved from him to the food and then back to him. “You really flew all of this in for me?”
“I did.”
“No one has ever done anything so thoughtful for me.” And then her eyes shimmered with tears.
Panic clutched Trey. Tears weren’t good. Tears were out of his realm of control. They made him uncomfortable.
“I... I can make it all go away,” he said out of desperation.
She blinked the tears away. “Go away? Never. I love it.” She leaned forward and gave him a hug. It was brief, but it was a bridge that he hoped to build upon. “I’m sure all of your guests are hungry. I know I am.”
“But you don’t look happy. And this is your birthday. You should have whatever makes you happy.”
“Okay, then...” She hesitated as though
considering what would make her happiest. “For tonight, I want to pretend that all of that nastiness with Elsa and the thing with you never happened. I want to pretend the magazine isn’t in jeopardy and, for the first time since my parents died, all is right in the world.”
That was a really steep wish, but she was the birthday girl. “Tonight you will be a princess. And your wish is my command.” He bowed and waved toward the table.
A smile bloomed on her face. She walked over to the table. He joined her and explained the menu. Pho and goi cuon—noodle soup and spring rolls from Vietnam. Moussaka and baklava from Greece. Polenta and meatballs from Italy. And the list went on, with treats from the Philippines, Japan, India, Spain and more.
Sage turned to him. “I could never eat all of this. But I’m going to give it my best effort.”
He laughed. “That’s a plan.”
Once she filled her plate to the point of having absolutely no room left, she turned. There was no one behind them. She glanced to the crowd of finely dressed guests.
“Please, everyone, eat. Don’t let this culinary miracle go to waste.”
Everyone smiled and wished her happy birthday. Then they all got in line.
Trey led her out to the torch-lit balcony where linen-covered tables awaited them. The centerpieces were hurricane lamps that created a warm glow. He pulled out her chair and then he took the seat next to her.
“Thank you for this. It’s amazing.” She took a bite of the tiramisu from Italy.
“You don’t have to keep thanking me. I wanted to do it.”
“Really?” Her gaze searched his. “Or were you just trying to appease me?”
“There’s nothing to appease. Remember? You wished away our past?”
Her eyes widened. “So I did.”
“I really did enjoy doing this for you. It was a challenge finding all of the restaurants that were willing to ship food via air. It takes home delivery to a whole new level.”
“It does. But...” She took another bite of tiramisu. “Mmm...it was so worth it.”
“I’m glad you approve.”
“Approve? I’m floored. This is the best birthday present ever.”
“You misunderstand. This isn’t your present.”
“It’s not?” She sent him a puzzled look.
“No. This is just your party. I have something special for your gift.”
“I don’t know how you could plan anything more special than this. You’ve already done too much.”
“Seeing you smile made it worth it.”
And then they set to work savoring all the delicacies. Trey couldn’t take his eyes off Sage. She practically glowed with happiness.
Tonight there were no worries about his father or the magazine or trying to be someone he wasn’t. Tonight he was Trey, Sage’s escort. And his only concern was to keep that smile on her face for as long as possible.
Sage pushed away her plate. “I am stuffed.”
“Then we’ll have to dance off some of those calories.”
“Dance?” Her eyes opened wide. “I don’t think I can move. The seams on my dress might split.”
“I highly doubt it. You didn’t eat that much. And you have to make room for these.” Just then Maria arrived with a platter of cookies. “These were flown in from LA.”
Sage gave the tray a once-over and then her mouth lifted into a big smile. “Are those Louise’s double chocolate cookies?”
He nodded. “She wanted to do something special for your birthday.”
“I love those cookies.” She reached out for one.
“I thought you were stuffed.”
A guilty smile lit up her face. “I have a little room left.”
“Don’t worry. Maria will make sure you have plenty of leftovers.”
“Happy birthday, ma’am.” Maria left her a couple of cookies and then took the tray away.
Sage’s gaze met his. “Tonight is like a dream.”
“Enough of sitting out here. It’s time to go join your party.” He got to his feet and held his hand out to her. “And I think it’s time for your present.”
She placed her hand in his and got to her feet. She stood mere inches from him and lifted her chin until their gazes met. “Whatever it is, take it back. I just can’t accept anything else. This is a night that I will never, ever forget.”
In that moment, he was tempted to pull her closer. He ached to feel her soft curves nestled against him. He longed to taste her sweet lips again. If only he hadn’t messed things up.
Still, her entire mood tonight was so different—so relaxed. Would she let him kiss her? Or would she shove him aside?
The truth was he couldn’t take the risk. This was Sage’s night. He wouldn’t do anything to ruin it. He’d just have to push aside his desires and focus on keeping Sage happy. That was the important part.
“Trey?” Her voice was soft, like it was floating on the gentle sea breeze brushing their skin.
He took a step back as he gave himself a mental shake. “I can’t take back your present.”
“Did you go and get it personalized?”
“Not exactly. But it was definitely chosen just for you.”
“Okay. You have me curious now. What did you get me?”
“Come this way.” He presented his arm to her.
She gave him a leery look as she complied. They walked into the house. He was suddenly having second thoughts about his surprise. Sage had said that she wanted to forget about the magazine—about the looming deadline with the QTR board. And his gift for her would be a reminder of all that.
But it was too late now. He already had all the wheels in motion. He could only hope she would like it.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” He waited a moment for silence to descend over the room. “Thank you all for coming. I hope you’ve gotten plenty to eat. If not, we have lots of extras. This evening is just getting started. There will be dancing in the other room and the bar is open. And it’s now time for the birthday girl to find out about her gift.”
Trey turned to Sage.
“All these wonderful people are friends and neighbors. They’ve come here tonight not only to wish you a happy birthday but also to present you with a gift.”
Sage stood there looking as though she was not quite sure what to make of what he was saying. He liked being able to leave her speechless. Perhaps he’d have to work on doing it more often.
“These friends are all renowned in their fields. Some are in entertainment. Some are in fundraising. Others are in research or fashion. They have a great many talents. Some live in Europe year-round. Others split their time between here and the States. And they’ve all agreed to give you an interview and heads-up for their upcoming social engagements.”
Sage’s mouth gaped as her gaze moved around the congested room. And then realizing that her mouth was hanging open, she forced her lips together. “Thank you all. I don’t know what to say. I am stunned and so grateful to all of you for making this the most amazing night of my life.”
Trey smiled. And the night was only getting started. He was looking forward to holding her in his arms and guiding her around the dance floor.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THIS HAD TO be a dream.
There was no way the evening had been real. Now that the guests were gone and the lights had been dimmed, Sage knew she should go to sleep, but she was too wound up.
The pieces needed to create a path to her future had fallen into place. Thanks to Trey. Those guests hadn’t just been random people. They were all remarkable, from actors to athletes to prizewinning authors to world movers and shakers. They all had diverse and intriguing stories to tell. And she planned to give their voices a platform from which the world could hear them.
“Come dance with me,” Trey coaxed.
“But we can’t. There isn’t even any music.”
“We don’t need music.” Trey took her in his arms.
Their bodies swayed together as though they were made for each other. Sage’s cheeks grew sore from smiling so much. She didn’t know it was possible to be this happy.
“This the most perfect birthday. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Enjoyed it doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel right now.”
A waiter went to pass them with a tray full of dishes. Trey stopped him and asked for two glasses of bubbly. They resumed dancing while the waiter sought out the requested bubbly.
Sage slipped off her heels and moved across the floor in her bare feet. Trey twirled her around and dipped her. It was like a scene right out of a black and white movie where she was the leading lady. Best of all, Trey was the leading man.
The waiter came to a stop next to them with a tray of bubbly. Trey took two flutes and handed her one.
He gazed into her eyes. “Here’s to the most beautiful birthday girl.”
“And here’s to the perfect date.”
They clinked their glasses together and then sipped at the champagne that tickled Sage’s nose. He took the glass from her hand and set it aside. He took her back in his arms and stared deeply into her eyes. “I wish I could make you smile like this all of the time.”
“Who says you can’t?” She was flirting with him. It was dangerous but she couldn’t stop herself.
A smile lifted his very tempting lips. “And what would I have to do to make you smile all of the time?”
Maybe it was the bubbly or the exhaustion as it was now the wee hours of the morning, but she felt a bit daring. She lifted up on her tiptoes and leaned into him.
She whispered, “This would keep me smiling.”
She pressed her lips to his. He didn’t move. He stood perfectly still. She wasn’t even sure that he was breathing.
Oh, no. Had she read too much into the evening? What if he rejected her? She hadn’t thought this through. Panic consumed her and she froze.
Miss White and the Seventh Heir Page 14