Page 20 of Her Surprise Protector
Despite my vague fear about what I would do as a single mother if I broke an ankle way out here, we made it to the bottom of the small mountain without incident. It had only taken us about four hours, including a couple of short breaks.
I sat down to slip off my hiking boots as Riker called the pilot to come to get us, then he sat down with me. “Good job,” he said, giving me a high five. “That was fun.”
“So fun,” I agreed, and despite the blisters forming on my heels and the discomfort in the soles of my feet, it was true. “We should do it again sometime.”
“Definitely,” Riker agreed, and we chatted until the helicopter roared into sight.
I stared down at my boots, thinking about the effort it would require to jump down off this rock and put them on, so I could walk over to our ride.
The world spun, and I shrieked, feet reaching futilely toward the ground.
Riker reached down, somehow managed to scoop up my boots while holding me securely in his arms, and started toward the helicopter. “I can walk,” I protested, my face reddening as the pilot grinned.
“I know.” Riker’s grin matched my own. Then he set me down inside the…plane? Could you call a helicopter an airplane?
I shook my head. I was already here, so there wasn’t much point in saying anything about it now. Besides…I had enjoyed Riker’s surprise.
One short flight later, Riker’s Mercedes came into view. The helicopter landed, we transferred our things to the car and started back to my house.
For the fourth time, we parted at my door, except, this time it was my car door because I had to run and get Bree before Payton had to leave. Otherwise… well, I might have invited Riker to follow me in. I felt like I knew him pretty well now, and we were ready to take things to the next level. But he and I both knew I had a responsibility to my child… the adult activities we were both considering would have to wait for our next date.
That didn’t matter, though. I had a decent idea of who Riker was now. It might come back to bite me, but…I was beginning to trust him, maybe even with formally meeting Bree.
I watched his car disappear around the corner, one hand on the door of my own vehicle. Only time would tell, and I didn’t need to be hasty. There was always next weekend.
Chapter Nine
Riker
“You’re a genius,” I whispered, giving myself a quick pat on the shoulder while sitting at my desk in the Sunset Security headquarters in Manhattan. “An absolute genius.”
Today was Thursday, the last day I would spend in Manhattan before flying back to the Hamptons – back to Elena. Another weekend meant another date, and it was my turn to come up with something for us to do.
Surprisingly, I actually found myself struggling to keep up with Elena’s creativity. I was impressed by her wide range of tastes and interests. She liked to do several things I had never tried despite having a fortune at my disposal. What she hadn’t yet done, she was always a good sport and ready to try something new. When it was Elena’s turn to plan our date, she chose activities like going to the outdoor art fair, or to a movie. Her choices were never extravagant or pricey, but they catered to both of our interests.
Nothing would be simple about our date on Saturday. Just moments ago, I had been sitting with my heels propped up on the desk, idly staring at my phone with both the hope and fear that it would light up with a message from Elena. I always wanted to talk, but I hadn’t been able to come up with the perfect date for this weekend yet. And I didn’t want her to call and ask what I was planning.
After a few moments of wracking my brain, the perfect idea popped up. A few months ago at the Hamptons’ Peak, some guy I had annihilated during a game of pool told me about a unique restaurant he and his wife had visited to celebrate their anniversary. It had sounded intriguing and sexy as hell. Since I didn’t have someone to go with, though, the idea had slipped my mind - until now.
I couldn’t wait to see the look of surprise on Elena’s face.
Preferring not to spoil the surprise by accident while my attention was split between work and texting Elena, I waited until the next day shortly after my private jet landed in the Hamptons to call her. “Hey,” I said when she picked up, already feeling more relaxed knowing I was much closer to her than I had been all week. “It’s my turn to plan the date this weekend, right?”
“Right,” she confirmed what I already knew. “I can leave Bree with Payton Saturday afternoon and pick her up Sunday morning.”
“Great, because I’ve already made reservations for dinner Saturday evening,” I admitted.
“Why am I not surprised? That’s fine, luckily for you and your reservation. Which restaurant?”
“Actually, I want it to be a surprise. But I will tell you that it’s gourmet and in New York City, so we’ll be taking my jet.”
“That’s a lot of trouble to go to just for dinner,” Elena said suspiciously. “What makes this restaurant different from one of the gourmet places in the Hamptons?”
She had a point. The Hamptons had several exclusive, restaurants on every corner, and I rarely visited them because I tended to go to the club during my weekends at the mansion. “It’s just different,” I told her, unwilling to ruin the surprise just yet. “Trust me. I have a reason. It has to be this restaurant. There isn’t one like it around here.”
Elena finally gave in. “Okay, if you say so. I guess I’ll just find out when I see it. And besides, you have me intrigued.”
“It’ll be worth the trip, I promise.” I was pleased she decided not to push for more answers. If she had begged me to tell her, I eventually would give in. Saying no to Elena was not only impossible but pointless. She only asked for things that were easy to provide, and she didn’t value everything by its price tag, like so many other women I had dated – Hallie being the most recent and glaring example.
