Page 38 of Billionaire Romance

16

Weaver

I’m finally over my jetlag and unpacking, a week after we landed in New York. The last week was spent in a haze, not just from the change in time zone, but replaying every detail of our trip to Paris. The candlelit dinners, sharing a warm baguette as we walked along the Seine, the hotel bed, the sex, the sex, the sex. I feel an ache between my legs remembering those times we spent in bed. If we’d have been in another city, I’m not sure we would have ever made it outside. It was a hard choice some mornings though, giving up the hours of exploring each other’s bodies for going to Versailles or Musée D’Orsay. It was worth it, though. Chris took me an hour outside of Paris one morning, before the sun had even risen, and we hiked for miles through hamlets and towns. I’d never seen that side of him. He could name every bird overhead and every tree along the path. The memories make me smile and I have a feeling there’s a lot we can still learn about each other.

He told me all about his plans to relocate from London to his family’s apartment in the city, and silly me, I realized I was never exactly sure where his home was. He laughed when I told him that because he said he’s never considered his London apartment a home, more like a hotel suite where he was allowed to leave his toothbrush behind. I guess my boyfriend is kind of a nomad, but Chris made it clear that now that there’s something worth sticking around for, he’s looking forward to having a real home. He’ll be at the Plaza for another week, but then he’ll move into an apartment that’s just a ten-minute cab ride from mine.

We’ll have two separate real homes, though, for the time being. I have a lot of stuff to figure out and seven months left on this lease. Cam-girling was supposed to be a temporary fix, and it did bring me a lot of money, money which I won’t be returning to Chris or feel guilty over. He wanted to play that game, well that was the price. My nest egg won’t last me long, though, especially if I want to lease a space to start a business next year. One of the first things I did when I got home was call my uncle in Brooklyn. I’m not looking forward to picking up regular shifts at his bar, but I have to pay my bills, on my own. There’s also an opportunity to do some marketing work for him, but I have to sweeten him up to the idea of welcoming hipsters into his bar of typical blue-collar workers.

Chris has been gone for most of the week, flown back to London to pick up his toothbrush (and other things, he assures me) and take care of a couple of business dealings. He’s flying back in tonight and I’ve promised myself I’ll have this apartment clean and welcoming for when he walks through the door. Although I don’t plan for him to spend time in rooms other than my bedroom after being apart for days.

I’m folding the last of my clean laundry when I hear my laptop chime. It’s the Sugar Girl window and I see that familiar name: WildCaptain. That’s odd. I accept the call.

Fancy seeing you here, Captain. What’s up?

The conversation bubbles appear and then disappear. I go back to folding my laundry assuming it was just a mistake. Then I hear a notification.

I can’t stop thinking about you. Let me see you. It’s been too long.

It’s good to know he feels the same way I do, because I completely agree. It’s been way too long.

You show me yours and I’ll show you mine,I type.

No can do. I’m sitting in a cab heading to the hotel. Just give me a little taste.

I look myself over and I’m not exactly a cam-girl dream, but the idea of Chris in the city, riding in a cab wanting me, thinking of me…it’s too much to resist. I slide the clean laundry off my bed and grab my laptop, positioning it on the bed and sitting behind it. As an afterthought, I whip off my sweatshirt. The tee-shirt underneath isn’t much of a sexy improvement, but it’ll make Chris laugh. He bought it for me in a cheesy giftshop in Paris. It’s a gold pattern and when you look closer, you can tell the pattern is French fries. When Chris saw it, he said I had to have it. “Now this is seriously hot,” he said. I laughed the entire time he was purchasing the shirt. He kept telling me how irresistible I’d be covered in fries.

I hit the camera icon and see my image fill up the screen. I lean in close and say, “Aye aye, Captain.”

Chris’s response surprises me.

Take off the shirt.

It’s brusque and unlike him, and it takes me aback.

“Now that’s no way to ask your girlfriend, is it?” I tease, trying to hide the annoyance I feel. Maybe he had a bad flight. I let my shoulder slink out of my shirt and show him a little skin, testing the waters to see where this is heading. “I thought you loved this shirt. I thought it made you hot.” I tease him by creeping up the shirt above my bellybutton. If he’s had a hard day, I’m game to make him feel better.

Just do it. Tits.

I stare at the screen for a minute, contemplating what’s going on here. Then my phone, set on the nightstand beside me, buzzes. Oddly, I see it’s a text coming in from Chris. I keep my face neutral and tell WildCaptain, “Hold on a minute, babe.”

I reach for the phone and see the message: Just getting into the city. Should I come to you? I place the phone down and go back to the screen, to whomever is trying to trick me and impersonate Chris.

“This would be so much better in person, don’t you think?” I purr. “I’ve missed you. Are you at the hotel yet?”

I see conversation bubbles appear and disappear at least five times. Whoever’s on the other end hadn’t anticipated I’d write that. Finally, a reply;

I switched rooms. Room 1216. Just come right up.

“Can’t wait to see you, baby,” I say, and then log off.

Five minutes later and I’m in a cab, heading downtown to see what the hell is going on. I text Chris to let him know I’m heading to the Plaza, but he should meet me downstairs in the lobby. I don’t give him any details because I’m pretty sure if it’s who I think it is trying to trick me, he’ll freak out and potentially do something stupid.

As I pull up to the hotel, I see Chris pacing in front of the entrance. I take a minute before I get out of the cab. I want to be the calm one in this situation, so I take a few deep breaths before I open the door.

He sees me immediately and comes walking over to me with a wide smile and open arms. I walk right in to them and let him envelop me, and momentarily I forget about all the drama waiting upstairs in room 1216. It feels so good to be close to Chris again, and I’m not going to let Ryan upstairs ruin this moment for me.

Chris’s nose is buried in my hair and he starts to laugh. “How is it possible that I’ve missed you so much in just five days?” he says, his eyes shining.

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