“Yes, ma’am!” I hugged her and went back to the carriage house. If there was one thing about Lisbeth, it was when she made up her mind about something, that was it. You were never going to change her mind. I had learned early on to quit trying.
Since I was ready to head over to Pearce’s early, I got in the car and went. His car wasn’t there yet, so I let myself in and made myself at home in his bed. I stretched out, intending just to relax a few moments but I fell asleep, because I woke up to find him rubbing his scruffy face across my cheek.
“This is a nice surprise,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting you till six.”
“I know.” I smiled as I stretched like a cat. I told him about Lisbeth and the car, and he laughed.
“Grams will love that story. She loves it when Lisbeth parts with money.”
“What’s this about a trousseau? What the heck is that? I acted like I knew when she mentioned it.”
“A trousseau is just clothing a bride gets for her wedding and honeymoon from what I understand. You need to check with Ava on all that. She’ll be more familiar with it.”
“Well, I’m not spending twenty grand on a dress.”
“Alexia, I don’t have an inkling of what a wedding gown costs, but that car is probably worth closer to forty.”
“What! Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I look at cars all the time.”
I squinted at him. “Do I even want to know how much that Range Rover cost?”
“Nope.”
“Didn’t think so. I can’t even fathom this.”
“You don’t have to. Let me worry about that, okay?”
“Who the hell would spend forty grand on a wedding gown and some clothes for their honeymoon or whatever?”
“Apparently Lisbeth would.”
“Well, shoot!”
“On another note, they moved Justin out of ICU this afternoon. Whatever you told him yesterday and today certainly seemed to help his disposition.”
I chuckled. “I told him if he didn’t stop acting like an ass, the nurses were going to put laxatives in his food.”
Pearce flew wild and cracked up. I also told him about how I spilled the beans on how he stopped Justin from bleeding to death. “I’m sorry. I thought he already knew.”
He eyes met mine and something in his gaze altered and intensified. “You know,” he started, his voice rough, “I deal with this kind of shit all the time. But when it’s your brother, and you’re standing there with your hands in his gut knowing … knowing if you move as much as one centimeter, his life could end, everything changes.”
For a moment, we were back there at the scene staring at each other over Justin but this time there was a difference. This time I was able to put my arms around him, run my hands through his hair, touch his face, and tell him again that I loved him with everything I had.
We went to dinner that night and it was amazing. We ate a five-course meal and I was floating on a cloud. Pearce booked a private alcove in the restaurant, which was lovely and very private. They brought out champagne and the first course, which happened to be caviar and blinis with creme fraiche. I’d never eaten this before and was surprised at how the slightly salty taste of the caviar blended with the blinis and richness of the creme fraiche simply melted in my mouth. He fed each one to me and I couldn’t seem to get enough.
“Mmm, this is sooo good,” I said as I licked my lips.
“One day, I’m going to blindfold you and feed you. I think it would be great fun to watch you enjoy food that way.”
“You think so?”
“No, I know so. I love to watch you eat, Alexia. It’s almost a sexual experience for me. The way your mouth and lips move. I can’t begin to explain it.”
Well, okay, then. Maybe we should just forget the meal and go home instead.
Pierce shook his head and grinned. “I know what you’re thinking and no, we’re not leaving.” He laughed.