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He was cunning, but what did she expect from a ruthless businessman?
“For every day you give me, I give you three,” she countered.
He tilted his head as he considered her. The knock came again, but he didn’t move. He wasn’t going to be rushed into this decision. Her heart thudded in her ears as she waited.
“Don’t get used to being left behind,” he warned.
She broke her rules and let out a happy shriek as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you!”
He set her down and glared at her. Undaunted, she beamed as she picked up his workbag and slipped it back on his shoulder. When he didn’t move, she gave his arm a pat, which made him scowl.
“Give me a fucking kiss,” he ordered.
She grinned as she did what she was told, going up on tiptoes and clasping his face between her hands, before she demonstrated her gratitude by kissing him slow and sweet. He let out an impatient sound before his tongue slid into her mouth. She gladly let him plunder until the knock came again. He tore his mouth from hers and tipped her head up, so he could put his mouth on her leaping pulse. He sucked it hard enough to make her hiss before he raised his head.
“If you think I wouldn’t notice you missing, you’re wrong,” he said through clenched teeth before he strode to the door and yanked it open, revealing Mo and Johan, who had their suitcases at their sides.
“She’s staying,” Roth said curtly. “And so are you.”
The door closed on their astonished faces. She heard the murmur of voices outside the door, the gradual fade as they moved away, and then silence. She waited a full minute to make sure he wasn’t going to change his mind before she let out a whoop and ran to the bed, where she belly flopped on it and let out a girlish giggle. It was a reckless deal, maybe even a stupid one, but she was too high on victory to care.
She won. Well, not completely. She owed him something for her time in Lisbon, but he didn’t have to let her stay. She pursed her lips. She had a feeling this was going to be the first of many negotiations with Roth. She had to brush up on the skills Dad taught her that had gone unused for too long. When she went back to New York, she’d ask her sisters and Lyle for some pointers. She was going to need all the help she could get to handle Roth.
As she wheeled her luggage past the cobalt glass sculpture, she paused. If Roth hauled her out the door, how long would it take for her to remember she hid her ring? She retrieved it and searched for another hiding spot on her way to the closet, only to see the safe was open and its contents emptied. Roth never missed a thing. Did he use every safe, even if they were only staying one or two nights? Why had she never noticed this before? What was so important that he didn’t want lying around?
She shrugged off the questions and placed the ring in the safe before she eyed the keypad. Dates were easier to remember than a random string of numbers. The first one that came to mind was her recent wedding, but that was something any stranger who saw their viral announcement would know. Another date came to mind, one that was significant to her and no one else. As she typed in the numbers, she wore a smug smile, knowing no one, not even Roth would be able to crack her code.
CHAPTER16
“This shoot shouldn’t take long,” Aleixo said as he slipped an arm over her shoulders. “Then we can be on our way.”
“I’m not in a hurry.”
“You’re learning the Portuguese way,” he said approvingly. “When are you moving here?”
Jasmine groaned and tipped her head back to look up at Johnny’s partner. “You two are terrible.”
“You would do well in Lisbon. What is so good about New York, anyway? Do you see views like this?”
Aleixo’s wave encompassed the beautiful Tagus River, the backdrop for Johnny’s client, an American entrepreneur who was moving her base to Lisbon. Jasmine kept her distance. She wasn’t sure how well-versed this woman was in America’s business world, but she didn’t want to take the chance that her name would be recognized.
“New York’s nothing like this,” she murmured as the sailboats glided behind Johnny’s client, who did a power pose, hair and dress blowing in the breeze.
“So, you’ll move here,” Aleixo said, as if the matter was settled.
She wished she could. She comforted herself with the thought that a year from now, Hennessy & Co would be restored, and she would be free to finance any dream she chose. Three days with Johnny and Aleixo gave her a new lease on life. They lived simply—Johnny taking whatever gigs he could get and Aleixo working on a local vineyard his father managed. At first, she’d been a little wary of Johnny’s quiet other half and, a bit mortified too, when Johnny told Aleixo to look after her while he worked. She told Aleixo he didn’t have to entertain her.
“The city does the entertaining. The only thing we have to do is take it in,” he said.
Everything that came out of his mouth sounded so romantic and poetic. She couldn’t get enough. The French had nothing on the Portuguese. Aleixo was the perfect partner for Johnny—laidback and steadfast, while Johnny was always in the midst of some creative frenzy.
Like Johnny, Aleixo didn’t ask what she was doing here or when she was leaving. He just accepted her as part of their pack, including her in meals, showing her the highlights of his beloved city, and treating her with the same familiarity that Johnny did even though he’d known her mere days.
“You came here looking for something,” Aleixo said. “We can help you find it.”
When she gave him a side hug, he kissed the top of her head as if she were a child, even though they were the same age.
“A few days in Lisbon and you’ve come alive. You ran the first time Johnny wanted you to dance with him in the street. Today, you did it, no hesitation. You’re living. Whatever caused that sadness in your eyes, it’s done. Move here and start over.”
