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Adding Roth into the mix threw her plans for a low-key night out the window. Should she text her sisters that he was coming to dinner, or did they expect him to accompany her? Even though she intended to invite him, she had assumed he would turn her down. He didn’t do family shit and wasn’t a fan of holidays, milestones, or anniversaries. He’d told her not to send birthday or Christmas gifts in the past—an instruction she’d ignored—so why would he bother having Thanksgiving dinner with her family? Then again, he had to keep up appearances. Lyle would expect it after the besotted newlywed act they’d put on in Lisbon.
She glanced at her reflection and was satisfied with the transformation. She forced herself to smile so she could add extra blush to the apples of her cheeks before heading to the closet to get dressed. Roth was dressed in a suit, but knowing she’d be spending the night with her nieces and nephew, Jasmine had gone for comfy, chic, and a little sexy, with a fitted long-sleeve black dress with a high neck. There was a slit the dress didn’t need, with it already being so short. She’d put on black tights so her sisters wouldn’t have a hernia, completing the outfit with knee-high chunky boots and a heather-gray coat. The final touch was her mother’s necklace—a diamond pendant on a dainty gold chain.
Roth sat in the living room with a laptop balanced on his knee. His eyes swept over her and warmed before he focused on the large packages she held.
He frowned. “What’s all that?”
“Presents.”
“It’s not Christmas.”
She tipped her nose in the air. “It doesn’t have to be Christmas to get a present.” She bent over to make sure she had everything and didn’t realize he’d moved until he gripped her hips.
“Do I get a present?”
Considering she’d just been thinking about his reaction to her past attempts to give him gifts, she was surprised he’d brought it up.
She turned to face him. “You never liked presents.”
“I didn’t appreciate them at the time.”
Her eyes moved over him, taking in his appearance. Roth employed personal shoppers to make sure he looked the part of a tycoon. Thinking back to how insistent she’d been to send him some ties she’d come across at Macy’s for his birthday, her cheeks heated. Yes, she could imagine her presents hadn’t been all that special. What was she supposed to give a man who could acquire a jet with the amenities he wanted within a few hours? She wasn’t a broke college student relying on her husband any longer. She had millions at her disposal, but he had billions. No comparison. Today, she’d stuffed the clothes she bought him at the Copenhagen market behind some shelves and planned to donate them. She wasn’t going to test his newfound willingness to please her by forcing him to wear them.
“You’ll have to tell me what you want,” she said with a half-smile to conceal her embarrassment. “I don’t want to get you something you don’t want.”
He frowned, eyes moving pensively over her face.
“Are you sure you want to come to this?” she asked to distract him. “It could be...” She flipped her hand back and forth to express the potentially unpleasant environment they could be walking into.
“They have to get used to me,” he said as he brushed her curls over her shoulder. “And so do you.”
So be it.
She stepped back. “We’d better go.”
CHAPTER 10
As they descended to the lobby, she was startled by how many times the elevator stopped to pick up other residents. Apparently, the whole building was trying to get somewhere for dinner. Roth stepped into a corner, and she scooted in front of him. Mr. Pearson, one of her father’s business partners, guffawed over something his wife said, but the moment he caught sight of them, his smile vanished. He didn’t advance into the elevator but stood directly in front of the doors with his wife. When they reached the lobby, Mrs. Pearson shot her an unreadable glance before following in her husband’s wake. Jasmine glanced up at Roth to see how he’d taken that little exchange, but he looked as unruffled as ever.
A parade of luxury cars was lined up in front of the building. Mo was behind the wheel of a Bentley.
She gripped Roth’s arm to get his attention. “Can we walk?” When he stared at her, she said, “It’s just a block.” She could use a few minutes to get her thoughts together before facing her family.
Roth walked over to Johan, who was waiting to open the back door. Johan’s brows shot up before his face smoothed into professional impassivity. He accepted both packages Roth handed to him and ducked down to speak to Mo before he followed.
Roth offered her his hand. Their eyes met briefly before she took it. As they made their way toward Park Avenue, she glanced back and was surprised to see Mo pacing alongside Johan. They each held one of the bags filled with presents as the Bentley turned the corner with another driver behind the wheel.
The sidewalks were teeming with people, but Roth didn’t weave through the crowd—he glided forward, and people naturally gave way to him. Although everyone was bundled up against the chilly night, Jasmine made note of the glimpses she got of this season’s fashion trends. As they passed a newsstand, she scanned the papers and magazines and did a double take when she spotted some familiar faces on the cover of Business Weekly. She looked up, intending to point it out to Roth, but a glance at his intense scrutiny of the crowd made her forget about the magazine cover.
For the first time, she registered his hold on her was a little tighter than it should be for a light stroll. Roth was acting like a bodyguard instead of the client. Her dad had hired security, but it was nothing compared to Roth’s rigorous surveillance. She’d managed to fool her previous security team, but Mo and Johan never relaxed their guard... much like their boss. They acted like there was an active threat.
“Are you armed?” she asked as they turned right onto East 56th Street.
“Yes.”
She missed a step, forcing him to pause so she could get her footing. “I didn’t see you strap on anything.”
He guided her hand to his back and let her feel the bulge there. “There’s a safe in the closet, behind my shoes. I have an ankle holster too.”
