Page 49 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

“It’s a good starter suite,” Alistair teased. “We’ll save the other one for next time.”

Next time? I blinked in response to his words. Did he envision a future London trip with me?

My heart skipped, giddy at the possibility, but I reined myself in quickly. Be reasonable, woman! The man had only kissed me once. I didn’t need to get ahead of myself or start overthinking his words.

I hurried to change the subject. “What are all these secret plans you were arranging on the flight?” I checked my watch. “Also, don’t you have meetings to get to?”

A wicked grin flashed across his face. “I do. Which is why I’ve called Alfie.”

“Your assistant?”

He nodded. “He lives in London and has graciously agreed to be your guide while I’m away.”

“Guide for what?” I pressed. He’d been tight-lipped since leaving the jet. “I like a surprise as much as the next woman, but come on⁠—”

Something buzzed through the suite. Loudly. Tiny footsteps went thundering down the hall.

“The doooooor!” Kenna cried. “I’ll get it, Daddy!”

I half expected to hear Princess barking at her heels, but we’d left her in Aisling’s very eager hands for a few days. Which actually meant she was Weston and Lena’s responsibility.

“That’ll be Alfie now,” Alistair said, turning for the door. I hurried after him. Crossing the suite to the entryway felt like a marathon. I’d once stayed in a hotel room where I had to keep my bag in the bathroom because in the main room, it took up too much of the floor space for me to navigate around it. While the suite was, of course, only a fraction of the size of the castle, it still felt impossibly huge.

Kenna was tugging on the giant gold door handle when we reached her. “It’s too heavy,” she grunted.

“It’s locked, sweetheart.” Alistair turned the bolt.

The door swung open to reveal a young man wearing rectangular glasses, boat shoes, and a bright yellow Gucci cardigan that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. He had blond highlights in his dark hair and two lightning bolt-shaped piercings in his left ear.

“All right?” Alfie said, waltzing through the door. He was younger than I’d expected, but maybe that’s how he kept up with the schedule of a billionaire.

“Alfie!” Kenna cheered, rushing to give him a hug.

“Hiya, kiddo. You all right?”

“Like my bracelet?” she asked, holding her arm out for him to see the beads.

“Oh, it’s gorg. Where’s mine?”

“I can make you one!” she said, delighted by the idea. Then she pouted. “But I don’t have my beads.”

“Maybe we can pick you up a small kit today,” I suggested before she could get too upset.

“Alfie,” Alistair said, reaching around me. His hand fell to the small of my back, and I fought a shiver. “This is Madison.”

Alfie reached for my hand. His cuticles looked better than mine. “Nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Good to meet you too.” I smiled. “I’ve so far learned that you micromanage Alistair’s life.”

“I try to,” he laughed, rolling his eyes. “The man is always trying to do the most.”

Alistair arched an eyebrow like the idea of doing anything less than “the most” had never even occurred to him, but then he reached down and scooped Kenna onto his hip. “You behave for Alfie and Madison, right? Daddy’s going to pop out to his meetings, but I’ll see you tonight.”

“I have to stay here?” Kenna said, pouting.

I wondered suddenly if she remembered being squirreled away in London during the trial, forced to stay indoors to avoid the press.

“No, kiddo. We’re going out on the town,” Alfie said, waving his hands with jazz-fingers pizzazz. “C’mon. Say goodbye. We’ve got places to be.”