today she’s canceled all of our meetings. Maybe it won’t be as difficult as I thought. She seems preoccupied.”
Lauren raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”
“I think so.” Miles shrugged. “Probably just getting used to having a stepfather. She told me she’s taking tomorrow off to do some Christmas shopping, too.”
“Hmm … That’s so unlike her.” Really not like Kate at all. She worked around the clock and had to have at least a dozen VIP clients getting married in the spring. Normally Miles was way out the door by now and rarely came home before eight.
“I know. Very mysterious,” he agreed.
“Okay, well, I’ll text you when we get there.”
Miles grabbed her suitcase handle, struggling to lift it. “Holy jingle bells. What do you have in there?”
She smiled. “I’m going to be gone for a while.”
“Who knew two weeks’ worth of negligées and condoms would be so heavy?”
“No.” She rolled her eyes, then giggled. “Okay, maybe one week’s worth. I didn’t want to get too cocky.”
“One cock is all you need,” Miles responded, not missing his usual saucy beat. He helped her take the suitcase downstairs and loaded it into her BMW along with her other bags.
Lauren thought back to her conversation with Drew yesterday afternoon. Hours after storming out of the boardroom, Drew had stopped by her office to say he’d reconsidered and would accompany her to Snow Frost Mountain. They then decided to take her car instead of flying.
She didn’t know where he’d gone or whom he’d talked to, but he’d been in a much better mood and expressed confidence that they would come up with the perfect plan to save the dolls. He also said he needed to leave for the rest of the day and something about wanting to avoid Luke.
“Call you soon.” She air-kissed Miles, jumped into her car, and turned right toward Luke’s penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side. Maneuvering through traffic, it only took her ten minutes to reach his tree-lined street. On the cobblestone sidewalk stood Drew with a bundled-up Olivia, arms draped around him. Lauren pushed on the horn and popped open her trunk. Rolling down the window she flashed a smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Drew said and untangled himself from Olivia’s arms. Lauren watched from her rearview mirror as he placed his suitcase in her trunk. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a black pea coat. She doubted he had a ski jacket or winter boots in his suitcase. They might have to go clothes shopping. According to the weather report, Snow Frost Mountain was going to live up to its name with a snowstorm in the extended forecast.
“We’ll see you in two weeks,” Lauren couldn’t resist stressing to Olivia before she rolled up her window.
“That wasn’t very nice.” Drew jumped into the passenger seat and began playing with the vents, loosening his scarf.
“What?” Lauren asked innocently.
“This isn’t easy on her.”
“I take it she didn’t take the news so well.” She feigned concern.
“No, she didn’t.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re going away for a month. You’ll be reunited in no time.”
Without a further word, they headed out of Manhattan on Route 95 North. Lauren glanced over at Drew who appeared to be answering e-mails on his tablet. “I’m sorry,” she offered, breaking the silence.
He shook his head. “None of this is your fault. I blame Luke.” He turned his body and searched the back seat. “Where are our children?”
Her breath hitched at his question. “Our children?”
“The dolls. You did bring them, didn’t you?”
“Right. Of course. Those children. They’re in the trunk.”
“Good place.” He chuckled.
“Have you thought of any ideas on how we might sell them along with the extra thousand Luke shipped up to Vermont?”
“I’m working on it.” Drew looked away, and his voice softened. “You know. I really thought this toy was a good idea. I still
Lauren raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”
“I think so.” Miles shrugged. “Probably just getting used to having a stepfather. She told me she’s taking tomorrow off to do some Christmas shopping, too.”
“Hmm … That’s so unlike her.” Really not like Kate at all. She worked around the clock and had to have at least a dozen VIP clients getting married in the spring. Normally Miles was way out the door by now and rarely came home before eight.
“I know. Very mysterious,” he agreed.
“Okay, well, I’ll text you when we get there.”
Miles grabbed her suitcase handle, struggling to lift it. “Holy jingle bells. What do you have in there?”
She smiled. “I’m going to be gone for a while.”
“Who knew two weeks’ worth of negligées and condoms would be so heavy?”
“No.” She rolled her eyes, then giggled. “Okay, maybe one week’s worth. I didn’t want to get too cocky.”
“One cock is all you need,” Miles responded, not missing his usual saucy beat. He helped her take the suitcase downstairs and loaded it into her BMW along with her other bags.
Lauren thought back to her conversation with Drew yesterday afternoon. Hours after storming out of the boardroom, Drew had stopped by her office to say he’d reconsidered and would accompany her to Snow Frost Mountain. They then decided to take her car instead of flying.
She didn’t know where he’d gone or whom he’d talked to, but he’d been in a much better mood and expressed confidence that they would come up with the perfect plan to save the dolls. He also said he needed to leave for the rest of the day and something about wanting to avoid Luke.
“Call you soon.” She air-kissed Miles, jumped into her car, and turned right toward Luke’s penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side. Maneuvering through traffic, it only took her ten minutes to reach his tree-lined street. On the cobblestone sidewalk stood Drew with a bundled-up Olivia, arms draped around him. Lauren pushed on the horn and popped open her trunk. Rolling down the window she flashed a smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Drew said and untangled himself from Olivia’s arms. Lauren watched from her rearview mirror as he placed his suitcase in her trunk. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a black pea coat. She doubted he had a ski jacket or winter boots in his suitcase. They might have to go clothes shopping. According to the weather report, Snow Frost Mountain was going to live up to its name with a snowstorm in the extended forecast.
“We’ll see you in two weeks,” Lauren couldn’t resist stressing to Olivia before she rolled up her window.
“That wasn’t very nice.” Drew jumped into the passenger seat and began playing with the vents, loosening his scarf.
“What?” Lauren asked innocently.
“This isn’t easy on her.”
“I take it she didn’t take the news so well.” She feigned concern.
“No, she didn’t.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re going away for a month. You’ll be reunited in no time.”
Without a further word, they headed out of Manhattan on Route 95 North. Lauren glanced over at Drew who appeared to be answering e-mails on his tablet. “I’m sorry,” she offered, breaking the silence.
He shook his head. “None of this is your fault. I blame Luke.” He turned his body and searched the back seat. “Where are our children?”
Her breath hitched at his question. “Our children?”
“The dolls. You did bring them, didn’t you?”
“Right. Of course. Those children. They’re in the trunk.”
“Good place.” He chuckled.
“Have you thought of any ideas on how we might sell them along with the extra thousand Luke shipped up to Vermont?”
“I’m working on it.” Drew looked away, and his voice softened. “You know. I really thought this toy was a good idea. I still
Similar Books
