Chapter 75: First Night With Soren?
**Sorenâs POV Thomas was waiting for me at the end of Rosalieâs driveway, my briefcase in his hand.
I didnât say anything, but I knew the look on his face. He was afraid I was going to be late for my meetin g back in Avondale, and maybe he was right.
Well, Edgar Maul could wait. We had a deal to work out, but until he could come around to my terms, it wasnât like he was my best pal. I
wasnât eager to see him anyway.
âYou look relaxed,â Thomas noted, falling into step beside me as we walked briskly to the waiting limo.
I shook my head. âPiano,â was all I was willing to say.
âSo your plan is working,â he replied, pushing the subject. âShe liked it?â
âShe loved it.â The driver opened the door, and Iâslid in, Thomas following me. I remembered Rosalieâs f ace when she saw the piano across the room. âWorked like a charm.â
Thomas smirked a little, looking away, his eyes focused out the window as the car began to roll.
âWhatâs that look for?â | glared at him.
âHuh?â Suddenly, he had a hearing problem. That, or he just didnât want to answer me.
âOh, uh, nothing. I just⦠you said charmed, and I was just thinking⦠perhaps⦠you were a little charm ed.â
I stared at him for a long moment. âPerhaps you should be careful what you say to me, Thomas, or you might find yourself flying out the window.â
He straightened his face, but I was only partially joking. It was true that Rosalie was quite pretty and beguiling, but I knew that this was pure business. I had my goals in mind, and I wasnât going to lose focus on them.
My cell phone rang, so I fished it out of my jacket pocket and noted that it was Damian of all people. I cursed under my breath before an swering it.
I didnât really want to speak to him. âWhat do you want?â I asked him.
âJust checking in,â he replied. âHow did it go?â
âYeah, well, had you done your job,â I reminded him. âmaybe then she wouldnât have gotten the total sh *t beaten out of her,â
âJust a little sh*t?â he asked. I narrowed my eyes, not that he could see me. âAnyway, what do you want me to do now?â
* Just hang tight. She doesnât leave this island without me and my permission.â No one left this island w ithout my permission. âIâve got some other things you can handle while youâre here if you think you can handle it. But then, Iâll have to make sure none of them involve pregnant women bec ause clearly they can take you down easily and take your toys.â
âShe drugged me!â Damian shouted into my ear.
âI donât accept excuses, Damian! You failed and put the entire plan into jeopardy. Iâll have Thomas text
you later.â I hung up the phone and put it back in my pocket.
âWhat am I texting him later?â Thomas asked.
âDo you always eavesdrop?â I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.
âWeâre sitting less than four feet apart,â he said, his tone calm, as it should be. I had been pretending to be too nice for too long.
âJust an odd job or something. Keep him busy while I figure out what the h+Il to do with him. Speaking
of odd jobs, have you heard from McGintry today?â I had sent the other mercenary on an odd job the d ay before, and he hadnât reported yet, to my knowledge.
Thomas nodded. âYeah, he took out Clark and four of his men. Got the money. Weâre good.â
I smiled. I always liked it when reports ended that way,we got the money and weâre good. That was what I liked to hear.
âAnd we got that shipment through, so that supply chain in the north isnât going anywhere.â
My smile broadened. Lots of good news today.
The car kept rolling, and I focused on the meeting I had with Edgar Maul. It wasnât easy being me, but someone had to do it.
ââââââââââââ
**Rosalieâs POV My fingers continued to fly over the keys, and my voice mingled with the melody, filling the small living r oom of the cottage with music.
It had only been a couple of hours since Soren had left, but I already missed him, and I couldnât quite say why.
I just wished he were still in the chair, listening to me play, with that calm, relaxed smile on his face. It made me so happy knowing I could make someone feel that way.
Not often did I feel like someone really appreciated my music, but Soren did.
âMiss Ro?â Lola said, pausing in the entryway. âPlease pardon my intrusion, but itâs past two oâclock. Yo u should take a break from your music playing and eat some lunch. Seraphine is here too.â
My fingers stopped tracing the notes, and I looked over at her, standing with her hands behind her and
her head tipped slightly down, like I might be upset at her words.
She was right. I did need to eat. The baby needed to eat.
I was hungry anyway, and it wasnât like the piano wouldnât be here later. I pulled myself away from my n ew gift and followed her into the dining area where she had a small spread of sandwiches and other fin ger foods set out for me, Lola and Seraphine knew how I hated eating by myself, so at least one of them always ate with me, ev en if it was against the rules of high society. Today, three of us sat at the table, and I told them about the trip Iâd taken onto the other island. I told them about the seaplane ride,
shopping for baby furniture, and how kind Soren had been.
âI couldnât believe he wanted to bring in a piano,â Lola noted. âBut Iâm so glad he did. Miss Ro, you play so. beautifully.â
âThank you,â I said, âI will be playing for him whenever he likes to repay him for his kindness.â
âWell, he certainly seems to like you,â Lola said with a twinkle in her eye.
I smiled at her, but I was shaking my head. âItâs not like that at all,â I told her. âWe are just friends.â
Lolaâs eyebrows raised. She took a bite of her sandwich, and I knew she wouldnât question me, but she didnât have to use words to make me feel that she didnât believe what I was saying.
âYou have been through a lot,â Seraphine said. âWe donât have to know the story to know that. You are r man. You can trust him.â
I looked around the table, and both of them were nodding.
They knew him better than I did. I trusted them-and I was beginning to trust him.
Later that night, I was lying in bed, thinking about my baby, trying not to think about Ethan. My hands were sore from playing so much in one day. I had gotten little else done because Iâd spent so much time at the piano. The garden w My phone buzzedâ
yes, since I moved to Papeno, he had even given me a phone. He claimed that this was a âwork phone.
to it.
I picked it up, noting it was past midnight.
I knew it had to be Soren calling. Who else could it be?
âAre you still awake?â he asked me.
âNo,â I answered, just being silly.
He sent a laughing emoji. âAre you sleep texting then?â
âMaybe,â I said. âAre you in Avondale?â
âNo,â he replied. âIâm at your front door.â
| almost jumped up from the bed. I wasnât expecting that.
I grabbed my robe, putting it on over my pajamas. I slid my phone into my pocket and shoved my feet into my slippers.
At least I knew what this late-
night call was about, and it had nothing to do with the bedroom. I still laughed at myself for what Iâd thou When I reached the door, I pulled it open to find a slightly disheveled Soren standing there with roses in his hand. They were pinkââ
for friendship. His tie was undone, and his hair was a little messy, but he was smiling. âCare to sing me a lullaby?â
I laughed. âYou brought me flowers, even at midnight?â
He shrugged. âItâs what I do.â
I moved aside so that he could come in, and we walked into the living room. Lola didnât stay here, so I got my own vase. I also grabbed a blanket and pillow for him, and as So
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