Spirit (Blackwood Security, #10.5) - Elise Noble Page 0,39
and this time we won’t tell anyone about it.”
“Good plan. Reckon there’s anything for sale around Tristan da Cunha?” They’d never find us there. “Or New Zealand? New Zealand sounds nice.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“In the meantime, maybe we could just go to bed and sleep until January?”
“Sleep?”
Sometimes, I forgot how fast Black could move. In the blink of an eye, we were in an empty stairwell, my legs were wrapped around his waist, and he was kissing me breathless.
“Okay, okay. I’ll compromise on sex and coffee.”
Black leaned his forehead against mine. Gave me one more soft kiss on the lips.
“I’d like nothing more, but I still have one more task left to complete for Project Mistletoe.”
“Huh? No, Bradley ticked off everything on the list.”
Doris and her friends were happy. Kiara had seen the roof of her house from the air. Valerie and Chay were safe. José was with his dad, and Gwendolyn and her family were crying and hugging each other over mulled wine and sugar cookies. Job done.
“But the solution to Valerie’s problem is only temporary. I hear there’s a man in Iowa who needs his testicles rearranged.”
“I was going to take care of that after Christmas.”
“Apparently, I’m meant to be doing it.”
Suddenly, it clicked. “You’ve been speaking to James, haven’t you?”
“You seem surprised?”
“I guess I am.”
Black shrugged. “We still talk. Anyhow, what about it? You, me, Iowa?”
“Right now?”
“No time like the present. I’ve been tracking Wallace’s phone, and he’s home.”
“We’ll miss Christmas dinner.”
Black just stared at me, and my lips slowly curved into a smile.
“Sounds good to me.”
Black headed for the door, but I wriggled out of his arms before we left the building. If we just disappeared, Bradley would send out a search party, and nobody wanted to waste their time on Christmas Day.
“Black’s surprising me with a trip this afternoon,” I told Dan.
“You’re skipping Christmas dinner?”
“You know I’d love nothing more than to sit around eating turkey all evening, but…”
“Hallelujah. If you’re not gonna be at today’s shindig, I won’t feel so guilty when the fire alarm goes off at Ethan’s studio. Mack’s planning a water leak, and I’m pretty sure Tabby’s gonna get sick too. I overheard Ana coaching her on what to say.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried people might get upset when we didn’t show up at our own party.”
“No, no, everyone’ll be good with it. I gave Mrs. Fairfax a heads-up, and she ordered a bunch of takeout boxes.”
“And this is why I love you, slut.”
I gave Dan a hug, and she squished me right back.
“Where are you going?”
“To a special performance of The Nutcracker.”
“In Richmond? I thought Bradley forgot about that?”
“No, in Cedar Rapids.”
Ah, now she got it. Dan pulled back and gave me a huge grin.
“And this is why I love you, bitch. See you tomorrow.”
“Could you do me one favour?” I pulled an envelope out of my purse. “Give this to Valerie when she takes a break from the reunion.”
“What is it?”
“Her Christmas present.” A twelve-month lease on an apartment in Richmond. “Have fun with Ethan. Don’t do anything I would do.”
“More champagne, Diamond?”
“Don’t mind if I do. And pass me another packet of peanuts, would ya?”
Three o’clock in the morning, and I lay back on the jet’s tiny double bed wearing nothing but a pair of candy-striped thigh-high stockings. By the time we’d finished with Spencer Wallace, it had been too late to find a hotel, so Black and I were reduced to foraging for snacks in the galley in between rounds.
And do you know what? It was perfect.
All I wanted for Christmas was my husband.
Spencer had terminated his parental rights, signed the divorce papers, and promised not to make a fuss in court when the judge finalised everything. He also assured us that he’d never come near Valerie again. Did I believe him? Yes, I did, because Black had made it quite clear that Spencer would have to go through him to get to her. And like all bullies, Spencer turned into a wreck when confronted by someone bigger.
Black topped off my glass and handed it back to me.
“Happy Christmas.”
“I didn’t think it was going to be, but it’s actually turned out okay. We’ve found new friends, made a bunch of people smile, threatened to mince a guy’s gonads, and now we’re here together. What more could we possibly desire?”
Black treated me to my favourite smile. The filthy, dirty, cunning, secret one that nobody else ever saw.
“I do have an idea.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“On your knees, Diamond.”
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