Ariel remained in place.
I left the office and walked upstairs to the bedroom. I had safes in various places around the castle, dispersing important items in separate locations so it would be difficult to rob me. Ariel’s cash was in this safe, along with some of my family heirlooms.
When I walked inside, London had just finished drying her hair with a towel wrapped around her waist. “What a nice surprise.” She walked up to me and kissed me, dropping the towel at the same time.
My hands slid up her back and to her shoulders as I kissed her, my body automatically reacting to hers. Her perky tits were pressed against my body, and my hands slid down to her ass and gave both cheeks a squeeze. For a second, I forgot the reason why I came up here to begin with. I pulled away and ignored the hard-on that formed in my slacks. “Ariel is waiting for me downstairs. I just came to grab something from the safe.”
“There’s a safe up here?”
“Yeah.” I walked around her and entered the private living room. The safe was behind one of the picture frames. No one knew where it was besides myself. I didn’t even share that knowledge with my employees. I was about to ask London to go into the other room so I could have some privacy, but I knew that wasn’t how I wanted our relationship to be. I trusted her, and I needed to prove it.
I pulled the picture off the wall then spun the dial left and right until I got the code right. Then I opened the door and saw the heirlooms inside. My great-great-grandfather’s crown sat on the top shelf, the material rusty and some of the gems missing. There were a few other things passed down from my ancestors, including a brush that had most of the bristles missing.
London stood beside me and peered inside. “Oh my god…are those real?”
“Yeah.” No matter how many times I looked at them, I never forgot how significant they were. These were relics that had lasted hundreds of years. There was a time when civilization didn’t rely on the internet, mass production, or even automobiles. My ancestors survived long enough to have me, and now I lived a life of luxury that my relatives never dreamed.
“That’s incredible…” She stared at them for a long time and didn’t try to touch anything.
I didn’t put my hands on any of the relics because the oils from my fingertips were damaging. They weren’t exposed to sunlight and stayed at a constant temperature at all times. I pulled out the bag of cash and left the door open. “Make sure you close it when you’re finished.”
“You’re gonna leave it open like that?” she asked incredulously.
I wanted to prove that I trusted her so we could be the way we used to be. I knew she didn’t want me for my wealth or my connections. If anything, she loved me in spite of those things. “I know you’ll take care of it.”
A slight smile crept into her lips. “Ariel stopped by for money?”
“Yeah. She has some stuff at Fair Isle as well. I’ll have to have someone fly out and bring it to her.”
She nodded slightly. “You aren’t gonna try to talk to her again?”
“No.” Ariel wouldn’t change her mind unless I gave her what she wanted. I walked out so I wouldn’t have to listen to London convince me to fight for a woman who didn’t want to work with me anymore.
I returned to my office and set the cloth bag stuffed with money on the desk. “I haven’t touched it since I put it in the safe. You can count it if you want.” I sat in the leather chair and crossed my legs.
She opened her purse and placed the money inside. “I know you’re good for it. So, you’ll let me know when my jewelry is back?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.” She wasn’t just civil, but slightly cold.
“Where are you living?” It was strange not knowing about Ariel’s life. It’d only been a short time since she left me, but it felt like an eternity.
“I’m moving to London—with Cassandra.”
“That’s great. I’m happy for you.” Maybe she was taking this opportunity to settle down and have a life that wasn’t centered around work. “She seems like a nice woman.”
“She’s incredible. I’m looking forward to living with her.”
I suddenly felt a pain in my chest, missing her before she even walked out the door. “You know, you can always call me if you need anything. I’m more than happy to write you an incredible recommendation.”
Her coldness finally dropped, replaced by a soft expression I’d hardly ever witnessed. “I know, Crewe. I appreciate that.”
I came around the desk and extended my arms to hug her. At our previous interaction when we were closing our partnership, it wasn’t the right time for a real goodbye. We got down to business, and she got her check and walked out the door. I was too angry to say how I really felt.