Tempted by the Tycoon's Proposal

‘No, now. Just me and you.’

‘I don’t know, Lily...’ She looked back towards the bedroom then the clock on the wall. It wasn’t the dead of night, but it was hardly breakfast time either, and what if Jack woke and they weren’t here?

‘We could leave a note on the pillow; that way Daddy’ll know where we are,’ she said, guessing at the cause of Sophia’s hesitation. ‘And we don’t want to wake him. He needs his sleep. He doesn’t sleep enough.’

Sophia shook her head. ‘When did you get so grown-up?’

She shrugged. ‘He works too hard and travels too much...but hopefully that will all be different now.’

Her words chimed with Sophia’s own hope for the future, for everything they’d yet to discuss but she felt in her heart would happen.

‘I hope so too.’

‘So can we? One last snowman and maybe a small walk, just to the lake?’ Her eyes were wide and pleading and she couldn’t say no, she just couldn’t.

‘Okay, get yourself dressed in warm clothing. I’ll go and write the note.’

Lily gave a silent squeal, her hands tight on Sophia’s, and then she was running, her tiny feet silent against the wooden floor as she made for her bedroom to get dressed.

Sophia shook her head, her smile so indulgent and full of love. If she could bottle happiness, she’d bottle this right now and make millions.

Only her man already had his own wealth, the happiness and the money and the love.

She shook her head some more as she made her way to the desk to seek out some paper and a pen.

She’d just finished placing the note on her pillow when she heard Lily’s soft approach. She looked up to see her in the doorway, hat and gloves in hand, hair still ruffled from sleep. She smiled and placed a finger over her lips, gesturing to a sleeping Jack as she passed by the bed. Lily grinned and nodded.

She paused at the door and gave him one last loving look. ‘Back soon, sleepyhead.’

They pulled on their hats and gloves and zipped their coats high as they made their way to the ground floor, passing the skeleton staff on the way with a respectful greeting and a smile. It did feel a little weird to be wandering around before sunrise, but she figured with a skyline like Iceland’s they must be used to people heading out at all hours, looking to enjoy the view.

When they reached the main exit, Lily slipped her hand in hers. ‘This is really exciting!’

‘It is, isn’t it.’

And it really was—her tummy danced with it. She wasn’t sure whether it was the early hour, the magic of the lights continuing to ripple through the sky or the after-effects of last night, but she could feel it too. The butterflies, the excitement, the thrill of what was to come.

* * *

Jack woke to nothing. No noise. No Sophia. Nothing.

Instead of her warm, pliant body, he had her pillow clutched to his chest, her scent still there but no residual heat, no her. How long had she been gone?

He shoved it away, blinking against the chilling grey light that peeped through the gap in the blind, and the feeling of unease grew. The sun was up and yet there was no sound from Lily, no sound at all. She wouldn’t sleep this late, even when jet-lagged; she was always up at the crack of dawn.

He raked a hand through his hair and over his face. He felt drugged, his head thick with too much sleep and it didn’t help his unease. He threw back the covers and rose up, his head spinning with the speed of the move. One glass of wine and he felt like this...though it wasn’t the wine. It wasn’t even the persistent jet lag. It was the fact she had gone. That after the night they had shared she’d sneaked out without so much as a wake-up kiss.

But maybe he was wrong, maybe his ears were deceiving him, maybe she was in the living area keeping quiet to let him sleep. She knew how tired he’d been and it was just the sort of caring thing she would do.

He tugged on a pair of lounge pants, his feet heavy as he made for the doorway, and breathed in deep, his arms stretching out. Yes, she would be here, and if not here, maybe back in her own room getting ready for breakfast.

He looked through the gap in Lily’s door. Her quilt was thrown back, her bed empty. He opened the door further. No sign. He carried on through the suite.

‘Hello?’

Nothing.

‘Lily... Sophia...’