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As if perfectly attuned to her, his head snapped up and his eyes clashed with hers.
A slow smile lifted his lips, and she forgot to breathe.
“I didn’t realize Philip was seeing to you on this trip as well,” she said.
“Philip has been seeing to me for over ten years,” he replied.
Surprise made her steps falter.“But I thought he was my personal bodyguard.”
“I may have made a few adjustments to the arrangements before we left New York.”
“A few adjust— You mean you were so sure you’d achieve this end?That I’d come with you?”
“Not sure.Hopeful.Besides, I trust Philip.More than any other human being.”
The unexpected insight into his life made her glance at him, and she held her breath as she waited for more.
But he merely stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor.
The limo ride to the airport was different from the ride that had brought them to the hotel from their tour.
With the business world up and active on the other side of the globe, Zach Savage went into full entrepreneurial mode.Earpiece in place, he fired up a laptop, murmured an excuse and then proceeded to make phone call after phone call all the way to the airport.He switched from French to English to German with a fluency that made her eyes widen in awe.He barely stopped to show his passport before he was back on the phone again.
They were leaving the VIP lounge to board their flight when he turned to her with those laser, peace-shattering eyes.“I apologize for this, but I’m trying to clear my schedule as much as possible before we land in Paris.Is that okay?”
The idea that a hot, deliciously sexy billionaire was asking her if it was okay to conduct business melted away the trace of irritation she’d been feeling.The thought that he was clearing his schedule just for her made her chest ache in an unfamiliar way.She reached for her purse.
“It’s fine.Go ahead.I need to make some calls myself.”
When he froze and raised an eyebrow, she answered, “My parents.I promised to get in touch when I landed in Shanghai.”She also needed to let Keely know she was deviating from her once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As to whether Keely would root for her or not was another matter.For all her grab-life-by-the-balls attitude, Keely could be extremely grounded and conservative in certain situations.
She might not think Bethany was making a mistake by accepting whatever it was Zachary Savage was offering.Then again, she might.
Which was why Bethany chickened out after she’d finished speaking to her parents and sent her best friend a text instead of calling her.Although they were surprised about her abrupt change of plan, they accepted her breezy explanation about why she’d ditched The Indigo Lounge experience—she’d decided to join a friend in Paris and Morocco instead of finishing her trip.
She turned her phone off and followed Zachary Savage into first class.Noting that they were the only occupants, she turned to him.His gaze was firmly fixed on her as he conversed in fluent Italian, and he cut the connection only when a stewardess stepped forward and showed them to their seats.Bethany accepted her glass of chilled champagne and the chocolate truffles with a smile and tried not to look awestruck at her luxurious surroundings.
Zach broke his conversation long enough for takeoff.“Everything went well with your phone calls?”
“My parents don’t know enough about my trip to question why I’ve descended into madness by abandoning it.All they want to know is that I’m safe.”
He nodded.“Your safety is guaranteed.Never doubt that.”
There was a depth of conviction in his tone that made her believe him.Taking a piece of chocolate, he fed it to her, watched her mouth with hungry, intense eyes as she chewed and licked her lips.
With what seemed like monumental effort, he pulled his gaze away and sat back in his chair.“Try and get some sleep, Peaches.You’ll need your strength in the hours and days to come.”
“Another boast, Savage?”
“A very friendly warning from a very hungry carnivore who intends to stop only when you’re in danger of becoming permanently bow-legged,” he said darkly.He took her almost empty glass of champagne, set it to one side.Then he shook out the softly luxurious cashmere throw the stewardess presented him with.
Before she could ask him what he was doing, he pressed a button on her seat and Bethany felt the seat recline with an almost silent whine.
When she was fully reclined, he placed the throw over her and tucked her in.He picked up the glass and raised an eyebrow at her.
She shook her head because she didn’t need any more alcohol.Between the power of his words and gentleness of his touch, her whole body was buzzing.