Page 34 of BillionHeir

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Maxwell

It took everything I had to keep my hands to myself last night, especially when having Chloe back in my bed, and my arms, has been my goal since the last time she was in it.

But last night, that was not what she needed. What she needed was someone who could give her compassion and empathy, not a man that wanted to ravish her body all night long. I want to be the man who gives her both.

Last night was about proving to her that I am not as bad as I made myself out to be in Maine. And today I want to show her more of the same.

I woke early this morning with one of Chloe’s legs thrown over my own. As much as I wanted to stay and enjoy having her in bed with me, I got up to put some plans into motion. I will handle everything myself this time, instead of relying on Ethan to do it.

I called in a couple of favors to set up an itinerary for the day that I hope will demonstrate to Chloe just how much she means to me.

“Good morning,” she says, her voice still tinged with sleep.

I look up from my desk to the open doorway that she is standing in and smile, motioning for her to come in. I turn my chair sideways and gesture for her to join me. I am not usually comfortable having people in my space, especially my office, but for Chloe, I will make every exception.

We still haven’t really talked about what is going on between us yet, and I am trying to keep it that way until I have had a little time to show her just how good we could be.

Even though we spent the night together, I am quite aware that our relationship is fragile right now and our connection is still tenuous at best. But I am hopeful that she will give me a chance to remedy that.

I am expecting a little resistance from her, but instead, she smiles willingly and walks across the room to sit down in my lap. I wrap my arms around her and revel in the feeling of completeness that washes over me. There is no better feeling than having her pressed against me.

“Have you been awake long?” she asks after a few moments go by.

“I have.”

“Doing what?” she asks, turning her head to look at my computer screen that is currently on my home screen with a picture of my company logo in the background. I made sure to quickly minimize what I was working on so that she wouldn’t catch on to what I am planning.

“Little bit of this, little bit of that,” I say vaguely. “Do you have plans for today?”

“Other than going to spend some time with my mum at the hospital, not really. Why?” she asks, squinting her eyes as though she can find the answer on my face.

“When can I meet her?”

Chloe scrunches her brow in thought. I can only imagine what she is thinking right now.

“I don’t know.” she says after a few seconds of thought. Then, “What are you up to today?”

“Well,” I say, moving past my disappointment as she shifts the subject. Hopefully she will feel differently by the end of the night tonight. “I was hoping to pamper you enough that you would agree to be my date for tonight. ”

“Your date?” she asks, arching an eyebrow. “Date for what?”

“A charity event,” I answer simply.

“What charity?”

“A foundation near and dear to my heart.”

She squints at me, clearly noticing my deflection. “I am afraid I don’t have anything to wear,” she says finally, her body stiff in my arms.

“I have sorted that,” I respond, keeping my hold on her despite the fact that she is doing everything she can to emotionally distance herself from me.

“What about my hair and makeup?”

“I have booked those services as well,” I answer confidently. “As well as a massage. But we don’t have to get started until later today. I was hoping you might meet me at Harrods this afternoon for a bit of tea and shopping. Would one be too early?”

“You are kidding, right?” she asks, a stunned look on her face.

“Not unless you want me to be. I have put thought into this day, but one word from you and I will cancel everything.”

I think Chloe can see the honesty in my face. She gives me a hesitant smile and nods. “One should be fine. But I will need to get going soon if you really want to do this.”

“I really want to do this. Please.” I add at the end.

“Okay. Where shall I meet you? ”

“I will pick you up.”

* * *

“This is too much,” Chloe says, looking at herself in the mirror. “Really, Maxwell, it is not like we are having dinner with the King or anything.”

I arch an eyebrow at her. “I prefer when you call me Max.”

“Max, seriously,” she says, looking at herself in a strapless black dress with a skirt so voluminous that I can’t tell where the material stops and Chloe starts. “I am not a princess.”

“You are in my eyes.”

She rolls her eyes, making me laugh out loud. “Honestly. I don’t need this kind of extravagance.”

“I have never met a woman so uncomfortable with my money before,” I say, rising from the dressing room couch and walking toward her.

“We could just donate the money you would have spent on this dress and order room service. Who would spend this kind of money on a dress to wear one time?”

“Well, most women I think, but that is not the point. This is the way things are done at this type of event. You will appreciate having such a nice dress once we are in the room with all the vultures I have to deal with on a daily basis. Think of this dress as more of a shield of armor than a gown. The better you look, the more comfortable you will feel in a room full of strangers. The King included. ”

“You are joking, right? The King really won’t be there, will he?” her eyes search mine. “What charity did you say this is for?”

“I am not sure I did,” I counter. I am a smart man. I have purposely withheld this information out of fear that she will back out once she knows.

“Well, out with it then,” she says, stepping back and looking over at the rack of dresses she has yet to try.

“The King’s Foundation,” I say finally, wincing as I do.

“What?” she asks, her voice oddly shrill. “You are kidding. I can’t go to a charity ball for the King’s Foundation.”

“Why not?” I ask, taking a tentative step toward a very panicked Chloe.

“Why not? Why not?” she asks, her voice even more high pitched than before. “Because the royal family will be there for one.”

“Don’t tell me you have a crush on Harry.”

“Of course I don’t. He is not my type at all. But still, Maxwell. I can’t—”

“Will you please call me Max?” I grit out.

“I am sorry, but seriously, Max,” she says, well and truly worked up.

Finally, I reach out and grab her, pulling her close to me and kissing her. I run my hands up and down her arms, soothing her even as I can feel my own heart start to race .

“Chloe, honey, it is going to be alright. If you don’t want to go with me tonight, you don’t have to. But it would mean a great deal to me if you did.”

I feel her start to relax in my arms where I still have her tightly wrapped for fear that she might run away, never to be seen again. She takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out.

“Okay,” she says, sounding much calmer. “But don’t you dare leave me alone. If I have to meet the royal family, I am going to need you to hold my hand.”

“Consider it done,” I respond. I would give her anything she asked for. Holding her hand all night long was a foregone conclusion in my mind. “Now, is this the dress?”

She twists out of my arms to look at herself in the full-length mirror once more and I immediately feel a void where she just stood.

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

I grab the glass of champagne I set down earlier and take a sip as I observe the dress. It is not something I would choose for her, but I am not sure how to say that delicately.

“If you don’t love it, I don’t love it,” I answer safely. Truthfully, she could be wearing a burlap sack and I would still think she was the most beautiful woman in the world. But I want her to be confident tonight, and I can tell that she is not feeling it in this dress .

“Right,” she says, flipping through the rack of dresses. After she goes through a few of the options, her eyes light up. She pulls a long, flowing gold dress off the rack by the hanger and rushes into the dressing room. “Be right back.”

While she is gone, I have some time to sit back and relax. My mind drifts back to this morning after she left for the hospital. I barely got any work done due to fantasizing about the woman of my dreams. I think that is a first for me.

Women have never been a distraction for me the way they seem to be for other men. I have always been able to focus on my company and get my work done.

But all of that has changed since Chloe came along.

I don’t hate it as much as I would have expected.

I find I rather enjoy spoiling her. If I am not doing that, I am thinking of ways that I can spoil her in the future. I want to give her everything her heart desires.

I have been pulling some strings behind the scenes, setting up appointments to make sure that everything runs smoothly tonight.

I have also been speaking with some doctors I have become connected with over the years.

I don’t know all the specifics of Chloe’s mother’s diagnosis, but once I do, I am confident we will be able to find a treatment plan that works for her.

When she reemerges fifteen minutes later, she is back in a pair of well-fitting jeans and a black T-shirt .

“Where is the dress?” I ask, confused.

“The woman who has been helping me is having it wrapped up.”

“I don’t get to see it?” I pout.

“It is a surprise,” she says, walking up to me and taking the champagne flute out of my hand. My eyebrows rise as she brazenly takes a sip of it.

I swallow loudly before stuttering out a reply. “Well, then.”

When we get back to my hotel room where I have arranged the hair stylist and makeup artist to meet us, it is more of the same. I had hoped to be able to watch her transition from her natural beauty to bedazzled for our night out as it was happening, but instead she kicks me out.