Page 38 of BillionHeir

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Chloe

“Ladies, I will be just a moment,” Max says, holding a ringing phone as he steps out into the hallway.

We both watch him walk out the door and close it quietly behind him before I turn back to my mom.

“Okay, what do you really think?”

Mum pauses for a few seconds and it takes all the patience I have not to urge her to speak.

“I think I like him,” she says finally.

A whoosh of breath escapes my lungs. “ That is a relief.”

“Did you think I was going to hate him, love?”

“No, I suppose not. But I was just worried, you know? I really like him, mum. Actually, if I am being honest, love him.”

“I can see that, darling. It is obvious to anyone who looks at you that you are besotted. And he is as well, if what he says is the truth.”

I nod with tears in my eyes.

“I never thought I would see the day,” my mum says with a large smile on her face.

“What? That is rude!”

My mother chuckles before patting the bed for me to sit next to her.

I do as she asks, enjoying the closeness.

If I am to believe Max, I am going to get much more time with her like this back in Boston.

It is weird to imagine my mother in the US, but good weird.

I look forward to more quality time with her.

“I always assumed that you would find someone to share your life with, sweetheart. But you are so independent. I wasn’t sure if it would happen in my lifetime.”

I suppose she is right. She nearly died the last time she went through her cancer treatments, and now she is sick again.

I close my eyes to fight the feelings of helplessness that rise up when I think about her diagnoses and how finite our time together might really be.

But all that has changed with Max finding her a team of doctors.

It gives me the strength to hope, to believe that she can beat this once and for all, when I barely could before.

“Well,” I say with a cautious sense of cheer. “I am sure Max’s doctors are going to get you sorted in no time. You will get to see New England in the fall as well, which is just lovely, Mum. You are going to love it.”

“I know for sure that I will love being there with you.”

* * *

“The doctors began reviewing your mother’s records as soon as she gave permission this morning. They have already identified several treatment options for her, and they are very optimistic about her prognosis.”

We have just left the hospital for the evening. Max spent most of the afternoon working on his laptop in the cafeteria while I sat with my mum. I told him he didn’t need to, but he insisted on staying.

Mum and I both thought it was unnecessary, but quite touching.

“Really?” I ask, unable to keep the disbelief out of my voice.

Max looks over at me and reaches for my hand. “Really.”

His confidence in her health is all it takes for tears of relief to start flowing.

A look of despair comes over Max’s face.

“Don’t cry, Chloe. Please. ”

He pulls me across the seat so that I am nearly in his lap, wrapping one of his arms around me and clenching my hand in his.

“I have been so worried,” I confess.

“I know, sweetheart, but we are going to do everything we can for her.”

“I don’t know how I can ever thank you,” I whisper, overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Thank me? I didn’t do this for your appreciation. I am the one who owes you a debt,” he says, releasing my hand and using his knuckle to tip my chin up so that our eyes meet.

“Well, I suppose now we are even.”

He chuckles before leaning in and kissing me soundly. I give myself over to him, forgetting all my troubles as I open my mouth to let his tongue in for a more sensual kiss. He moans as he accepts my invitation, licking into my mouth.

Our kiss is abruptly interrupted by our arrival at the hotel.

Max pulls away quickly as Barnaby opens the door. The surprise on his face is replaced by a professional look as he recognizes what is going on.

“My apologies, sir,” he says before gently shutting the door again.

Max laughs quietly under his breath before giving me a rueful grin. “Let’s go upstairs, shall we? ”

I smile through my embarrassment and open the door myself. After all, what do I have to be embarrassed about? I was just kissing my boyfriend for goodness’ sake.

“Ms. Shepard,” Barnaby says as he offers his hand to help me.

“Thank you,” I say as I step out and push my shoulders back confidently.

Max follows and offers me his arm. I take it and let him lead us through the lobby to the lift. When we are finally back in the penthouse, all I want is to kick my shoes off and relax for the rest of the evening.

But it seems Max has other plans.

“I know you are tired, and you have had a long day, but I thought maybe you would like to celebrate the good news?”

He nods toward a rack with several new dresses for me to choose from. “I had these sent over from Harrods in case you needed anything else.”

“Oh,” I say, looking over at the elegant dresses on display. “It would be terrible to let these gorgeous gowns go to waste, wouldn’t it?”

“And on such a fine night,” he says, going along with me.

“What did you have in mind?”

“A wise man never reveals his plans,” he says cheekily. He makes a show of looking down at his watch. “You have about an hour before we need to leave. Is that going to be enough time?”

“I will make it work,” I answer. I grab the rack of dresses and roll it with me into the bedroom. “Be out in a bit!”

* * *

“The Shard?” I ask as we pull up outside the tallest building in the UK and all of Western Europe.

“Only the best views for you, my love.” His eyes are practically glowing as he helps me out of the SUV.

I step out in a little black dress with an emphasis on the ‘little’ part. My shoulders are exposed and the hem stops well above my knee. I wasn’t sure if it was right for tonight, but I feel great in it, so I figured, why not?

I didn’t have much time to get ready, so I swept my hair up off my neck into a nice French twist and accentuated my look with a dramatic smokey eye and red lip. If Max’s reaction when I came out of the room was any indication, I would say I put myself together quite nicely.

“Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?” he asks, pulling me close and practically growling the words into my ear.

“You might have mentioned it,” I giggle. I love having this kind of effect on him.

He kisses my cheek before taking my arm and leading us into the building. Max walks past security as though he owns the place, and for a moment, I question if he does .

He takes us straight to a lift that has obviously been waiting for us where an operator pushes the highest button there is, floor 68. We stand there quietly for what seems like an eternity as we rise higher and higher into the sky. When it finally slows, I can feel a swirl of nerves in my stomach.

There is something special in the air tonight. Something different about the relationship between Max and me. I suppose I could attribute it to everything he has done for my mother today, but that is not it.

Things have shifted for us. When he told me he loved me, and I said it back, it felt like a bond was formed between us, stronger than anything I have ever felt. Now, standing in his arms in a lift, everything just feels so right.

The doors announce our arrival and Max tightens guides me out into a large enclosed 360-degree viewing room with windows from the floor to the ceiling. The lights of the city glitter beneath us, stealing my attention and my breath.

“I have never seen such a magnificent view.” My voice comes out breathy while I struggle to take it all in.

“I have,” Max whispers into my ear.

I turn to look at him and all his attention is on me.

I feel my cheeks heat under his focus. If I didn’t love him so much, I might be intimidated by this kind of scrutiny.

But I do. And it just so happens that he loves me too.

The thought makes me smile, lighting me up from within .

“What has you so euphoric?” he asks, describing how I feel exactly as he brings a hand up to my face, smoothing his thumb over the ridge of my cheekbone.

“You,” I answer, fluttering my lashes and turning my body toward his, craving the physical connection I can only get with him.

Suddenly, it occurs to me that we must be putting on quite the show, nearly grinding on each other before we can even make it properly into the room.

I peel my eyes away from Max’s face to look around.

There is no one else here except for a pianist softly playing a grand piano in the corner.

The room is mostly empty except for a bar in the center and benches near the massive windows that give us the most incredible view of London.

Then I notice the one solitary table with a crisp white tablecloth and dishes and cutlery set for two.

In the center is a bottle of champagne on ice.

“It is just us?”

Max just nods as he leads me to the table, only releasing me when he has to pull out my chair for me to sit.

I take my seat and smooth my dress as he takes the place across from me.

“This is quite the celebration,” I comment, hardly knowing what to do with this grandeur.

Max arches his eyebrow and starts to answer when a waiter appears next to us as if from nowhere .

“Good evening, I am Geoffrey, and I will be your server tonight. Champagne?”

“Yes, please,” Max says, looking slightly annoyed at the interruption.

“Absolutely, sir,” the waiter says, taking the bottle out of the bucket and uncorking it effortlessly before smoothly pouring it into a glass for each of us.

“Can I get you two anything else?” he asks when Max gives him a piercing look.

“No,” he says curtly, before softening slightly. “But thank you. I will call when we need you again.”

“Yes, sir,” Geoffrey says before disappearing again.

Max seems to brush off the disruption as a smile returns to his face. He grabs his glass and lifts it slightly, prompting me to do the same.

“To your mother, and the hope for a lengthy and promising future.”

I smile as I lift my glass to match his. “To Mum.”

We clink our glasses together before I take a tentative sip of the champagne, enjoying the way the bubbles dance across my tongue and down my throat.

“There is another reason I brought you here tonight,” Max says with a mysterious look on his face.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, slightly worried .

“Of course,” he says, reaching across the table to take my hand in his, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand soothingly in that way of his that always calms me.

“I have always believed that once I make a decision, I should stop at nothing to achieve my goal. In business, this tenacity has served me quite well. I have rarely, if ever, failed.”

I nod, slightly confused about where this conversation is going.

“I have made a few rather big decisions lately, and I would like to talk to you about them.”

Relief washes over me. For a second there I was worried that he was trying to break up with me.

“Okay,” I answer cautiously.

“The first is that I have decided to turn over my day-to-day role as CEO to Ethan, who has been filling in for me while I healed. I have thought about what I want my life to look like and the life I used to live is not what I want anymore. Which leads me to my second big decision.”

He rises from his seat and comes around to my side of the table, offering me his hand. I take it without even thinking, standing and following him to the edge of the room where the massive windows look out on all of the twinkling city lights.

“When you left Seabanks, my life went dark. I had to acknowledge for the first time since my parents’ death that I had found someone who saw the real me and didn’t shy away. Then I cruelly pushed her away. I can’t express enough just how sorry I truly am for my abhorrent behavior.”

“I forgive you,” I say, reaching up to rest my hand on his chest, hoping to offer comfort and support during his self-imposed anguish. “I told you that.”

“I know you did, and I am so grateful for your mercy. I don’t deserve your compassion, but I will always appreciate you giving me a second chance.

I used to think my wealth was enough to give me everything I needed, but now I can see how much I was truly missing without you.

” He swallows, taking a deep breath before speaking again.

“You have lit up my world, Chloe. Every single thing about you makes me better, makes my life sweeter. I know we are just getting started, but calling you my girlfriend feels infantile when you mean so very much more to me than that.”

He clears his throat as he releases me and steps back, pulling something from his pocket and kneeling down on one knee.

My eyes widen as I begin to understand, finally, what is going on. I gasp as he clicks open the black box to reveal a stunningly large diamond ring.

“Chloe Shepard, will you marry me?”