Page 142 of Boss of the Year

Gifts, Lucas realized, he had been counting on sharing with her.

More than that, she washissweet Marie in a million other undefinable ways it had taken forty-one years to realize he wanted and now couldn’t imagine living without.

When, exactly, had that happened?

Right about when he’d lost her, apparently. And for no fucking reason he could comprehend.

“And she didn’t say a word about why she had to leave?” he demanded for what had to be the twentieth time in the last four days.

Robbie, clearly wishing he had another answer, could only shake his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ve tried her phone many times, and I’ll keep trying, but?—”

“That’s all right.” Lucas continued pacing around the suite.

Something had obviously spooked her. Even now, he wondered if it was talk about their future. The possessivepronouns, the terms of endearment. God help him, he’dtriedto keep them to himself, but in the heat of the moment, he just hadn’t been able to do it. Honestly, the girl was lucky he hadn’t asked her to marry him. The sex had beenthat good.

The sex. That had to be it. She’d cried, after all, and while he’d thought she was just overcome with emotion, he couldn’t be sure.

Still, he hadn’t handled it that badly, had he?

They’d fallen asleep together. He’d watched her drift off with the light of the moon reflecting off her skin like mother-of-pearl. She’d smiled as he had stroked her cheek, then burrowed into his chest with the easy, if unconscious, affection that had made his heart break for the sweetness of it.

But obviously it hadn’t been sweet enough.

Clearly, she’d woken, taken stock of the situation, and run away before she had to face him. He knew her well enough now to know she’d probably thought the worst of herself. Convinced herself she had betrayed Daniel, despite the fact that his brother had probably dipped his pen in a dozen ink wells in the Hamptons over the last three weeks. Or maybe she was embarrassed that she’d been as bold as she had, turning up at his door stark naked. God knew it had shocked the hell out of him.

But that had to be it, right? She was ashamed. Or guilty, the loyal little treasure. Or maybe she thoughtheregretted it.

It couldn’t be further from the truth.

“We have to track her down,” Lucas told Robbie.

“Of course, sir. I’m still calling every hour, and the minute she picks up, I’ll?—”

“The second.” Lucas pulled on his jacket and grabbed his briefcase.

For a second, he contemplated throwing it out the window. Fuck the meetings. Fuck this city. Fuck everything except finding Marie and bringing her…where? Home? No. Someplacethe stark reality of their lives couldn’t get to them. Somewhere they could talk and he could figure out what he’d done wrong andfix it.

After all, Lucas thought as he opened the door, wasn’t that what he did?

He fixed things.

Always had.

Lucas was halfwayto his first meeting of the day, one of the ongoing negotiations with a textile manufacturer here in London, when his phone rang.

Not Marie.

But someone else who hadn’t been answering his phone for the last four days, which made him suspect number one.

“Daniel.”

“Big brother! There the fuck you are.”

Lucas scowled as the Rolls passed St. James’s Palace. “I’ve been trying to reach you for days. Where have you been?”

“The Hamptons, of course. Jenny Hathaway—you remember her? Great rack, greater trust fund?” Daniel chuckled at his own joke. “Anyway, she had a bunch of us out for the last two weeks. Killer time—you really missed out.”

“I always miss out. Those parties are full of drunks and leeches.”