The CEO Buys In
Page 91
“Did they actually use it, or is it one of those dressy swords for show?”
“It was used in battle. You can see the nicks and scratches and dents. It’s called a three-quarter basket hilt sword, made by Samuel Harvey.”
She was impressed. “So it must be valuable even apart from your family’s connection.”
“More than you know,” he said with an odd note in his voice.
He swung the car onto an access road that led to a manned gate, showing his ID to the guard who waved them through. They drove around a hangar, and there was the now-familiar black-and-silver Trainor Electronics jet standing on the tarmac. Nathan slotted the car into a marked space along the hangar’s wall and twisted toward her in his seat. “Would you humor me with something today?”
She didn’t trust his too-guileless smile. “That depends.”
He reached into his pocket and brought out two Tiffany boxes. “I would like you to accept these as a loan just for today. Then you can return them to me.”
“Forgive me for being suspicious,” Chloe said, not moving to take the proffered packages, “but I still have a whole pile of Saks Fifth Avenue boxes in my closet that haven’t been returned.”
“I’ll have everything picked up on Monday. You have my word.” He continued to hold the blue boxes out to her. “I’d like to see if my choices suit you. Just for my own satisfaction.”
“I’m on to your tricks,” Chloe said. But it seemed ungracious and even unkind to refuse when he was so on edge. “But I’ll pretend you fooled me this time.”
She put one of the boxes in her lap and untied the white satin ribbon from the other one. Inside lay the sapphire-and-diamond bangle from the auction. Chloe touched the sparkling stones with her fingertip. “Your bid won.”
He took the open box from her. “Now the other one.”
She tugged the ribbon free and lifted the lid to reveal the matching earrings. “I have to admit, these are perfect for this dress.”
Gratification lit his eyes. “My thought exactly. However, if you prefer to wear your pearls, please don’t feel obligated to wear these.”
The cultured pearl studs she wore were no match for Nathan’s gift. She removed them and hooked the Tiffany earrings through her lobes.
“Let me help you with the bracelet,” Nathan said. He deftly flicked it open before fitting it around her wrist and snapping it closed. He held her wrist to admire the bangle, his long fingers warm where they lay against her skin. With a swift movement, he lifted her arm to brush a kiss on the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist, his breath tickling across her hand. “Thank you for indulging me.”
As she watched the bracelet send a confetti of light dancing around the car’s interior, Chloe knew it was herself she was indulging, and in more ways than wearing expensive jewelry.
CHAPTER 27
As the jet had gotten closer to landing, Nathan had become increasingly withdrawn, his gaze fixed on the blue sky outside the plane’s window. When he no longer responded, his friends had stopped the friendly ribbing that was meant to relax him while it kept Chloe in a ripple of laughter all during the flight southward. Once they touched down, Nathan had collected the sword and escorted the group to the waiting limo, his shoulders held rigid.
Now Chloe sat in the limousine beside a silent Nathan while Ben and Ed chatted in the seat perpendicular to them. Despite all the constraints she felt, she wanted to soothe his strain away. However, the best she could do was lay her hand over his, stilling his fingers from drumming on the leather of the seat. She couldn’t even say anything comforting to him since she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of his friends.
So she intertwined her fingers with his and gave him her best smile of support when he glanced down at her for a moment. She was rewarded with a softening of the lines around his mouth. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.
Chloe caught the quick look of concern Ed cast Nathan’s way. So she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the tightness in his jaw.
The limo swung past brick gates and wound through the military base. Chloe caught glimpses of people dressed in everything from full dress uniforms to various shades of camouflage. It struck her that Nathan had worn Marine Corps colors too, and she wondered if he was aware of it.
The limousine glided to a halt outside a large brick church with white trim. A clot of young men and women in dress uniforms walked through the church’s door, their posture impeccable. When Nathan swung the car door open, the soft, warm air felt like summer. Autumn had not yet arrived in North Carolina.
“The general picked his wedding date right. This is one of the three days the weather isn’t miserable here,” Ed said, as he exited out the other side.
Once again, Nathan offered Chloe his hand. This time, though, she had the sense that she was the one giving support, as his grip was firm to the point of near discomfort.
Ben came around the car. “We’ll go find our own seats,” he said. “You see if you can track down the general before the service begins.”
Nathan nodded as he hefted the sword case and led Chloe toward a side door of the chapel. “You’ve been here before,” she said.
“Every Sunday for all the years we were stationed here.”
She tried to think cool thoughts as she almost jogged to keep up with his long strides, but when he pulled open the door, she sighed in relief as a cloud of cool air billowed out. He towed her through another door into a small carpeted room. A tall silver-haired man in the dark-blue jacket and black belt of a Marine officer’s dress uniform stood with his back to them, his hat tucked under his arm. He was speaking with a short, wiry gray-haired man, also in uniform, who was facing them.
“It was used in battle. You can see the nicks and scratches and dents. It’s called a three-quarter basket hilt sword, made by Samuel Harvey.”
She was impressed. “So it must be valuable even apart from your family’s connection.”
“More than you know,” he said with an odd note in his voice.
He swung the car onto an access road that led to a manned gate, showing his ID to the guard who waved them through. They drove around a hangar, and there was the now-familiar black-and-silver Trainor Electronics jet standing on the tarmac. Nathan slotted the car into a marked space along the hangar’s wall and twisted toward her in his seat. “Would you humor me with something today?”
She didn’t trust his too-guileless smile. “That depends.”
He reached into his pocket and brought out two Tiffany boxes. “I would like you to accept these as a loan just for today. Then you can return them to me.”
“Forgive me for being suspicious,” Chloe said, not moving to take the proffered packages, “but I still have a whole pile of Saks Fifth Avenue boxes in my closet that haven’t been returned.”
“I’ll have everything picked up on Monday. You have my word.” He continued to hold the blue boxes out to her. “I’d like to see if my choices suit you. Just for my own satisfaction.”
“I’m on to your tricks,” Chloe said. But it seemed ungracious and even unkind to refuse when he was so on edge. “But I’ll pretend you fooled me this time.”
She put one of the boxes in her lap and untied the white satin ribbon from the other one. Inside lay the sapphire-and-diamond bangle from the auction. Chloe touched the sparkling stones with her fingertip. “Your bid won.”
He took the open box from her. “Now the other one.”
She tugged the ribbon free and lifted the lid to reveal the matching earrings. “I have to admit, these are perfect for this dress.”
Gratification lit his eyes. “My thought exactly. However, if you prefer to wear your pearls, please don’t feel obligated to wear these.”
The cultured pearl studs she wore were no match for Nathan’s gift. She removed them and hooked the Tiffany earrings through her lobes.
“Let me help you with the bracelet,” Nathan said. He deftly flicked it open before fitting it around her wrist and snapping it closed. He held her wrist to admire the bangle, his long fingers warm where they lay against her skin. With a swift movement, he lifted her arm to brush a kiss on the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist, his breath tickling across her hand. “Thank you for indulging me.”
As she watched the bracelet send a confetti of light dancing around the car’s interior, Chloe knew it was herself she was indulging, and in more ways than wearing expensive jewelry.
CHAPTER 27
As the jet had gotten closer to landing, Nathan had become increasingly withdrawn, his gaze fixed on the blue sky outside the plane’s window. When he no longer responded, his friends had stopped the friendly ribbing that was meant to relax him while it kept Chloe in a ripple of laughter all during the flight southward. Once they touched down, Nathan had collected the sword and escorted the group to the waiting limo, his shoulders held rigid.
Now Chloe sat in the limousine beside a silent Nathan while Ben and Ed chatted in the seat perpendicular to them. Despite all the constraints she felt, she wanted to soothe his strain away. However, the best she could do was lay her hand over his, stilling his fingers from drumming on the leather of the seat. She couldn’t even say anything comforting to him since she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of his friends.
So she intertwined her fingers with his and gave him her best smile of support when he glanced down at her for a moment. She was rewarded with a softening of the lines around his mouth. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.
Chloe caught the quick look of concern Ed cast Nathan’s way. So she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the tightness in his jaw.
The limo swung past brick gates and wound through the military base. Chloe caught glimpses of people dressed in everything from full dress uniforms to various shades of camouflage. It struck her that Nathan had worn Marine Corps colors too, and she wondered if he was aware of it.
The limousine glided to a halt outside a large brick church with white trim. A clot of young men and women in dress uniforms walked through the church’s door, their posture impeccable. When Nathan swung the car door open, the soft, warm air felt like summer. Autumn had not yet arrived in North Carolina.
“The general picked his wedding date right. This is one of the three days the weather isn’t miserable here,” Ed said, as he exited out the other side.
Once again, Nathan offered Chloe his hand. This time, though, she had the sense that she was the one giving support, as his grip was firm to the point of near discomfort.
Ben came around the car. “We’ll go find our own seats,” he said. “You see if you can track down the general before the service begins.”
Nathan nodded as he hefted the sword case and led Chloe toward a side door of the chapel. “You’ve been here before,” she said.
“Every Sunday for all the years we were stationed here.”
She tried to think cool thoughts as she almost jogged to keep up with his long strides, but when he pulled open the door, she sighed in relief as a cloud of cool air billowed out. He towed her through another door into a small carpeted room. A tall silver-haired man in the dark-blue jacket and black belt of a Marine officer’s dress uniform stood with his back to them, his hat tucked under his arm. He was speaking with a short, wiry gray-haired man, also in uniform, who was facing them.
