Page 99 of Blue Gold

I hated airports.

They always reminded me that I was a foreigner, a stranger who, for the past two years, had no home to his name. The people who waited to pick me up weren’t my family but drivers, holding signs with my name on them that, in most cases, were spelled wrong. Not that I blamed them. They were just doing their job. In any case, I’d grown used to it. Besides, the good part about not growing roots anywhere I went was that leaving was just as simple.

Or so it was.

Until a month ago, when I’d stood in an airport much smaller than this one and had to say goodbye to him. To my American. Boarding the plane that day was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do, and the time that had rolled by since didn’t make it easier.

With each passing day, I became impatient, and with each phone call, I grew increasingly scared that he’d grown tired of me and that now, after he’d signed the divorced papers, he was coming to regret his decisions. It wouldn’t be the first time Daniel realized that being involved with me had consequences, and I was scared he’d cut me out of his life again. While he was gentle with me, I didn’t delude myself. Daniel Williams could be ruthless, and if he’d divorced his wife of nine years without warning, what would stop him from kicking me out? Jacques had no problem doing that overnight; all it took was one girl, and voilà.

But could I blame him? Risking his fortune for me? I most definitely wasn’t worth it. I wasn’t smart or particularly interesting. The only good thing about me was my looks, but those would fade over time. He already sounded exhausted over the phone each time we spoke, and whenever he mentioned his daughter, I couldn’t help but feel that, secretly, he resented me for it.

My stomach flipped with nausea, and I wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. I increased my pace, my suitcase dragging behind me as I walked toward the exit at JFK, my eyes pinned to the floor the whole time. I didn’t want to see anyone and be recognized by mistake, or so I thought, until I lifted my gaze to see him waiting for me.

My heart leaped in my chest at the sight of Daniel standing by the exit, two hands shoved in his trousers pockets, making him look like a model himself. In seconds, the clouds shading over my heart vanished and were replaced with comforting sunrays. Unable to control myself, I ran toward him. I wanted to jump into his arms so badly, but knowing I couldn’t, I stopped right before doing so.

“I could have just taken a taxi,” I said to him, unable to come up with anything better.

“Hey, now.” Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he placed it on my shoulder and squeezed me tightly. “Don’t speak such nonsense.”

Somehow, him being here moved me beyond words, causing tears to form in my eyes. But not wanting to cause a scene, I pressed my lips together and nodded.

“I just thought you’d be busy.”

Daniel effortlessly moved to my side, sliding his hand down to mine before he slipped the trolley’s handle from my grip.

“When will you understand that I’ll always have time for you?” he asked, his shoulder bumping with mine.

It was still hard to believe that such a man even wanted me. But now, safe in his proximity, I couldn’t even remember what I was so worried about, and so I bumped my shoulder with his in return.

“I’ll remind you of that next time you’re working on a case,” I mumbled, causing him to chuckle.

“Fair enough… By the way, when is your meeting?”

My meeting with Renieri. The one brand that’d already rejected me twice but was willing to see me again. Just the thought of it formed a knot in my stomach, yet there was nothing I could do about it because this meeting was the whole reason I’d come to NYC.

“Tomorrow afternoon. Why?”

He didn’t answer and instead pulled out his car keys.

“Daniel?” I asked again, watching him as he placed my suitcase in the trunk of his Rolls-Royce.

Shutting the trunk, he then rounded the car to my side and opened the door for me. Now, face-to-face, his lips formed a small smile.

“Because I’m taking you on a date tonight.”

“When you said you were taking me on a date, I thought you meant outside,” I chuckled, smoothing my hand over the marble island in the center of his open-plan kitchen.

Looming over the stove, one hand on his hip while the other stirred the pan, Daniel snorted. “I should have phrased myself better.” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “But perhaps this is the time to admit I hate going out.”

“You waited until now?” I faked a sigh. “You should have started with it.”

“Really?”

Holding back a laugh, I walked over to him and hugged him from behind. “No, not really.” Closing my eyes, I breathed him in. “Truth is, I also prefer staying home.”

He placed his hand on mine. “Good, because Claudia used to give me hell about it.” He huffed, shaking his head. “That woman… if it were up to her, we would have been going out every night.”

A sour taste filled my mouth at the mention of her name, but deciding to let it go, I peeked at the pan he was stirring. “I thought you didn’t know how to cook.”