He pulled up to the front and parked. A valet took his keys and Jack ushered Charlotte inside the white marble lobby to the dark brown wooden front desk. A bright blue sun sculpture covered half the wall near the check-in station.
He already had his key, so they walked right past the desk toward the bank of elevators to the 22ndfloor. The other Morgans had requested the presidential, luxury, and executive suites, but he’d been fine with a regular room until he’d been directed toward the one-bedroom suite. As a Morgan he was expected to want the best option.
His body was jumpy as he opened the door with the card and showed Charlotte the room.
She walked inside and whistled. “Wow! This is amazing, Jack. You’re truly blessed.”
As he closed the door, his heart hammered that Charlotte was all that mattered. The blue gown over her slim shoulders glimmered in the light and her lips were still slightly swollen from stolen kisses earlier.
Now she was here. She was the one that he always dreamed of when he drifted off to sleep and needed a pick-me-up during the day. Maybe now he’d see her brown hair billowing on the pillow beside him--not because they'd passed out from a random movie, but because she was actually his.
He probably should have bought a ring, but for now he went down on one knee and her hands fluttered to her chest as he said, “Charlotte… I was serious before when I said I don’t want to do any of this without you. I love you.”
Tears formed in her eyes as she tugged him to stand. “You do?”
He didn’t budge from his kneeling position. Jack nodded. “I want you to marry me. I can get you any ring you want.”
This time she pulled his arm until he stood. Charlotte tapped her lower lip. “We’ll talk about the rest of our lives, later. I don’t want to rush. We have time, right? Let’s enjoy this moment.”
Hardly able to believe his fortune, he led her into the bedroom and the queen bed. The comforter and sheets were pure white except for the brown accessory pillow and the extra blanket folded over the edge.
A bench had been pushed against the foot of the bed for changing clothes. He turned the lights on and said, “We’re here.”
His last sort-of-girlfriend had enjoyed sex, but everything was different with Charlotte. She made him nervous as she traced the bed cover and said, “This is super nice.”
Unlike him, she hadn’t dated anyone else. His last ex had eventually left him because he’d spent more time with Charlotte and he’d refused to change that. Charlotte’s laugh was in his soul and that mattered more than any other woman.
Now that he looked back, it was so obvious. Even then he’d loved her, even if he hadn’t been aware of the exact nature of that love. He left her side and headed into the walk-in closet. “Come here a sec. I actually have a few things for you.”
She followed him and popped her head inside the closet door. “You… bought me things.”
He picked up two bags filled with a dozen boxes of clothes and handed them to her while he grabbed the shoe bags and they headed back to the bench at the foot of the bed. “Of course. You’ve always been my girl, Charlotte. I can’t get myself all of this without picking up a few things for you too.”
She sat down and took out the first of many boxes, like he’d collected years of birthday and Christmas presents to present to her tonight, but her fingers trembled when she opened it. She was clearly more nervous now.
He’d go slow. He’d had twenty-four hours to transform into a Morgan and would help Charlotte adjust. Having the world at his feet would be better with her, or he’d see things with a hole in his heart. He needed to give her space but his stomach was in knots that tonight might be all he had. She unfolded a blue day dress with white trim around the edges. “This is really nice.”
He pointed to the label. “It’s all House of Morgan clothing.”
She folded the dress and her nose turned when she said, “I can see that.”
Charlotte’s brow furrowed. Why was she upset? He hoped he could relax her when he asked, “The shoes fit earlier?”
Her lips pursed and she studied her hands. “Yeah, but I can’t afford-”
“I didn’t pay anything,” he explained fast. The last thing he’d do was hurt her, ever. “It’s a family perk to get whatever I want from the clothing stores.”
She put the box back in the bag. “That’s convenient.”
He patted her knee. “I have access to the family jets so if you want to wake up in Paris on Monday, we can do that.”
She turned toward him but shook her head. “I don’t have a passport.”
A weak answer as he hadn’t had one till a few hours ago and it had arrived within a day. “That can be fixed tomorrow.”
Jack imagined how he’d take her to see the Eiffel Tower just like the couples did in the dozens of romantic comedies she’d made him watch through the years. She curled her arm through his and said, “Jack, just sit with me.”
Adrenaline coursed through him as he admitted, “I’m nervous tonight.”
