I gasp again, but only because I know he’s right. I can’t have any doubts, worries or even questions about it any longer.
“I’m yours Kane Barret, and not just for today,” I tell him, “Even though we have a few hours left of our original agreement.”
He looks at his wrist, the space where his watch would usually be.
“I know you’re mine now, Trudi. There’s still plenty of daylight left too.”
Both our minds go back to the jewelry store, Kane thinks about his watch and I consider the gems around my neck still.
Then I remember the ring, how bad I wanted to get it for him, to say thank you, to show him how much I love him.
“You already showed me,” he says softly, leaning down to kiss me firmly, making a sound as I hear myself start to cry.
Not sad tears, but tears of happiness. Tears of love.
Love for my man.
“I love you Kane,” I tell him, holding his face in my hands.
“And I love you more,” he says softly, kissing away my tears before letting me taste them in his kiss again.
We lay there, only getting up to share a shower and Kane orders up some food for us both as we lounge around in our robes, which also coincides with the delivery of all the clothes I picked out.
“Didn’t choose too many, did I?” I ask Kane, who looks at me sideways, thanking the porter, who hands him a note with a nod before leaving.
He slaps his head with his hand, then lurches for the phone on a small table by the sofa.
He mouths the word Ruth while he waits for it to pick up, getting the answering service, he leaves a message.
“Ruth, it's Kane Barret. Sorry I had to dash earlier, but I think we can settle on both the pieces Trudi and I picked out. If you can have my watch sent up at some point too, I’d be grateful. The repairs, with the other pieces, just put it on my account… thanks.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kane
It takes me about a half hour to settle into my new life, with Trudi at my side.
As it should be, as it should always have been, I just had to wait for her.
After making love to her, pleasing her as she needs to be for most of the afternoon, then sleeping a little, I shower with her. I wash her hair and I let her wash me. We get through this whole ‘body’ business once and for all, and I know she understands now that I love her for her, not just her amazing body.
We have a great sushi dinner and her clothes arrive, but once I call up Ruth and let her know I’ll take the jewels we kind of ‘borrowed,’ Trudi looks uneasy all over again.
“That’s a lot of money, Kane… I picked that ring out because I thought it was two hundred dollars, not two hundred and fifty thousand…”
I laugh a little, patting her hand but I can see she’s not joking. She actually looks a little ill.
I take her hands in mine.
“Remember how I said you had an eye for things? That we all have skills but most people just struggle to find their passion?”
She nods.
“Well, that ring, which I love by the way… I know someplace, a buyer in Singapore, who would pay twice that for a blue diamond with that cut, set in that style of a men’s ring.”
I tell her, throwing my hands up in the air, closing the topic. So I think.
“You don’t want to keep the ring then?” She asks, and I have to think for a minute.
“I’ll keep it if you want me to, but I’m just saying, dollar for dollar, it’s already worth twice what I’ll pay, so I haven’t paid for it at all.”
She still looks confused.
“I’m not gonna sell the ring, Trudi,” I comfort her, “it means too much to me now, knowing you picked it out and on our first day together.”
That’s the right answer for us both, and she smiles, clapping her hands before leaning in to give me a kiss.
“But I still have to pay for it,” she announces, “I got it for you… I can’t have you paying for your own ring, that’s stupid. That’s not right.”
“I’ll swap you a diamond necklace for it,” I drone, wondering how this got so complicated.
“But I thought you bought the necklace for me?” she pouts and I really start to wonder if she’s just pulling my chain.
But she’s serious alright.
“Okay, okay.” I tell her, talking over whatever else she’s gonna say next, “Starting tomorrow, you’re working for me, as a real estate agent, remember?”
She nods gravely, suddenly remembering that I’ll be putting her to work.
Kind of.
“Well… You can work off the ring, and keep the necklace, which I gave you because I love you so much.”
That seems to work and she kisses me, then sits back, fondling her neck as I hold her hand in my lap.
“I get to work your ring off… noted…” she murmurs to herself.
“How much do I get paid?” she asks, “And what about my apartment, did you really mean I could keep it?”
I nod a big yes to the last part, but I’m not sure about the salary. As far as I’m concerned she can have whatever she needs, wants or otherwise, forever. She doesn’t have to lift a finger again as long as she lives, under my roof anyway.
“Trudi, the apartment’s yours. It’s my gift to you, your first piece of your own real estate portfolio, and I want you to manage the apartment block overhaul, we’ll set a meeting with the realty team and go over it, we can do that tomorrow if you want.”
She looks edgy.
“Or the day after tomorrow, but it should be this week,” I advise her.
“You’re living with me from now
