Surprising Gemma, page 13
My apologies that I couldn’t be there. There should be a gift bag in the car for you. His little surprises were a nice touch, but an insufficient substitute for not seeing him. The doorman at my building is expecting you. Just take the elevator to the top floor and make yourself at home.
I love the gifts, but I want to see you. She quickly followed that with another text. And kiss you.
Kissing was exactly what I had in mind.
Gemma stared out the car window, gawking at the skyscrapers, watching people rushing around the city streets. This place made San Antonio feel little. The car stopped in front of a high-rise building.
“Head on in. I’ll bring up the luggage.”
She walked into the front entrance and paused. Dark walls and marble floors gave the building an air of opulence. The décor was minimal but elegant. She glanced around for the elevator and the doorman.
“Good evening. May I help you?” A man, presumably the doorman, smiled as he walked up.
“Hi. I’m here to see Antoine Bergeron. My name is Gemma Tyler.”
“Ah, yes! Right this way.” He motioned to the driver who had Gemma’s luggage on a cart. “The elevator is over here.”
Her heels clicked too loudly on the floor. The ride up to the penthouse gave her nervousness time to wrap around her chest, making her heart feel like it was pounding on her ribs. It also made it hard to breathe.
The doors opened, and Gemma hesitated. Staring and gawking, she stepped off the elevator right into his penthouse. She walked into the living room, mesmerized by the view. Surrounded by windows, she could see all of Toronto.
Still staring at the skyline, she set the gift on the sofa.
“Will there be anything else?”
“No, thank you.” Gemma reached into her purse.
Both men shook their heads, and the doorman nodded. “Mr. Bergeron took care of all that. He asked me to give you this.”
Gemma accepted the sealed envelope. “Thank you very much, both of you.”
They retreated to the elevator, leaving Gemma alone in the most luxurious place she’d ever been.
She opened the card.
Gemma-
I hope you aren’t frustrated with my delay. Follow the trail of flowers to your room. Could I impose on you to dress for dinner and meet me? I’ll send a driver for you at five.
I love you.
-A
The dress. Gemma needed to try on the dress he’d given her. If it fit, she’d wear that to dinner. First, she’d see the room.
She scooped up a single red rose and followed the trail. By the time she reached her guest room, a dozen roses lay cradled in her arms. They weren’t the least bit wilted, so they hadn’t been there very long. Did Antoine have someone lay them out? Had he been here and left?
In the bedroom, a large empty vase sat on an ornately carved table. He’d attended to every detail. Her luggage sat at the foot of the bed.
She been too in awe of the apartment to notice the man carry her bags to the back.
Glass doors on the far wall opened to a balcony. The king-sized bed, draped with a silk covering, occupied the middle of the room. She desperately wanted to call Paige and give her a video tour.
Another gift bag sat on the bed. Gemma hurried over, wondering what else Antoine had left for her. But the handwriting on the front didn’t match Antoine’s. Gemma tore open the card.
Gemma-
I do hope the dress fits and that you have a wonderful visit. In the bag you’ll find items I thought you might need. The cut of the dress requires certain foundations. And, Antoine did not help me shop for these. Enjoy.
-Viviane
After tossing the tissue aside, Gemma felt heat rush to her cheeks. Stockings and foundation pieces—as his mother so delicately put it—waited inside the bag. Gemma kicked off her shoes and ran to the living room to get the dress. Holding it up, she saw why she’d been given those things. The dress had almost no back.
Her phone beeped.
Take a peek inside the closet in your room. Antoine was one surprise after another.
She opened the door and stopped. Several pair of shoes sat nestled on shelves. A wrap hung in the closet next to two more dresses. A note resting near the shoes read:
If you need anything else, text me.
This is like a fairy tale. Her fingers couldn’t type fast enough.
A heart was his only reply.
She slipped out of her clothes and changed into the dress he’d bought. When she stood in front of the full-length mirror, she wanted to cry from sheer delight.
Checking the time, she called Paige. “Hey, are you where we can video chat?”
“Sure. Everything okay?”
“Better than okay.” She ended the call, and before she could initiate a video chat, Paige’s number flashed on the screen. “You would not believe this place. Look!” Gemma walked around, giggling as Paige gasped and moaned.
“I bet you were so happy to see him.”
“I haven’t yet. So far, it’s just been one gift after another. He’s meeting me at dinner, and he bought me a dress.” Gemma stepped in front of the mirror and let Paige see the reflection. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”
“You look stunning, woman!”
“I haven’t even put on fresh makeup. I need to hurry. The car will be here at five.”
“I’m so happy for you, Gemma. A tiny bit jealous, not of Antoine, just of love. Have a fantabulous evening.”
“Thanks!” Gemma tossed her phone on the bed and started working on her makeup. She wanted everything to be perfect.
Gemma pulled the wrap tighter around her shoulders and jumped when her phone beeped.
I hope the dress fit. He was asking if she was wearing it without actually asking.
Soon, you’ll be able to see how well it fits.
I cannot wait. I’ve arrived at our dinner location and will pace until you join me.
She glanced up as the car slowed. A castle loomed in front of her. She quickly shot off another text: Thanks to you, I am living a fairy tale. We’re having dinner at a castle?
Carefully, she eased out of the car and made her way up the stone steps, barely taking time to admire the stone castle.
Inside, she tiptoed into a grand hall.
Footsteps behind her drew her attention away from the antique piano—or maybe it was an organ—near the far wall. She turned.
Antoine, wearing a suit that probably cost more than six-month’s rent on her apartment, descended a wide staircase. “You look amazing.”
She spun around. “I love it.”
Antoine joined her at the bottom of the stairs.
Gemma glanced at the dining area. “What a cool place to have dinner, but I don’t see any other customers.”
“It’s just us tonight.” Antoine held out his hand. “Would you like a quick tour?”
“Absolutely!” She squeezed his hand as a reality check.
He led her up the grand staircase and down a wide hall. “It was built in 1914 by Sir Henry Pellatt.”
“I had no idea.”
“This is the Round Room. Bet you can’t figure out why it’s called that?”
Gemma drank in the elaborate trim work and spectacular chandelier. “It’s completely round. Is this in the tower?”
“Just below it, yes. Want to see the bedrooms?”
“Lead the way.” She followed him to the next room.
Antoine pulled her close once they were in the room. “Sir Henry hoped the royal family would visit. He planned for them to stay in this room.”
“It’s amazing. Did they ever visit?”
Antoine shrugged. “I’ll show you the others, then we’ll head downstairs. There’s one room in particular I want to get to before dark.”
They wandered through Sir Henry’s room then his wife’s room, which was a gorgeous shade of blue.
“I think I have a new favorite color.”
“Wedgewood blue?”
“Is that what it’s called? I need to remember that.”
After a quick glance at the other guest room, Antoine led her back down the stairs. “This is his study. Through that panel, there is a secret corridor. But we won’t attempt it with you in that dress.”
“This place just keeps getting better.”
“I think you’ll love the next room.” His grip tightened as they neared the ornate doors at the end of the hall. “This is the Conservatory.” He pulled open the brass doors.
Gemma gasped. “Wow.”
Built-in marble planters surrounded the room, all filled with greenery and small trees. Windows all the way around the room let in natural light. At the far end of the space was a fountain. Bromeliads and other plants grew in the planter around the base.
But the piece de resistance was the stained-glass dome.
She stood under it, staring up.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
She nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.
Antoine let go of her hand, and for a moment, she stayed focused on the glass grapevines above her.
“The colors are so viv—” Gemma slapped her hand over her mouth when she saw him.
Antoine waited on one knee. “Gemma Tyler, my world has more color with you in it. I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?” He held out an open box.
Gemma gasped out her answer. “Yes. A million times yes.” She pulled him to his feet and hugged him. “I’ll even move here, not because you live in the most awesome apartment I’ve ever seen but because I love you more than Texas.”
“Never have I felt so loved.” He slid the ring onto her finger and swung her around, their lips celebrating the future.
Chapter 22
Antoine
Antoine pulled out a chair for Gemma. The table nestled into the windowed alcove provided the romantic setting he wanted for the evening.
She beamed, scanning the library. “I absolutely loved the Conservatory, but this library might be my favorite room. The odd thing is, I feel like I’ve seen this place before, but I know I’ve never been here. I didn’t even know it existed.”
“Have you seen the movie X-men? Scenes from that were filmed here. Other movies, too.”
“That’s probably it.” She sipped her red wine and chuckled. “This is what started it all.”
“To spilled red wine.” Antoine lifted his glass.
She joined him in the toast.
“You’ve made me a happy man. Gemma, I was prepared to—I wasn’t sure what to do about the distance between us, but I’d do anything to marry you.”
“Antoine, you make me feel like a prize. I love where I live, but these last few weeks have shown me that some things are more important than perfect weather in February, not that we always get that.” She toyed with her ring, refracted light dancing on the walls. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
“We could have the ceremony here. I will fly your friends and family to Toronto so they can attend.”
“This place is perfect.” She slipped her hand in his. “We could have the ceremony in the room where you proposed and have the reception here in the library.”
“We can make that happen.”
“Tonight this and tomorrow Paris. I’m not sure how much happy my heart can handle.”
He kissed her hand before letting it go as the waiter carried plates to the table.
During dinner, they discussed possible wedding dates. While they waited for dessert, she texted a picture of the ring to Paige and to Zoe. “I’ll call my parents when we get back to the penthouse.”
“My mother hasn’t yet texted, which surprises me.”
“Call her.”
“What if—after dessert—we step out onto the patio and call our parents?”
“Oh! We can snap a picture, making sure the ring is visible, and send it to them.”
“Wonderful.”
They savored their crème brûlée and sipped glasses of Cava. Antoine watched her, thrilled and excited. “Perhaps a June or July wedding would be good. I’ll enjoy planning the perfect honeymoon.”
“Let me guess. It’ll be a surprise?”
“Absolutely.”
Antoine touched his lips as he closed his bedroom door. With the excitement of the evening and wedding plans dominating their conversation, he hadn’t told her his story. But he would . . . before she left to go home.
His parents had been even more excited than he’d expected.
Her parents cheered, and her mother rambled on about how she worried the day would never come.
Antoine slid under the covers, smiling at the thought of Gemma down the hall.
Sleep came fast. And dreams were sweet. Gemma spun in a circle wearing that vivid blue dress. In his dream, he pictured every curve. Heels clicking, she walked toward him, closer and closer. When her lips were only a breath away from his, she disappeared.
Antoine sat up, the unsettling dream drenching him in a cold sweat.
The more he loved her, the more he worried she’d be snatched from his life.
Chapter 23
Gemma
Burrowed under the covers, Gemma whispered to Paige. “It was like a scene out of a movie. I met him at a castle. I can’t wait for you to see it. We’re thinking about having the wedding there. We were under this amazing stained-glass dome when he got down on one knee.”
“I’m so happy for you. When do you leave for Paris?”
“First thing in the morning. I’ll be having dinner in Paris tomorrow.” Gemma yawned.
“You need sleep. I can wait a few days for all the details.” Paige sighed.
“How’s Wroughton?”
“Sour. But he let me pet him today. We’re figuring it out. No more talking. Go to sleep.” She laughed.
“Goodnight.” Gemma plugged her phone into the charger, wondering how she’d be able to sleep.
Eyes closed, she relived the proposal over and over.
A knock at the bedroom door had Gemma instantly awake. “Come in.” She smoothed her tousled hair.
Antoine poked his head around the door. “We need to leave here in thirty minutes.”
“I slept through my alarm. It won’t take me long to get ready.”
“Dress comfortably. It’s a seven-hour flight.” He patted the doorframe. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
Gemma changed clothes. She’d showered before bed, hoping it would help her unwind, but now she was glad because she had so little time. After shoving her belongings back into her suitcase, she padded down the hall.
Antoine waited at the table. “Have a seat. My chef whipped up crepes for us.”
She glanced back down the hall. “What about my dress?”
“We can hang it on the plane if you’d like to take it. Or I can just buy you a new one in Paris.”
“Is both an option?” She sat down. “Pinch me.”
“How about this instead?” He brushed his lips on hers.
“If I wasn’t starving, I’d skip breakfast to do more of that.”
“Did I mention that we have a seven-hour flight?” He winked as the chef carried in plates.
Forty-five minutes later, they were on board the jet, waiting to take off.
Gemma buckled in next to Antoine. “I am beyond excited.”
A gentleman nodded as he boarded and walked through to another cabin area of the plane.
“Who’s that?” Gemma pointed at the now-empty doorway.
“That’s Luis. When I travel, security tags along, but the guys are great about keeping watch without being intrusive.” Antoine eyed her. “I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
Gemma had never had to contemplate the idea of having security. “Bother me? I guess not. What about all the times you’ve been to San Antonio?”
“He’s been around. Sometimes I let him drive. Mostly, I leave him at the hotel.” He scrunched up his nose. “I don’t always behave like I should.”
“Why security? Is being a venture capitalist dangerous?” She hoped he caught the humor in her question.
Lips pinched together, he slowly inhaled and exhaled. “Most billionaires have security.”
While Gemma knew that—not so much that billionaires had security, which made sense, but that Antoine was one. But hearing the word still made the room spin. She squeezed his hand. “If being with you means security follows us around, I’m okay with that.”
He met her gaze, a sadness in his eyes she didn’t understand. “Thank you.”
“Did you think I’d change my mind because of some burly guy walking a few feet behind us? Really?”
“Not everyone wants to live like that. I hesitated to say anything about it, but you needed to know.” He smiled when she kissed his hand.
Chapter 24
Antoine
Antoine watched Gemma as the iconic tower came into view. Illuminated, it stood out against the dark sky.
She stopped on the sidewalk, staring. “I can’t believe I’m in Paris. That’s the Eiffel Tower!” She bounced on her toes. “I’m so excited, I don’t know what to do with myself.” She spun and threw her arms around his neck. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Watching you is my reward. But we should go back to the car. We need to get to where we’ll be staying.” He’d booked something different for their short stay and hoped she found it charming. “It’s not far.”
Fingers entwined, they strolled back to the car.
Luis opened the back door then slid in once they were seated. He acted oblivious to their presence, but Gemma watched him.
Antoine leaned in close. “You get used to it.”
“Okay.” She chewed her bottom lip.
He wasn’t sure what had her wheels turning. “Are you up for a bit of adventure?”
“How so?” Her eyes narrowed, and she glanced out the window.
He pointed to the barges moored on the Seine. “Are you up for sleeping in one of those?”
