Chapter 2151
Balfour gave a noncommittal grunt, not adding any more to the conversation.
Giselle was thoroughly content by the end of the meal. As she braced herself for the inevitable parting from
Balfour, to her astonishment, he offered to drive her home. She felt flattered and pleasantly surprised.
“You really want to take me home? Aren’t you swamped with work at the office?” Giselle asked, her cheeks flush
with shyness.
Balfour nodded, “Work can wait. There’s always time to send you home.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Okay,” she replied, coyly looking down and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear in a flirtatious gesture.
But Balfour just turned away to get the car without giving her a second glance..
His apparent lack of romantic savvy left Giselle a bit deflated, but she quickly perked up again. “No matter, we’ve
got plenty of time ahead of us.”
Since he was taking her home, it was the perfect opportunity for something to happen-perhaps to seal the deal, so
to speak. When they arrived at Giselle’s doorstep, before she could even speak, Balfour was the one to suggest
coming up for a bit.
Giselle was over the moon. Everything was falling into place seamlessly.
With Ivy out of the picture, it seemed her life was on a smooth track.
“Of course! I just got a new painting, from an artist you’re fond of. It’s hanging in my bedroom. Maybe you could
come up and we could admire it together?” she said with an almost provocative directness.
“Really? I didn’t know you collected art.”
“Well, I didn’t. But I started because you like it,” she confessed.
In the elevator, Giselle couldn’t resist leaning into Balfour, who firmly steadied her with his hand-so much so that it
hurt. “Ouch, Balfour! Ease up a bit, that’s really painful!”
He loosened his grip slightly in a gesture of apology but didn’t let go completely. He knew if he did, she would be
right back in his
arms.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmGiselle wasn’t thinking that far ahead. Her mind was focused on being alone with him in her room, where he surely
wouldn’t be so aloof.
Using the painting as a pretext, Giselle led Balfour into her bedroom. She wasn’t lying. The painting was indeed
there, right above her bed.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked.
Balfour humored her with small talk but, under the guise of not paying attention, he began a meticulous search of
the room.