Free AKA Lexi Frost (Lexi Frost Series) by Tori Brooks Page B

realization. “Your research was pretty thorough.”
    “ Of course. You had quite a figure in college with a pretty face. Coupled with your unusual wit it’s not surprising a few of your would-be boyfriends demonstrated some distinctly stalker-like tendencies. Amateurs, thankfully.
    “ I’m glad I learned that tidbit early on. I’ve deliberately avoided going to Seattle to see you because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
    “ Thank you. I think that would have freaked me out a bit.”
    “ Please keep traveling so I have other opportunities, okay?”
    “ What would you do if I decided to become a hermit?”
    “ Become an investor in the kids’ charter school, I imagine. Then you’d have to deal with me on the PTA.”
    Lexi gave a dramatic shudd er in response and Paul laughed. She smiled at him. “Seriously Paul, you do not want to deal with our PTA.”
    “ I believe you. I did look at the school, it’s amazing it’s still afloat. I would like to give you a hand with that someday.” He paused, watching her and her eyes grew wide. “But I think it’s just a little too close for comfort just now,” he finished.
    “ I’m sorry.”
    “ Don’t be, a responsible stalker needs to respect boundaries.”
    She laughed , and he watched her. His gaze sobered her quickly and she picked up her water, looking away.
    “ That you married your fourth would-be stalker didn’t exactly discourage me, you know.”
    “ Is that what your goal is?”
    Paul smiled. “For now, my goal is dinner.”
    Lexi gave him a grateful smile as a waitress showed up with their meals: lasagna , one of her favorites. A silver ice bucket with a pair of Dr. Pepper bottles in it was added to the table with champagne flutes, and Lexi laughed. Paul winked as he dramatically opened one of the bottles and poured her a drink.
    “ You really don’t miss a thing, do you?” she asked.
    “ How could I pass up this golden opportunity?” He raised a glass in the way of a toast. “To getting to know you better, Lexi Frost.”
     
    Paul spent the rest of lunch keeping Lexi talking about the charter school the kids went to, and the inspiration for her and Allen to found it. The trials and pitfalls and stress it gave her to get it started surprised Paul. Now that it was established, she backed off to allow the board to run it, and quietly pulled her hair out during the meetings. Paul gave her some insight from a businessman’s point of view. His free advice and candid critique earned him dinner, in part because they’d talked so long they were still at the table when the dinner hours started.
    Paul returned Lexi to her hotel later , but wouldn’t let her go until she promised either a nightcap or breakfast. Since he knew she rarely drank, breakfast was a given, and he picked her up at seven the next morning. It took only a little coaxing to get her to admit she’d been up all night and hadn’t actually gone to bed yet. After breakfast, he took her up to a rooftop garden to feed the pigeons.
    The warmth of the day , gentle breeze, the shade of the vine-laden gazebo set a relaxing scene. Paul held Lexi beside him on a padded bench as he quietly told her the complexities of international business and how they differed from small, local business practices. As expected, she fell asleep on his shoulder and he smiled to himself in satisfaction for almost two hours as she napped.
    Of course she missed her flight home. He made it up to her with lunch and drove her to Miami International for another flight.
    While conversing regularly via emails and calls, Paul didn’t get to see Lexi again until he crashed her trip to London over a month later. She had a photo shoot in Paris, but decided to visit London for a couple of days first before crossing the channel.
    Although she didn ’t mention her trip specifically, Lexi failed to look surprised when Paul walked on the plane and sat down beside her, giving Nicholas his first-class seat in trade.