Free Bound by Light by Tracey Jane Jackson Page A

boots.”
    “I’m going for the weekend,” Sydney argued.
“Not a month.”
    “At least take your Jimmy Choos and a little
black dress. In case.”
    “Fine.” Sydney rolled her eyes. “Just in
case.”
    Lucy helped her pack the rest of her things,
which meant Lucy threw stuff into the bag while Sydney took half of
it back out. If she hadn’t, she’d have needed more than one bag and
they would have been packing for a week.
    A knock at the door brought her aunt.
“Thane’s here, love.”
    Sydney checked her watch. “He’s early.”
    Aunt Clara chuckled. “He obviously wants to
get the romance started.”
    “Oh, gross, Mum,” Lucy complained.
    “Why is that gross?”
    “Probably because you said it.”
    Sydney grinned and pulled her bag off the
bed. “I’m ready. You two can bicker on your own time. Right now,
it’s romance time.”
    Aunt Clara giggled and Lucy groaned.
    “Just FYI, it’s gross when you say it too,
Sid,” Lucy retorted.
    “At least I’m not saying lover.”
    “Ohmigod, that’s disgusting.”
    Sydney wrinkled her nose. “I’m going away
with my loverrrrr.”
    “Okay, even I think that’s gross,” Aunt
Clara said.
    “Which he’s not,” Sydney rushed to say.
“Just to be clear.”
    “We know,” Aunt Clara said, and the three
dissolved into giggles as they walked downstairs.
    Sydney set her bag in the foyer and smiled
when Thane and her uncle walked out of the parlor.
    Thane leaned down to kiss her gently. “Good
morning. You look beautiful.”
    “So do you,” she said.
    He wore dark jeans with a periwinkle-blue
sweater that matched his eyes, and to say he looked gorgeous was an
understatement.
    “Are you ready?”
    Sydney nodded. “I tried to pack light.”
    Thane chuckled. “You did well, love. I was
expecting triple.”
    “I can go back upstairs and pack more if you
need me to,” she retorted.
    He grinned. “Cheeky.”
    Thane nodded to his “man” who stood inside
the door, and he took Sydney’s bag out to the car. Sydney took a
few minutes to hug her family and then Thane ushered her out to the
waiting SUV. The driver held the door open for her and she climbed
in while Thane walked to the other side. His phone pealed and he
took the call as the driver pulled away from the curb.
    “Morning, Pam. Aye.” He took Sydney’s hand
and linked his fingers with hers. “Aye. You did? Well done. Aye.
See you in a few minutes.” He hung up and smiled. “Pam’s diverted
the paparazzi, which means, if all goes according to plan, we won’t
be bothered at the station.”
    “I didn’t even think about the paparazzi,”
Sydney admitted.
    Thane kissed her palm. “That’s why we have
Pam.”
    Sydney giggled. “I’m not sure I’m her
favorite person.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because I keep distracting you from what she wants you to do.”
    Thane chuckled. “Pam’s protective, but she
knows who signs her checks, so you won’t have any issues with her.
If you do, tell me.”
    “I’m not getting between you and your
assistant, Thane. I’ll fight my own battles if I need to.”
    “Sassy.”
    “Bossy.”
    He dropped his head back and laughed.
“You’re gorgeous, you know that, right?”
    “Back atya.”
    He leaned over and kissed her quickly,
smiling against her lips. “I can’t wait to spend the entire weekend
with you.”
    “Me neither.” She cocked her head. “Uncle
Cary discussed me staying with you instead of Charlotte and Niall,
right?”
    “Aye, he did.”
    “Is that still okay?”
    He chuckled. “Of course it is. It’s better.
We’ll have no distractions.”
    “Perfect,” she said. The SUV pulled up to
the train station and Thane guided her directly to their private
train car.
    “Shouldn’t we check in?” she asked.
    “My people will do that for us.” He pulled
her to a seat next to the window and sat down beside her.
    “So this is what it’s like to travel with a
big movie star,” she mused.
    Thane chuckled. “Do you find