Chapter 22

It was almost midnight when Noel arrived and by then she had fallen asleep in a beautiful chaise lounge that sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall in the living room. It overlooked the beach and by nightfall, with her hair and nails done, she felt tranquil enough to lay down on it with a glass of champagne while she waited for him to come until she eventually fell asleep.

She thought she may have heard Noel arrive but she wasn't sure until she felt the impression of something warm on her forehead. When she opened her eyes to the dark room, she recognized his outline against the backdrop of the city's skyline.

She felt him lift her off the chaise and clung to his strong body while he walked to the master's bedroom and laid her gently on it, pulling the covers over her.

Hours later when she woke up, that serenity she had earlier felt left her and she sat up with a start.

The jewelry!

Her legs were quick to touch the ground and she half ran to the closet and threw the doors o