Miles Ever After (Miles High Series)(34)

It’s a chocolate pancake kind of day.





Kate


Paris.


“You nearly ready to go, babe?” Elliot calls.

“Just a minute.” I call. I turn and look at my behind and then turn back to the front and stare at my reflection. Who is that girl in the mirror?

My hair is out and full and I’m wearing red lipstick.

My outfit consists of a black tight pencil skirt, black cashmere fitted top, patent leather sky high pumps and my gold Rolex watch.

Dressed in Chanel from head to toe, I’m hardly recognizable.

It’s weird, you know. When I first started dating Elliot I never thought I would dress this way, or ever own a fancy handbag. I thought that everything he owned was stupidly overpriced and wanky, don’t get me wrong, it still is. But little by little you get used to having money, to owning ridiculously expensive designer things. Elliot said something one day when we first met whilst shopping and it stayed with me.

If you give the paparazzi something to talk about, be it your clothes or your shoes or your watch …then they don’t talk about you.

And he was right, they’ve left me alone.

Elliot comes around the door, his eyes drop to my toes and back up to my face, he gives me a slow sexy smile and does a low whistle.

“Fuck, my wife is hot.” He steps forward, takes me into his arms and kisses me, his tongue brushing against mine. “Are you ready to go and sell some paintings Harriet Boucher?” He squeezes my behind in his hands as his lips drop to my neck.

I stretch my neck to give him better access and smile as his teeth graze my skin, “I am.”

We decided to keep the pseudonym Harriet Boucher, although we have let out my true name.

Elanor went to prison for eight months for fraud. She was forced to pay back the money she stole, although only half of it was ever recovered because she’d spent the rest of it. She’s going out with some famous Formula One driver now and seems happy enough.

I call her on her birthday and Christmas. She doesn’t call me ever. One day I will completely let go of the dream of trying to salvage our relationship. But for now, she’s still my sister who has just lost her way. I’m hoping she returns to the Elanor I once loved.

Elliot hates her with a passion, there is no chance ever of a reconciliation between the two of them.

“Come on.”

I grab my purse and he takes my hand in his, “Let’s go.”





Elliot


The crowd hushes as Kate walks through the art gallery, she eclipses everyone in the room.

I’m used to people staring at my brothers and I, but Kate…. she’s an enigma. She doesn’t have any idea just how talented she is.

But they do, and so do I.

I’m just the lucky prick that she happened to fall in love with.

“Auction number fifteen.” The auctioneer calls. “We have a Harriet Boucher painted by Katherine Miles.”

The room falls silent and I smile proudly as adrenaline surges through my system, I will never get enough of this.

Seeing her heart come through in the paintings, watching them fall in love with her through paint splayed on a canvas.

Knowing that she was calling to me all along.

It’s here, in the art galleries, where I see her paintings hanging on the wall, being admired by all, that I count my blessings a million times over.

For not so long ago, I would stare at her paintings for hours and wish for her to come true.

And she did.

In beautiful technicolor.

“This is the most precious work we have seen tonight.” The auctioneer calls.

Kate smiles bashfully and fuck, my heart somersaults in my chest.

“Can we start the bidding at three hundred thousand?”

I look over to my private bidder and rub my nose, our secret code for yes.

He holds up his card.

“Three hundred thousand.”

It doesn’t matter that I married Kate Landon or Harriet Boucher or that she’s my wife Kate Miles, nothing has changed. I have to have all of her paintings, every single one of them and damn it, nothing can stop me.

Not even her.

She won’t let me bid, tells me that I can have them for free, so I secretly hire someone to do it for me. While ever the prices are still going up at auction, it only makes her collection more valuable.

“Six hundred.”

“Seven twenty.”

“Nine hundred.”

Kate bites her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling.

I run my hand through my hair. “One point one.” My bidder calls.

“One point four.” A woman calls.

I smile at the ground, I love that this woman loves it, I bid against her at every auction. It’s almost tempting to let her have it.

Almost….

I rub my nose again, “One point six.” My bidder calls.

The room hushes as they wait for the next bid.

“One point six two.” The woman calls.

I nod.

“One point six five.” My bidder calls.

The lady laughs and shakes her head, “I’m out.”

“One point six five, once.” The auctioneer calls, “One point six five, twice.” His voice is loud and echoing through the art gallery. “Last call, one point six five… sold.” He slams down his hammer.