“I’m really okay” I reply, my voice wavering. “Just not hungry tonight.”
He narrows his eyes, clearly not believing me. His hand grabs my wrist for a few seconds, as if he was counting my heartbeat.
“Bullshit,” he says.
I look down at my trembling hands, trying so hard to compose myself back into the social butterfly I usually am.But it’s as if he can see through my defenses, exposing my vulnerability.
“Look at me,” he commands, his voice softer but no less authoritative. I could argue with him right now, but I don’t want to attract more attention. So I reluctantly raise my eyes, a shiver running down my spine.
“What’s going on? Are you sick?” There’s a tint of concern in his voice.
“No, I’m fine,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Just not hungry, that’s all. Just drop it.”
He studies me for a moment longer, his emerald gaze penetrating. I can tell he’s not entirely convinced, but he nods, though his skepticism is evident. My heart quickens, like each time before one of my episodes and I try to steady my breathing so he won’t notice. Kiara shoots me a sympathetic look. I know it sucks and I know she feels powerless with it. But before I can even think of getting away with it, Ares leans in close, his voice low and rich like velvet.
“If you could choose, what would you eat now?” His question catches me off guard with an intensity that brooks no argument.
I swallow hard, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t reveal too much. “Um, green vegetables with no oil or salt,” I admit quietly. “And one egg, cooked on both sides.”
He studies me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he gets up from his chair and exits the room. I watch him go, my fingers shaking more than a few seconds ago.
What is he doing?
He comes back a minute later, without a glance to me, talking back with his vice-president. Five minutes later, a maid, who I assumed was hired for the occasion, discreetly places aplate in front of me. It holds a serving of plain, steamed green vegetables and a perfectly cooked egg.
Wha-what?
He went into the kitchen to ask his cook to make the exact thing I asked.
Why would he be so kind when we’ve been snipping at each other's throats all day?
“You need anything else?” he asks quietly, turning his face toward me for a second.
“No, this is…perfect,” I reply, trying not to burst into tears at the gesture that means so much to me right now. “Thank you.”
Ares nods again, then turns back to his conversation, leaving me to eat in peace. After eating the first bite of egg I realized how hungry I was since this morning. Looking up, I notice my mother sending daggers with her gaze.
“You're difficult, Mia,” her eyes shout at me. I can almost hear it.
“See, I knew it would work out,” Kiara whispers to me with a sly grin.
“Um, yeah.” I try to put on a brave face. “Maybe, maybe it will,” I say as convincingly as I can.
This day definitely turned out to be more surprising than I thought.
Chapter 3
Ares
I don’t know why, but she doesn’t like the food my staff has made. Thought it was perhaps a stupid diet thing to stay skinny, not that she needed it, but from the glimpse of terror I saw in her hazelnut eyes when I called her out on it, it had nothing to do with that.
Even if I’ve been acting like a jerk all day, watching her starve herself isn’t something I want. She seems to have a unique relationship with food. I should have investigated that part of her too. I’m the only one to blame if my own wife can’t find something to eat in her new home.
My fifty-year-old cook, Larry, raised a brow when I told him what Mia wanted to eat. He’s pretty sensitive to people not liking his food, but since I was the one standing in front of him, he got to work as quickly as possible.
And I gotta say, I was relieved when I saw her take her first bites. It had been hours since the wedding, probably more since she last ate breakfast, and fuck, I shouldn’t care, but it didn’t sit right with me to see her like that. I’m not an emotional man. I kill, torture, hunt, and traffic guns and drugs for a living. Being emotional isn’t part of my everyday life. I gotta be strong and steady to lead my brothers and my city.
But there’s something about her, which is why I accepted the deal. Mia’s different; she isn’t afraid of me like most women. She holds her ground, and I respect that.
