There was only Lucian, arms crossed, glaring down at me.
“He always arrives and leaves when you do. I wasn’t sure if you were aware, or if you wanted to report him to the police, maybe? He looks quite menacing.”
I stifled a guffaw, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. “Thank you. He’s my … bodyguard.” I got a naughty little thrill at the thought of Lucian’s expression if he heard me calling him that.
Amanda’s face instantly relaxed. “Oh, God, that is such a relief! I thought you had a stalker problem!” She gave me a conspiratorial wink. “And just for the record, you are super down to earth for a billionaire’s wife.”
My mouth gaped. “You … how?”
Amanda smiled knowingly. “I keep up to date with the news. Irecognised Henry the first time we saw you here. Well, I’m glad you’re not being targeted by an axe murderer. Your hubby must really worry about your safety.”
I nodded, unable to find words. He did care, and it was my fault I needed protection in the first place.
I was too young to have so many enemies.
“Well, I’ll probably see you around. Levi likes to come here after training once a week for a recovery session, and I bring Lil down so we can go play on the sand afterwards.”
I sighed. “Your life sounds idyllic.”
Amanda shrugged. “Well, just remember that what you see on the outside isn’t always as perfect behind closed doors. Levi and I went through a lot to get where we are now.” She looked back at him where he sat, jiggling Lily on his knee and making her gurgle. “But the hard days are worth it, when you really love someone.”
She raised a hand in farewell and sauntered away, leaving me speechless and with my brain snagging on those words.
I’d been justifying Henry’s rule by telling myself that starting something real with him had the potential to ruin everything if it didn’t last the full two years we needed to remain happily married.
But what if these feelings I was developing for him were enough to get us through any rough patches? What if I could … love him enough, to build a bridge when a crack appeared?
But this wasn’t love, was it? This constant desire to be near him? To have intimacy with him, not just sexually, but emotionally too? Was that love? Or were we just co-conspirators with chemistry?
“There is not enough vodka in the world to help me make sense of this,” I muttered, grabbing my bags and heading back towards the car, knowing that Lucian would follow along behind.
The Hunger Gameswas judging me from the spot on my bedside table, where it had been since Henry gifted it to me.
I reached for it, running my fingers over the golden bird on the cover before turning it over and puzzling over the blurb on the back. With a sigh, I set it down. I thought it sounded incredible, but aheadache had already begun to form behind my eyes from trying to decipher some of the unfamiliar English words.
I’d never been much of a reader for enjoyment even in my native tongue, but I should try to find a Romanian translation. I wanted so badly to try for Henry. To show him that I appreciated the preciousness of this gift, enough to want to share in this topic that he was so passionate about.
I turned my back on it, lifting my overnight bag onto my shoulder and heading for my bedroom door. That was a problem for future Ri. Right now, I needed to get to the apartment for a long overdue girl’s night with my very suspicious best friend.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay spending a night back there after what happened?” Henry asked when I walked past him. He stirred a delicious-smelling red sauce on the stove. I longed to give Kat some excuse and stay to help him cook, maybe watch a movie together.
Maybe accidentally snuggle up with my head on his lap.
These feelings were exactly why I had to go be with Kat. Me having these thoughts didn’t change the fact that Henry had fully recommitted to his rule, and my feelings were probably completely unrequited.
“I’ll be fine. Lucian’s team are on overnight duty, and I’ll be back tomorrow once Kat goes to school.”
Henry turned the full force of those green eyes on me. “I’m not worried about your safety. I trust Lucian implicitly.” He set down the spoon and came to lean on the kitchen counter. My eyes flitted over the way his muscles tensed under his T-shirt as he flexed his fingers against the marble.
“What Iamworried about is whether you feel comfortable sleeping in that room, knowing how your privacy was invaded.”
I swallowed, hitching my overnight bag higher on my shoulder. “I’m a big girl.” My tone was snarky, the words hovering heavy in the air between us. My head swam, and I gripped at the edge of the bench to steady myself.
Get a grip, Rusnac!
“I know you are,” Henry said softly, his voice thick. “But you don’t have to be brave all on your own, Catnip. If you need to … talk, or anything, you can call me, any time. I doubt I’ll get much sleep tonight anyway.”
I forced a smirk onto my face. “Aww, Hubby, are you going to miss me?”
