With butterflies racing, and achy heat already blooming in every nerve ending, I complied.
And when his hands spread my butt cheeks, and he pressed his face between my legs to feast on my dripping pussy, I wondered what on earth I’d done right to have ended up with this man, who was so perfect for me in every possible way.
He looked so beautiful sleeping. I stifled a giggle, gazing sleepily down at him as the first rays of sun filtered in through the blinds. If I calledhim that, he’d probably wince and request I use something more masculine to describe him.
Hewasmasculine.Andhe was beautiful, with his black curls, and his long, dark eyelashes, and the stubble on his chin that always appeared by mid-afternoon despite him shaving every morning without fail.
I reached out to run my fingers along the roughness of it and the sharp jaw it covered. Beautiful.
He twitched, his eyes slitting open. Even half awake, he reached for me, tugging me against his chest.
“Morning, Catnip,” he rumbled. “Did you sleep well?”
“Soowell … since we started sharing a bed, I don’t think I’ve had a bad night’s sleep.” I traced the patterns on his sleep shirt. “Is it weird that I’m grateful we had to leave Australia?”
“If you mean because it gave us the impetus to get out of our heads and let this happen …” He nuzzled his nose against mine. “Then no, it’s not weird at all.”
I hid my grin in his shirt. “I almost don’t want to have to go back to reality, even though when I do, I won’t have to be constantly looking over my shoulder for someone waiting to pounce on me and deport me.”
Henry’s brow furrowed. “Except for Cockerels Cap. We still don’t entirely know what his motivation for following you around is.” He ran his hand down over my hair. “Lucian seems to have lost him too.”
My stomach swirled. “What do you mean, lost him?”
Henry pursed his lips. “He hasn’t been seen around your apartment since the morning you were arrested.”
I shrugged, forcing down the worry. “Well, maybe his job was just to make sure I got arrested?” I suggested. “And he’s finished with us now.”
“I don’t know. That feels far too neat and tidy for my liking,” Henry muttered, and I had to agree.
“Well, it’s another thing for future us to worry about,” I said, my tone bright. “We don’t have to think about it until we return to Sydney, and in the meantime …” I trailed my hand down under the covers and into his pyjama pants. “I’m on a luxury yacht, in the Whitsundays, with my husband, and I want to enjoy him.”
Henry groaned, and for a blissful hour, we forgot about the problems we’d left behind in Sydney …
My phone buzzed just as I stepped out of the shower, having been thoroughly washed down … and dirtied up … and washed down again by my very attentive husband. I picked up my phone, frowning as I tapped the text message icon.
Unknown Number: Irina, it’s Dom. I thought you would want to know that Kat was attacked by another student. She’s been taken to Frankwright Hospital. She’s mildly concussed, has some bumps and bruises, and there is damage to her neck and throat, but we won’t know how bad it is just yet. She’s been moved to a ward, and we’re waiting for scans.
“Ce pula mea?” I cursed, voice wavering as my stomach dropped. Henry was behind me in an instant.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, worry lacing his tone. I wordlessly showed him the screen. Reaching for his glasses, his expression tightened as he scanned the message.
“What are we going to do?” he asked as, with shaking hands, I typed a reply, guilt roiling sickeningly in my stomach. Here I was, playing honeymoon with my maybe-not-so-fake husband, and somenenorocitulehad been roughing up my best friend!
“Her neck … holy shit, Henry, her throat! She’s a singer! She was about to star in a production ofPhantom of the Opera!” I sank onto the bed, covering my face with my hands.
A frantic yowl erupted from outside the door, and Henry marched over to let Abernathy and Trinket into the room. Abs immediately jumped up and climbed into my lap. I buried my trembling fingers in his thick fur.
“I bet it was that stupid mole, Grace,” I mumbled. “Fucking jealous cow, she probably did it to sabotage Kat’s opportunity to shine in the lead role. You should have heard her at the bar that night, talking like Kat had only managed to get the lead by befriending some nepo baby!”
Henry sat beside me, leaning down to scratch Trink’s head as shestood on her hind legs, her paws resting against his shin. “You need to go and visit her.”
I blinked, my lips parting. “But … I’m not allowed back into the country yet.”
Henry’s expression was determined as his free hand squeezed my knee. “We can make it work. I can get my jet up here within a day. Lucian can meet us in Sydney and take you straight to the hospital. We’ll avoid immigration entirely. In and out, you get to see her, to let her know you’re still her person, and we’ll be back here before anyone’s the wiser.”
“That seems very risky,” I mumbled. Fear of getting caught, of the knowledge that there would be no second chance for me if I was, warred with the thought of not being able to be there for her at all … not being able to show her that I did care, that her problems mattered to me. My stomach churned.
“I think I’m going to be sick!” I leapt up from the bed, practically launching Abs into the air as I rushed to the ensuite. Henry followed me as I leaned over the toilet bowl, nausea roiling. Nothing came up. I sat back against the wall, trying to suck air into my lungs. This wasn’t illness. It was a panic attack. Someone had hurt Kat—someone she should have been able to trust had betrayed her.
