“I don’t know, but it’s convenient timing, don’t you think? I’m not in council business, but even I know Elliran doesn’t miss work for much. She’s always coming into Lovable Loaf to say hello, but you’re right. I haven’t seen her in a bit.”
Rosalind put her face in her hands and sank to the counter. “Oh my gods, this is my fault.”
“No, no,” Dav said, scooting closer to rub a soothing handover her shoulders. “This is only Tarzul’s fault, but…” Rose turned out of her arms to find him scrubbing a hand down his face. “Act like you believe him, just like everyone else. If he’s responsible for more than the money going missing, we already know he’ll try to intimidate you out of looking closer at his affairs. I don’t trust the bastard, so don’t go anywhere without Mozke or me. I’m sure Laz said the same thing.”
“He might, I guess, once I tell him.”
Surprise flickered in Dav’s gaze. “You haven’t told him?”
“Well, not yet.”
“His place was closer.”
Rosalind didn’t quite understand Dav lingering on the topic. “And he’d probably give me good advice, too, but I…” She scratched at the back of her head. “My first thought was to come here.”
Davarox stared at her so long she probably would have started squirming if she hadn’t seen the vulnerability in his frown. If she hadn’t tried so damn hard to figure out what it meant. But the longer he looked, the more she wondered…
Maybe he was just as good as seeing her as she was at seeing him.
Dav broke the silence first, reaching out to tap her cup of tea. “You should finish that before it gets cold, and then you’re going to take a three-hour nap.”
“Three hour?—”
“Minimum,” he growled. “Non-negotiable.”
“Davarox,” she sighed, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “I have so much to do. Those contractsare still filtering through the councilors. I’ve got my proposal. I need to check with Kalypso after the fucking monster attack. I have… a list back at the office.”
“I don’t care. You should have slept last night, especially considering our plans tonight, which I’m tempted to cancel?—”
“Don’t.” Rosalind’s hand snapped out to grip his wrist. His skin was warm under her touch, muscle tight. “Don’t cancel tonight.”
His gaze narrowed, but then his entire body softened, slipping his hand down to hold hers. “Rose.” He closed his eyes and leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. “You have such a beautiful heart, but you keep giving and giving, and others keep taking and taking until there’s nothing left for you.” His head shook against hers. “Fuck, your heart is so loud.”
Her eyes began to burn. “You sound like my mother.”
“Smart woman,” Davarox hummed.
“I miss her. I miss my family.” Rosalind sniffed, trying to hold the tears back. “I feel like the moment I slow down or stop, I won’t be able to get up again. And every time I’m close to breaking, when I crave the safety I used to have, I come here.”
The heat from his breath against her cheek stilled.
And she wanted to say everything on her mind. How she was sorry that she didn’t know how to slow down, but that when it became too much, her heart only wanted to find him. How he was the thing she feared losing the most. HowLaz was a spark and a comfort, but Dav was her protection, even from herself.
Together, they were her home.
But she held the words behind her gritted teeth. Swallowed them past the lump in her throat for a time when he might be ready to hear it. When the last secret between best friends stopped keeping him from happiness.
Rosalind tried not to let the concern show when Davarox shifted and pressed a kiss to her forehead in favor of answering. “Nap, baby. I’ll send word to Mozke where you are. We’ll decide on the evening when you’ve rested.”
Somewhere between crawling under the covers in Dav’s bed and the moonlight shifting across the chamber, she could have sworn she dreamed of Dav’s gentle finger brushing some hair from her forehead.
Could have sworn she dreamed of his other hand flexing over his heart and tried not to let it haunt her that, instead of a smile, he was frowning.
21
EARN IT
Davarox
