“Iamchill. Cuddling on the couch watching movies is great. Cooking together. Lazy mornings in bed. Hanging with friends and your family. It’s all good. But I also like to shop. Travel. And I don’t camp—please don’t ever ask me to sleep in a tent on the ground.”
He actually laughs. “That I can promise.”
“I mean, if we have kids and you want to take them camping, you’re welcome to. I’m just not sleeping anywhere that doesn’t have indoor plumbing.”
“Noted.” He seems more amused than anything.
I cock my head. “Have I scared you off?”
He reaches for my hand. “Not in the least.”
“The thing is, camping and picnics and that kind of thing are all the club cares about. That’s not what they stand for—I’m not getting into their stance on freedom and living by their own code—but their lifestyle is simple. There’s plenty of money, but it’s used so that they can live off the grid, for the most part. They don’t travel unless it’s something club related. That’s not the life I want, and we need to be on the same page now that you’ve experienced it firsthand.”
“Look, I couldn’t give two shits about camping. I don’t understand the club’s lifestyle, but I’m trying to be respectful of it because he’s still your father. Unless and until you decide to cut him out of your life, we have to find a balance. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
“I don’t want to cut him out of my life. I’m just trying to explain that I can be a bit of a princess, and I don’t know if that’s okay with you. Because I can spend one Sunday at the club having a cookout but their life isn’t what I want. BecausenextSunday I want to be in New York or Paris. Does that make sense?”
He slides an arm around my neck. “It does. And I’m fine with that. I don’t know that I’ll ever want to goshoppingwith you, but I do like a nice suit. In fact, Courtney is having custom tuxedos made for all of us because of the level of clientele we have.”
“I have a job and my own money,” I add quickly. “So please don’t think I want you to subsidize my lifestyle. I?—”
“I get it, babe.” He leans over and kisses me. “Really. You get to be who you are. On my end, I enjoy fast cars, motorcycles,anything with speed. I’ve wanted to buy another Mustang for years but without a garage, it would be hard to leave it outside all the time. If we buy a house someday, I’d like a three-car garage so I could work on it.”
“That’s not a problem for me.”
“I guess I like a combination of simple and fancy too. I like good food, so five-star restaurants are a thing for me. I’m not much for expensive wine but enjoy good champagne. I’ve always wanted to tour that region of France.”
My eyes widen and I put a hand on my chest. “Be still my heart—yes, please!”
We laugh and continue talking as we get ready for bed.
There is so much more to Landon than the burly, muscular man on the outside. The more we get to know each other, the more confident I am in the relationship.
If only we didn’t have to stay hidden all the time.
No one knows where we’re living except me, Landon, Elliott, Luna, Daniil, Courtney, and my father. That’s still a lot of people but Courtney and Daniil make all the decisions. We’re living in Rage’s apartment so he had to be part of the discussion. Luna is in charge of security, watches Rage’s cameras, and keeps digital tabs on both me and Landon. And my father insisted he needs to know where I am, just in case. He also swore he wouldn’t tell anyone, not even his brothers.
I understand the need for these precautions, but it’s frustrating not to be able to go shopping. See my friends. I haven’t even been able to work, other than the trip to Denver. The New York job is coming up in two weeks and I’m determined to go but I know Landon doesn’t want me to.
On top of that, I’d like to be able to gooutwith Landon. Dinner. A movie. The beach. Normal couple things. This is so cloak and dagger, it doesn’t feel real. Hell, I can’t even drive my car, which adds another layer of frustration. It’s not Landon’sfault. It’s really not anyone’s fault, so there isn’t even anyone I can vent to.
We still haven’t discussed the option to draw out the kidnappers by letting me get back to my life, and we have to. I just don’t want to argue. I understand where he’s coming from but I don’t know how much longer I can do this.
“Landon?” We’re in bed, after another round of mind-blowing sex, and I’m curled into his chest.
“Yeah?”
“We have to talk about the elephant in the room.”
He groans. “Now?”
“Well, we keep avoiding it.”
“Because we already know we disagree and it seems pointless to argue.”
“You can’t be happy being locked up in this little apartment with me for eternity.”
“Well, I can think of worse places, with much worse company,” he says lightly, squeezing one of my butt cheeks.
