“It’s been a slow winter.”
He smiled then returned to attacking his tots.
“Can we read in bed together tonight?” I requested.
He returned his attention to me. “Come again?”
“It’s a fantasy I had when we were together before. You read. I read. I had visions of us being all chill, cuddled in bed together, reading. We can do it before or after nighttime sex, but I want us to give that a go. See how it feels.”
“We can do that, beautiful,” he said softly.
I smiled at him.
His phone on the coffee table clattered.
He picked it up, shoved some tots in his mouth and checked his texts.
Then his body changed.
It went still, but it was more. I could tell he was alert, but there was an edge to it. Emotion. A ton of it. And not good emotion.
“Honey?” I called.
He slid his thumbs over the screen, tossed the phone to the coffee table and looked at me.
“Gypsy told Alexeyev, Alexeyev told Titus, Titus told Mace. She had a message for me.”
“What’s that?” I whispered.
“‘We’ll always love you, but you’re released.’”
Oh fuck.
I put Jacques down, got up and went to him.
Running a hand up and down his back, I got close. “That’s what you wanted, right?”
“She’s disappearing.”
I nodded my head.
“I hope he keeps her safe, wherever they go.”
His phone clattered again.
He grabbed it.
Since I could read Mace’s text from where I sat, I read it.
You okay with this?
Mace was a good guy.
Good, Knox sent. Then, Really. It’s what I wanted. It’s done. I’m relieved.
He put his phone down again and picked up his malt.
I kept rubbing his back and sticking close.
