Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67905 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67905 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
He sat across from me and stared at me as his butler poured him a glass of red wine.
I was served a fillet of white fish with the same rice and greens.
His butler left us, and now it was just the two of us.
My nerves were bunched together in a knot. Adrenaline flowed in my blood even though I had no desire to run anywhere. There was something about him that put me on edge without making me feel afraid. His handsomeness and raw masculinity made me nervous…but a kind of nervous that was addictive.
He grabbed his glass, swirled it, and then took a drink.
I grabbed my fork again and slid it through the fish, which broke apart easily. In just one bite, I tasted all the flavors and deliciousness. I didn’t miss cooking at all. I used to think I enjoyed it, but now that someone else did it, I realized I’d just felt obligated and made the best of it. “How was your day?”
He cut into his steak and took a bite. “It was fine. Yours?”
“It was nice. I used your gym then sunbathed on the balcony. I hope that’s okay.” I’d never asked permission to use his gym. When I saw that he wasn’t in there, I just assumed it was fine.
“I said you’re welcome to explore the house.”
“I know, but the gym is yours.”
“You’re free to go wherever you wish. Even my bedroom if you want.”
A quick thrill shot down my body, the kind that burned my fingertips before they went numb. I wondered what he meant by that, if it was an invitation to be with him…or meant nothing at all.
He continued to eat like he didn’t think twice about what he said.
“So, have you been able to find him?”
His tone quickly turned hostile. “I don’t want to talk about him. If I have something to share, you’ll be the first to know.”
I immediately looked down at my fish as I sliced into another piece. “Alright.”
We ate our meal in silence, both of us wiping our plates clean without saying a word. I looked out the window just so I wouldn’t stare at him so hard. He’d shaved, so his hard jaw was naked, the strong bones in his face visible. Maybe it was because I’d been imprisoned in hell for so long, but I’d never seen anything more beautiful in my life than the man across from me. His dark hair, his dark eyes, those wide shoulders that were bigger than a doorway.
I’d been physical with Bolton but not by choice, so as far as I was concerned, I’d been celibate for months. I’d felt no desire or physical attraction, so when that fire went out, I assumed it had gone out for good. But the second I was in Theo’s proximity, I felt like a lioness who’d just gone into heat.
He drank his wine as he stared back at me.
I wondered what he was thinking. Did he find me attractive? Or did he see me as damaged goods? When I’d started to do my makeup again, I began to look like myself. And now, when I looked in the mirror, I actually recognized myself. The color was back in my face. The shrewdness in my eyes.
Did he see that too?
“I spoke to the owner of the gallery. You can have your job back, if you want it.”
“What?” I had been devastated when Bolton forced me to quit my job. It was the only thing in my life that was just mine. The only time of the day when I got to be alone, away from Bolton and anything that reminded me of him. I liked making my own money, and now that Bolton and I weren’t together anymore, I needed that income more than ever.
He didn’t repeat what he said.
“But he must have hired someone…”
“He did. But I offered them a job at one of my restaurants instead, so the position is available again. Your boss said he’d love for you to come back. Described you as irreplaceable.”
“Really?” It felt good to be needed, to have more value than being Bolton’s wife…and then prisoner. He never liked that I had my own goals and desires. Never liked that I continued to hold on to a bit of independence.
Theo nodded before he drank his wine again. “Do you accept?”
“I’d love to. But I don’t see how that’s possible. You know, with our situation.”
“He won’t bother you.”
“But he might know I’m there.”
“He’s welcome to try,” he said. “I’ve got snipers all over that place who will shoot him the second he steps out of the car. I’m not worried about it, Astrid. I’d rather you not worry about it either. You did your time. This is my problem now.”
My eyes immediately darted away because his words pulled at my heartstrings. Bolton used to take care of me, but now I saw it for what it really was. He never wanted to take care of me—he just wanted to control me. But Theo was exactly the opposite. He carried the burden that was too heavy for me to lift. He let me have whatever made me happy, like my job. “But it’s not your problem, Theo.”