Page 82 of The Forbidden Billionaire
“I’m leaving you my personal number here…” He places a business card on the kitchen counter, next to two key cards. “Please, just call me if you need anything at all. Otherwise, dial zero on the main phone and you’ll get through to reception.”
“Thank you,” Aurelia whispers, shaking his hand again. “I really appreciate this.”
“Ah… well… you’re welcome.” He closes his free hand over hers. “I’m so sorry to hear about what’s happened. Caesar was very worried. I’m glad I could help.”
He shakes my hand, then heads out with the porter, closing the door firmly behind him. I walk over and slot the deadbolt home and test it. It’s secure. I’m glad there are security lightsand cameras on the road. Nobody’s getting in here without anyone knowing about it.
When I turn back, Aurelia has unlocked the sliding doors and opened them, and she’s standing on the deck. I follow her out and stand next to her, looking out at the ocean. There are security lights all along the beach that would obviously come on if any boats approached. And although Gabriel told us there were no cameras on the properties for privacy reasons, I’m betting anytime a security light is triggered, it sends an alarm to their central security office.
I look across at Aurelia. Her eyes are closed, and her face is lifted to the sea breeze. The only sounds are the whoosh of the waves on the sand, and the singing of cicadas from the pohutukawa trees and palms surrounding the villa. There are no horns and no sirens.
She opens her eyes and looks up at the sky. “I haven’t looked at the stars in weeks,” she whispers. “Look how bright they are here.”
I tear my gaze from her and look up. The Southern Cross is clearly visible, and above it the Milky Way lies splashed across the sky like a bucket of spilt stars.
“What are they?” she asks, pointing to two small patches of light.
“The Magellanic Clouds. Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.”
“Ohhh…” Her face is filled with wonder, and her eyes shine. She presses her fingers to her mouth. “It’s so beautiful.” Her bottom lip trembles.
Without being asked, I open my arms, and she turns to me and moves up close, resting her cheek on my chest.
Chapter Eighteen
Aurelia
“You’re getting cold,” Luke says eventually, obviously feeling me tremble. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
I follow him in, not sure how to tell him that it was being close to him that made me shiver, and not the cold. He closes the sliding doors and locks them, then tests them, making sure they’re immovable before he turns away.
“Security here’s tight,” he murmurs, taking off his hoodie and tossing it over a chair. “I like it. I feel like I can breathe at last.” He gives me an amused look as he walks past me into the kitchen.
“It’s so strange,” I say, following him. “I’ve only known about all this since about six o’clock this evening. But you’ve known about it for months.”
He opens the fridge and looks in it. “I can see how that would feel weird.”
“All those times I tried to give you the slip. And how you reacted so strangely to the roses.”
He takes out the bowl of seafood chowder, puts it in the microwave, and starts heating it. “There was method in my madness.”
“I can see that now. I’m sorry I gave you the runaround.”
He throws me an amused look. “You were a challenge, I admit.” He lifts up the front of a bread bin and his eyes light up. “Ooh. Crusty bread.” He picks it up and inhales. “Wow. It’s still warm.” He takes out a bread board, chooses a bread knife, and starts cutting the loaf into chunks.
I watch him do this domestic task, realizing for the first time that he’s not constantly looking around the room, counting exits, noting faces. He’s not pressing the button in his pocket,and his posture is relaxed for maybe the first time since I’ve seen him. For the first time since I’ve met him, he looks off duty.
He glances up. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Suddenly, I’m so tired I can barely stand. “I’m exhausted.”
“You can go to bed straight after dinner.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You need to eat,” he says firmly, putting the slices onto a plate.
I feel a flare of anger. “I wish everyone would stop deciding what I do and don’t want. I am capable of making my own decisions.”
