Page 94 of Blue Gold

“What did you forget?”

“Nothing.” I went back to him, stopping only a few inches away, and handed him the files I carried.

Elliot seemed bewildered, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the legal papers. “What’s this?” He flipped through the pages, his brows creasing with confusion. “You’ll need to read it for me,” he said, handing them back to me.

But instead of taking the papers from him, I placed my hand on top of his. “These are my divorce papers.”

His breath caught at the same time his eyes widened.

“You mean⁠—”

“I’m going to file them once I’m back home.” Surprisingly, the thought that once scared me to the point of chasing Elliot away now filled my body with an unbelievable amount of courage. “I’ve sorted everything out; the only thing left is telling Claudia. It won’t be easy, but I’m prepared for it.”

I thought, or at least hoped, Elliot would be just as excited, but instead, he moved away from me and walked back into the room, stopping once he reached the bed and sitting down, his eyes focused on the floor.

Was I in the wrong to think he’d be happy?

“Elliot—”

“Are you sure about it?” he asked, still not lifting his eyes from the floor. “Are you sure you want to toss everything away for a mistress?”

I frowned at his choice of word before quickly hurrying to his side. Not waiting for permission, I sat next to him.

“I’m not doing this for a mistress.” My heart stung that that was what he chose to call himself. “But for the man I love.”

He looked up, scared blue eyes meeting mine.

“Love?” His brows furrowed, almost like what I’d just said was completely out of the blue, even though I thought I’d made it rather obvious.

I shifted closer to him. “What else could it be if not love?”

Elliot once again looked away, his shoulders slumping. “H-how do you know? How do you know it’s love?”

Taking both his hands in mine, I brought them to my lips and kissed them.

“When I go to sleep at night, you’re the one I dream of, and when I wake up, you’re the first person I want to call.” I held his hands a bit tighter. “If I could, I would spend every waking minute with you, but I can’t, so instead, I just think of you… because the truth is, my love for you has no end, Elliot. And I highly doubt it ever will.”

Keeping his hands close to my chest, I watched the light reflecting in his precious eyes—the mere essence of my existence.

“So if this isn’t love—” I brushed my hand against his cheek, loving how he closed one eye as I did. “—I don’t know what is.”

He held his breath for a moment, his face serious, until he tilted his head and kissed my palm.

“I love you, too.” Another kiss. “I love you so much.”

My heart had never felt fuller.

The second Elliot’s eyes met mine, I knew no one would leave this room tonight and that our dinner reservation was as good as gone. In seconds, he was on me, working to release my tie while I tried doing the same to his. Heat and excitement rushed through me, making every move so much harder to control. But then again, control was overrated, especially when it came to my French prince.

“Aren’t you scared?” Elliot asked, his back facing me, his head resting on my arm as I hugged him from behind.

After two rounds of hot sex that pushed my libido to its limit, we now cuddled on the bed, with him being the smaller spoon.

“Of what?”

“Of everything… The divorce, for one.”

Breathing in his lavender scent, I kissed his nape. “Not at all.”