Chapter 39 Dark Chocolate Dreams
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Dark Chocolate Dreams
HENRY
“Another sleepover?” I asked, trying, and failing, to keep my voice steady as I took in Ri, hair glossy and loose, in yoga pants and an oversized sweater with an overnight bag slung over her shoulder.
“I promised Kat I’d be there for her. She has extremely painful, debilitating periods, and she needs someone to be with her.”
“What about her boyfriend?”
Ri frowned. “They aren’t quite at the period-care stage.” She glanced away, and I wondered what it took to get to the ‘period-care’ stage of a relationship.
“Aren’t they in an intimate relationship, though? Wouldn’t it be a normal next step for him to look after her when she’s menstruating?”
“Would you feel comfortable helping me if I was bleeding through a tampon and in too much pain to get up and change my sheets?” she asked archly, and the challenge in her tone made me straighten.
“Catnip, I would carry you to the bathroom, run the shower to the temperature you like—just shy of scalding—and I’d help you undress.”
I took a step towards her, eyes darting to her chest, which rose and fell faster as I approached. I tore my eyes from her breasts, locking my gaze with hers.
“You would?” she breathed.
I nodded. “And while you were showering, I would strip the bed, set the sheets and your pyjamas on to soak, and make it up fresh for you. I’d bring you clean pyjamas, and a dose of Advil, and a heat pack, and whatever sweet treat you demanded.”
“Dark chocolate,” she murmured. “It’s my favourite.” Pink spots appeared high on her cheekbones. I reached out one hand and brushed my knuckles across that pretty stain.
“I’ll make sure there is always dark chocolate in the pantry,” I promised.
She blinked, eyes glistening, and stepped back from my reach. “Well.” She cleared her throat. “I guess I’d better go meet Felix.”
My brows knit. “Felix? Not Lucian?” Felix was one of Lucian’s underlings.
Ri picked up her bag, making her way to the stairs. “I told Lucian that he needs to put someone else on apartment-monitoring duty while I’m there. He outed himself to Kat at the bar the other week. I had to tell her that he was my security because I was getting famous on Tickle.”
My frown deepened. “But wouldn’t it make more sense for Lucian to be there, then? If Kat is already aware of him, wouldn’t she expect him to be around?”
Ri rolled her eyes. “Not at the apartment! It made sense for me to need security in a public place like a bar, but if she sees him lurking around outside the apartment, she’s going to think there’s something worrying going on.”
“There is something worrying—”
“Yes, alright, but she doesn’t know that.” Ri waved a dismissive hand. My heart jumped painfully. “And Felix has been on Cockerels Cap watch before, he knows the drill. Me being inside the building doesn’t make much of a difference, does it?”
I opened my mouth to argue that it did, that her being there made the need for security even more paramount, in my eyes, but when she glared at me, I shut it again.
“Is Lucian on board with this?” I asked instead. Because I was very much not.
“Lucian is begrudgingly agreeable,” he said, walking into the room. I shot him a look, but he shook his head once.
I had to admit defeat when it was two against one. With a sigh, I took the bag from Ri’s shoulder.
“I’ll walk you out to the car.” I took her hand. Her fingers were cold, and I tightened my grip on her as I led her up the stairs and out into the brisk May air.
Felix was waiting at the marina gate, the car idling. I didn’t let go of her as I opened the boot and put her bag inside before turning to her.
“I know you think I’m being overly cautious.”
Ri’s lips curled. “It’s one of the things I find most endearing about you.” She leaned in to brush a kiss to the corner of my mouth.
The control I’d held so carefully since the night of no rules broke, and my hand snaked around her neck, tilting her head until I could take her mouth.
She gasped, and I darted my tongue between her lips.
Electricity shot through me when she flicked hers against mine, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of my neck.
I told myself as I nibbled on her bottom lip, until she was quivering in my arms and I had to press my palm into the small of her back to hold her upright, that it was just for the show of it, for the photographers who always seemed to be lurking.
But I was lying.
I pulled away, panting. Her cheeks were rosy, eyes bright and lips glistening. I ached to scoop her into my arms and carry her back on board the Girl on Fire and tell her that she wasn’t to leave my side until time ceased to exist. Nothing else would be enough for me.
Instead, I slid my palms down her arms, gave her hands one last squeeze and let her go. “You’re a good friend to her, Ri.”
She nibbled at her bottom lip. “I haven’t been. But this is one way I can try to make it up to her.” Those blue eyes searched mine. “You understand, don’t you?”
I nodded, unable to form words, and opened the back door of the SUV for her. As she slid in, I leaned my head inside.
“You need to bring your A game tonight, Felix,” I warned.
“Yes, Mr Baxter!” Felix nodded eagerly. At least the kid seemed enthusiastic.
“Text me when you get there, and before you go to sleep, okay?” I added, glancing at Ri.
“I’ll miss you too, Hubby,” she whispered, then busied herself buckling her seatbelt.
Then don’t go! I wanted to beg her. Stay here with me. Which was supremely selfish, so I kept it to myself. But as the car pulled away and disappeared at the end of the street, my stomach dropped with apprehension.
For the remainder of the afternoon, I found myself creating plans in my head.
The time to take Irina offshore to reapply for her visa was close, and I had never been so disorganised in my life.
I had no intention of taking her to the USA; Atlas was a day away from leaving for his next ‘business’ trip, and I didn’t want to put myself on the same continent as him right now.
Europe was also a no—too close to Ri’s family for her to feel comfortable, and who knew how long it would take for us to have a resolution on this?
Japan? Canada? New Zealand? One of the Pacific islands?
And then there were the cats to consider.
Who would look after them while I was gone?
In fact, who would look after the yacht?
I supposed the crew would remain once we left, but Lucian would be coming with us.
I would not take Ri into another country, around strange people, without extra eyes on the lookout for anyone who might wish ill on her.
And I couldn’t leave the crew without some security, because if Warren caught wind that I was gone, he’d probably try to break in.
I jumped to my feet, striding up to the bridge. Josie looked up from her computer, flashing me a smile.
“Good evening, Henry. I was just going over the maintenance schedule.”
I nodded, striding to the window and looking out past the marina into Sydney Harbour and the Pacific beyond. “If I said we were going to take her out into the open ocean, how long would you need to prepare?”
Josie’s face lit up. “I keep the yacht constantly ready for sailing, sir. There would be a few tasks we would need to do last minute—emptying the waste tanks and filling the fresh water, shopping for supplies—how long will we be at sea?”
I rubbed the back of my head. “How long can we be at sea before needing to dock?”
“With the solar panels, the batteries and the hybrid motor, we can technically sail indefinitely. The only caveat is water and food, but if you let me know how many people will be on board, I can manage that.”
“How long to sail to the Whitsundays from here?”
“I’d have to do some calculations for an exact ETA, but I’d think between ten and fourteen days.”
I gave her a tight smile. “Hypothetically, if I said we were leaving tomorrow for the Whitsundays, could you have us ready?”
She pursed her lips in thought then nodded. “I think I could make it work.”
“Then let’s do that.” I turned to leave. I couldn’t shake this feeling that we would need to get out of here at a moment’s notice. I left the bridge, finding the guard rail and squeezing, taking deep breaths.
“Atlas is at the gate,” Lucian rumbled behind me. “Do I go down and let him in?”
“Shit.” I turned to face him. “He’s leaving for California in the morning. I’ll have to talk to him.”
Lucian frowned, but nodded, heading down the gangplank. I took myself back down to the main deck and into the kitchen. Something about having the island bench in between me and Atlas felt necessary. Still, my heart rate spiked when I heard his staccato footsteps on the stairs. I turned to face him.
“Where’s the little wifey?” Atlas asked, grinning, no sign of the frustrated, stressed Atlas of the last few weeks.
“Her best friend is unwell. She’s gone to look after her,” I explained in a stiff tone. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Nah, it’s just a quick check in. I’ve still got to pack and hopefully catch some shut eye tonight.
It’s a shit departure time tomorrow morning.
Thank fuck for first class, right?” He chuckled to himself.
I took down two glasses and filled them with chilled water from the tap at the sink. I passed one to him.
“Not even first class can save you from air travel dehydration.”
He tilted his glass towards me in a cheeky toast, before taking a slug.
“You seem in good spirits. Did you sort everything out with the investor?” I asked before taking a sip and setting my glass down.
Atlas’s grin widened. “I’ve got my ‘talk him down off the ledge’ speech all sorted. I decided it was better to have the conversation face to face, you know?”
I tried to keep the disbelief off my face, but I must have failed because Atlas guffawed. “Ah, Chewy, I’m trying to put on my big boy pants here. At least pretend like you believe in me.”