Chapter 29 #2
I manage a light chuckle. “It was nothing. Maybe he just thought I was pretty.”
She frowns. “Still. Don’t get close to people like that.”
“Why not? He was quite good-looking.” I keep my tone light, teasing.
She sighs. “Good-looking doesn’t mean safe.”
I point toward the pale pink mattress, desperate to change the subject. “I think that one’s nice.”
After we pay, we leave the shop. My eyes scan every corner, but I don’t catch another glimpse of him.
For the rest of our shopping, I can’t pull my attention away from thoughts of him. The first time—in the park—could have been a coincidence. But the second time, in that shop where he had no reason to be, can’t be.
He’s watching me. And I don’t understand how he’s managing it without my bodyguards noticing.
“Mom, I need to use the restroom. Wait for me in the lounge.” I stroke Rosie’s head as she sleeps contentedly in Mom’s arms.
“I’ll come with you,” she says instantly.
“Rosie will be uncomfortable there, and so will you. I’ll manage. Don’t worry.”
“Are you sure?”
I laugh. “Mom. It’s not like I’m going to get kidnapped from a restroom.”
She shrugs. “You never know. I was once kidnapped while shopping for my wedding dress.”
“Don’t worry. With this mini army, no one would be foolish enough to try.” I say this with complete confidence—despite knowing that the man who once kidnapped me, right under the bodyguards’ noses, is lurking nearby.
Should I be afraid? I don’t think so. He won’t hurt me. But I need to know why he’s here.
A current of excitement hums beneath my skin. The mere possibility of speaking to him sends my heart rate soaring.
“Okay. I’ll wait. Be quick, and be careful.”
“Can’t guarantee quick—my stomach’s not well.” I walk away, then add over my shoulder, “But I’ll be careful.”
The bodyguards split. Half follow Mom and Rosie; the other half trail me to the restroom door.
I push the door open and step inside.
Empty.
My heart plummets.
I set my purse on the counter and face the mirror.
What were you even thinking, Elowen? That you’d walk into the restroom and he’d materialize behind you like this is some kind of movie?
My thoughts stutter to a halt. My eyes widen as, impossibly, it actually happens.
He steps out of a stall.
“It’s the ladies’ room.”
Applause for me, this is the brilliant thing to say to someone I’ve been missing to death, praying to every god for another chance to see him.
“I’m aware, Princess.” He steps closer.
The corner of my lips quivers at the nickname.
“It’s ethically and morally wrong to enter a women’s restroom in public.”
He stops behind me, his gaze fixed on my reflection. Our eyes lock in the mirror, neither of us blinking.
“I’m sure it’s not more ethically or morally wrong than kidnapping a woman.”
“What are you doing here?”
My voice comes out strained. My head feels heavy. His presence alone seems to disrupt every function in my body. The simplest task—breathing—has become impossibly difficult. Even standing upright feels like an effort; I’m sweating.
He lifts his hand. No gloves.
His arm slides around my waist, his palm pressing flat against my stomach, and he pulls me back until I’m flush against his chest.
My eyes flutter closed. A violent shiver ripples through my body. His warmth engulfs me completely. The familiar scent of cedarwood—his scent—makes the memories surge back to life.
He lowers his face. I tilt my head reluctantly, opening my eyes to watch him in the mirror.
“I tried. It didn’t work.” He presses the words into the curve of my neck.
A shaky moan escapes me at the feel of his mouth on my skin. Something inside me begins to liquefy, starting at that point of contact and pooling all the way down to the place between my legs.
His other hand covers mine, the one clutching my skirt. For the first time, our skin meets without the barrier of gloves. Goosebumps prickle across my arm.
“I missed you,” I breathe.
Salvario
I can’t tell her I missed her too—that word is laughably insufficient for what I endured without her.
“Did you send me away because I was useless to your revenge? After all, that’s the only reason I was there. Without that, I was nothing.” She murmurs, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
“I could answer you. But I won’t. I want you to feel the hurt I felt, the agony of thinking I meant nothing to you.”
She frowns, pulls away, and turns to face me. “When did I ever say you meant nothing to me?”
My jaw tightens. “You fucking lied to me.”
“How could I not? You would have tortured and killed Avi.” Her voice is a strained whisper.
“I don’t blame you for lying at the start, Princess. But you lied again. The second time, knowing how fucking devastated I was, thinking you loved someone else while you were playing with my heart.” The words grind out of me.
Her expression crumples. “I was afraid. I know you’re not a kind man. I was afraid you’d try to correct your mistake once you found out.”
She thinks I’m a monster. So why does that thought fucking sting, even if it’s the truth?
She steps closer. “I’m sorry. I should have trusted you.”
I shake my head, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. “You shouldn’t have.”
She reaches for my hand. Her touch, soft and cool, meets the harsh, burnt surface of my skin. I flinch back instinctively, her eyes flood with more sadness.
“You didn’t hurt her, even after you knew the truth. That means you wouldn’t have, if I’d just told you. I should have trusted you.”
She reaches for my hand again, hesitantly. This time, I let her.
“Don’t think for a single second that you weren’t important to me.”
I lift my other hand and cradle her face. She leans into my palm.
“Am I?” The words come out rough, uncertain.
“You are.”
Her phone rings. She startles, pulling away from me, and fumbles for it in her bag.
“Okay, I’ll be there. Give me five minutes.”
She ends the call and looks at me. “I have to go.”
She steps into me and wraps her arms around my waist. “It’s not safe for you to be seen with me.”
I gather her into my arms, breathing in the sweet scent of roses. For the first time, she doesn’t smell like me.
“It’s not safe to stay away from you either, Princess.”
She pulls back just enough to search my eyes. “Do you still want revenge? If the answer is yes, then don’t say things like that to me.”
“We said much bigger things to each other before I sent you back. You didn’t ask me this then.”
She frowns. “I don’t remember anything like that. What did I say?”
Her phone rings again. She pulls away urgently.
“I’m coming, Mom. Let me wipe my ass.” She ends the call.
“I’m leaving. Don’t come out right behind me. And please, don’t let my father’s security catch you.”
She reaches the door, turns back, one hand on the knob.
See you soon. She forms the words silently, then opens the door and leaves.
“See you soon, Princess,” I murmur to the empty room.