CHAPTER 30 Akshan
Lily and Joel never came out of their room, and it was time to start getting ready for dinner. William assured Naomi they wouldn’t miss it, and I could see she felt relieved when William said that. I was sure she didn’t want to leave until those contracts were signed.
Naomi and I walked upstairs after William promised to join me in a few minutes. He hadn’t stopped working for hours, and now he was out of time to take a break. But either way, he seemed delighted, as he usually did whenever he was in the kitchen.
When Naomi and I reached the top floor, we overheard Lily and Joel arguing inside their room from the hallway. But we both pretended like we didn’t notice.
“I’ll see you in a bit,” I said to Naomi. She nodded.
“Billie?” She said over her shoulder, pulling down the door handle and pushing the door slightly open. “Thanks for everything. I’m having a great time.”
“Of course.” I pressed my lips into a smile. “We’re glad to have you here.” I’d had the chance to get to know Naomi better, and she was such a bright, hardworking, and funny woman. It was easy and fun being around her.
I walked down the hall toward William’s room with Lily and Joel’s voices still filling the air, and it pained me to listen to them arguing like that. Lily and Joel were couple goals. They had to work this out. They just had to.
After curling my hair into soft waves with the hair tool Lily gave me for Christmas, I did my makeup and changed into my New Year’s Eve outfit. It was a simple but sexy golden short dress with a cowl neck and thin straps that crossed behind my back. William insisted I wear it after promising the house would be at an ideal temperature and that I wouldn’t freeze to death.
William arrived the moment I turned off the bathroom lights and stepped into his room.
“Christ.” He swiped me with his gaze as he shut the bedroom door behind him.
“What?” I laughed, and he darted my way, reaching me in a few long strides. William wrapped his arms around my waist. “Can’t we … stay here … all night?” He kissed my neck on every pause and walked backward, leading me toward his bed.
“William,” I warned in a playful tone. “We have to be downstairs in ten mi—” He cut me off by letting himself fall back on the bed and dragging me down with him.
“Maybe a little … nap.” He slid up my dress and squeezed my ass. “I’m tired.” He found the hem of my thong and toyed around with it with his fingers.
“You don’t seem very tired,” I quipped, feeling his growing erection pressing against my belly. “What you need is a cold shower.” Resisting William would forever be the most challenging thing I ever got to do, but Naomi was surely waiting downstairs. Aaron too. We had dinner to host.
He groaned.
“Good things come to those who wait.” I kissed the tip of his nose.
“You know I hate waiting.” He lifted his hips and gyrated them against me, earning him a jagged breath on my part.
“Stop.” I slapped him softly in a futile attempt to talk some sense into him.
“You’re only making it worse.”
I pushed myself away from the menace he posed on the integrity of my makeup, outfit, and carefully made waves.
William threw his head back on the mattress and sighed with frustration.
“William?” I crossed my arms at my chest and saw him bracing his elbows on the bed to lift himself. “Go shower and get dressed.” I pointed at the bathroom to piss him off with my bossiness, which he loved.
“I’m giving you to the count of three to leave this room, or I’ll hold you captive until I’m done fucking the sass out of you.”
I laughed.
“One …” William stood.
“Oh, shit!” He was serious.
“Two …”
Spinning on my heel without a second thought, I made a run for it a wink before William said, “Three.” Squealing, I shut the bedroom door in his face before he could get ahold of me. I leaned back against the door to catch my breath from the sudden and intense sprint, unable to brush the stupid smile off my face.
It hit me at that specific moment how crazy I was for William. Not that I didn’t already know, but the feeling filled every part of my chest. It was almost overwhelming. Terrifying too. Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but it felt perfect for me. And for some reason, I’d grown accustomed to losing the things I loved the most.
I swallowed past the dread that started creeping around my spine and focused back on the memory of the way he looked at me inside his bedroom. Ourbedroom, as William insisted I call it. I’d never felt this whole before, yet a small, irrational, insecure part of me found this happiness deceitful. It was as if I was still waiting for the other shoe to inevitably drop, as all good things in my life did eventually.
Losing Mom.
Losing Caleb.
Losing the idea of a father I probably never had and only existed inside my head.
The thought of losing William made my knees feel weak. I’d already experienced that mind-numbing fear when Thomas shot him. But even the thought of losing him in a symbolic way seemed unbearable.
Everything was all right. There was nothing to fear or dread. All I needed to do was maintain myself in the present moment.
Say that louder for my anxiety in the back.
Easier said than done.
Lily and Joel’s door opened, and it helped me snap out of my self-destructive train of thought. They stepped out looking fantastic, as expected.
“Hey, Billie!” Lily said with a smile. She was wearing a gorgeous burgundy dress that fell below the knee and had a plunging but elegant V-neckline, plus she’d done her lips to match.
“You look stunning, Lily!” I said, walking over to where they stood outside their door. And happy. But I didn’t say it, fearing I would ruin the great spirit with which they had stepped out of their room. Joel ran a hand around her waist and smiled. It was evident that they had talked things through, so it was best to let it be.
Lily returned the praise and gushed over my dress, which William had bought and chosen for me to wear for this precise occasion. And then the three of us walked down the stairs to find Aaron, punctual as always, standing by the window, watching the snow fall in thick blankets across the glass.
Aaron was wearing a dark blue suit and a white button-down shirt with a few buttons undone and no tie. He looked great. Different. Even if it was still a suit, the laid-back style made him look less intimidating and more approachable.
Joel offered us wine, and Lily and I accepted. Aaron said he would only have one with dinner since he was still on duty.
“Aaron, we both know today counts as a day off,” I said. “We are safe here, so feel free to relax and have some wine.”
“Fine,” he said with a grunt. “I’ll have two glasses of wine tonight. One right now. One with dinner.”
“You can’t skip the mandatory champagne at midnight.” I grinned. Joel gave Lily, Aaron, and me our wine glasses, and we thanked him. “So that’ll be three at least.”
Aaron laughed. “Akshan.”
“Wait, I know that one!” I snapped my fingers twice. “Ah! Caleb used to mutter that word when he was frustrated. I know this word.”
“Oh, I’m sure he did.” Aaron smiled and took a sip, but his smile vanished as he stared at something, or rather, someone coming down the stairs.
“Stubborn,” Naomi said, her black, pointy pumps clicking with every step she took. “Akshan means stubborn.”
“Right!” I laughed. “How could I forget?”
Even with high heels, Naomi was still a tiny, adorable thing. She was wearing a black dress with spaghetti straps and a thigh-high slit that displayed and highlighted her feminine figure. It was simple but elegant. And sexy as hell.
Aaron frowned but didn’t seem to be able to look away. Naomi noticed, and her lips quirked up into a slight smirk.
She ignored Aaron and greeted Lily and Joel, quickly letting them know the paperwork was ready for them to sign. She wasn’t one to shy away from closing a deal.
The three of them sat in the living room and started reviewing the contracts one last time before signing them. Not that their lawyers hadn’t read the whole thing a dozen times, according to Lily. While they did that, I started setting the table.
“Need any help, Miss?” Aaron offered.
“Sure. Thank you.”
We set the table in comfortable silence. I only spoke to tell Aaron what else I needed help with.
William joined us when we were done setting the table. He kissed my cheek as he rushed to the kitchen, leaving a trail of his delicious scent swirling around me. He was wearing dark grey dress pants and a light black sweater. His hair was still damp but perfectly styled, and his gorgeous face was freshly shaved.
“Need any help?” I said, walking over to where he stood in front of the stove, making sure everything he’d cooked was still where he left it a few minutes before.
“Actually, yes.” His phone rang inside his pants pocket before he could tell me what he needed help with, and he pulled it out. “It’s a FaceTime call from Eric.” He grinned at the screen.
William waved for me to come closer to him, and he took the call. Eric and Nathalie appeared on the screen a few seconds later. Eric sang something in Swedish while Nathalie wished us a Happy New Year over Eric’s enthusiastic song. Eric laughed and wished us a Happy New Year as well. It was already midnight in Stockholm.
“Tell him!” Nathalie said, encouraging Eric to speak.
“I was going to wait until I got back to New York!” Eric complained, making an exasperated face.
“Tell me what?” William said with a curious but bright smile.
“Eric got accepted into the Culinary Institute of America here in New York!” Nathalie shouted excitedly. “I’m so proud of him. Now tell him why you’re doing it, Eric.”
“Mamma!” Eric laughed, but it was laced with frustration.
“Congratulations!” William replied with a wide-eyed gaze. “I didn’t even know that was a career you wanted to pursue.”
Eric took the phone in his hands, and his face filled the screen. “I’ve had a few beers, okay. And you know I get emotional when I drink,” Eric warned. He took a deep breath. “I remember when I was a kid and dad wasn’t around much. He was always traveling, and you would cook stuff for me. Comfort food. Cookies, pasta, waffles. And I remember how your smile never faded as long as we were in the kitchen.” Eric scrunched his face and looked away like he was going to cry. “Ah, fuck you.” He laughed as he brushed a tear off his face. “I admire you, okay? And for some reason, I’ve always associated food and cooking with happiness. And it’s all thanks to you. So that’s what made me want to become a chef.”
William’s eyes welled up. “I’m so fucking proud of you.” His voice threatened to crack, but he held it together. “You are going to be an amazing chef.”
“Thanks,” Eric replied, nodding. “Now, put Lily and Joel on the phone because I seriously can’t start crying right now.” He laughed. “Gott nytt ?r!”
William laughed, too. “Gott nytt ?r.”
“Bye, Eric! Congrats!” I waved him goodbye.
William took the phone to Lily and Joel so they could talk to Eric and returned to the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” I asked William. He seemed moved, and his eyes were still glassy.
“Yeah, of course.” He shook his head and pulled his sleeves up to his elbows. “I’m very happy for him. He’s going to do great.”
“He admires you so much,” I said with a smile, reaching out with my hand to touch his arm. “I’m glad you could be there for him when your dad was away. And that you could inspire him to want to become a chef.”
He smiled back and nodded. “I’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t follow my exact path.” He lifted an eyebrow. “He will graduate.”
“He will,” I assured him. “And so can you if you ever feel like it.”
“Okay!” William clapped once and rubbed his hands together. I wasn’t surprised to see him changing the subject so abruptly. “Let’s get started.”
William plated the food on service dishes, and I ushered everything to the table. Aaron helped too. A few minutes later, Lily, Joel, and Naomi were done signing the papers and offered to help too.
We all sat down for dinner and enjoyed ourselves and the company. We ate, drank, made toasts, and laughed. Aaron and Naomi bickered at every chance they got.
When we were starting with dessert, Naomi asked William a few questions about one of the dishes. As William began to explain, Aaron’s eyes widened. He jumped up from his seat, pulled out his gun, and pointed it toward the front door.
Lily and Naomi let out short, terrified shrieks, and William stood and placed himself in front of me. “William, get down!” I whisper-shouted.
“Silence,” Aaron ordered, his hands holding his gun firmly as he took slow steps toward the front door. “I heard footsteps.” His voice was steady. “There’s someone out there.”
“I didn’t hear any—” Lily started to say.
“Silence,” Aaron cut her off. Joel took a similar stance to William’s, standing protectively in front of Lily. Naomi was frozen in her seat, her attention glued to Aaron’s back.
That’s when two silhouettes appeared behind the front door’s frosted glass panels, casting scattered shadows into the room.
“Get down!” Aaron shouted.