Chapter 10 – Cullen
Chapter Ten
Cullen
Implying that Padraic went on a date appears to have upset him pretty deeply.
I don’t understand how I could have gotten it wrong.
He’s ignored me ever since I got here, but he doesn’t take his hand off my lower back throughout our entire walk back towards his house.
I was pretty far off the trail. It’s a quiet walk back together, but it’s over two miles, which means that he walked all that way alone just to find me.
He could have sent his staff. I’ve never actually seen him work this hard for anything.
Once we’re inside, I feel sweaty and gross.
Padraic stops me at the front door and I’m expecting him to tell me off for breaking his rules, especially because of the wrinkled expression on his face.
Instead of yelling, he reaches for something in my hair and pulls out…
a twig from some kind of pine tree and drops it on the ground.
“I’m glad the bear didn’t get you,” he says with a gruff voice. “I need you to know, Cullen, that I take our marriage seriously. I have no intentions of being with any other woman.”
There’s a flicker of anger across his face. There it is. This is where he’s going to lose control with me and expose his harshness. I bite down on my lower lip, expecting Padraic to inflict more pain. Instead, he presses his thumb to my lips and sighs.
“You’re cold. I’ll have Jelena run you a bath,” he mutters. “Come see me afterwards.”
I nod. Padraic doesn’t take his eyes off me, so I correctly assume he isn’t finished with his instructions.
“Wear something comfortable, not fancy. It’s a bit late for my fancier plans.”
I don’t know what he means, but I’m so shocked that he isn’t yelling at me.
I just nod and when Padraic dismisses me, I rush to my private bathroom.
I pick out some comfortable clothing and by the time I choose, Jelena enters my suite and runs the bath for me.
She gives me some options for what scents I want in my bubble bath, and I choose a mixture of lavender and vanilla. Warm, classic, evening scents.
Jelena leaves when the bath is full and so warm there’s steam. Even if I’ve been indoors for several minutes, my body has barely warmed up.
“Do you need anything else?” Jelena asks.
“This is perfect. Thanks.”
The dynamic that I have with the staff here still feels strange. When she leaves me alone, I am eager to sink my body beneath the warm water. I strip down slowly and enter the bath. A sharp prickling sensation sinks into my fingers, toes, and extremities as I slowly ease my body beneath the water.
The warmth feels incredible.
I nearly fall asleep in the bath, but once I warm up and get clean, I want to thank Padraic for rescuing me and meet up with him like he requested.
He wasn’t on a date tonight, which doesn’t relieve me the way I thought it would.
My emotions are all over the place. It must be adrenaline from getting lost and running into a bear while I was in the woods.
After drying off, I put on a pair of black sweatpants and a matching zip-up hoodie. I finally check my phone and see fourteen text messages from Padraic. Three of his text messages are recent.
Padraic: I’m waiting – and I can’t wait to see you.
Padraic: I’m glad that you’re okay.
Padraic: Impatient but… I can wait.
I don’t know how to describe the feelings that Padraic provokes.
Maybe he’s waiting to yell at me now that I’m clean, warm and alive.
He probably needed to consult with a team of speechwriters.
He wanted me to meet him downstairs in the dining room, so I slip my feet into a pair of slate gray Ugg boots to survive the cold floors, and feel more out of place than ever as I descend the wide staircase and walk across the foyer into the dining room.
It smells like the chef has been in here. Padraic stands up from his seat and pulls a chair out for me with a suspiciously warm smile on his face.
“Do you feel better?”
He still makes me uncomfortable. Hasn’t he been avoiding me?
“Yes. Thanks for coming to get me.”
“You’re my wife. I can’t allow you to get eaten by bears.”
He would still get his tax break if bears ate me.
The thought sends a shiver down my spine.
Padraic smiles at me, totally unaware of the dark thought entering my head.
Maybe he’s not the guy I thought he was.
A monster who bought me just to use me. Maybe there’s something deeper there…
something sad, sure… but maybe there’s a loneliness that I can relate to.
“Thanks, Padraic. You didn’t have to come for me yourself.”
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else with your life.”
I take my place at Padraic’s side. Dinner tonight is incredible. Did he plan all of this?
“Would you believe I cooked this myself?”
“I’ve never seen you cook.”
“I’m capable,” he says. “And it’s only spaghetti bolognese.”
He removes the cloche over my plate and reveals a hearty, delicious Italian dinner. Honestly, it’s exactly what I want to binge eat after getting lost in the woods and nearly eaten by a bear. The only thing that would make it better is wine.
“There’s wine chilling in the fridge. I’ll have Jelena bring it out once you tell me whether you prefer red or white tonight.”
“Red.”
I don’t hesitate to answer. Padraic grins – he likes my answer.
This is the first time we’ve had dinner together in a while and the energy tonight feels different. Almost like we’re really married.
“I planned to get back earlier,” Padraic says. “I don’t mean to be neglectful, Cullen. My life is totally unsuitable for a normal relationship. I… Maybe I can try with you because this is less conventional.”
I don’t know what he wants from me, but there’s this strange sense that he’s trying to get closer to me and I don’t know what to do with that.
Thankfully, he keeps talking. “I hoped to spend time with you tonight. I haven’t meant to be neglectful. I just don’t know how to be a partner to anybody.”
“I’ve never been in a healthy relationship either. If that makes you feel better.”
If I had experienced any deep, true love in my lifetime, I wouldn’t have sold my hand in marriage to a billionaire.
Let’s be very real about that. Padraic reaches across the table and sets his hand on mine.
My heart starts pounding out of control.
He looks at me and smiles. He’s so handsome, it hurts.
But I don’t want to think this changes things between us. Knowing men, he probably just wants to get laid.