She chuckles softly, her warm breath caressing my jaw. “I’m glad to listen. And”—she pauses, and I blink my eyes open—“I’m here for you.”
I believe her, and it feels so good to have someone in my corner. I drop a kiss on the top of her head and hold her tighter.
I don’t remember the last time I was this content. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I know what I want out of my life…mostly because I know who I want by my side.
30
Who I Am
Rose
“Lennox… Sir… DAD.”
My dad’s head snaps up from the computer screen he’s been staring at for the last five minutes.
“What is it, Rose?” His voice is snippy.
I want to roll my eyes, but I keep it professional. “I have something to tell you about Bates, and I think you should hear it…without distractions.”
He clicks around but then finally swivels his chair toward me. “Fine. I’m listening.”
I shift on my feet, suddenly nervous. I drove from Cashmere Cove to the outskirts of Green Bay, where our temporary offices are located, to say this in person. But now…
“I’m waiting, Rose. What’s so important that you needed this meeting? I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
I clasp my hands behind my back.Just say it, Rose.“I’m in love with Anton.”
My dad doesn’t blink. He holds my gaze—blue eyes staring back at mine. He doesn’t speak, and I know he’s calculating his nextwords carefully.
When the silence turns so loud I’m afraid my ear drums are going to burst, he cracks and barks out a laugh. “No, you’re not.” He swivels his chair back to his computer screen. “Is that all?”
I step forward, nerves replaced by annoyance and resolve. I use my foot to move his chair back in my direction. “No. That’s not all. And yes, I am.”
My dad’s shoulders slump, and he gives me a pitying look. “Rose, honey—”
“Don’t ‘honey’ me.” Fury rises up in my chest. He lost that right a long time ago.
He holds up his hands, at least having the decency to look sheepish. “Sorry. Sorry. But I don’t see why we’re even having this conversation. You’re not in love with Anton.”
“Yes,I am.”
He shakes his head. “You can’t be. Not in your role as his security—someone assigned to protect him. And not really ever. We’ve been down this road.”
I grit my teeth. We haven’t exactly been down this road, because when I told my dad I loved Anton five years ago, he told me I wasn’t allowed to love him—or anyone, really—if I wanted to do this job well, and then he told me the palace in Penwick no longer needed my services, and I was being sent on an overseas assignment, so I needed to end things with Anton.
And I did. I didn’t push back. I didn’t fight.
But I’m going to fight this time around. I’m choosing a different path. Robert Frost would be proud.
“You can’t tell me how I feel. That’s up to me.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine. I guess that’s true. But what’s also true is that you’re under contract to do your job. There’s no room for a relationship in our line of work. What about the overseas promotion? It’s all you’ve ever wanted.”
“What I want changed.” It’s as simple as that. I’m still figuring out exactly what I want in place of that position. I’m still finding my footing. But wherever I land, I want Anton in the picture. I want to come clean with him about my feelings and about my assignment. I’m sick and tired of keeping secrets—from him and everyone else. “I want to tell him the truth about the threat on his life and about the role I’ve been playing in protecting him.”
My dad narrows his gaze at me. “That’s absolutely out of the question.”
“Why?”
