And I was.That was the worst part.The tiny part of my brain still capable of thinking rationally knew I was being childish.But if there was ever a time to lose it, this was it.Who could blame me?
“Let's go.The staff will keep us posted.”I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore, allowing Clay to steer me to the room so I could get my purse and say goodnight to Papa before we left.It would be nice to sleep in bed, wouldn’t it?
Everything went by me in a blur.The only thing I could hold onto was the man walking beside me, holding me close to him.Helping me into the car, letting me lean against him while the driver took us home.My eyelids were so heavy.I had to close them.
It couldn’t have been more than a second or two, but when I opened them, we were in front of the house.I felt like I was moving through a dream as we went inside, where Clay finally had to carry me up the stairs when I swayed on my feet.It was a good idea to come home, after all.
As it turned out, Clay answered the question I never had the chance to ask by leading me to his bedroom.Had I really been so concerned with that?It felt like a lifetime ago that we were on the jet, preparing to land after our trip.
It was such a relief to strip out of my clothes and slide between the sheets.They felt so soft and smelled so sweet, even more so after five days of smelling like the hospital.
“Wait.”I rolled onto my side, watching Clay as he started from the room once I was tucked in.“Will you stay with me?Please?At least until I fall asleep?”
He frowned momentarily but joined me, sliding out of his shoes and stripping off his shirt and pants.“I don’t think that will take very long, but all right.”
So long as I didn’t have to fall asleep by myself.
So long as I wasn’t alone.
I could fall asleep feeling small and weak because I knew I had his strong arms around me.
15
CLAY
“No shit.He actually did it.”
“Who did what?”Mira turned her attention toward me, leaning over on the bed where we had spent the past couple of hours deeply engrossed in emails, news, and generally wasting time.It didn’t feel like a waste today.The fact that I was able to convince her to take time away from the hospital and let me take care of her meant it was extremely necessary.She didn’t have it in her to fight the way she had last night.
I tilted the phone so she could see better before explaining.“My friend, Spencer.He proposed to his girlfriend.I was wondering if he would ever get around to it.”
Mira smiled at the selfie, where Rowan rested her hand on Spencer’s chest to show off what had to be a small fortune worth of jewels on her finger.“Wow.That’s gorgeous,” she murmured.“They look so happy.”
“Yeah, they seem happy together.”I had never seen Spencer smile the way he did in the photo.Rather than hand the phone back right away, Mira studied them another beat or two before returning it.There was something soft and almost wistful in her smile.She never got a ring like that, did she?It had seemed pointless.There were no illusions about our marriage.
Now, I asked myself if I should have bought something for her.It probably wouldn’t have been the same, coming from a stranger.Was she into that sort of thing?
Since when did I care?
That was a stupid question.No matter how often I told myself otherwise, the truth was obvious.I wasn’t the cold, heartless shell time and ambition had molded me into.There was still something resembling emotion in me, and Mira had woken it up by falling apart.All I had to do now was figure out how to juggle it in an already complicated situation.
She checked her phone, frowning at the lack of an update from the hospital.How did I know?She wasn’t exactly tough to read.“No news is good news,” I reminded her.No, I was never able to put Alessandro completely out of my mind either.There was always part of me dreading a terrible phone call from his team urging us to get there immediately.Mira couldn’t take it easy if I wasn’t able to set things aside for one day.
As it turned out, relaxing was a challenge for me.“So this is what it’s like to take a day off,” I observed, stretching and groaning in contentment but restless at the same time.“I always feel like there’s something I should be doing.”
“Gee, I have no idea what you’re talking about.“ Mira rolled her eyes and snorted.“I’m sitting here, beating myself up.Granted, I’m comfortable while doing it…” She sat up straighter, adjusting the pillow behind her back.
“There is absolutely nothing that can’t wait while you take care of yourself.”When she raised an eyebrow, I had to laugh at myself.“All right, I need to take my own advice.I know it.”
“I can never find the line between work and my life because work is my life.”She set her phone aside, folding her arms, looking pensive.“Is that weird?”
“Look who you’re talking to.”I had to laugh again, harder this time.“It’s my life like you said.I love it.I dine at my restaurants, sometimes I sleep at my hotels.I conduct meetings at all hours of the morning and night.All right, maybe I do need to set boundaries for myself,” I admitted while she chuckled knowingly like she was familiar with every word.
“I’m not being hyperbolic when I say those properties are home to me.”She sat up, bringing her knees close to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.Her bare back was so smooth, soft.I couldn’t help but run my fingers over the ridge of her spine until she squirmed a little, giggled, and smirked at me.“Did anybody ever tell you to keep your hands to yourself, Mr.Manning?”she teased.
“I must have missed school that day.”This time, I tickled her until she squealed and swatted my hand away.
“Stop!”she begged, wriggling away from me.“Here I am, trying to be all thoughtful and sharing and whatever, and you have to be a pest.”
