“That’s one way to get out of confrontation,” Umaima snickered. “I accept your apology.”
The words barely registered because our eyes were locked together. Christian’s searched a way into mine,minehoped to jump out of its socket and roll into a black hole.
Out of control and out of breath, I looked away and shuffled Yunus higher on my hip, feeling the toddler’s body heat up before handing him to Umaima. “I think he caught whatever you had.”
“Oh shoot,” Umaima nervously checked her nephew with a kiss on his forehead. “Dammit. Let me go put him to bed, don’t wait for me.”
With her and Yunus gone, and my back turned to Christian,everything became more tangible and...clear. He was here. In my house. Just two feet away from me.
Smelling like all the dreams I pushed into the trash.
“Thank you for making sure he didn’t throw up on me,” I whispered quietly.
“I couldn’t have my fiancé showing up with baby vomit all over her, now, could I?” Tension and something hard coated his tongue.
My heart dropped. How stupid of me to think otherwise? A five million, Alida Soani original was no joke.
“Are you ready for tonight, Adelaide?”
My name on his tongue could turn religious prayers into jokes.
Get a hold of yourself, Addie.But did he have to say my name like that?
It took meyearsto get over him and I wasn’t entirely sure I had. For me, none of this was okay. Seeing him was biting an old wound and feeding off the pain.
How could he stand right behind me and feel unaffected while my heart was throwing itself against my chest over and over again—shattering—then putting itself back together only to repeat itself?
“If you mean by seducing Harry at our engagement, then yes.” I snapped back, cold, and annoyed.
A step closer. “You read through my instructions?”
“Ten times.”
Another step. “Even the fine print?”
“A thousand times,” my breaths came out in shallow pants like I’d been running a marathon.
He stood right behind me, his presence breathing life into mine without needing to do a thing.
“You smell really good.” He said, absentmindedly.
Blinking stupidly, “What?” I asked.
“What?” he broke away.
“You said something.”
“You misheard.”
Here I thought I was delusional. I rolled my eyes.
“Did you just roll your eyes?”
“No?” I smothered a smile.
His hands curled around my neck. Heat travelled down my forearms, up my neck, and to my head where all thought mumble jumbled together into complete and utter nonsense. For someone who appeared cold, he was extremely warm. “Don’t do it again.”
“Or what?” My breath hitched.
