He had to do something to make the truth clear to Saffi. They would be good together. He could feel it in his bones. They would be even better than how he and his traitorous bitch of an ex had been.
But for that to happen, he had to do something despicable first.
Those stars in her eyes had to go.
Chapter Six
Saffi March changed her status to It’s complicated.
Staffan woke up to find Saffi gone from his bed. The knowledge made him completely awake…and desperate. He threw the covers away and stalked out of the bed. “Saffi?” He paused, waiting and hoping she would answer somewhere from the suite.
But there was nothing.
His fists clenched. “Saffi?” This time he didn’t bother keeping his volume down.
The door flew open.
His heart slammed against his chest as he held his breath.
But it was only Bob.
“You’re finally awake, boss.” Seeing Staffan standing buck na**d in the middle of his hotel suite was nothing new to Bob. He had seen his employer in far worse situations and rarely alone at that.
The smile on his bodyguard’s face made Staffan irrationally furious, and he swiftly turned away to prevent himself from snapping at Bob for no reason. He stalked into the vast en-suite bathroom, flinging the closet doors open to grab a robe.
Bob busied himself making coffee, used to Staffan’s temperamental ways although a bit puzzled by it. Saffi had woken up in extremely good spirits. He had expected Staffan to be the same, and seeing that the opposite was true bemused him.
“Coffee, boss?”
Staffan nodded his thanks. He allowed the coffee to do its work, waiting for the burning liquid to pour down his throat. Finally he asked, “Do you know where Saffi went?”
Bob almost smirked. No matter how hard Staffan tried to hide it, he clearly cared a lot about the answer. Good for you, H, he thought.
The chilling glare that Staffan sent his way made Bob answer hurriedly, “She’s helping out with the crew.”
Staffan’s cup rattled as he almost dropped it together with the saucer. The strength of his relief at hearing Saffi hadn’t actually left him was immense and undeniable.
Bob’s eyebrows shot up in alarm. “Boss?”
He strove for control. This time, he had a pressing urge to wring the neck of a certain dark-haired girl with a penchant for dreamy smiles. What the f**k was she doing there? Didn’t she f**king know she belonged at his side?
“It’s fine. Get the driver ready. I’m leaving right after my shower.” He paused. “Have my PA call Yanna and let her know that I’m doing the date on the day of the concert. Get her to pick five girls, print their profiles out and bring them to me immediately.”
Bob had a suddenly sinking feeling that Staffan, for some insane reason, was going back to his old ways. To the time that he was ruining himself for nothing. “Immediately, boss?” he repeated, hoping his employer would take it back.
Staffan stomped down the insidious stirrings of doubt inside him. He was doing the best thing here. Saffi was a smart girl. She’d see it that way, too. “Yeah, immediately.”
Ignoring Bob’s disapproving frown, he dismissed the other man with another curt nod.
Staffan allowed himself to grimace the moment Bob left his hotel suite, slamming the door in his wake. Bob had never done that before.
What was it with Saffi March that made it so easy for her to wriggle into people’s hearts?
He gritted his teeth at how helplessly drawn he felt towards her, as if she were a drug he was naturally addicted to. But it would be different this time. He would prove it to himself, to Saffi, and to everyone else. It would be extremely good between them – but it had to be on his terms.
His door opened again, with Bob poking his head inside. “Boss, do you want breakfast?”
“No thanks.” It was just eight o’ clock. He would have breakfast with Saffi---
“You sure, boss? If you’re planning having breakfast with H, you should know that she already went to McDonald’s with Carson.” The door slammed shut.
Staffan’s teeth clenched together again. He should f**king fire Bob. The man was goddamn clueless about who his loyalty should belong to.
Saffi had shared breakfast with Carson at McDonald’s.
Staffan cursed.
What the f**k are you up to now, min himmel?
~~~
“You don’t sound fine, Saffi,” Steel said in his usual quiet voice over the phone.
Saffi clenched her eyes shut at her brother’s words. Thank God she had been smart enough to decide against video-calling him. If she had, everything would be over. Steel had always been overprotective about her, had always felt personally responsible for what happened when she was in high school. Vania had been his girlfriend then, and he had blamed himself for not being able to put a stop to her plans.
If he saw her now, just one look at her face would be more than enough for him to fly straight to Vegas and whisk her away.
But she didn’t need saving.
Even though she knew what she had with Staffan wouldn’t last and would only end with her heart breaking, Saffi didn’t care. She wanted as much time as she could with Staffan, and she couldn’t remember wanting anything as much as she wanted being close to him.
“I’m okay,” she finally said. “I’m just tired. The concert ended really late.”
“If you say so.” Reluctance underlined Steel’s voice, letting Saffi know that he was only taking her words at face value because he chose to do so.
She quickly changed the subject. “How’s Dad’s campaign going?” Saffi expected Steel to answer with small talk, but he surprised her instead by ssaying something else.
“There’s still time enough to cancel the engagement, Saffi.”
Her throat tightened, cutting off her oxygen supply. Just for this weekend, she had done her very best to forget about that, but she should have known Steel would force it out in the open. All of a sudden, she felt terrified of something she used to have no qualms about. Staffan made her different, and now she wondered if she could really stomach letting another man touch her body the way Staffan did. Even if it was Jeremy, someone she had known her whole life---could she really bear giving herself to another man?
“Saffi?” Steel asked sharply. “Something’s happened to you.” It was more a statement than a question, her brother’s legendary instincts kicking in.
She pressed her hand against her chest, hard, as if she could use the pressure to calm her furiously beating heart. “Let’s just talk about it next time.” She paused. “Don’t tell Mom or Dad anything. Please, Steel?”