His muscular arms tightened around her. “The sun is shining, my beautiful wife is in my arms—nude, mind you—and my feet are warm. This is actually the best morning I’ve had in a month.”
“Me, too,” she whispered against his warm skin, tracing the rose tattoo on his pectoral with a sparkly unicorn covered fingertip.
If only she could be sure he’d stay this time. Heck, if she could only be sure he wasn’t using her to make up for bad press. She hated the old adage of only time will tell, because she was sick of waiting on a man. But this time he was waiting on her decision of whether he stayed or would be given his walking papers.
“I’d like for you to wear my ring again,” he said, his fingers sifting through her hair.
That was the worst possible thing for him to say. Every time he’d ever given her jewelry, they ended up apart. She sat up, wincing as the long strands got tangled up in his fingers. “No.”
He cupped his hands around her shoulders, stopping her from leaving. “Will you think about it?”
“I need to take a shower.” Pushing away the covers, she hopped out of bed and ran like a coward to bathroom.
Breathing deeply, she turned on the sink and splashed cold water on her face. The light spilling through the picture window caught her eye and she stared, watching as hummingbirds and butterflies flitted from flower to flower. The room was cold and goose bumps appeared on her legs, chest and arms. She rubbed her arms vigorously, wondering how she was going to keep an emotional distance from him. Twice last night she’d been tempted to blurt out that she loved him.
“Zoe?”
She shoved the shower handle from cold to hot. Water cascaded to the sea glass covered floor. “I’m busy right now.”
“I wanted you to know that I have to leave.”
“Of course you do,” she muttered. Why should he stay? But the familiar pain threatened to overwhelm her. She had been so stupid. So…
“I have to run some errands and get my things. Is there anything you need?”
Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that. She eyed the honeysuckle shampoo and conditioner sitting on the corner of the shower bench. She could use more of that. Oh, and groceries. Let him do the mundane things a husband would do. Things that would completely bore him and make him realize that this—them—was not going to work. “Could you go into town and get me some of my hair stuff? I get it at Carolina Dreams on Ivy Lane. Rose Holland makes it for me,” she said, stepping into the shower and closing the glass door. “And if you want stuff to eat, you’d better head to the nearest grocery store. I haven’t had time to shop.”
Christian’s hand hovered above the doorknob. The sound of the water sluicing over her body made him hard. It would be so easy to join her, pleasure her and spend the rest of the day in bed. But he had to go. And then come back.
Zoe had to realize, had to unequivocally be made aware, that he kept his word. That he wanted to be with her. “I’ll see you this afternoon, love. It might take me a while to get back.”
“Take all the time you need,” she yelled over the noise of the shower.
He lifted his eyebrow and twisted his lips in amusement at her answer. After getting a shower in the guest bathroom and dressing in the spare clothes he had stashed in his rental, he headed out the front door to find Sasha waiting for him.
His cousin leaned against a black Mercedes. A driver held open the door.
Christian raked a hand through his hair. This wasn’t the way to travel through Zoe’s hometown. Honestly, it didn’t matter. Getting her back was his number one goal and nothing would stop him. Including whatever his father had instructed Sasha to do.
“What?” Sasha asked, correctly reading his look of annoyance.
“I’m not looking for attention. I’m here to get my wife back.”
Sasha sighed. “Fine, but I’m not, under any circumstances, riding in a jacked-up anything.”
Now this was the Sasha he knew. “Will a Suburban do, your highness?”
“I suppose.”
After sending the car and their driver on his way, the two made their way to town, passing farm after farm.
“Good God, this place is bucolic,” Sasha said as they passed yet another pasture of cows grazing.
Christian couldn’t have agreed more, but that’s what he liked about Holland Springs. “Quit being such a damned snob.”
“I’m perfectly content with my snobbery and the knowledge that I will never, ever live in a place like this,” Sasha said. “Want to go cow tipping this evening? I hear it’s all the rage ‘round these here parts. Maybe if you bring Zoe the prized heifer she’ll know you’re totally serious.”
“Job security has never been a worry of yours, has it?” Christian fiddled with the radio, glancing down for only a moment.
“Brakes.”
“What?” Christian slammed on the brakes, coming to a stop mere inches from a parade of ducks and their goslings. The mothers of the group squawked at the Suburban. At the very end a black cat trotted after them, nudging the last baby duck in line with its nose.
The cat stopped in the middle of the road, staring at them with eerie blue eyes.
He felt rather than saw Sasha stiffen. “This has got to be the strangest place we’ve ever been.”
“Even weirder than Madam Flower’s?” Christian asked, referring to the week they’d spent in Monaco and in the company of some very talented women. Well, if one could call their depraved specialties talents.
Christian tapped the horn and the cat sauntered away, flicking its tail. He pressed the gas, relieved to see the sign for the town after ten minutes of driving
“A great big emphatic yes,” Sasha said. “No more of that kind of thing for you. Unless you can talk Zoe into putting a—”
“Alexander,” Christian said with a warning note in his voice. “You know, I cannot wait for you to meet the woman that makes your life a living hell.”
“Because being controlled by my uncle, your father, isn’t enough?” Sasha had him there. “By the way, I was the one who slipped your ring in your pocket. Brennen thought he was playing a fantastic joke on you, but I was trying to make it up to you both.”
Christian grinned. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”
“My brilliant conversation skills aren’t enough?”
Christian made a left onto Ivy Lane, pulling into an empty parking spot. He turned to his cousin and punched him in the shoulder. “God love you, Sasha.”