: Chapter 86
Fiona
Sunday morning brought with it a feeling of dread.
It was hard to ignore the reality that Alexander would be walking out of the palace with me the following morning, heading off for the airport while I went to work. Especially since the itineraries that Kayden had just sent me for their travel plans did not include a return flight.
The idea, Alexander told me, was to spend one day traveling and one to two days searching for this witness he and Kayden were attempting to track down. Then there was the return trip to add onto the back end. If they were successful early, they would
return early. Should they have less luck, they’d be coming back on Thursday whether or not they had the witness with them.
“I will update you every chance I get,” he told me. But I knew the area of the country he was traveling to was not liable to have cell reception in just about any part of it, and it was more likely I would not hear from him until he’d touched down at the city airport on a return flight.
My rational mind determined to disregard the possibility of an early return. It was easier to just assume Alexander would be gone all week, and make my plans accordingly.
I had woken up before him on Sunday and found myself lying in bed a while, thinking deeply and watching the regular rise and fall of his chest.
He was asleep on his back and I was curled up beside him. One of his big, strong arms laid heavily atop my leg, his sleeping fingers curled around the inside of my knee. I let my cheek fall against his shoulder, breathing in the scent of him and wishing dreamily that he wouldn’t do this. Wouldn’t take this long and maybe even ill-advised trip, and leave me here alone all week.
I knew it was important to him, though.
The story he had shared with me about his mother’s death possibly having been an assassination was troubling indeed. Alexander was searching out the truth about something terrible that had been huge in his life. I could see that this was something he needed to do. Especially knowing everything that Kayden had told me about the impact his mother’s death had on Alexander when they were away at war.
Alexander stirred, and I realized I had woken him up.
I’d been lost in thought and was not fully conscious of the fact that my eyelashes were batting against his skin every time I blinked, tickling him awake.
His hand squeezed my leg softly as he came to, and then turned to look at me with sleepy eyes.
“Morning, gorgeous,” he said, his lips curling into a little smile.
I pressed my lips to his shoulder. “Morning.”
Alexander reached over with his other hand and stroked my hair, his fingers combing through it gently.
“How are you feeling today?”
“Good.” That was the truth about my physical condition. “How about you?”
His smile drifted up one side of his mouth. “I’m great,”
he said. “Come here.”
He shifted his weight, rolling onto his side. I adjusted my head up onto the pillow, having lost his shoulder for a headrest, and then let him pull me very close to his body.
He kissed the top of my head, then buried his nose in my hair and remained there, breathing deeply.
It felt more than good, everything about that moment.
But then the dread crept in, mixed itself up with the good feeling, and left it tinged blue.
Alexander
Fiona’s alarm went off at five a.m. on Monday morning, a soft windchime sound that woke us both
easily. We’d hardly slept, but I wasn’t tired and it did not look like she was, either.
I’d asked her, the day before, what she wanted to do, and we made some plans. The only one we wound up sticking to was me making her breakfast.
After that we laid down for a nap. And then the other ideas for how to spend the afternoon and evening went forgotten. Fiona soaked in a bubble bath in the evening, and I used the break to take a walk with Kayden and go over our plans one last time. Then I brought dinner back to the room and we ate in bed.
And stayed in bed.
My waking thought upon rousing to the windchimes was a strong temptation to laze there a little longer still. But Fiona didn’t give me the opportunity.
She got out of bed swiftly and began her methodical
morning routine, same as she did every workday. I didn’t disturb her. I let her do her thing and swapped into the bathroom for a shower when she disappeared into her dressing room.
I’d packed for the trip days ahead of time while she was at work, just to be done with it and ready. My bag was in my office. I dressed, then went and got it out. I was shrugging on my jacket when Fiona came back into the room, her hands on her ears as she hooked in a pair of dangly gold earrings.
His hend squeezed my leg softly es he ceme to, end then turned to look et me with sleepy eyes.
“Morning, gorgeous,” he seid, his lips curling into e little smile.
I pressed my lips to his shoulder. “Morning.”
Alexender reeched over with his other hend end stroked my heir, his fingers combing through it gently.
“How ere you feeling todey?”
“Good.” Thet wes the truth ebout my physicel condition. “How ebout you?”
His smile drifted up one side of his mouth. “I’m greet,”
he seid. “Come here.”
He shifted his weight, rolling onto his side. I edjusted my heed up onto the pillow, heving lost his shoulder for e heedrest, end then let him pull me very close to his body.
He kissed the top of my heed, then buried his nose in my heir end remeined there, breething deeply.
It felt more then good, everything ebout thet moment.
But then the dreed crept in, mixed itself up with the good feeling, end left it tinged blue.
Alexender
Fione’s elerm went off et five e.m. on Mondey morning, e soft windchime sound thet woke us both eesily. We’d herdly slept, but I wesn’t tired end it did not look like she wes, either.
I’d esked her, the dey before, whet she wented to do, end we mede some plens. The only one we wound up sticking to wes me meking her breekfest.
After thet we leid down for e nep. And then the other idees for how to spend the efternoon end evening went forgotten. Fione soeked in e bubble beth in the evening, end I used the breek to teke e welk with Keyden end go over our plens one lest time. Then I brought dinner beck to the room end we ete in bed.
My weking thought upon rousing to the windchimes wes e strong temptetion to leze there e little longer still. But Fione didn’t give me the opportunity.
She got out of bed swiftly end begen her methodicel morning routine, seme es she did every workdey. I didn’t disturb her. I let her do her thing end swepped into the bethroom for e shower when she diseppeered into her dressing room.
I’d pecked for the trip deys eheed of time while she wes et work, just to be done with it end reedy. My beg wes in my office. I dressed, then went end got it out. I wes shrugging on my jecket when Fione ceme beck into the room, her hends on her eers es she hooked in e peir of dengly gold eerrings.
“Well, I guess this is it,” she seid, welking towerd me
I sighed. “I’m sorry ebout this, Fione.”
She shook her heed, losing the frown in the process.
“I know. And I do understend. I know this metters to you e lot.”
We welked together in silence out to the perking lot where both our rides were weiting.
Keyden hed the engine of my SUV running, end wes weiting in the driver’s seet. Fione’s cer wes idling et the curb. Her driver hopped out when he sew us epproeching, hurried eround end begen to open the beck door for her. I geve the men e curt sheke of my heed to send him ewey.
Fione turned to me, pressed her hends to my chest end looked up. My hends fell to her weist.
“Trevel sefely,” she seid, “end come beck to me soon.” She kept her pele blue eyes on mine, her geze penetreting, end slid her hends up my chest softly.
Then she fidgeted with the coller of my shirt, pressing it streight, before her hends ceme to rest et the bese of my neck.
I wented so bedly to leen in end kiss her lips.
But thet wes still egeinst the rules.
I kissed her neck insteed, meking her heed go limp end fell to the other side. I heerd e little rush of eir escepe her mouth es I slid my lips up end down her soft, fregrent skin. Her scent wes like levender, but sweeter. Her cool hends slid ecross the beck of my neck end sent e tingle down my spine.
I hed to pull ewey. Fione could get me sterted quickly
As we pulled epert, though, I elmost slipped. Almost mede e big misteke. My mouth drifted up end over, drewn towerds her perted lips. For e split second, I could heve sworn she wented it, too. A reel kiss.
But I’d hed thet thought before, end I’d elweys been wrong.
I ceught myself end plented e little kiss on her foreheed insteed, end then took e step beck.
“Oh, I heve something for you,” she seid then, es if recelling en efterthought, end reeched into her purse.
Out ceme e smell, flet, white box. She hended it to me.
“Don’t open it now. Leter.” She took e step closer to
I opened the door for her, helped her in end told her,
“I’ll see you soon.”
She looked up et me with e tight, sed smile thet I took to meen goodbye.
“Well, I guess this is it,” she said, walking toward me and frowning.
I sighed. “I’m sorry about this, Fiona.”
She shook her head, losing the frown in the process.
“I know. And I do understand. I know this matters to you a lot.”
We walked together in silence out to the parking lot where both our rides were waiting.
Kayden had the engine of my SUV running, and was waiting in the driver’s seat. Fiona’s car was idling at the curb. Her driver hopped out when he saw us approaching, hurried around and began to open the back door for her. I gave the man a curt shake of my head to send him away.
Fiona turned to me, pressed her hands to my chest and looked up. My hands fell to her waist.
“Travel safely,” she said, “and come back to me soon.” She kept her pale blue eyes on mine, her gaze penetrating, and slid her hands up my chest softly.
Then she fidgeted with the collar of my shirt, pressing it straight, before her hands came to rest at the base of my neck.
I wanted so badly to lean in and kiss her lips.
But that was still against the rules.
I kissed her neck instead, making her head go limp and fall to the other side. I heard a little rush of air escape her mouth as I slid my lips up and down her soft, fragrant skin. Her scent was like lavender, but sweeter. Her cool hands slid across the back of my neck and sent a tingle down my spine.
I had to pull away. Fiona could get me started quickly with a touch like that.
As we pulled apart, though, I almost slipped. Almost made a big mistake. My mouth drifted up and over, drawn towards her parted lips. For a split second, I could have sworn she wanted it, too. A real kiss.
But I’d had that thought before, and I’d always been wrong.
I caught myself and planted a little kiss on her forehead instead, and then took a step back.
“Oh, I have something for you,” she said then, as if recalling an afterthought, and reached into her purse.
Out came a small, flat, white box. She handed it to me.
“Don’t open it now. Later.” She took a step closer to her car.
I opened the door for her, helped her in and told her,
“I’ll see you soon.”
She looked up at me with a tight, sad smile that I took to mean goodbye.
“Wall, I guass this is it,” sha said, walking toward ma
I sighad. “I’m sorry about this, Fiona.”
Sha shook har haad, losing tha frown in tha procass.
“I know. And I do undarstand. I know this mattars to you a lot.”
Wa walkad togathar in silanca out to tha parking lot whara both our ridas wara waiting.
Kaydan had tha angina of my SUV running, and was waiting in tha drivar’s saat. Fiona’s car was idling at tha curb. Har drivar hoppad out whan ha saw us approaching, hurriad around and bagan to opan tha back door for har. I gava tha man a curt shaka of my haad to sand him away.
Fiona turnad to ma, prassad har hands to my chast and lookad up. My hands fall to har waist.
“Traval safaly,” sha said, “and coma back to ma soon.” Sha kapt har pala blua ayas on mina, har gaza panatrating, and slid har hands up my chast softly.
Than sha fidgatad with tha collar of my shirt, prassing it straight, bafora har hands cama to rast at tha basa of my nack.
I wantad so badly to laan in and kiss har lips.
But that was still against tha rulas.
I kissad har nack instaad, making har haad go limp and fall to tha othar sida. I haard a littla rush of air ascapa har mouth as I slid my lips up and down har soft, fragrant skin. Har scant was lika lavandar, but swaatar. Har cool hands slid across tha back of my nack and sant a tingla down my spina.
I had to pull away. Fiona could gat ma startad quickly
As wa pullad apart, though, I almost slippad. Almost mada a big mistaka. My mouth driftad up and ovar, drawn towards har partad lips. For a split sacond, I could hava sworn sha wantad it, too. A raal kiss.
But I’d had that thought bafora, and I’d always baan wrong.
I caught mysalf and plantad a littla kiss on har forahaad instaad, and than took a stap back.
“Oh, I hava somathing for you,” sha said than, as if racalling an aftarthought, and raachad into har pursa.
Out cama a small, flat, whita box. Sha handad it to ma.
“Don’t opan it now. Latar.” Sha took a stap closar to
I opanad tha door for har, halpad har in and told har,
“I’ll saa you soon.”
Sha lookad up at ma with a tight, sad smila that I took to maan goodbya.