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“I just missed my room,” he says.
Valerie steps forward, easily pushing past her son, and enters the room.
The room reeks of my scent and Seth’s pheromones. My cheeks heat up with embarrassment as she takes in the mess on the bed.
“Missed your room, huh?” she says, staring at her son with narrowed eyes. “Where are the twins? Are they hiding in the bathroom?”
“No, they’re probably still at the cottage,” Seth replies. “They were asleep when we left them.” He groans loudly and stretches his arms over his head. “Is there any breakfast? I’m starving.”
“Of course, there’s breakfast,” Valerie says.
I stare at Seth, wondering if he’s really serious about eating breakfast here.
“Did you like the cinnamon rolls I sent you?” Valerie asks, shifting her attention to me.
“Yeah. They were delicious. Thanks, Valerie.”
She grins and comes closer to me. “How’ve you been?”
I take a moment before replying. There’s no way I can tell her that Seth nearly got shot trying to rescue me a couple of nights ago.
“I’ve been great,” I say, feeling guilty about lying to her. “How about you?”
“I’ve been all right, sweetheart,” she says, hugging me. “I was hoping you’d come and see me. Charlie’s been asking about you too, you know?”
“Oh, how’s Charlie?” I ask, thinking about Seth’s grandfather.
“He’s doing well,” she says. “Why don’t you come and say hello to him? He’d love to see you.” Capturing my hand, she tugs at me gently. “Come on. Let’s go eat some breakfast before the food gets cold. I made French toasts today.”
Seth follows us with a relaxed grin.
It’s only now I realize that he must be missing his family. He’s been so busy looking after me that he’s barely had the time to see them.
“Should we give Oliver and Simon a call?” I ask. “They might get worried if they don’t find us.”
“I’m sure they already know where you are,” he replies as we walk down the stairs.
“How would they know?”
“They’ll access the security feeds,” Seth explains, winking at me. “Every corner of our grounds is monitored. It’s one of the reasons we feel comfortable keeping you here. Burton Estate is the safest place you can be in.”
Valerie lets out an exasperated huff. “I can’t believe how you’ve learned these bad habits from your dads,” she says with an annoyed look on her face.
“What’re you talking about?” Seth asks, looking confused.
“Don’t make her feel like you’re always keeping an eye on her,” Valerie says. “Do you know how uncomfortable it can feel?”
“But, we promised her dad we’d keep an eye on her,” Seth says with an innocent look on his face. “We promised him we’d keep her safe.”
Valerie rolls her eyes before looking at me with an apologetic look.
“It’s all right,” I say, smiling at her. “I don’t mind all the cameras and the surveillance stuff. They make me feel safe.”
“Oh.” Surprise spreads through her face.
I guess she finally understands that Seth’s overprotectiveness isn’t something that bothers me. I crave his constant attention toward me.
If he hadn’t realized I was missing from my dad’s party in time, I would be rotting in Senator Vaughn’s basement right now.
