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‘You say it like I’m decades younger than you,’ I muse, gazing up at him when I feel him cock me a sideways look.
‘Go on,’ he prompts, his lip curving. ‘Ask me.’
‘How old are you?’
‘Thirty-one. You?’
I smile, delighted. ‘Twenty-seven.’ I return my focus forward and catch his small smile in the reflection of the mirrored doors. I return it until he shakes his head a little, looking down.
‘Izzy White,’ he sighs, just as the doors open.
I look to Theo, not wanting to step in at the same time as him and collide with his big body. He nods for me to lead, which I do quickly, Theo following. The elevator stops at a few floors on the way down, more people boarding. As Theo moves to the back of the cart, I watch him, wondering what would happen if any one of these people were to catch him unexpectedly on the arm. I can see he’s going out of his way to ensure that doesn’t happen, his eyes wide and watching carefully.
When the doors open, he waits for everyone else to exit before stepping forward himself, but someone waiting outside the lift starts to enter. Theo moves speedily, leaning back to miss the flailing arm of the person rushing inside.
I look on, stunned. ‘That was some fast moving,’ I say, waiting for him to join me. His hand comes up between us, showing me his palm before he slowly takes it to my lower back and pushes me on.
‘I have a lot of practice,’ he says quietly, for the first time making me wonder if one of Callum’s many duties is to guard him from being touched. His bodyguard. It seems ludicrous, yet since Theo hasn’t told me the consequence of an unexpected touch, I can’t appreciate the level of seriousness.
We exit the hotel and wander down the long curved path past the famous fountain display, my instinct putting me on the inside of him so no one standing by the concrete barriers admiring the show can accidently knock him. He looks down at me and smiles, like he’s privy to my intention.
‘I can’t believe you came all this way,’ I muse, settling into his side when he wraps an arm around my shoulders.
‘And just to get my leg over, too.’
I laugh loudly and look up at him, probably more dreamily than I mean to. ‘Business,’ I remind him.
‘Oh, yeah. Business first and foremost, of course.’
I shake my head to myself. I’m the business. ‘Well, I hope the business was worth your while.’
‘It was more than worth it,’ he says wryly, returning his attention forward and moving to the side when a tourist armed with a camera barrels toward us. Theo gets us on our way again once the path is clear. ‘But do me a favour,’ he adds.
‘What?’
‘Don’t let my business wear that skimpy swimsuit again.’ He tosses me a disapproving look, and I laugh. He’s a smart man. After seeing my stomach, he knows very well why I wore that particular swimsuit, though he’s not letting his discovery divert his disapproval. I don’t know why that makes me happy. ‘The answer is, “Yes, Theo.” ’
‘Yes, Theo.’ I chuckle, feeling him nudge me playfully.
Our short walk to the Cosmopolitan is comfortably quiet and very fascinating. He weaves through the crowds expertly, keeping me close, not only ensuring no one brushes him, but no one touches me, either. When we reach the big glass doors, he opens them for me and places a cheeky palm on my arse when I pass him. I turn to face him once we’re in the foyer, my way of telling him I’ll be okay from here.
He stands a few feet before me, his hands in his pockets, his blue eyes regarding me carefully. ‘I’ll be leaving early in the morning,’ he says quietly, almost regretfully. ‘So you can get back to your girlie holiday.’
I nod acceptingly, though on the inside I can feel a void forming. ‘Okay.’
‘Call me,’ he says, though I don’t mistake it as a polite request. I will be desperate to see him by the time I get home, anyway. As feared, he has a physical hold now, and I don’t want him to let me go. I want to dive at him, bury myself in his huge chest and throw my arms around his neck, but I know I can’t do that without invitation. And like he’s read my mind, he removes his hands from his pockets and opens his arms to me. The magnetic force of him pulls me straight into his embrace without a moment’s hesitation.
‘Thank you for . . . dinner.’ I frown into his shoulder as I stand on tippy-toes to get my arms around his neck, feeling him smile against my ear.
‘Thank you for bending to my will,’ he counters playfully, and I smile, too, lost in the comfort of his tight hug, his massive body completely blanketing mine. ‘Have fun, sweetheart.’ He taps my bottom, and I reluctantly pull free of him, losing the warmth the second we’re no longer touching. I don’t want to jump the gun, but I’m pretty sure Theo’s behaviour and the way he’s looking at me are signs of the despondency I’m feeling myself. I honestly don’t want him to go.
