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“I know how this works,” she informed me quickly. A knowing smile flashed across her face. “Nothing will be forgotten. Formalwear will take longer, but I’ll put in the requests today.”
I nodded my appreciation. “Until tonight then.” I left them to go back to Briar and forced my expression into a mask of calm when I felt anything but.
She was standing exactly where I had left her with the sheet covering nearly every inch of her.
I stopped just inside the room and crossed my arms over my chest as I studied her thoughtful expression.
“You’re testing me,” she finally murmured.
My false calm was immediately overridden with confusion until I saw her glance at the door again. “No, I told you that you would be picking a room today, which means you will be allowed anywhere on this level on the house.”
“But you just told me to stay.”
And you did, I thought with a surge of relief. I closed the distance between us slowly and uncurled one arm from my body to caress her cheek that was bruised from William’s hand. “I want you comfortable with me, but not other men. My driver was waiting out there.”
Blood rushed to her cheeks and her head dipped in an unsuccessful attempt at hiding her embarrassment.
“Come on, lunch is in the kitchen.”
My jaw ached from the pressure I was exerting as I walked out of the room with her right behind me. Today could push us forward or send us spiraling backward. With Briar, I was worried it would be the latter, but I knew I couldn’t keep her from this any longer.
I waited for it—for any sign of her shock when she realized she wasn’t as far from home as she’d originally thought. A gasp, singing, something . . . but it didn’t come.
We were halfway through the main room of the upper level before I turned to look at her, and found her staring intently at her feet instead of the wall of windows as she followed.
I slowed until she caught up with me and placed a hand gently on her back to lead her to the far corner. She would be able to see everything from there. A lake stretched out to our left, the city to our right. A multimillion-dollar view to most, but it would probably be nothing more than a view from a cage for the girl next to me.
Folding my arms over my chest, I steeled myself and failed at forcing my calm façade into place. “Briar,” I began, my voice was soft but with an edge from my nervousness as she lifted her head, “open your eyes.”
At first, there was nothing. Then her eyes slowly widened and her face filled with something close to hope as she started taking it all in. Recognizing it, even if she’d never seen it. One sheet-covered hand came up to cover her trembling mouth, but there was no response otherwise. After an eternity made up of seconds passed, her other hand pressed against the window, followed soon by her forehead as she stared out at the familiar.
“We’re in the United States, aren’t we?” she asked, her voice cracking on the last words.
I dipped my head in confirmation even though she wasn’t looking at me. “Yes.”
Houston, Texas.
Only eight hundred miles from her home when she’d thought oceans stood between her and the life she wanted back.
I didn’t ask to hear her thoughts even though I was aching to know what was going through that mind of hers. I just watched and waited, slowly going mad.
When a lone tear fell down her cheek, I broke.
My shoulders dropped and I automatically reached out for her, but stopped myself before I could touch her. I recoiled from her instead and clenched the hand that had been so close to her as I fought to move away. My chest was moving roughly and my arms were shaking from exertion by the time I was able to turn my back on her.
I don’t care. She doesn’t affect me. I can’t care. Briar . . .
I hadn’t even made it halfway to where my driver had left the lunch before I turned and stalked back to where she was still standing. This time there was no hesitation. I pulled her from the window and into my arms, and like it was the most natural thing in the world, she fell against me, her body fitting against mine perfectly.
She buried her head on my chest when her shoulders started shaking with muted cries. Her hands showed the same indecision that had been playing in her eyes recently. Still covered in the sheet, one hand pressed against my chest and began pushing while the other gripped at my shirt and pulled me closer.
Oh, Blackbird.
I pressed my mouth to the top of her head in a moment of stupidity and weakness that was emphasized by her cracked plea. “Let me go . . . please. I just want to go home.”
The hand that had been rubbing her back soothingly abruptly stopped moving, and for long seconds I stood like a statue holding my mistake.
I let my training fill my mind as that mask of indifference settled over my face again and internally berated myself for letting this girl have any type of control over me.
