I sink my hands into my hair and sit there for a moment. I should have stayed in the army.
“You okay?”
I look up to see Aurelia standing before me. Her face is flushed from her run, and she wipes the sweat from her forehead with a towel.
Fuck me, she’s gorgeous.
“Have I broken your brain?” she asks, sitting on the stool beside me.
That makes me laugh. “A little.”
“I’m sorry.”
I smile. “Not your fault.”
She tips her head to the side, curious. “You’re genuinely bemused by all this aren’t you?”
I lean forward, my elbows on my knees, and study my hands.
“Do you still want to train me?” she asks softly. “I’ll understand if you don’t.”
I look at her, surprised. “Of course.”
She looks relieved. “I thought I’d scared you off.”
“Not at all. No woman should be scared. I want to help.”
“Okay.” She smiles. “I’m going up to get changed.”
“All right. I’ll meet you down by the car at seven thirty.”
She nods, gets up, and walks out.
I have about fifteen minutes before I need to get in the shower, so I climb on the treadmill and start running, pushing the speed up so I’m working hard. This is just a job, I tell myself desperately. Nothing more. I need to keep my emotions out of it, or else I’m going to end up hurt again.
I’m tired of being hurt. Tired of feeling as if my emotions have been trampled by a herd of stampeding buffalo. I took this job because I thought it would be quiet and rather dull, and I was convinced I’d be able to keep my distance from a spoiled brat, and that I’d have no trouble avoiding her attempts to manipulate me.
Instead, her bright spirit, gentle teasing, and quiet vulnerability are breaking me down piece by piece. But she’s still my principal. I still have to keep her safe. That’s my only concern right now, and I have to make sure I don’t stray from it.
Chapter Twelve
Aurelia
“Wonderful day, wasn’t it?”
I smile at my father as he takes the seat next to me. It’s the evening of Marcus and Wren’s wedding, and we’re on the lawn behind my parents’ house in Takapuna, overlooking the ocean. It’s been a gorgeous summer day, warm and dry, and I’ve made sure to keep in the shade, because I’d fry to a crisp in this hot sun.
It’s cooling down now, though, and they’ve brought out citronella candles in stands around the marquee to keep the insects away. The lawn and the trees are the color of marmalade in the setting sun.
“It was amazing,” I reply, sipping my champagne. “Wren looked so beautiful. And Marcus is so happy. He really loves her, I think.”
Dad nods, looking at where Marcus is sitting with a few friends, his gaze fixed on his new wife. “It’ll be interesting to see how it goes with them. I hope he doesn’t get hurt.”
I look at Wren, dancing in the middle of the lawn like a whirling dervish. I think she’s told herself her marriage pact with Marcus is purely a business transaction, but he has other ideas. “Hopefully he can convince her he’s in it for the long term. Either way, he should produce you an heir within a few months.” I can’t stop my tone taking on a touch of sarcasm as I recall what he demanded of us.
“I know I seemed harsh at the time,” Dad says gently. “It wasn’t really directed at you. I know you’re only twenty-six. I was talking more to Caesar, to be honest, but I didn’t want to single him out.”
“I think I can speak for the others when I say it’s not that we don’t want to settle down,” I insist. “I want to meet someone and have children eventually.”
