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Chapter 16
Nayome woke to the unwelcome sound of the hotel suite’s door being shut.
“What?” She gasped, crabbing the duvet and pulling it up to her neck to cover herself, sitting up, hair rumpled, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
“I didn’t mean to wake you. I ordered us some food.”
“Oh” Nayome watched, a smile tugging her mouth up at the corners as Bal, broad shoulders wrapped tightly in one of the fluffy white hotel robes, brought over a plate of grapes, cheese and crusty bread, setting it down between them on the bed. “I’m famished.” Nayome was surprised at that, given how much she had eaten at dinner.
“Me too,” Bal said, looking pleased with himself, as he slid under the covers to join her in bed.
“How long was I asleep?”
“About an hour, I dozed off a bit too.”
Nayome lent her head back, as Bal fed her a grape, his strong fingers lingering on her lips for a second as she bit down. The sweet juices bursting in her mouth were a revelation, as though she had never actually tasted grapes before today. Senses still ringing on overdrive, Nayome absorbed every detail, every taste, every texture and scent as they ate in companionable silence, stretched out lazily in the bed.
“You cannae stay?” Bal asked quietly, as Nayome took a bite out of the last piece of bread and cheese.
She shook her head, looking away, not able to meet the intensity shining in his eyes.
“If we could figure out a way to prove your lineage…” Bal trailed off.
Nayome frowned, thoughtfully.Would that change anything?
“Even if we could. If your people had welcomed me, rather than threatened me, my home is in New York. I’ve built something there, something I’m proud of.”
Bal looked disappointed, but didn’t offer up any argument to dispute her point.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, Nayome reached for her cell sitting on her nightstand. Holding it up, grinning at him, she instructed him tosmileand snapped a headshot. His bare shoulders were visible in the shot, clearly lounging against a headboard, making the image look intimate.
“Perfect!”
Laughing despite himself, Bal grabbed the phone when she handed it to him.
“Put in your contact information. I want to keep in touch, learning about all this, who I might be. I know it’s risky, but…” But she didn’t want this to be the end, she wanted to keep a piece of Bal, even if it could only be a small one.
Looking thoughtful, Bal typed in his details under the contact photo she had snapped, and passed the phone back to her.
“Alright, but we need to take precautions. Only use this application for messaging, it’s encrypted. And delete our history after each exchange, in case your phone is compromised. As long as we are both careful, we should be able to speak freely when you are back in New York.”
“Thank you,” Nayome breathed, relieved that she didn’t have to give it all up.
“Now come here,” Bal growled, pulling her towards him across the bed. “We should make the most out of your last night.”
Nayome couldn’t think of a better plan. As his lips found hers in a seeking kiss, she let the regrets fade into the dark recesses of her mind. She could worry about real life tomorrow. Tonight was a gift that she had no intention of wasting.
Then tomorrow, she would finally be going home.
* * *
“What’s gotten into you this morning, brother?” Ceana asked, impish features set into a frown as they opened up the park office together.
“Nothing, just didn’t sleep well,” Bal replied gruffly. He didn’t love lying to his sister, but it would benefit no one if she knew that he had just parted ways with Nayome.
“That woman, Nayome…she leaves back to New York today right?”
Bal glared over a stack of unorganized paperwork at his sister. She was trying and failing to look innocent, busying herself with unlocking the old fashioned cash register and stocking it with small change for the day.
