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Fourteen
Farrell tooka swig of wine and leaned in to listen as Luca continued his story about a shipment he’d intercepted in Miami that had held not televisions, as expected, but enough exotic parrots to outfit tenzoos.
“You know what’s really crazy?” Luca askedhim.
“What?”
Luca laughed. “The parrots were worth more than theTVs.”
Farrell chuckled and shook his head. “What did you do withthem?”
He listened halfheartedly as Luca detailed the complicated mission, aided by Isabel, of finding the birds suitable homes. Any other time, Farrell would have delighted in the story, but he was distracted by the ring in his pocket, Jenna’s hand in his under thetable.
The tension between them had dissipated in the wake of their fiery sex the night before, but it had been replaced by a visible sadness in Jenna’seyes.
He’d spent the day lurking around the kitchen, looking for an opportunity to get her alone without making a scene. But the women had been cooking all day, helping the girls make treats forSanta.
Then he and Nico had gone to get the booze and Nico had confessed to seeing Jenna crying in the kitchen. Angel had rushed him out of the room before he could get any details, but he’d thought Farrell would want toknow.
Nico was right; he did fucking want to know, but more than that, he wanted to do something aboutit.
He’d stalked into the house, determined to talk to Jenna and settle things once and for all, to get down on one knee and produce the ring and tell her whatever was making her sad would be crushed in his fist if it was the last thing hedid.
But they’d walked in to find the table set, the wine being poured, the girls talking excitedly about the expected visit from SantaClaus.
So he’d sat down with everyone else, had taken Jenna’s hand and tried to transmit his love for her through her skin. They’d passed more dishes than he could count, family style, down the long table, had eaten savory ham with a sweet coating and smoky chicken tamales and brussels sprouts sautéed in bacon and a salad course dotted with grapefruit and pomegranate and more food he hardly rememberedeating.
They’d been through several bottles of wine, although Jenna hadn’t had much to drink, and had started the cheese course and coffee when Luca began his parrotstory.
Farrell had had about enough of all ofit.
He heard the voices around the table as if from far away as he scanned their faces. Nico and Angel were arguing good-naturedly about who had put more work into the brussels sprouts while Isabel leaned toward Leo and Diana, who had arrived before dinner. Christophe and Charlotte watched with delight as Lily, Stella, and Sofia made wild hats out of their napkins — accompanying them with funnyfaces.
Luca was still talking, although Farrell had lost the train of their conversation. Had forgotten where they were in the story about thebirds.
He just wantedJenna.
Alone. In a place where she would have to listen tohim.
Where he could tell her all she meant tohim.
“Let’sgo.”
Everyone looked up at him in silence, and he was surprised to find himself standing, his hand outstretched towardJenna.
“What… what are we doing?” she said, a note of fear in hervoice.
“We’re getting out of here,” he said. “Now.”
It was the voice he reserved for the people who challengedhim.
And for Jenna, in bed when she wanted him to useit.
She stood. “Lily…”
“Mummy and Daddy are going for a drive, love,” Farrell said, smiling at their daughter. “We’ll be back in time to put out the pies for SantaClaus.”
He took Jenna’s hand and pulled her toward the door. He wasn’t trying to go slow so she could match his pace — he wanted only to get away from the noise and the chaos, to be alone withher.
With hisJenna.
He was going to love her for the rest of his life. Whether she agreed to marry him or not was irrelevant, but he wanted ananswer.
He picked up a set of keys off the console table in the foyer and stepped outside, Jenna’s hand inhis.
“Farrell!” She pulled him to a stop. “What are wedoing?”
He looked down at her. “We’re going to put an end to this nonsense once and for all,Jenna.”
He kept walking toward the SUV waiting on the other side of the courtyardwall.
