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“How was your trip?” She addressed Valentino directly, never glancing my way.
He strode to the refrigerator and was about to open it when Joseph popped his head into the room.
“Boss, can I speak to you for a moment?” His eyes then fell on Lindsay. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, but a little tired.” She grinned so innocently.
Valentino followed Joseph, but on his way out, he placed his hand on my hip and pressed his lips to my forehead. “See you upstairs, my love.”
Butterflies fluttered around in my stomach whenever he called me that in English or Italian. I felt my cheeks warming, and it was impossible to hold back a grin. He winked before he turned away and sauntered out of the room.
Now, I was all alone with Lindsay.Wonderful. I sighed. Ignoring her, I lumbered to the refrigerator and opened it, but nothing looked good. I was feeling nauseated and was almost certain it was my nerves.
“Jean-Pierre made a really great soup, but I’m not sure which fridge he put it in.”
I spun around at the sound of her perky voice to see her taking a sip of her coffee. I averted my gaze back to the full refrigerator, then closed the door. “I really need grease.”
“I know the feeling.” She giggled. “Do you want me to wake Jean-Pierre up for you?”
I shook my head as I plodded to a cabinet and pulled out a sleeve of bagels. “No, I’ll just have a cream cheese bagel, then go to bed.”
While making my bagel, I remained quiet, replaying the trip in my head. Despite seeing someone I thought was Felipe, I had a wonderful time. It was the type of distraction I needed. I sauntered to the table, setting my plate in front of me.
Lindsay studied me, and I did not know why. I pretended to ignore it. In case Noah was wrong, I wanted to at least play nice. It would have been senseless to snub an innocent woman.
“I apologize. We haven’t had time to properly meet.”
Awkwardly smiling, she rubbed the back of her neck, then leaned on her elbow. “I know. I came into this at a really busy time.”
“How did you hear about the job?” Though part of me was grilling her, I was genuinely curious.
That question seemed to catch her off guard. She paused a moment, looking up at the ceiling before bringing her gaze to mine. “I saw a posting for it on an executive job website and knew I had to apply!”
“You seem really excited about it, at least.” I took a bite of my bagel, though suddenly it was no longer satisfying.
She rapidly dialed back her emotions and sat up straight. Folding her hands in front of her on the table surface, she titled her head. “I just really couldn’t pass up the opportunity because I enjoy helping people, I guess.” She sighed and reached her hand toward me, laying it in the middle of the table. “I’m sure it’s difficult publicly dating him and you should have someone on your side to help you.”
Her words were pleasant enough, but they also seemed fishy. I did not know if it was because of my intuition or Noah, but I was uncomfortable with her. She was gorgeous, but my suspicion ran beyond her looks. I wanted to give the woman the benefit of the doubt because I was usually more trusting. However, being with Valentino meant being skeptical and untrusting of people who were not in our circle.
If Lindsay wanted me to be onherside, she was going to have to prove herself to all of us, starting with not gawking at my fiancé whenever he was around. Valentino and his close friends stole the hearts of many women. That was not foreign to me, and it never bothered me if women threw themselves at him. My problem was under our roof, in the privacy of our home, where we were supposed to have a refuge from the crazy beyond the estate walls. If we employed them, they should always remain professional about him.
That night, I lied in bed wide awake after waking up several times, staring at the ceiling. Insomnia had taken over. I stirred. I tossed. I turned, unable to get comfortable. Out of nowhere, nausea hit me. I threw the covers back, sprinting to the bathroom. Kneeling in front of the toilet, I tossed the lid up and vomited twice in a row. I was exhausted and needed sleep, but I was too weak to move. Collapsing on my bottom, I leaned on the wall, hugging my knees as I buried my face in my arms.
“Are you okay?” A deep, sleepy voice came from the doorway.
I peeked around the corner, groaning. “I think I’m dying.”
“Dying, huh?” He strolled over and sat down on the floor, leaning on the wall outside the little toilet room. “Here, I got this off your nightstand.”
“Thank you.” I reached out, taking the bottle of water. “I feel so gross, my God.”
He chuckled, tugging my arm. I slid over, leaning against him. Enveloping me in his embrace, he held me firmly against his body. Stroking my hair, he pressed his lips to the top of my head. “I didn’t mean to laugh, but you’re cute when you’re not feeling well.”
Nestling my face into his bare chest, I inhaled his scent. Though he had showered before bed, his natural fragrance intoxicated me. A faint hint of cigarettes over the woodsy and citrus soap told me he must have gone outside to smoke after I fell asleep. Business calls sometimes came in the middle of the night, and he would take them in private to shield me from that side of his life.
I drank a few sips of the water then took a few deep breaths, trying to get the nauseous feeling to subside. Normally, I would have smiled at the cute comment he made, but I was too distracted. Realizing his small joke did not go over well, he sighed. Running my fingernails along his forearm, I smiled at his minor frustration.
“Do you want me to make you some tea?” He circled his thumb on my jaw.
