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Max
I’m watching Cami like a fucking hawk as she eats her first full plate of food since her father passed away.
I’m not going to lie, I was worried she’d lose her curves. Cami’s health is one of my biggest concerns at the moment.
“Why do you keep staring at me?” she asks between bites.
“I’m just enjoying the sight of you eating. You had me worried there for a while.”
She pauses to say, “I’m glad my appetite is back. I missed food.”
I gesture at her plate. “Finish it all, or there’s no dessert.”
Her eyebrow lifts, and as if the fucking sun decides to finally shine after twenty days of darkness, she smiles.
My woman smiles.
Christ, I’ve missed it.
“What’s for dessert?”
“Finish your food, and you’ll find out.”
I keep watching her until she takes the last bite, then I give her a smile of approval. “Good girl.”
We’re sitting in the kitchen, where it’s cozier than the dining room. Philippe has already retired to his room for the night, and half the guards are resting while the other half patrols the grounds outside.
“I’m going to release the guards so they can return to St. Monarch’s,” I inform her.
“I honestly don’t know why they were here for three weeks.”
“We had a lot to do. Now that most of the estate has been wrapped up and the paperwork signed, I can focus all my attention on keeping you safe.” I lift my tumbler of whiskey and take a sip. “By the way, I hate paperwork.”
She gives me another smile, and I drink in the sight like a man dying of thirst.
“Thank you for helping me take care of everything. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
Cami gets up and takes her empty plate to the sink. When she puts it down, she says, “There’s one more thing I have to take care of.”
“What?”
I lift the tumbler to my mouth but pause when she replies, “I have to pay you, but I don’t know how much. What amount did you and my father agree on?”
I set my drink down on the marble top and shake my head. “Things have changed, Cami. I don’t expect to be paid.”
She lets out a chuckle, but it sounds sad instead of happy. “Was Ithatgood in bed?”
A frown forms on my forehead, and I point at the stool she just vacated. “Sit.” I wait for her to obey, then say, “I wanted to put off this conversation until you were better, but now’s as good a time as any.”
She swallows hard, and a nervous expression settles in her eyes. “Just rip the bandaid off.”
My eyes narrow on her. “What fucking bandaid? What’s going on? We’ve never talked about payment for my services. I’ve told you I’m not going anywhere.”
She tilts her head and locks eyes with me. “Yes, but you have to return to work at some point. I don’t expect you to guard me forever, Max. The assholes got what they wanted. My father’s dead, so there’s no threat anymore.”
The pain in her voice is so raw it fucking guts me.
