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“I love you.” I pull back and narrow my eyes at him. “Not anytime soon on the kids thing though.”
He laughs and pulls me into his chest again. “Not anytime soon.”
Hearing the steady rhythm of his heart urges mine to slow, and this time, sleep isn’t difficult to find at all.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
I waketo the weight of Reid’s head resting on my chest. Eyes still closed, I run my fingers through his soft hair. It’s long enough now the ends have a curl to them. It must have gotten hot in the day while we slept, because I don’t feel the sheets wrapped around me, the open air raising the hairs on my bare skin.
Reid hums low in his throat, almost sounding like a purr, and nestles his face into my chest, his fingers tightening on my hip. He takes my other hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles one by one, lingering on the new ring sitting on my fourth finger. He frames the finger with his own and gently caresses the sides.
A slow, lazy smile creeps onto my face as I pry my eyes open.
I gasp, every muscle in my body seizing.
Reid lurches up, cursing under his breath as he also takes in the woman standing at the foot of our bed.
His fiancée, to be exact.
She’s smirking, her arms crossed over her chest. “Is this how American Marionette pairings work?”
Reid yanks the sheets from the bottom of the bed and tucks them around me.
“I did knock,” she continues.
Reid leans forward like he’s trying to block me from view. I’m frozen against the pillow, the shock rendering me useless.
This is all my fault. I never should have come here. I never should have stayed until sunset. All of this tiptoeing around each other for weeks, just for her to find out anyway—
“Well, what a relief this is!” Anya flings herself onto the foot of the bed like a child at a slumber party, her smile conspiratorial. She points at Reid. “And here I thought you were no fun.”
Reid and I exchange a sideways glance, my pulse still frantically beating in the base of my throat.
“So.” Anya grins. “How long has this been going on? Tell me everything. Was this the first time? Just a hookup? Have you been sneaking around this whole time? Did this happen before or after you were paired together?Oh!” Her head snaps to the side to focus on Reid. “She’s the girl, isn’t she? She’s who you’re in love with!”
Reid rubs his thumb along my knee beneath the sheets like he’s trying to comfort me, though neither of us says anything. Reid hasn’t blinked, his gaze locked on Anya like he’s waiting for her to pounce. We might be on decent terms now, but after finding out we’ve both been lying to her this entire time, it wouldn’t be unreasonable.
“Why are you here, Anya?” he asks.
She sighs like she’s disappointed he won’t gossip with her. “I figured the two of us should chat, what with my father and brother being dead now.” She says it socasually. Emotionlessly. Is it real, or is she just putting on a brave face? “Which leaves me as the next in line for the Vasiliev throne, and that puts the two of us in a much different position in terms of this betrothal. Which I’m sure you’re happy about. Oh, don’t look so worried, Valerie.” She flicks her wrist and jumps back to her feet. I suppose with how upset she’d been in the library at the idea of Reid simply not liking her, maybe finding out this is the real reason he’d showed her no interest is some kind of relief. But it feels like there’s more to it than that. “I’ll step outside so the two of you can get dressed. Then we’ll talk.”
Reid and I say nothing as she slips from the room.
“You okay?” he murmurs.
Numbly, I nod.
He squeezes my knee one last time before pushing up from the bed and heading to his closet. After throwing on a pair of his sweats, I opt for the bathroom to brush my teeth.
My body moves like it’s in a combination of autopilot and denial, but then the door creaks open and Anya’s high heels clank inside, yanking me back to reality.
“Here I’ve been attending all of these boring political meetings, and you guys have been off having all the fun!” she says as I rinse my mouth. “I’ll be honest, I’m a little hurt I wasn’t included earlier. Like, I get it. My brother’s friends tried to kill you. But still.” Her eyes flick to me as I step out of the bathroom. “I thought we were getting along.”
I ignore the questioning glance Reid gives me.
“You’re not…mad?” I ask.
She scrunches her face up. “What, about you two?” She wags her finger between us. “No.” She shoots Reid an apologetic look. “You’re not really my type, no offense.”
