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William wrinkled his nose at the mention of my favorite Mexican food truck. “I’m having a protein shake. But feel free to clog your arteries with unknown quantities of salt and oil.”
He shuddered at the mere thought of putting calories in his body.
“You think it counts as a trip that has to be cleared twenty-four hours in advance?”
Following me out of the room, William waved me off. “Probably. But Bennet will just have to deal with it. He works for us, after all.”
While William was a good boss, he was always very clear about not mixing his business and private life. Employees weren’t part of the family, no matter how long they’d worked for him or how loyal they were. And he’d only picked the best of the best. I’d always felt lacking, even compared to the staff.
Jacques, our chef, used to work in a five-star restaurant in Paris. Both of William’s assistants had gone to Harvard.
I worried that one day William would realize how beneath him I was and demand a divorce.
“I don’t want to break his rules only an hour after he made them.”
We made it to the kitchen, and Jacques handed William his elaborate shake, umbrella and all. Taking a sip, he turned his attention back to me. “I’m sure a quick trip to get food will be fine.” Lifting his phone, he sent a message. “There. Now he knows what you want to do.”
Feeling guilty for even mentioning the Taco Truck, I backpedaled. “I don’t mind having lunch here. I didn’t think when I suggested leaving the house.”
Pointing over my shoulder, William grinned at me. “Too late.” Walking past me, he pressed another kiss to my cheek, the umbrella in his shake wavering precariously. “Have fun, darling.”
My back prickled from Archer’s presence, as if he were standing next to me instead of on the other side of the room.
“Take good care of her. I’ll be in my study,” William said, then left.
As soon as his steps faded, I turned around, avoiding meeting Archer’s eyes, and instead studied the tiles. “I’m so sorry about this. I didn’t think when I suggested going out. I’m happy to stay here.”
A sigh, and then his rumbling voice said, “As long as you do exactly what I tell you to do, we should be fine.”
The thought of Archer telling me what to do sent a slight tremor through my body.
Oh God, what is happening to me?
He was talking about my safety.Bad brain for thinking about anything else.
Shuffling past him, I pasted a shaky smile on my face. “I’ll be ready in five.”
Instead of replying, Archer’s gaze followed me out of the kitchen. As soon as I was out of sight, I sprinted up the steps and to my room, where I’d left my phone. My room was my sanctuary. I’d decorated it in as many colors as I could without going blind. I’d also displayed as many trinkets as the shelves could hold. I’d never owned much, and being able to go out and buy anything I wanted was still a novelty I couldn’t get used to.
I didn’t have a lot growing up, and during the first few months of our marriage, I’d been too scared to use William’s money. He’d quickly dispelled me of my need to save every penny. I still wasn’t too crazy about going on huge spending sprees, but I was obsessed with collecting little souvenirs from places we visited. The more ridiculous the better.
I’d never even left the state before William. Now traveling had become my biggest passion.
Finding my phone under the bed, I stuffed it into my bag and made my way back downstairs. Archer was still standing in the same spot, watching where I’d disappeared from.
Once I appeared in the doorway, whatever spell he’d been under seemed to snap, and he stiffly turned and stalked out.
I shouldn’t have asked about leaving already. He hadn’t even had time to settle in, and I was already dragging him out again. Tacos could wait; there was enough food in the kitchen to feed me for the next two weeks.
Catching up to him, I cleared my throat. “We don’t need to go anywhere. Honestly. I mentioned the food truck without thinking. Next thing I know, William messaged you.”
Archer took a step forward, bringing us within touching distance—not that either of us would reach out for the other—and leaned down.
“If I didn’t think I could keep you safe, I wouldn’t have agreed to take you. Now let’s go. I have a lot to go through to make sure you’re as safe as you can be.”
He turned and went through the door.
“Of course.” I scurried after him a lot slower, concentrating on where I was going. Falling on my face wasn’t on my agenda today.
