He brushed his rough thumb along my lower lip. “First, we get you food.”
Xander
It was all I could do not to carry my wife caveman style down the street. There was a little hotel along this stretch, an old refurbished one that promised more ambiance than comfort. As long as it had a bed, I was fine. We didn’t even need a bed, just a door that closed and people on the other side of it that we weren’t related to and wouldn’t have to see again.
Savvy took a bite of her salad. I’d wolfed down most of my meal already, but her salad took time. Patience was hard to come by. Spending the day with her was exactly what I’d needed. I was ready to take it to the next level. I was ready to take this whole marriage to the next level, but I had needed some sort of sign from Savvy beyond the glow of her face behind the laptop.
“You’re still going to need to find our way back.” One of my favorite pastimes was watching her forehead furrow as she followed bus lines along a map.
“I would’ve starved down there.”
“You were getting the hang of it. When should we do it again?”
Her fork paused before another stab into her organic greens. “Maybe the weekend?” She speared her lettuce and a cucumber. “No, wait. Chief wants me to go into the office and take notes while he conferences overseas.”
“You’re going to sit beside the camera and take notes?”
“That’s what I do. Personal assistant to Walter Abbot, security consultant.” She brightened. “But tomorrow’s payday.”
I hated being reminded what was paying for the hotel—my wife working her ass off. “I set up my account on Upwork.”
“Any hits?”
“Not yet, but I also started setting up accounts on the stock photo sites.” I had to bring in money somehow. Then I could convince Savvy to go away with me. Except roaming all over the world for the last ten years had left me more out of touch with the technological possibilities out there. It was time I entered the gig economy.
The grudging acceptance that settled in with each profile I set up must be what being a real adult felt like. It’s what I had to do.
“When should we go?”
“I’ll finish as soon as I can.” She shoved a forkful in her mouth.
“No. When should we leave DC?”
Her chewing slowed until she swallowed. “I thought we were going to stay for the year.”
That was her plan, but it wasn’t mine. “Winter’s ending. You’ve worked for a month.”
“Is your article done?”
Frustration mounted. Writing wasn’t my strong suit. I was working on being more than an amateur photographer and I hadn’t put that same work into being a journalist. I’d left school before getting to those classes. “No. Article’s not done. I can work on that anywhere.”
I didn’t tell her that the Philippines trip had been three years ago. I’d had the idea when taking the pictures but hadn’t put a word down. I hadn’t remembered my idea until I’d showed those pictures to Savvy.
Mustering the interest to do all the research had taken more energy than I’d anticipated.
She took another bite, her expression troubled. She stuck her fork through more arugula and impaled a cherry tomato.
“Wouldn’t you rather travel sooner than later?” Didn’t she want to travel with me?
She pushed her plate away. “Yes, but all I have to do is be predictable and responsible until next February. It won’t be long in the grand scheme of things.”
Every day equaled a hundred in the Abbot house. “We can live a little until then.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“One day a month isn’t enough, Savvy. You didn’t commit any crimes. You aren’t in a work-release program for the rest of the year.”
Her pretty lips turned down. “A date night then. Weekly?” When I didn’t answer right away, she worried her lower lip. “It’s the structure, isn’t it? You don’t like it.”
“No, it’s fine.” It chafed. The routine I lived by wasn’t one of my own making. I’d held jobs where I had to abide by a time clock. Hell, ranching’s punch clock was the sun and the weather and there were no days off. This weird purgatory in DC was nothing like anything I’d done.
“It’s not fine. Even at my most impulsive, I am still pretty restrained.”
“Impulsive?” Except for Vegas, I hadn’t seen that side of her. “You’ve mentioned it, but I married responsible Savvy.”
“Well, there was the time I wanted to go to a high school Halloween party as Ariel. But my boyfriend at the time had an ex who was going as a Disney princess too. I had to be better, so I dyed my hair bright red instead of wearing a wig.”
All I could imagine was Savvy wearing seashells over her breasts—damn, I wanted to see that someday. “Red hair, huh?”
“Not red hair. Cartoon red. Mother paid a fortune to get it stripped out and not leave me bald.”
“Okay, but that’s normal teenage impulsiveness.”
“I told you about college.”
“The degree ultimatum.” The decision that had left her in debt to her parents.
She tipped her head and the lights of the cafe gleamed over blond highlights that had to be from the sun. She didn’t treat her hair. Too hard on the environment. Getting dragged to the salon for chemical treatments had probably killed young, budding environmentalist Savvy. “So, in college, I almost got arrested.”
I sat back and crossed my arms. “I haven’t heard about this.”
Pink dusted her cheeks. “I was out with some friends I’d met through Brady. They dragged me to a football game our senior year and it’s so not my thing.” She bit her lower lip. “You played, didn’t you?”
“My brothers and I made up half the team.” It wasn’t much of an exaggeration.
“Well, I wasn’t a sports kid. No big shocker there. So, the girls latch on to these guys and they’re drinking.” She huffed out a breath and lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “Drinking six-packs, right?”
“Okay?”
“With the rings?”
I couldn’t stop my grin. “With the rings we’re all taught will strangle the sea turtles and penguins?”
She squeezed her eyes closed. “Let’s just say, I tried to provide some education.”
“They called the cops on you for informing them of the dangers of six-pack rings?”
“They were making fun of me and started tossing their cans and bottles at me instead of the trash. So I threw them back.” Another hard breath blew out. “I may have ruined a vehicle paint job or two.”
“Holy shit, Savvy.”
“It was bad. Chief had to come down and deal with things, which included claiming self-defense and threatening to sue all of those involved. That’s when he told me to move home after I graduated and look for a job in DC. I was in no position to argue. I was glad I couldn’t see Mother’s face when he told her.”
“I can’t believe Opal Abbot is such a hard-ass.”
“About coddling me, yes.”
“Then why Davis?”
She lifted a shoulder. “I think she’s trying to spoil you, or she thinks that’s what you’re accustomed to and she wants you to stay.”
“I’m more accustomed to tractors than drivers.”
“She only knows her little part of the world.”
“Regardless, what happened in college was passion, not impulsiveness.” What she described was the Savvy I’d met in Vegas.
She lifted a shoulder and her eyes dimmed. “Either way, it ends with my parents saving my ass. They tried to warn me away from Saving Sunsets.” She winced. “I hate how right they were.”
“We all make mistakes.”
“I’m ready for a success.”
“We’re working on it.” I meant it. Even if I didn’t have the trust, I’d want to build on what Savvy and I had. Our attraction was a lightning bolt with enough electricity to power a lifetime. “I want to take you to that hotel, Savvy.”
/>
Chapter 11
Savvy
We nearly ran out of the cafe. My legs quivered, my belly fluttered. It’d been weeks since Xander and I had been intimate.
Xander clutched my hand and we hurried toward the hotel. He wove between people, towing me with him, and not letting me go.
A giggle escaped and he grinned down at me, his eyes twinkling. I was ready for a win, and at the moment, he was my prize. With him, I reverted to the old Savvy. The one who took chances. The girl who shrugged off the college threat and moved to North Carolina to go to school. The girl who stood up to strangers for what she believed in.
We reached the door and he stretched a hand out to open it. My phone buzzed. I stopped, yanking on his hand. He whipped his head around. “You okay?”
“My phone,” I said lamely. No one called me other than robots and my parents. I dug it out. “Chief.”
Xander shoved his hands in his pockets and waited. The decision to answer was mine. Since I was technically on the clock, I flashed Xander an apologetic smile and answered.
“Sapphire, where the hell are the summaries for next week?”
“I have them written up. I’ll send them when I get home.”
“Home? Where are you?”
My teeth ground into my lip. “I went to lunch with Xander.”
“It’s three in the afternoon, Sapphire.” The disappointment I was used to dripped from his voice.
“I’ve been working, but I know how you feel about public Wi-Fi—”
“Then get home and finish your job.”
“Won’t tomorrow work—”
“Do your job, Sapphire. I hired you for a simple position.”
I met Xander’s steady gaze. His mouth was set in a line. He could hear Chief’s boom through the phone. “Sorry, Chief.”
“You know what we’ve told you about apologies.”
“They’re useless words if you don’t follow up.”
“Get it done.” He hung up.
I tucked the phone into my coat and raised my nervous gaze to Xander. “I need to get home.”
“A hotspot won’t do?”
“He barely tolerates me working from home.” A simple position. The last month working for Chief had been hell. He was a demanding boss. I didn’t understand how some of the assistants he hired could tolerate working for him. Was he only a tyrant to me? Was it another life lesson for me? “I’m sorry.”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes and I blinked rapidly. I would not cry in front of my new husband because my dad was a hard-ass. Xander stepped close and wrapped me in his strong arms. His warmth closed around me and we could have been the only two people on the sidewalk.
“It’s not your fault,” he murmured.
“I really wanted . . .”
“I know. Me too.” He gave me a squeeze. “But you know, we do sleep together every night.”
“It’s so weird.” My words were muffled in his flannel.
“It is.”
I tipped my head back. “I suppose it’s time to get past that.”
His lips lifted. “How quiet can you be?”
Xander
I didn’t have a chance to find out how quiet Savvy was. Her dad had come home late, found her in the library wrapping up work while I was in the shower, and then kept her pinned in his office discussing impromptu travel plans.
She’d been in Boston the rest of the week, helping Chief evaluate the organizational security of a new client. But as she’d informed me while packing, He usually travels a lot this time of year . . . through the summer and fall.
Perfect.
I’d prepared for her return tonight. A new restaurant had opened in the city that touted locally sourced ingredients, used metal straws, and donated any oil used to some biodiesel place in town. Savvy was supposed to arrive this afternoon and I’d made reservations for this evening.
It was the first date I’d actually planned.
Waking up next to Savvy and not touching her had been a special form of torture, but waking up alone and surrounded by nothing but the natural lavender and vanilla fragrance she preferred sucked worse.
To kill time while waiting, I retreated to the sitting room to watch a show. I chose a documentary with stunning visuals and minimal narration. Writer’s block had hit me hard. Photojournalists didn’t have to write much, but every word I penned sounded inane and empty. I needed guidance and inspiration and Netflix would have to do.
Voices trailed down the hall. I looked at the time. Too early to be Savvy.
Pearl poked her head in and spoke to someone outside the door. “It’s Xander.” She danced in. “What’s going on? You’ve made yourself scarce this week.”
I had. Usually when I hung out at someone’s place, even lived there, I contributed somehow. Since I was still doing a whole lot of nothing, I’d made sure to be gone as soon as I woke up, not coming back until evening. I’d managed to sneak out before Mrs. Abbot could insist I use Davis. Apparently ditching him earlier this week had sent a message—or Mrs. Abbot thought I’d learned my lesson when public transportation had added extra commute time and Savvy had incurred more of Chief’s wrath for taking the day off.
“I don’t want to be underfoot.”
Pearl scooted over and Em pushed in next to her. Em was the opposite of Pearl. Dark haired and serious. “He’s waiting for his wife.”
“She’s supposed to be home soon,” I agreed.
Em folded her arms. “I hate to break the bad news, but they’re going straight to the office when they land. Chief doesn’t mess around with afternoons off.”
“But she said . . .” I reread the messages. She’d said they were flying in, not coming home. “Shit.”
Sympathy oozed out of Pearl. “Yeah. We used to make that mistake a lot. Learned not to wait for Chief for the dance recital.”
Em nodded. “Carter didn’t go on this trip, but when he flies back, his nights are often later. Chief wants to be caught up from being out of the office before he goes back the next day.”
“I wanted to take her out tonight.” I could still do it, if I could change the reservation. It was just dinner and catching up.
“She’ll be exhausted.” Pearl stepped in. “Really, if you wanted to spoil her, you’d run her a bath and get her fluffiest pajamas ready.”
“Especially if they’re turning and burning to Houston the day after tomorrow,” Em added.
“Houston?” My plans were obliterated. Like a selfish jackass, I’d wanted to pick up with Savvy where we’d left off before she’d gotten the call from Chief. The need pounding through my body wasn’t as simple as getting laid. My wife was coming home. I hadn’t seen her for four days. We were supposed to have the whole weekend together, but now she was leaving Sunday.
“Welcome to Abbot Security,” Pearl said lightly. “This is how Chief socializes and the rest of the office is dragged along. It’s why he can’t keep an assistant.”
Em exchanged a look with Pearl. “I think it’s why he pushed Savvy to work with him. She won’t quit like the others.”
“So you’re saying not to make too many reservations this summer?”
Em snorted. “I get annoyed at Carter’s travel schedule, but Savvy’s is going to be heinous since she’s Chief’s assistant. His executive assistant doesn’t even travel as often as him.”
They both give me oh so sorry smiles and left me to ponder my suddenly open night. The hours ticked by and I didn’t pay attention to what was on TV. I ran options through my head, but I would make no decisions until I talked to my wife.
The front door opened and Chief was rattling off details. “Make sure you confirm our ride from the airport to the hotel. We’ll also need a driver to get us from head offices to the warehouses.”
“Yes, Chief. I’ve got it all down to verify in the a.m.”
His heavy steps pounded up the stairs. I darted out as Savvy slogged up the stairs after him, dragging her suitcase behind her. I trotted to catch
up and lifted the luggage from her grip.
I didn’t like how wan her smile was. “Hey. Sorry I’m late. Did you get my message?”
“Yes.” I lifted my chin for her to continue to her room. Hers, not ours.
I struggled to keep my eyes off her ass the entire way. Getting sexually worked up before a what the hell are we doing about us talk wasn’t the way to go. Her snug brown cashmere sweater and long red skirt made it hard.
She turned into her room and I followed her in and shut the door. “I should’ve expected this,” she said on top of a yawn.
“You’re leaving Sunday again?”
She nodded and sank onto the bed. “And Minneapolis the week after that. So many travel plans.” She groaned and flopped back.
“Any way you can get out of them?”
“What do you mean?” She propped herself on her elbows, and I forced my eyes off the way the position made her breasts jut out.
“It sounds like you’re going to be traveling constantly for months. Is there any way you can maybe . . . not?”
The weariness vanished from her eyes and she sat up. “It’s part of my job, Xander.” Ice crystals punctuated her words.
“You don’t have to work for Chief.”
She pushed a stray hair out of her face. It looked like she’d put it in the bun she favored so much for most of the day, then released it as soon as they’d left the office. “We talked about this.”
“You told me what you thought you should do. We didn’t really discuss our options other than you didn’t want to travel with me.”
“These are work trips. Funded by Abbot Security.”
I leveled a stare at her.
She looked down at her hands. “It’s a short amount of time. It’ll be next February before you know it.”
Each day this week had stretched into eternity. For each hour that went by, I’d sworn it was eight. As soon as Pearl and Em had informed me of what Savvy’s work schedule would really be like, I’d realized I couldn’t take months of it.
“So you’re not going to try to change it?”
King's Treasure (Oil Kings Book 3) Page 13
