Page 31

The only dealings she had with the criminal underworld were through the debt collectors, and they were a nasty bunch. She will immediately associate me with them.

No. She isn’t ready.

Perhaps one day I can approach the subject with her. But not yet.

For now, she can just carry on believing I am a businessman with some good connections. Money does buy most things, after all.

Lara is sitting outside in the garden, enjoying the morning sunshine on her bare legs. Her long floral dress is pulled up over her thighs as she stretches her legs out on one of the sun loungers near the pool.

I’ve been watching her all morning, admiring her quiet beauty, the way she shifts and bends her leg. The way her dress slips a little higher over her thigh when she moves the book she’s holding.

She has such an elegant beauty, it’s mesmerizing.

She’s lost in thought.

Despite having a book in her hands and her eyes turned towards the pages, she hasn’t actually flipped to a new page for the last thirty minutes.

She’s just staring blankly at the black-inked words on the cream-toned paper.

I’ve been wanting to approach her for a while, but without any real reason to do so, I find myself hesitant.

“Lara?” I say her name quietly, trying not to give her a fright.

“Mm?” she lets out a soft breath, her blue eyes lifting from the book to meet my gaze.

“I made you some tea.” I lean over the sun lounger, setting the tea down on the little table next to her.

“Oh, thank you, that’s sweet,” she answers, as though she’s surprised I’d do anything kind for her.

I smile, sitting down on the lounger next to hers.

“Are you okay here? Is there anything you need?” I ask.

I’m happy that she’s agreed to stay. Whatever she’s thinking about, whatever’s worrying her, I want to try and ease her concerns, because I want her to be comfortable here.

I want her to stay.

That’s why I offered to pay for her debts in exchange for her living with me and not carrying on with this escape nonsense.

We’re already married, so it makes sense. And I don’t want her to go back to her old life.

From a personal aspect, she intrigues me in ways no one has done before.

“No, I don’t need anything.” She smiles tightly.

“If you do, you’ll tell me?”

She nods.

She’s been a bit awkward towards me since I paid her bills. I think the unanswered questions are bothering her. And she might feel like she sold herself to me, but she doesn’t realize that what seems like a staggering amount to her, the debts I cleared for her, to me, is nothing.

Nothing in comparison to her agreeing to stay here.

My eyes trace up her legs, glowing from the warmth of the sun, over her narrow waist and across the low-cut design of her dress, showing off her beautiful cleavage.

She is feminine and beautiful.

Lara bites her lower lip as my eyes reach her face, and she shifts shyly. “Did you need something?” she asks, her hand moving self-consciously over her chest, making me aware of how blatantly I’ve been staring.