Page 161 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Abby

"So, you trust him to keep you safe?" Solene adds the final touches to her makeup. She’s in the dressing room of another venue where she’s performing, this time, in Denver. If she weren’t so diligent in calling me every week, I’d never be able to keep up with her.

I scowl into the phone screen and resume my pacing. Something I’ve been doing a lot since I moved in with Cade. "He promised me, and as much as I haven’t been a big fan of his over the past eight months, one thing I know is that he’ll keep his word."

"So, you feel safe with him?"

I frown. "I guess I do."

"You didn’t have to move in with him or agree to this pretend marriage. You could have asked your father for protection."

"I disowned them, remember? I’m not exactly on speaking terms with them.”

She shoots me a sideways glance. "You’re going to have to face them someday. How long are you going to keep running?"

"Are you talking about yourself?"

She blinks, then lowers her mascara wand. "I have been running, haven’t I?" Her lips turn down.

"Sorry, babe, didn’t meant to put you on the spot like that."

"You’re right, though." She straightens her back. "I’ve been putting off facing Declan. Sometimes, I think that’s why I accepted this crazy whistle-stop tour.

Doesn’t give me time to think, you know?

And I can take refuge on stage. Performing is my drug; it helps me postpone the inevitable.

But maybe it’s time I face up to things. " She lowers her chin. "Like you are."

I laugh. "I’m hiding in my room, so I don’t have to step out and risk running into Cade. Not sure I’m facing up to anything."

"You took a leap of faith when you accepted his arrangement. You’re following your instincts, knowing it’s the only way to explore if there’s a chance of a future with him.

You had the guts to own up to your mistakes and try to make up to him for your errors—and you weren’t put off by how mean he was to you.

Yeah, you’re facing up to plenty. If I were half as courageous as you, I’d have a heart-to-heart talk with Declan about the state of our relationship. Or non-relationship."

"That bad, huh?"

She winces. "You have no idea. But this call is about you, babe. If this is going to keep you safe, then I’m all for it."

"So, you think it’s fine to agree to the public announcement of Cade and me being together?"

"If it’s going to keep you safe, then go for it." She picks up the phone and peers into my face. "I’m glad he was there for you. I’d reach out to the Sovranos and ask them for help to track down your stalker, but I imagine Cade wants to be the one to do that."

"He was so pissed off when he saw my face, Solene." I bite down on my lower lip. "I thought he was going to march out, right then and there, and go in search of revenge."

"He’s in love with you."

I blink. "Now you sound like Zara. And no, he isn’t. He’s just pissed that he couldn’t get there earlier—" I frown.

"What is it?"

I shake my head. "Something Cade said." I draw in a breath. "Never mind. So, when are you back in London?"

"When the tour ends. I have a few more months to go. Oh, that reminds me. I have a friend who just moved to London. Her name is Penny. She doesn’t know anyone. I gave her your number, so she‘d have someone to reach out to. Is that okay?"

"Of course, it is. If it weren’t for you and Zara and the other women, I’d still be floundering. I’m more than happy to plug her into the Sisterhood of the Seven." That was the informal name the wives of the Seven and the Sovranos had given themselves.

Someone calls Solene off screen. She nods in the direction of the voice, then turns to me. "Sorry, babe, I gotta—"

"Go. Go on. Don’t keep the crowd waiting."

She blows me a kiss. "See you soon. Love ya!" She signs off.

I place the phone down on the table up by the window, then glance out to find Cade swimming in the pool below.

His sleek body cuts through the water—his muscled arms move in precision, and his brawny legs help propel him forward with ease.

God, he’s so sexy. He reaches the end of the pool, then turns and begins to swim back toward the other side.

And again. Lordy! The man is a machine. The stamina he carries in those sinews and tendons is something I’ve felt first-hand.

How long has he been swimming, anyway? As I watch, he continues with his laps, showing no sign of stopping.

Hmm. I pivot, head toward my closet, and rummage around.

Damn, the bikini I packed has gone missing.

How strange. I shrug out of my clothes, pull on my bathrobe, then throwing my hair up in a messy bun, I head toward the pool.

I position myself at one end, waiting for him to notice me.

I don’t have to wait long. He reaches the opposite end, then pulls himself up.

As he straightens, the water flows off his shoulders, down his waist, those trim flanks, that tight arse.

He shakes his head and the water sprays about him.

Then he turns and faces me across the length of the pool.

I hold his gaze, then reach for the belt of my bathrobe. It pools about my ankles, leaving me completely naked.