Page 113 of The Exception

Hot, but also a reminder that he was protecting his interests because we were married. Because we had a deal. He didn’t care about me, Liliana. He cared about “his wife.” Talk about a reality check.

I gnashed my teeth. “I may be your wife, but I am still my own person.”

He stepped closer. “I know you are.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “But I don’t think you appreciate how much information you share with the world and what kinds of ideas and access that can give someone.”

I frowned. “Now you’re scaring me.”

“I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“Isn’t that what Willow’s for?” I asked. “And where is she anyway? I haven’t seen her at all since we’ve been here.”

“She’s been collaborating with the on-site residential team.”

“For their assessment,” I said, though it was more of a question.

“Initially, yes. But the team will provide twenty-four-seven surveillance whether we’re here or not.”

I blinked a few times, trying to process this new information. “For how long?”

“Indefinitely.”

I stared at him, mouth agape. “Don’t you think you should’ve mentioned that?” I mean, I’d seen the team around, but I’d figured their presence was part of their security assessment. Not something permanent.

Hell, our marriage was only supposed to last one to two years max. Did Graham intend to continue surveillance even after that? It seemed both expensive and intrusive.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right. I should’ve talked to you about it.” He opened his eyes. “I’m sorry. With everything else going on, it wasn’t a priority. But it should’ve been.”

Mollified, I asked, “Is there a way I could do the tour without jeopardizing our safety?”

“If anyone would know, it’s the team from Hudson.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to them,” I said, knowing that his concern wasn’t unwarranted. And my decisions didn’t just affect me anymore; they affected Graham too.

“Tomorrow,” he said. “First, I want to show you something. Close your eyes.”

“Okay,” I said, dragging out the word but ultimately complying.

He came to stand behind me, brushing my hair over my shoulder. He skimmed his hands over my shoulders, down my arms, finally taking one of my hands in his. I shivered at the contact.

He led me toward the entrance to our living quarters, and I was intrigued. “I hope you’re not mad about this. I didn’t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise, but maybe that was a bad idea.” The door creaked as it swung open, and I could feel his nerves.

I was apprehensive, excited. Nervous. But I could tell that he’d wanted to do something nice for me.

“You can open your eyes.”

The living room slash kitchen looked about the same as it had this morning, though it had a new farmhouse sink as well as a new stove and oven. Nothing too over the top, but it felt like a luxury after cooking everything on a hot plate.

“Wow.” I stood there, taking it all in. “This is nice.”

“I’m glad you like it. There’s more.” He opened the door to an old utility closet to reveal a new, energy-efficient washer and dryer.

I nearly fainted. For the past year, I’d had to go to the laundromat in town to wash my clothes. This would save me so much time and energy.

“Come on.” He tugged my hand, guiding me past the bedroom, which looked the same at first glance. But then I froze.

“The new mattress arrived!”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”

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