Page 40 of Deceptive Vows
He helped me inside the car, his hand lingering on my lower back as I slid onto the leather seat. The city lights were just starting to come on as the late afternoon shadows lengthened across the skyline.
We spent the ride peppering each other with questions about our days. It was enjoyable. I liked his nearness. He was warm and intelligent andcomfortable. It felt like I’d known him for a lifetime.
He kept his word, at least my gut told me he had, about keeping me informed on Marco. But what stood out more was how he spoke to me like an equal. Most men treated me like I didn’t have a clue.
Even in meetings with my brothers, I’d seen the way others ignored me, surprised whenever I had insight to offer, as if a competent woman was a novelty.
When we reached the penthouse, a sense of peace rolled over me that I would have never thought I’d feel in another person’s space. I spent my life thinking that living with someone in a romantic sense would be chaos. When I considered Nazar, the thought brought me happiness.
After the last few days of going nonstop it hit me once again—I no longer had a home. All day, I’d moved on autopilot, thinking I’d eventually head back, order something in, maybe take a bath while I waited. But that wasn’t possible. Not anymore.
Even now, it felt surreal—like I was watching it happen to someone else. Likethe fire, the loss, the emptiness… belonged to another life. But it was mine. I was homeless.
Again.
My fingers went cold at the edges, that familiar numbness creeping in from my childhood. Taking a deep breath, I eased down on the edge of the couch.
“Are you okay?” Nazar asked.
“Of course.” I lifted my gaze to his and smiled, the expression stiff on my face. “I’m always okay.”
His eyes narrowed as he approached me. “You don’t have to be.”
I waved him off. “Really, I’m fine.”
“Nyet.” He parked on the coffee table across from me. “You’re pale.”
“It was a long day. That’s all.”
His gaze swept over my face like he was opening my book and reading it with hunger. “You spent your childhood homeless, and now you’ve lost the home you considered your sanctuary. Your heart is broken.”
As hard as I could, I fought back tears. This man had aimed an arrow and landed it in the bullseye. How? Denying it would be pointless. Itwas easy to tie my time on the streets to the present.
“Yes.” I breathed the word.
“I’m sorry. It doesn’t bring your home back, and I know that, but I am devastated for you.” His voice was soft and sweet. “Are you hungry?”
I nodded. “Yes. We had lunch, but I mostly picked at mine. I’m actually starving.”
He stood and held out his hand. “Come.”
I knitted my eyebrows together. “What?”
“Trust me.”
Instead of speaking, I slipped my hand into his and let him pull me to my feet. He led me through the penthouse to my room and into my bathroom. He started the water in the tub, and turned to me. “I’m guessing you like it a degree below molten lava?”
“Two.”
His lips curved up as he quickly adjusted the water. Steam rose in wispy tendrils. “While you take a bath, I’ll take care of dinner. There’s no hurry. Okay?”
I’m not sure what came over me, but I stepped up to him and hugged him around the waist. His arms curled around me, his cheek set against mine. We stood there with onlythe sound of the water running. No prodding. No pushing. He just held me.
Maybe in the back of my mind, I needed it. The moment the thought floated through my mind, he squeezed as if to press me together with a strength I lacked. It was more comforting than anything I’d experienced since becoming an adult. A wholly different feeling than I’d ever shared with a man. A feeling of being complete.
I leaned back, and our eyes met. “Thank you.”
An innumerable array of emotions played on his face in what seemed like seconds. It was as if I’d watched a debate I wasn’t privy to. His eyes dipped to my lips, and his head inclined.
