She sniffs and my gaze lands on her bare shoulders as she stands before me, wrapped in my sheet, her hair messy.

“Get inside. You’ll catch a cold,” I order.

She pouts, continuing to stand rooted in her spot.

“You don’t take me seriously at all! Why do I even bother?!”

I hold her shoulders with my hands and pull her in for a hug. Her concern is enough to remind me that I’m not alone anymore.

Right.

I need to protect her, too.

“I was just thinking about having a proper meal.”

“W-what are you talking about? W-we c-can’t cook. The attendants have gone to sleep,” she stammers as she buries her face in my chest like a kitten.

“I want to eat, hmm?” I whisper huskily.

There’s a long silence before she pushes me away. She marches back into the bedroom without sparing another glance. When I hear a loud bang coming from a slamming door, I burst out laughing.

Chapter 15

NATALIE

“I can’t believe you’ve been in Tucson for almost three months now and

you didn’t tell me!” Kelsi Stoval, my high school best friend, complains

after setting her shot glass down on the table. Crossing her long legs, she narrows her eyes, studying me suspiciously.

It’s Friday night, and we’re hanging out in a VIP room of one of the nightclubs she owns downtown. Kelsi is the mayor’s daughter. She never had any interest in politics and established a name for herself by building her own businesses.

“Oh, please. Stop looking at me like that.”

Rolling my eyes, I wave a hand to dismiss whatever she’s thinking. She has a knack for coming up with the worst guesses in the world. We haven’t seen each other for almost five years, since I moved to Los Angeles after high school graduation.

Regardless, we keep in touch from time to time.

“Something’s different with you…” she comments, her head cocked to one side.

I raise my brow, sipping from my wine glass. I have a good alcohol tolerance, but since I’m driving, I opted for a bottle of wine. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

“Like what?”

“You look… radiant.”

I pause, almost choking.

“What? Are you saying that I usually look dull?”

“No, I mean...it’s just different. You’re glowing. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re expecting or something. Are you even dating anyone these days?”

Taken aback, I blink frantically as my pulse speeds up. With a shaking hand, I set my glass down, my mind automatically counting the days of my menstrual cycle.

Seeing my reaction, she gasps exaggeratingly, her eyes wide and her mouth ajar.

“No, you’re not!”

My cycle is usually normal, but since I started working, it’s seemed that my hormones have been thrown off balance due to stress. After all, I’m still under rigorous training, thanks to Derik’s fascism. I have to multitask, with two to three projects that are not even under Quinn Industries, and attend a few private online business classes arranged by William. Twenty-four hours seem to not be enough time in a day.

Plus, Derik… that brute seems to have endless energy!

“Earth to Natalie…”

The sound of Kelsi’s snapping fingers pulls me back to the present as I blink at her cluelessly. Could I possibly be…

I couldn’t be it, right?

“I-I don’t know…” I mumble helplessly.

“For real! When was the last time you had your period? Even teenagers know how to use contraceptives, how could you possibly be this careless!”

I sigh, trying to regain my composure as I watch her frustrated expression, her brows furrowed. I can even see the faint appearance of a protruding nerve on her forehead.

Damn this woman and her wild imagination!

“Would you relax? Why are you panicking? I am not pregnant.”

My words don’t come out as convincing as I’d intended, but I need to believe it myself. The situation is already too complicated.

She scoffs, eyeing me up and down before crossing her arms.

“Why are you shaking then?” she challenges.

“You just surprised me! I did not expect you to throw something so ridiculous at me!”

“It’s Derik, right?”

I shake my head, realizing she’s just leading me on.

“You’re getting good at this. I almost believed you were really concerned for me,” I mock.

“I am concerned…” she objects, wiggling her brows mischievously. “But I’m curious, too. Come on, spill it. When did it happen?”

It isn’t a secret between us that I used to have a crush on him. Plus, it wouldn’t require much intuition or experience for anyone to raise an eyebrow at the situation. Logically speaking, it would be improbable for two straight adults of the opposite sex, living under the same roof for so long, to never get entangled with each other.

She pauses, her inquisitive gaze making me feel awkward.