* * *
I stir amongst the sheets, my bladder begging me to empty it. When I peel my eyelids apart, I blink and look around. It’s late, but the moonlight is shining through the huge windows across the bed, and I take a moment to enjoy the view. Sometimes, Devlin remembers to close the curtains, and other times, it slips his mind.
When I turn my head to glance at him, I find that his side of the bed is empty. Confused, I glance at the clock on the nightstand. It’s one-thirty in the morning.
I sit up and ease out of the bed, completely naked. We’d had sex in the limo earlier, and then we’d had sex after turning in for the night. There’s a slight chill to the air, so when I spy Devlin’s discarded shirt on the floor, I pick it up and slip it on.
I take a moment to draw the curtains, or the morning sunlight can be brutal when it’s shining in your face and you’re not ready to get up.
Where’s Devlin?
The bathroom door is ajar, and I walk towards it and step into the room. I blink with surprise when I find Devlin standing in front of the mirror. He’s wearing jeans and a hoodie, and he’s inserting contact lenses.
“What are you doing?” I ask, pausing several feet away, confusion etched across my features.
He turns to face me, and his eyes are blue. “I need to go out for a bit,” he replies.
My eyes roam over his clothing before lifting back to his blue eyes. His lack of explanation tells me this is organization related. This, right here, is a reminder of what he does and that I can’t completely put it out of my mind. I draw in a slow breath and try to sort out how I feel.
Devlin watches me, waiting as his eyes hide what he’s feeling. The slight tensing of his shoulders betrays that he’s expecting me to react negatively.
Instead of looking at the entire picture standing in front of me, I focus on his handsome face and what’s behind the fake lenses. He’s the same man that refused to kill me the first night we’d met, and he’s the same man that had set up a romantic carriage ride through Central Park.
It’s strange trying to accept that both men are the same man. I also remind myself that he’s done with the trafficking, and whatever is going down tonight must deal with other organization business. I’d told him I can handle that, and tonight, I’m facing that decision.
“Will you be in danger?” I finally ask.
He signs, No.
I stare at him. Occasionally, he’ll sign a single word in ASL, and it always blows me away. It’s also quite the turn on. With a tilt of my head, I give him a wry look. “Is that your way of…distracting me?”
He flashes me one of his half-grins. “Is it working?”
“Maybe.” I turn serious. “Is someone going to die tonight?”
His expression shifts, and he walks over to me, his eyes locking on mine. “Hopefully not. Charli, I’ll be back soon. Promise.”
I slowly nod. “Be safe.”
His response is to press a tender kiss to my forehead, and I move closer and wrap my arms around his waist. Late-night outings are evidently a way of life for him. It’s something I’m going to have to adjust to.