Page 43 of The Companion Love Trap

“I don’t see how that’s your business,” Kieran interrupted, shocking me. He stared across the table at Mr. Huber, not dropping eye contact as he challenged the man. My heart flopped in my chest at his protection. Placing my hand on his leg, I squeezed and left it there as I turned back to the table.

“I’m a consultant,” I said, the job title coming to me. It wasn’t wrong. I did consult on a lot of jobs. They didn’t need to know I didn’t keep them long.

Mr. Huber narrowed his eyes further but didn’t ask any follow-up questions. Jace steered the conversation in a different direction as he told about a recent photo shoot where the models wore feathers and rolled around in chocolate syrup. The table was laughing within minutes, the tense showdown between Kieran and Mr. Huber forgotten. I kept my hand on his leg, moving my thumb back and forth. Jace did the same to mine, and I wondered if I was affecting Kieran as much as Jace was me.

Both Hubers stared at me for the rest of the meal, spiteful and calculated looks in their respective gazes. I didn’t believe they’d be a huge threat, but we’d have to be careful with them. They clearly didn’t buy our fake relationship.

Or perhaps just me.

“Would you care to join us at the poker table, Kieran?” Mr. Huber asked after all the plates had been cleared. “I’d like the chance to redeem myself from the last time we played,” he joked, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He rubbed his hands together, arrogance all over his face. Mr. Huber wanted to put Kieran in his place. My brows drew closer together as I glared at the man.

Kieran glanced at me, and I managed to smile at him. “Go ahead. I can find something else to do.”

Jace gave me a knowing look, squeezing my thigh, his fingers grazing my pussy as he stood. He walked off with Kieran and the two gentlemen, a smirk on his face. He’d revved me up all dinner, and now I was a pulsing mess. The women bid me goodbye before they took off in a different direction, either to enjoy some alone time or not get saddled with entertaining me.

I didn’t mind, relieved I wouldn’t have to keep pretending. But it meant only Cruz and I remained at the table. His eyes hadn’t left me all evening, the heat rising as he watched. I had a feeling he knew what Jace had been doing under the table. Lifting his brow, he leaned forward with all the swagger he contained, and I sucked in a breath.

“You going to keep running, or can we talk?” he asked after a moment of silence. Words dried on my tongue as I stared into his dark eyes, my heart racing at the intensity I found there and the truth I could no longer ignore.

Cruz and his everlasting devotion.

Cruz and his solid, steady presence.

Cruz and his take-no-shit attitude.

No matter how much I pushed him away, he continued to stay right by my side. I didn’t know if it was because of me or not, but it made me curious—more than I’d ever been before about relationships. I didn’t like to owe people, but I knew I at least owed him an opportunity. He’d been my one bright spot in this past year of shit, and I could acknowledge that.

“I’m not running,” I said as I stood.

“Take a walk with me?” He walked over to me, his body a magnet for my own. The closer he got, the better I felt.

“Of course.” I swallowed the sudden bout of nerves that threatened my body.

Cruz dropped his hand on the small of my back and led me out of the dining room. I could feel his fingers as they pressed into me, sending tiny shivers over my skin, amping up everything Jace had conjured during dinner. I’d always walked a fine line with Cruz. Never giving him too much because I knew he’d catch me and never let me go. And now he’d finally outmaneuvered me by following me onto this ship—albeit a tad stalkerish and slightly obsessive, but for some reason, also endearing.

The night sky came into view as we headed outside; the temperature was pleasant now that the sun had set. We walked together in silence for a while, soaking in the atmosphere. When we came to one end of the ship, I stopped at the rails and looked out into the ocean. Cruz stepped behind me, pressing me into the bars as he braced his hands on the handrail beside mine.

“What are you scared of, Meu Tudo?”

“Nothing,” I whispered but shook my head. “Everything.”

“How long have we been doing this?”

I shrugged my shoulders, his lips brushing the skin, and he kissed it as he moved his hands to trail up my arms. His touch was soft and familiar, and my body instantly responded to him, craving what it knew he could give.

“I don’t believe you, but I’ll let you get away with that one.” He sighed deeply before kissing my collarbone. “One year, two months, three weeks, and five days, Meu Tudo. I still remember the first time you walked into my club.”

“Your club? I thought you were a bartender.”

My heart thumped in my ears, my skin sensitive to the desire he created. He chuckled, his laugh rumbling through my back as his breath hit my skin, adding to the sensations. He’d counted all the days. Fuck. Why did that intrigue me as much as it scared me?

“I bartend when they need help or when I’m bored. But did you honestly believe I only bartended? We were in my office last week, and we regularly fuck in VIP. The guards never stop us. Would a bartender have that access?” he asked, his hands moving to my hips and squeezing my muffin top until it stung.

Cruz had a way of touching every part of me when I was near, loving my thighs and love handles and even my cellulite-covered backside. I blew out a breath, my eyes wanting to close, but I focused on the waves below.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. I didn’t want to overthink it,” I admitted.

“I know, Meu Tudo. And I let you avoid so many things, believing that was the best way. But now I wonder if it was. I’d never want to change you. Você é o amor da minha vida.”

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