Page 5 of Love Thief

I can see she’s tense, her whole body stiff and jerky, and she needs to move. As Mick and Tommy have knocked off for the day, I grab all our bags, and Xan and I follow her upstairs.

Xander’s room is glorious, with double doors that open out onto a balcony that overlooks the fields towards the sea. “I’ve added balconies to all the rooms on this side. Do you think it works?” She looks at me, trying to disguise the tension radiating from her.

“It’s stunning, baby. One of the best houses I’ve ever seen.”

Her smile is tight, forced. Those fuckers have made her overthink what she’s done.

I walk over to her, standing up close in front of her, and ask, “Do you want me with you?” I brush my fingers into her hair and it feels like silk sliding through them. “I know today was hard for you. I can sleep separately here if you prefer, just for tonight.”

Pulling her closer to me, I murmur, “Don’t overthink it. They’re just pissed at me, not you. I’ve put you in a position they don’t like. I get it. But it’s not you. All you did was support your son’s wishes.” I put two fingers under her chin, lifting it to look into her eyes. “Don’t let them make you doubt yourself. You were in the room when James gave his reasons, not them. Don’t let them get to you.”

I’m staring intently into her eyes, trying to telegraph my innermost feelings. Hoping she sees how much I want to protect her. How my fondness for her goes beyond the ruse I’ve created to keep her close.

“They only want what’s best for me and the boys,” she says quietly, looking down.

“I know. And that was, in this instance, marrying me. It’s six months. By the time the harvest is in, you’ll be over halfway there.”

She smiles up at me at that, a genuine one, and she takes my fucking breath away. I hate saying those words ‘six months.’ I want to end the sentence on ‘marrying me’ full stop, end of story.

I lean in and kiss her on the cheek, but god knows I want her mouth on mine, forever. I rest my lips on her cheek for a fraction and ask again, “Do you want me with you?”

She looks into my eyes and nods. “Grace and Kenny should be coming down, I think, so you had better, I suppose. And the boys have people coming so…” she trails off. “I’ll show you my–our rooms.”

Xander, who’s stood watching us, has the most curious look on his face.

“All alright, Xan?” I lift my eyebrows at him.

He seems to come out of a trance at hearing his name. “Yeah, all good. James is going to show me a local recording studio. Says it’s just around the corner. Bit out in the sticks for us, but worth our while to take a look whilst we’re here. Might be worth booking it out even if we don’t use it fully. If we’re going to be up and down here throughout the summer months, that is. Gabe and Levi can come down from London. Would that be ok with you Evie?”

“Of course. It’d work well, if it’s available. It’s usually fully booked, to be honest. You could drive up the road or walk, depending on where you’ll be. You’re welcome to stay here, Xan.”

She turns and picks up her bag, but I take it from her. “Lead on, Kitten.” I look over my shoulder at Xan, who’s grinning like the proverbial cat that got the cream. She hasn’t kicked him out. He thinks he’s well and truly back on the friends list.

In the end, all of us boys go to look at the studio. James calls it ‘The Farm Cottage.’ More like a fucking mansion. The huge structure has outbuildings with the best equipped recording studio I’ve seen in a long time.

The ‘Cottage’ is due to come empty tomorrow, but when Xan rings the agents, we find it’s fully booked. He basically outbids all the bookings, offering so much money and blatant bribes and inducements—free tickets, backstage passes, you name it—that we wind up taking it for the summer right through to the end of September.

I can hear Xan on the phone, calling Levi and Gabe to come straight away. Things are working out great, the studio is near everyone, and we can record until we head out early June.

James and Bucky drive back to Evie at Cornhill to hit the books. Evie is nattering at them to buckle down and study, reminding them they still have a responsibility to their education, regardless of their economic standing. I’ll take them back to London tomorrow for school exam prep and stay at the apartment with them. I know she’s not ready to leave Devon, yet.

Xander decides to stay with Evie, as he’s not needed for recording. “You better fucking behave, Xan, or I’ll have your balls, brother,” I warn him, giving him a push on his shoulder.

”Don’t you worry, I won’t touch your wife. Mr. Tubbs looks like he’s going to kill me. I think he loves Evie more than he loves Pinky. No wonder Pinky’s gone for you, she’s trying to annoy Evie.”

“Are we still talking about ponies?” I ask him, as he’s rambling now. “Talking about annoying Evie, is Gabe bringing his entourage? Do you know who and how many he’s bringing over from America? I’d better warn her about them. I don’t want her thinking I’m fucking them.”

“Well you have in the past so…”

I grimace. “Well that was before I got married, so it doesn’t count.”

“You’ve only been married a day. It’s hardly a trial at the minute,” he points out.

“Don’t count on that. It’s fucking killing me. I just wish she’d say yes to the sex, to every fucking thing that being with me actually entails.” I blow out a breath of frustration.

Xan starts to laugh. “Mr. Tubbs size balls coming your way brother.”

We pull back into the driveway of Cornhill, the manor house practically gleaming at us both. Xan looks up and says seriously, “She’s putting down roots, Marcus. Not sure you’ll be able to move her soon.”

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