Page 131 of Rather: The Therapist

“In less than six weeks I’ll be marrying the man that has been arranged for me. I’ll mourn you each day. Since your identity was revealed, I’ve mourned the idea of happiness I foolishly boarded the plane back to America with.”

“Because in no world and in no way will I ever have peace or utter happiness knowing you exist. The day I accept your brother as my husband will be the only time I will knowingly, and reluctantly, cause you pain. But, you won’t suffer alone.”

“I have the rest of my life to live with that pain. Until then, you can let down your guard. Allow me to experience you fully.”

I stopped cleaning his body to look into those eyes that saw right through me.

“Please.” The cracking of my voice was as frightening as it was revealing.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Rose.”

With my eyes closed, I counted down from ten. By the time I reached three, the door of my car swung open and Priest was guiding me out. Before both feet were settled on the concrete beneath me, his arms were around me.

“Good morning,” he greeted me.

His lips pressed against mine.

Once.

Twice.

“Good morning.”

“It’s six. What are you doing up?”

“I– I couldn’t sleep.”

Chuckling, he rubbed his hand down his head.

“Me neither,” he admitted, “Been wanting you here since we arrived last night.”

“I almost came. Last night,” I sighed, happy to finally have made it.

The call letting me know he’d made it came around eleven. I was in bed, under the covers, and headed toward my dreams. It took a great deal of control to stay put and find sleep.

Because he was getting settled, the call was swift. Had we stayed on the line, I wouldn’t have been able to resist. He sounded exhausted, lonely, and like he could use some company.

“You should’ve.”

Priest had left dinner with Princeton the previous night and come straight to the lake house. I couldn’t stand the idea of being home waiting for the ten o’clock hour to head out. My internal alarm woke me up at four. Within thirty minutes, I was on the road and on my way to Priest.

“Come inside. It’s chilly out.”

On wobbly legs, I followed him into the house where the smell of marshmallows and caramel welcomed me.

“Coffee?”

He nodded.

“You seem like the type of woman that starts her day off with a cup. I started some when you notified me that you were headed this way.”

It wasn’t until I was halfway here that I called Priest. I was too afraid to wake him and too afraid he’d tell me to ditch my plans and stay home until sunrise.

“Coffee would be nice. I don’t have it every morning, but it brings me joy the rare mornings I do.”

“That, too, huh?”

He nodded toward the breakfast nook in the spacious, ranch-style kitchen. A stack of books piled high and topped with a large red bow stole my attention. I froze, momentarily, blinking rapidly to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I rotated on my heels to find Priest with a smirk on his face.

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