Page 100 of Sinful Beauty

“Who’s there?”

“Someone.”

“Khelani!”

“Call me tomorrow and I’ll fill you in.”

“Khelani!” I say, but she ends the call.

William takes the man’s order, and the man turns to me and asks, “Would you care for another?”

“She’s good.” Tristan’s voice has me spinning around and leaping onto him.

“You’re here!”

He catches me and presses his face into the side of my neck, squeezing so tightly it’s hard to breathe. When he sets me down, he cups my cheek. “Can we get out of here?”

He looks absolutely haggard. “Yes, let’s.”

He lays down a bill, far too much for my one drink, utters a greeting to William, and lifts my coat, holding it for me.

The man who offered me a drink watches the rugby game on the screen. He looks like an American business executive.

Tristan ushers me into a car waiting on the curb.

“You have a car?”

“Came straight from the Aéroport. If you don’t mind, can we go home? To my flat?”

“Certainly. You looking to avoid Emelia?”

“Can’t say she crossed my mind, but now that you mention her, no, I’m not quite up to her inquisition.”

“She hasn’t said a thing to you.”

“She says it with her eyes.”

He points his fingers at his own exhausted eyes, and I push up into his side. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. I don’t sleep as well when you’re away.”

“Ditto.” He presses his lips to my temple, nods to William, and leads me to his car.

He takes a call in the car, and the last thing he tells the person on the phone is he’s tapping out for the night. Once home, he toes off his dress shoes and helps me with my coat.

“How have you been feeling?”

“Alright.” I’ve been wearing a bracelet that presses the side of my wrist and it’s done wonders for the nausea.

“Hmm.” He looks down at my middle. “Have you decided?”

I have, but I don’t want to tell him quite like this, standing in his foyer with our shoes splayed out on the tile.

“There is some need to decide.” He takes my hand and leads me down the hallway.

“I know.” I am having the child. We are having a child. But he asked me to move with him, away from Geneva. I would feel more comfortable doing so if I had an income, and I wasn’t dependent on him.

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