Page 188 of Quinlan

Sun rises in thesky. Bright light shines on the empty penthouse in the morning, all the way through noon.

I’m sitting on a stool on the kitchen island, with the meal that Rome left for me this morning in front of me. He prepared it before any of us woke up today. When I came down here at six, he’d already been here. Stirring and stoic.

And I can’t bring myself to eat the beef ragu and pasta he made.

The food is exquisite. The pasta is handmade and the ragu has been left for hours on the stove to simmer. The flavors are rich, the meat the most delicious I’ve ever had.

The food isn’t the problem.

Yesterday, Rome promised me honesty.

He’s given me so much since. All three of them. Morning sex. Three sets of hands soaping me, lathering shampoo into my hair, drying me up with plush, incredibly soft towels.

Liam brushed my hair, careful and attentive as he undid the knots. Rome blow-dried it.

Damien chose my clothes for me. Black lace bra and panties under black long-sleeve T-shirt and dark blue jeans. He laughed when I teased him aboutlettingme have virtual conferences today. His laugh was an easy one. I could imagine a younger Damien at that moment. Before…

Before Rex.

I release a sigh into the empty penthouse. Collect meat, pasta and tomato sauce on my fork and shovel it into my mouth. Flavors explode on my tongue. My heart is so heavy that I don’t enjoy it as much as I should. I can’t.

“You have until five to be done with work.”Damien’s words come back to me as I chew. Swallow. Gulp on water, because the food won’t go down my throat.“We’ll be back by then. Rome will be there to talk to you.”

There’s no way I can finish this meal. This half-empty plate. There’s no way I can do anything for the next seven hours other than stare. I haven’t scheduled anything, of course I haven’t.

I’m too on edge.

The only email I returned was Paulina’s. She’s one of my favorite clients, and I couldn’t leave the message unopened. She asked when I’m back to taking new clients. Her friend opened a new exclusive club, and he deserves the best, Paulina said. After I replied with “It’s still undecided,” I shut down the laptop.

As I stare into my plate, I think, no, I don’t want to stay here and do nothing. I want to run up to my room, push through the door, and talk to the little camera on my laptop. Maybe they’ll be there. Maybe they’ll listen to me when I yell at them that being alone with the pain and concerns about Rome and Damien is too painful. That I can’t help if they don’t talk to me like they promised.

“I’m sorry, Rome,” I say to the food as I dispose of what’s left of it. “I hope there aren’t any cameras here and that you’re not mad.”

“Oh, but I am.”

His booming voice catches me completely off guard. I scream and lose the grip on the plate and fork at the same time, and they fly out of my hands. They clatter on the floor, the white ceramic plate too delicate to absorb the fall. It crashes, breaking into so many pieces.

So many.

“Quinlan,” Rome commands, speaking in a low tone.

“I’m sorry,” I curse under my breath.

Is he disappointed that I didn’t finish my meal, or that I dropped the plate? That I messed up their kitchen? That the food he worked so hard on is scattered all over the floor?

Whatever it is, I can’t leave it like this. I have to clean this up so that at least when he walks over here, the evidence of just how much I didn’t eat will be gone.

Where are the cleaning supplies? I have no idea.

Probably in the cupboards below the sink. I’ll start searching there.

One foot lifts. I’m about to step back when I hear a cracking sound. Ceramic splintering beneath a man’s dress shoes.

I turn toward Rome, my foot still up in the air, my arms spread to the side for balance.

Pleading with him to stay back won’t happen today. What does leave my body is my air and dignity when Rome swoops me into his arms.

“Sweetheart.” Dark blue eyes are as hard as the muscles of his chest, of his abs. He pins me to him, and my legs go automatically around his waist. “What the hell were you thinking?”

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