Page 12 of The Saint

But she didn’t seem to have any idea what she’d just revealed to me, like her feelings were so second nature she didn’t even register her words. “And the last thing I ever want you to think is I’m with you for the wrong reasons. Because if you lived in myold apartment and could only afford to take me to McDonald’s, I’d be perfectly fine with that.”

She really had no fucking idea what she’d just said. It was so far compartmentalized that she didn’t see the truth even when it stared at her right in the face. I couldn’t fight the grin that moved over my lips. The anger was long gone when I heard the words directly out of her mouth, words that Adrien had shared with me first without remembering it.

“What?” she asked, the confusion in her features fully sincere.

“Nothing.”

Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine like she knew that wasn’t the truth.

I changed the subject before she could ask me for a better answer. “All I want is for us to be together fully and completely—and you’ve finally given that to me.”

4

BASTIEN

She didn’t have to submit a two-week notice or formally quit, not when I was her boss, so she was just done. We didn’t talk about it again, and I was glad it was over. It was one of the worst fights we’d had, but it couldn’t have ended better.

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for days.

I worked mostly nights, leaving after she went to bed. When I came home, it was usually late morning, and she was dressed and ready to go even though she had nowhere to be. I kissed her and grabbed her ass like I always did, happy that she was the face I saw after a long night on the streets.

“How was work?”

“Fine.” I pulled the envelope out of my back pocket and opened the flap to reveal the debit and credit cards that were all in her name. I placed it on the table. “These are yours. Buy whatever you want. I have space in the parking garage under the building if you want a car.”

Her eyebrows flicked up at the offer, but she didn’t say anything.

I waited for resistance or argument, but it never came.

Finally, she said, “Thank you.”

I moved into her again, my hand squeezing both of her ass cheeks as I kissed her hard on the mouth. “Attagirl.” I gave her ass a hard spank before I walked away.

“Bastien?”

I turned back to her, dead tired and ready for bed, but she was always my priority.

“Could you do me a favor?”

My eyebrows furrowed before I walked back to her. “Anything.”

She hesitated before she made her request. “I still have a lot of stuff at Adrien’s. Stuff that I couldn’t bring to the apartment because I was in such a rush to get the hell out of there. I don’t think I can look at his face again and not punch him, so…could you get it for me?”

“Of course.”

“There’s the rest of my clothes?—”

“You havemoreclothes?” She already took up eighty percent of the closet.

Her trepidation vanished as a sly smile moved over her lips. “And shoes…lots of shoes.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“You might want to rethink giving me your credit card.” The smile was still there, and it was nice to watch her tease me again.

I didn’t need to rethink it, not when that was the exact reason I gave it to her. “Good thing we have extra closets in this house.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

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