Page 134 of The Protégé

“I did?” He looked at me. “Was this the first time?”

“No.” I swallowed. “To be honest, I was jealous the first time I heard it. No woman likes hearing her man call out another woman’s name in bed.” I ran my fingers over the five o’clock shadow on his chin. “But I understand now. I shouldn’t have felt that way.”

“I love you.” He cupped my face. “And I don’t want you to ever doubt that. Okay?”

“Okay.” I kissed him.

Even though he was going through so much, he still wanted to make sure I was all right. I loved this man so much. He could resolve whatever issue that fell on him.

I changed to a lighter topic. “So what’s the significance of Quintile Island? Does the name have meaning?”

“When my mother bought the island, she changed the name from Perry Island to Quintile Island. Quintile is an astrological aspect in astrology. It’s when two planets are seventy-two degrees apart. The aspect represents talent, the urge to create order, and a fascination with patterns and structures. It’s associated with creativity, innovation, and finding unique solutions.”

“She’s describingyou.”

He smiled. “She told me she bought the island for me. I didn’t know the significance of the name until I got older and studied astrology along with her. But yeah, she saw all of that in me.” Love emanated from his face.

“She was a smart woman.”

“And so are you.” He tapped my chin. “You’re very intelligent for being with me, you know.”

I laughed. “Most people would question my choices if they knew I was with a thief.”

Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “Not just any thief—the most extraordinary thief to ever exist.”

“Who’s blessed with the most extraordinary protégé to ever exist,” I countered.

His smile widened, and he kissed me. “I feel so much better already. Let me put some long pants on and I’ll give you a tour.” He’d worn shorts to bed.

As we walked, I fell in love with the island. Orion said it would take about three hours to walk from one end of the island to the next. He showed me the new guest house that was recently built. There was also a small house that served as temporary housing for his employees, who came to maintain the island twice a month. He had advanced solar panels that weren’t available commercially, collecting energy for the island.

“Even if the world had a blackout, we’d be fine here,” he said. “We can sustain ourselves.”

I loved his independence and innovative ways of living. Orion also had a machine that turned seawater into drinkable water. I literally tasted the healing of the sea in that cup. Quintile Island was like a hidden sanctuary. He could also monitor his massive home via his phone. His company, SIGMA, had a satellite aiming at the island for a close-up view if he ever needed access to it. I was in awe of what was on the island.

I also learned he’d added new cameras all around the island in discreet locations.

“So that’s how you found the guy who died on the island. Did you find out why he was here?”

“Yes.” His jaw tightened. “But he’s just a pawn. I don’t want to talk about him. Let’s just focus on cheerful things.” He cupped my face. “I have something spectacular to show you.”

He brought me to an abstractly shaped building and led me inside to a room where giant glass panels took up three quarters of the room.

I gasped when I saw all the equipment in the room, along the walls, and on the ceiling.

“This looks like something that belongs in a spaceship or NASA.” I walked up to an abstract thing suspended in the air. The ceiling was made of glass.

He laughed. “You’re not wrong. This is where I like to look at the stars.”

“Orion, my love.” I placed a hand on my hip while the other hand gestured to the room. “Most people look at the stars with a normal telescope that can be transported out to the back yard. What you have is . . . an enormous machine that looks complicated and intimidating.”

He placed a hand on each side of my shoulders with his eyes settling directly on mine. “This is the most advanced telescopeyou’ll ever find, Sunshine. The Webb Telescope by James Webb from NASA is currently the most powerful. But what I have is the Reimann Telescope. No one has this yet. You can see stars from the next galaxy clearer than the infrared that the Webb instrument delivers. I’ve seen things that NASA hasn’t even discovered.”

I blinked at him. “Wow.” Just when I thought I’d heard everything, Orion surprised me again. He could see into the next galaxy?

Sometimes when I looked at the night sky, I wondered what was beyond the Earth, beyond the Milky Way. The universe was vast, and it made my problems seem insignificant. That there were more important things to consider than my issues. “I want to see.”

“I’ll give you the stars tonight.” Warmth radiated from his eyes, but there was something else there.

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