Page 27 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

“You haven’t put the sheets in the wash yet, have you?”

“No, but I’ve been trying to clean it with water and soap.”

“Hot water?”

“Cold,” Saffron replied. “Why?”

“Good,” Kate breathed a sigh of relief. “Hot water will set bloodstains. I always seem to get my period in my sleep so you’ve no idea how many times I’ve had to get blood out of my mattress.”

“I can remove it then?” A look of hope dawned on Saffron’s face.

“We’ll both do it, if you’d like.”

“Oh my god,” Saffron threw her arms around Kate’s neck, bundling her into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Thank you,” Kate patted Saffron’s back awkwardly. “Me too,” she replied, wondering whether she really meant it.

After quickly discovering that the flat had no hydrogen peroxide and that Saffron had no tampons, Kate made her way back to the living room, finding that Rhys had immersed himself inThe Crown’spilot episode. Which was definitely not the episode she’d left it on.

“What?” he said, catching her looking at him. “I haven’t got anything else to watch.”

“I was more judging you for eating all the Maltesers but anyway, I need to go to the shops.”

“No.”

She began to argue back, but Rhys overruled her.

“No. Apart from the fact that I actually quite like you and don’t want to see you strangled, Warren would imprison me in that torture chamber he calls a cellar for the rest of my life.”

“But I really do need things, Rhys.”

“Just stuff from a supermarket?”

She nodded.

He opened his phone, flicking across his screen until he found whatever app he was looking for. “Here. They’ll deliver in less than an hour. Get whatever you want.”

Kate took it. “Are you sure?” She scrolled down, only to be prompted to re-order the last delivery… A packet of condoms and a bottle of lube. Pretending she hadn’t seen it, she quickly found the things she needed—and a few she didn’t—and went to check out. “Delivery is £5!” she exclaimed, horrified.

“It’s fine,” Rhys waved an idle hand, his eyes glued to the TV.

A depressed prod in her brain reminded her that some weeks £5 had been all she’d had left for food. Ignoring it, she pressed the button to confirm the purchase, cleared the screen, and handed Rhys back his phone. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Sincerely. “Do I need to go down to accept it when it arrives?”

“No, one of the security team will bring it up. I’ll give you a shout.”

Said shout came barely twenty minutes later.

“One of the benefits of being in London, apparently,” Kate mused to Saffron, digging through the bag—which one of the security team downstairs had already pre-checked. She laid her order out on the bed. A bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Rubber gloves. Kitchen roll. Tampons. Pads. Two menstrual cups. A hot water bottle in a velvety soft cover. And the biggest box of chocolate seashells she’d ever seen.

“Oh my god, those look amazing,” Saffron said, picking up the box of chocolates.

“They are amazing. My father got me a small box last Christmas and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since.”

Saffron perused the period-related items.

“I didn’t know what you used, so I just got everything.”

Reading the packaging on one of the menstrual cups, Saffron looked at her questioningly. “Why two?”

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