I’m staring at a huge diamond ring on Riza’s ring finger. I frown, a little confused as to what it means. “Tell me that’s a promise ring.”
“No,” she giggles and shoves it another inch closer, like I can’t see it already. The freaking diamond is huge. You can feed a small country if you sell it. “We’re engaged! Justin proposed last night. I wanted to tell you in person. I’ve already phoned Kelly.” Her smile wavers a bit.
“Let me guess,” I scrunch my nose, “Kelly’s not happy?”
Riza shrugs. “I’m the one who’s marrying Justin. I love him. He makes me happy. I mean, what could be more perfect than marrying the man that saved me?”
My eyes dart to Garrett where he’s talking to Justin. They’re still standing by the door. I watch Garrett take a package from Justin, and they start in our direction. Everything looks so casual.
“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? You and Garrett seem to be doing well?” Riza’s excitement is starting to bubble over to me.
“We are,” I smile at her. “As long as you’re happy and if Justin makes you happy then go for it.”
She throws her arms around my neck. “I knew you’d understand.”
The men smile at us embracing. I pull away first and grab the plates. “Won’t you bring the glasses, please?” I ask Riza. I make a run for the dining room table, hoping that subject won’t come up in front of Garrett. I’m not sure what I feel for him and until I’ve figured it out for myself, I’m not ready to talk about it.
Luckily we all stay on safe topics. Justin and Riza tell us about property they’re looking at buying. Garrett and Justin talk business, and the more I hear about the work they do, and see the wealth surrounding them, the more I realize that they’re from a wealthy family.
I fill all our glasses again and take a sip from mine. I’ve been deep in thought so when I hear Warren’s name, I almost choke. “What’s that about Warren?” I clear my throat again, to get rid of the burning sensation.
Justin looks tense. “We have a private investigator out there looking for Warren and Bill. We want to know where they are, so we don’t run into them.”
The old familiar fear ripples through me. “Why would you do something like that?” I get up, no longer able to sit still. The urge to run makes me feel edgy. “It’s been a year. They’ve most probably forgotten about us. Looking for them will only lead to trouble.”
Garrett stands up. His serious expression reminds me of those days. “If Bill or Warren finds us first, who knows what they’d do. They could come after our family, or worse, kill us for disappearing on them. We know too much about how they operate. We’re loose ends they would want to tie up.”
I start to gather the dishes, needing something to do. “I think it’s a bad idea.” I take everything to the kitchen and start to wash the plates.
I can feel Garrett coming to stand behind me. He places his hands on my hips. I feel his thumbs brush softly over my shirt and his touch calms me a little.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promises. “Warren will never come near you again. I’ll make sure of that.”
The rest of the night goes by without any incidents. When Justin and Riza leave, I’m tired and ready for bed.
I take a quick shower and dress in the usual shorts and cami I sleep in. When I come out of the bathroom, I find Garrett sitting on the bed, just staring out the window into the dark night.
I take a step towards him, wondering what he’s thinking. His eyes find mine and he smiles that trademark smile I’ve come to love. He holds out a hand for me. “Come here.”
I take his hand and he pulls me until I’m standing between his legs. “I’ve been thinking about our conversation of earlier,” his hands come to rest on my hips, “and I’d like to fix that.”
He leans in and places a kiss on the strip of skin peeking from between my cami and shorts. Garrett moves his hands up my side, pushing the material up as he goes and exposing more of my skin.
When he looks up at me his eyes are warm with lust. “Let me show you how it should really be.”
I know I won’t be able to talk right now, so I keep quiet and try not to move. His hands keep working their way up and as he pulls the cami over my head, I drop my eyes to the floor.
“Look at me, Kris. I want to see those beautiful eyes. I love drowning in them.” He stands up to his full height as he says this. I look up but my eyes instantly drop to his chest as he drags his shirt over his head. His golden skin is stretched tight over his muscles and my hands itch to touch him. I’ve never had the opportunity to explore his body.