“Apartment, please.”
“Good. And would you let Anne Russell help you?”
That would help, I supposed. But I didn’t want to get too sucked in to his lifestyle again. Then again, I knew I wouldn’t be able to carry shopping bags or clean the place while my back hurt. “All right.”
He smiled at me, that slightly crooked smile that undid me inside every time. I wondered if he knew that.
“Thank you.”
Then he leaned back, looking around. In a moment, Lawrence was at his side and being given a long list of instructions, beginning with packing up at the hotel and ending with leasing an apartment.
My eyebrows went up as I listened to the list of requirements for the apartment.
“James. There’s no need for that. It doesn’t need all that fancy stuff. And one bedroom’s enough.”
He looked over at me. “Well, let’s see what Lawrence manages to find that’s available close enough to the office, shall we?” I could see by the glint in his eye that somehow, the only available apartment would have a jacuzzi spa and all the extras.
He was smiling. “You’ll find a spa really helps your back, if you’re going to be stubborn and not see a doctor.”
Lawrence went off to start on the jobs.
“Have you really been staying here this week?”
He shrugged. “Of course. I needed to be as close as I could. I had to go back to England for a crisis at one point, but I flew straight back out again after a day.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know how to feel about that.
He shook his head at me. “Don’t think about it too much. You’re really tired, I can see that. Let’s just get home and rested. Then we can sort out everything else. You’re safe and that’s all that matters.”
I wanted to retort that he was tired too. If there was ever evidence that he cared about me, it was in the way he looked. But, he’d deceived me once, was he holding back anything else?
James
I got Lawrence to charter another plane for everyone else and the luggage to go back, saving the jet for just us. I didn’t want her to see the size of the team I’d had hunting for her, the equipment we’d used.
I didn’t want her feeling that we’d been prepared to use all possible means to find her. As she’d rung Paul, she could think we’d found her that way.
I’d been prepared to go back with her to that horrible place to collect her stuff, but she’d refused.
“No, I’ll go back on my own. I’ve not got anything worth packing, but I have to say goodbye to Maria.”
I’d asked if I could meet Maria too, and Toni had shaken her head.
“No. Absolutely not. You look too official, they’d be frightened you’d shut them down.” Then she’d shrugged. “And maybe you should. But there’s nothing anywhere else for them if you did. Nothing.”
I let that go. I had more important things in my life at the moment. Toni, of course, first and foremost. But the situation at home with Edward was also simmering, and I didn’t know what the hell to do about that. If Toni found out, would she think that was the only reason I was keeping her? It wasn’t true, but it was a hell of a time for this to have happened.
* * *
The apartment was a success. There hadn’t been time yet for Anne Russell to have all Toni’s stuff brought over, but she looked all around with an awed expression.
“Wow,” she said, shaking her head. Staring into the bathroom, she sighed and turned to me with a mischievous grin. “It’s just as well my stuff’s not here yet or you’d be out on your ear.” She looked back into the room. “A hot bath. I’d kill for a hot bath.”
I smiled down on the top of her head. “Well, it won’t be long getting here now. Why not get started? Anne can bring in the towels and a clean outfit when she gets here.” I met her eye as she turned to look at me. “A long soak might relax your back muscles.”
She tipped her head. “I suppose so.” She started for the door, then paused and looked back. “Thank you. You don’t need to stay.”
“I’ll stay.” I smiled, but she didn’t smile back.
“No, you don’t need to stay. Give me space, James, please.”
“Of course.” My need for her, the aching place in my arms for her would have to wait. I turned for the door, not wanting her to see the power she had over me. But I couldn’t do it. I looked back. “Dinner tonight?”
She shook her head. “I’m going to sleep the clock around I think.” She smiled, though there was sadness in her eyes. “You look as if you could do with that too.”